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An in-depth look at Ninja Gaiden 3′s flaws
By Gabriel Zamora On 8 May, 2012 At 01:25 PM | Categorized As Action, Beat Em Ups, Features, Slider | With 2 Comments

img screen l 24 1 An in depth look at Ninja Gaiden 3s flaws

The Ninja Gaiden series has been lauded by players and critics alike for its complex action combat and unforgiving difficulty. The latest iteration of the series, Ninja Gaiden 3, utilizes combat mechanics similar to those of the older titles, yet delivers an experience that is noticeably inferior to them. This article will explore Ninja Gaiden 3‘s strengths and shortcomings when compared to its predecessors, Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden 2.

Ninja Gaiden on the original Xbox stood out for its amazing level of polish, which was the result of a lengthy development period and subsequent expansions and gameplay tweaks. The game infused its combo system with advanced fighting-game mechanics, making the combat engine extremely robust, but satisfying to master. There is massive list of mechanics that players could utilize in Ninja Gaiden – from cancels and a variety of stun-states to instant-charge attacks and on-landing inputs, to instant-kills and context-sensitive attacks, Ryu was a technical powerhouse. Enemies operated under these same mechanics, making for a rich and challenging gameplay experience. With the release of the Hurricane Pack DLCs (which were completely free, by the way), Ninja Gaiden received more enemies, new weapons, and enhanced mechanics overall. Almost all of these additions were made available in Ninja Gaiden Black, resulting in one of the most polished and well-rounded action games released to date.

But Ninja Gaiden offered more than just combat. Platforming and exploration were crucial to progress, and every level in Ninja Gaiden broke combat encounters up with light platforming sections and key hunts. These sections were by no means difficult, but they did a great job of keeping the fighting from feeing tedious. Ninja Gaiden had great level design as well, with each area featuring varied and interesting environments. With levels such as a ninja fortress, a commandeered airship, a modern military complex, an ancient ruined aqueduct, frozen and magmatic caverns, a stone labyrinth, etc., no two areas were the same in Ninja Gaiden, and every area introduced new enemies and hazards. All of these elements combined made Ninja Gaiden the fantastic action game it is.

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Fighting a doppleganger in Ninja Gaiden Black. (Team Ninja, Tecmo)

Ninja Gaiden 2 took all of the combat elements of the original Ninja Gaiden and sped the fighting up nearly two-fold. Combat was fast – the game often threw twice as many enemies at you then the original did, quickening and adding to Ryu’s already massive combo list, and adding all new weapons to the mix. Levels were nicely varied and visually impressive, though exploration and platforming were less pronounced, with levels playing out extremely linearly when compared to the original. Backtracking was kept to a minimum as there was only ever one way to go. There were less keys to hunt as well, and they were usually placed near the door they opened, making their existence a bit superfluous.

Steel on bone is a technique that completely undermines the combo system. At least in Ninja Gaiden 2 players were required to utilize the combo system to attack and dismember enemies individually.

Ninja Gaiden 2 also introduced dismemberment and “Obliteration Techniques,” and it is through these mechanics that the game truly differed from the original, for better and for worse. Ryu’s attacks had a random chance of severing an enemy’s limb (heavy attacks and counterattacks triggered this more often), leaving the enemy crippled but not entirely helpless. Crippled enemies generally moved slowly, but went kamikaze if they got close enough to Ryu, dealing immense damage and killing themselves in the process. To quickly dispatch these wild-card enemies, Ryu could “obliterate” them with a heavy attack, initiating a short, scripted auto-attack that instantly killed the target.

The issue with this new mechanic, in my opinion, was that the underlying combat system was undermined by the random dismemberment and instant-kills. Learning how to effectively utilize a weapons’s attacks or how to capitalize on an enemy’s stun-state was generally less valuable than learning how to effectively dismember and obliterate enemies. The increased speed of the game also weakened the one-on-one complexity found in the original, since Ryu and enemies recover much too quickly from stronger stun-states to effectively act upon them (though you still could). Even though the enemies were just as competent in Ninja Gaiden 2 as they were in the original, the overall feel in Ninja Gaiden 2 was “Ryu vs. a mob” rather than the more personal combat of Ninja Gaiden.

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Ryu literally cutting enemies to pieces in NG2. (Team Ninja, Tecmo)

Team Ninja embraced the changes made in Ninja Gaiden 2 rather than the original, designing Ninja Gaiden 3 entirely as a “Ryu vs. mob” action game. The underlying complexity that the series was known for still exists in Ninja Gaiden 3, but in a diminished state, as instant kills and the new “Steel-on-bone” mechanic are the bread-and-butter of combat this time around. The game’s focus is not fighting enemies, but rather killing them quickly, and Team Ninja designed tools to aid players towards that end.

Now, before we delve into the bad, let’s look at what Ninja Gaiden 3 does very well.

