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Weapon-switching: quality or quantity?

If there is one nail in the coffin for action titles it’s when a review begins by saying: " the game lacks combat-options or depth ", while this is often not the case. Games like Bayonetta offer a huge variety of weapon combinations to the player while others like Killer is Dead only have a single weapon. One can assume the former is better but it goes much further than that. A mechanic like weapon-switching - which allows the player to switch between weapons, abilities or even complete move-sets on the fly - has to fit the vision of the game to be work; thus it needs careful consideration. This article will cover the different ways action games have handled weapon-switching, together with the up and downsides to each one and what it does to the overall game. Not every usage is done perfectly and some don’t even fit the games used in the example, but I hope this article will show that the combat system of games like Devil May Cry 4 and Bayonetta 2 aren’t the only one worth

Ninja Gaiden: past to present

These articles were originally published separately, but after posting them I felt they belonged together so I combined them into one big piece. As a result each article was slightly altered to prevent double explanations and to have the story flow better. As an extra this version includes a short epilogue about the Ninja Gaiden community. And lastly, this article was given a make-over to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ninja Gaiden on October 2018. Enjoy! (一) CHAPTER ONE ninja gaiden 覚えゲー(pronounced OH boe GHe ) is a term often used to describe games that focus on the player memorizing the patterns of his enemies to continue through the game, loosely translating to “ remember the game ”. The original Ninja Gaiden on the Nintendo Entertainment System from 1988 was one such game. Filled with unexpected traps and combinations of foes that had to be circumvented to reach the end goal. The larger than life boss fights were equally pattern based, each with distinct

Ninja Gaiden II: Pursuit of Perfection

What do you do when you made, in the eyes of many, the best game in the genre? “You surround yourself with your betters” , said now Executive Producer Tomonobu Itagaki. Products that combine art, music, interactivity and video on the scale of a game like Ninja Gaiden require a team working in a cohesive direction. One person, often the lead designer, operates as a funnel to keep the crew on the same path while still making sure each individual member feels like they are adding a part of themselves to the product. It isn’t the work of one man to make it or take credit for making the game but for him/her to make sure the team knows how to make it and what they will make. Thus, together with 97 other great minds like ninjutsu expert Stephen K. Hayes, consultant Andrew Szymanski, producer Yoshifuru Okamoto and directors Katsunori Ehara and Hiroaki Matsui, Itagaki set out to improve on what was done before with a new direction for not only Team Ninja but also Ryu Hayabu

Boss Battle Analysis: Azel - God Hand

Taking a break from the looks at a singular game, let us look at what makes a boss-fight function. What makes it good, what makes it bad; starting with Azel from the Playstation 2 game God Hand . If we were to categorize bosses, Azel would fall under the ‘dark version of yourself’ bosses. He’s the mirror to the protagonist Gene ; of what is possible with the game mechanics at offer, which makes him even more an intimidating foe. There are no ‘unfair’ fallbacks possible. If you have it so does he. It is due to this setup that beating him will give the feeling that you’ve mastered the mechanics of the game, as you’ve essentially beaten the ‘designer’ at his own game. Azel is the binary manifestation of the designers playing as Gene against your own Gene . God Hand is a game that allows four types of offensive when it comes to attacks. A fully customisable moveset on the one side, empowering yourself with the "God Hand" to gain temporary immortality and stronger attacks

Has The Genre Passed Away, Or Moved On?

Violins sound their chords, guitars rock and voices sing - bottles are popped, corks fly. New games in the action genre have graced us this year, something that is cause for celebration these days, isn’t it? Yet for some the bottles remain corked and the music muted, while for others the only voice heard is a sigh of relief. What is going on? Not too long after Nier: Automata’s release Platinum Games legend Hideki Kamiya offered these words: " Nier's success has to this point given Platinum a new fanbase, a growing staff, a brilliant success story, an increase in qualified job applicants, and a great benefit ," followed by saying " Normally, I can't help but do everything by myself... it's a pitiful story, but to say that Yoko-san saved Platinum would not be an exaggeration . I cannot thank him enough. " Fast forward to the release of Team Ninja’s final expansion pack for Nioh , to hear director Fumihiko Yasuda offer these words: “When the scene afte

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