Before its success with theDark Soulsfranchise, FromSoftware was known for making a wide variety of games.King’s FieldandArmored Corewere two of its oldest offerings, and their DNA runs through manyFromSoftwaretitles. Aside from mecha action games and fantasy dungeon crawlers, FromSoftware also dipped into horror. There were further unique offerings such as the turn-based JRPGEnchanted Arms, but most of FromSoftware’s catalog can be boiled down to these categories.
In 2009,Demon’s Soulsbegan to change the company’s direction. However, just a week prior in Japan, another FromSoftware game released exclusively for the Xbox 360. It was arguably the last of its kind untilSekiro: Shadows Die Twice10 years later. That game wasNinja Blade, and apart from a Steam port late in 2009, not much has come of it. It was delisted from Steam recently due to a publisher request, but the game contains several strange choices that lie outside FromSoftware’s usual design repertoire, contributing toNinja Bladebeing a quirky experience.
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Ninja Blade is Not Like Other FromSoftware Titles
At first glance,Ninja Bladeappears to be a fairly standard action game. The combat takes a lot of inspiration from the 3DNinja Gaidentrilogy, and comes off like a less difficult spin-off. It also holds someresemblance to FromSoftware’sOtogititles, though they play differently. Players control Ken Ogawa, a ninja employed by the containment task force GUIDE to fight the mysterious Alpha-worm parasite. Ogawa travels to Tokyo with his father Kanbe and some other ninjas to contain a massive outbreak, however Kanbe and another team member infected by King Worms kill the squad. Kanbe stabs Ken with their clan’s Ninja Blade, but the wound is only made to look fatal.
After a short recovery period, Ken returns to Tokyo to quell the outbreak and stop his former comrades. Players will gain the use of a katana, twin swords, and a broadsword, similar to weapons found inNinja Gaiden; as well as a FromSoftware-standard Moonlight Greatsword. Ken shares various movement abilities with Ryu Hayabusa, and platforming is a regular part of aNinja Blade. Ken can also use elemental ninjutsu tied to a magic shuriken. That sounds promising, butNinja Blade’s heavyGod of Warinspiration comes about throughquick-time eventsfor almost every enemy, boss fight, and cutscene.
The Curious Case of Ninja Blade
Ninja Bladereceived mixed reviews at the time, and it has not aged very well. Its combat has provenweaker than other FromSoftware action games, and the quick-time events can be grating. The straightforward monster designs and pervasive gray color scheme contribute toNinja Bladefeeling like an amalgamation of seventh-generation trends, and that makes it feel dated in a way even FromSoftware’s rougher titles do not. The dedication to being a cinematic action game and an over-the-top experience does not always serveNinja Bladewell, as its sense of pacing and scale is virtually nonexistent. Without doing much to make itself stand out from the crowd, it’s not a surprise thatNinja Bladehas been largely forgotten.
It’s not all bad, however. The story and cutscenes are ridiculous in a way few FromSoftware titles aspire to be, and the game could be worth a look just for that experience. The leader of the GUIDE organization is Michael Wilson, who FromSoftware fans will recognize as the protagonist andAmerican president fromMetal Wolf Chaos.Ninja Bladealso holds an interesting historical place as FromSoftware’s last definitively non-Soulsand non-mecha action game. While not a particularly good game,Ninja Bladeis an interesting one, and campy action enthusiasts may want to look up a playthrough.
Ninja Bladeis available on Xbox 360, and has been delisted from Steam.
