OK first off I'm not comparing this game to any of its predecessor. The reason being is that I haven't even played them before. So I'm purely reviewing this game alone without having to make comparisons.
This game itself, does not rely on just plain good old graphics to keep gamers happy. In fact NG has a good deal of other elements incorporated into it which makes the overall game that absorbing to play. For instance the story telling. Storywise this has got to be one of the most engaging, and adventurous type of story I've ever set my eyes upon. The presentation and the delivery of these story sequences are beautifully presented with little flaws seen. Its amazing how Itagaki can build upon that sense of anticipation when watching one of the cut scenes. The CGi sequence itself are amazing to watch. Not only does it look good but it also presents the story in a rather fashionable and elegant form. Again this captivates the audience's attention and urges them to play more.
The combat and gameplay itself is rather fluid with little restrictions imposed on the main character. When I say restrictions I mean the whole movement of the main character, is it fluid and 'free' enough so that you as the player have complete control over Ryu's movement? When I play NG I feel that I have complete control over Ryu. It almost feels like I am him. In some games that I have I played the main characters are stiff, feels like they are controlling themselves rather than me controlling them. However this is different. It really is a tantalizing experience. The combat itself is fast with little framerate drop. I didn't notice a huge framerate drop when I play the game, even when the battle heats up it still maintains that constant speed, and this is what I want to see in other video games. I want to play a game where I can see everything clearly, have an idea of what to do next without having to suffer these kind of framerate drops. NG shows little signs of these drops and again it makes the experience of playing a video game that more exciting and refreshing.
However the problem with this game is that it is way too fast even for the camera to catch up. Camera angles and the positioning of them is an issue in this game. You would want to have a visual perception of your enemy. So that means I should be able to see my enemies around the screen. Having the camera looking up at you doesn't really help. However I'm glad that they implemented the camera centering function which enables you to center the camera in whatever position you are in. This is a very useful function as I've used it many times in the game. I can see what Itagaki is trying to do. He is trying to maintain the balance between camera gameplay and camera cinematography. In other words he wants to have camera angles that are in good position just for you to be able to play the game efficiently, as well as maintaining the overall style of the game. He wants to actually make the gameplay experience a cinematic experience as well. Which is a nice idea, a refreshing idea however in terms of gameplay it fails in that area.
There are complaints about the game being just a bit too hard even for casual gamers. True there are people with different level of skills however I found the difficulty just right for an enjoyable experience. It enables you to play the game fully enough so that you understand how the combat works, the different combos that you should use in certain situations and it helps your mind to adapt to the environmental and situational changes in the game. This game, to me, is a good way to hone your skills and be prepare for any games with such depth in combat.
I have yet to play Ninja Gaiden Black but I heard there is added features into it for example, new cut scenes, new weapons etc. I would suggest playing that version instead as it is an enhanced NG game. Gameplay should be the same I hope but that game is mainly for the new added features. Overall imo NG by itself is a game that all xbox owners should feast their eyes upon and play it at least once in their life. It is absolutely astonishing and I can't wait for NG2. This time with enhanced graphics.