Dodging feels great. The evasive maneuver in Ninja Gaiden 3 is a slide, which replaces the basic dash from the previous title. The slide can be used aggressively, dealing light damage and briefly stunning enemies. Ryu can also attack directly out of a slide, making it a fantastic way to open-up a combo. Hopefully, sliding (or an evasive ability with the same properties) makes it in future titles.

The attack animations and blood effects are top-notch, as one would expect from a Ninja Gaiden game. Team Ninja actually redesigned combos in Ninja Gaiden 3 rather than recycling the familiar combos from the first two titles. Combo extensions make heavy use of charge commands (pressing and holding the heavy attack button), and the combo system feels fresh and interesting as a result. Likewise, rather than the over-the-top gore-fest of Ninja Gaiden 2, Ninja Gaiden 3 opts for a blood-bath instead. The blood effects look fantastic – the delicate ribbons of blood that Ryu’s attacks draw look great, and the fountains of blood that erupt from Ryu’s finishing attacks add sanguinary satisfaction to every kill.

Oh, and no damned ghost fish. Good riddance, says I, as those enemies sucked spectacularly. Yes, I know you could farm them for essence. No, they were never fun to fight.

img screen l 08 e1336493743649 An in depth look at Ninja Gaiden 3s flaws

To say Ninja Gaiden 3 is bloody is an understatement. (Team Ninja, Tecmo)

Now, without further adieu let’s look at the combat in Ninja Gaiden 3.

As stated earlier, Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2 had a very complex combat system “under the hood,” so to speak – combos all had unique stun effects on enemies, Ryu had plenty of cancels and special techniques he could utilize to avoid damage, stay mobile or capitalize on vulnerable enemies, etc. Ninja Gaiden 3 guts or simplifies many of these elements, reducing the practicality of the combos or making them altogether useless. Knocking an enemy into the ground in previous games allowed Ryu to use a powerful special attack, which dealt massive damage or killed the enemy outright. Grounding enemies in Ninja Gaiden 3 does nothing, as you cannot attack them until the get back up. Knocking an enemy into something in earlier titles (like a wall or another enemy) did bonus damage to the enemy. Wall damage has been removed, and cleared enemies no longer damage other enemies (that I’m aware of) in Ninja Gaiden 3. You can’t even grab an enemy and throw them out of a crowd to deal with individually, since Ryu no longer has a functional grab move. What this means is that you will be utilizing the combo system primarily for damage-dealing, and for setting up Ninja Gaiden 3‘s new mechanic, the steel on bone finisher.

Steel on bone attacks, much like obliteration techniques in Ninja Gaiden 2, are what sets Ninja Gaiden 3 apart from previous titles. This technique allows players to instantly finish-off an enemy. The way this attack works is not explained at all in-game, but some practicing with the combo system has revealed what I believe to be the basic mechanics for the finisher.

Enemies in Ninja Gaiden 3 have a certain threshold of damage they can take before they become visibly bloodied. This blood signifies that they are weakened, and can be juggled, stunned, tripped or knocked-around without resistance. It also means that a steel on bone finisher can be initiated. Specific attacks in Ryu’s combo will initiate the SoB, though heavy attacks tend to initiate them more often than not. Tripping a bloodied enemy and attacking them with a heavy attack will always initiate a SoB.

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Ryu attempting an Ultimate Technique in Ninja Gaiden 3. (Team Ninja, Tecmo)

Once the attack has been triggered, Ryu will lodge his sword into the enemy’s torso and require a second attack input to finish the attack. Once entered, Ryu will slice through the enemy and voilà – dead enemy. What is vitally important about the mechanic is also completely unstated in-game: steel on bone attacks can be chained from a weakened enemy to a non-weakened enemy, provided the enemies are close to Ryu, and you press the correct button. Hammering the light attack button after a successful SoB will have Ryu initiate another SoB on the nearest enemy. This can be repeated ad nauseum, allowing players to clear out entire waves of enemies by hammering the basic attack button. Pressing the heavy attack button during a SoB chain will actually break the kill chain, forcing Ryu to start over by weakening a new enemy and using the appropriate attack to initiate the SoB. Ninja Gaiden 3 will often prompt players to use the heavy attack to SoB stronger enemies. Don’t bother – the game lies. Hammering the light attack button works just as effectively as the heavy attack, and light attacks allow players to continue a SoB chain.

Steel on bone is a technique that completely undermines the combo system. At least in Ninja Gaiden 2 players were required to utilize the combo system to attack and dismember enemies individually. It is true that there is no guarantee a SoB chain will clear out a wave of enemies – some enemies may be out of range of Ryu’s attempt, and some enemies have higher priority attacks that can interrupt the chain. However, SoB chains are an absurdly easy way to remove several enemies from a fight, and the mechanic requires little skill to use; only a basic understanding of how to initiate the attack is required.

Older Ninja Gaiden mechanics have been reworked to allow for quick instant kills as well. In past games, Ryu has had access to ‘Ultimate techniques” and Ninpo attacks. Both of these mechanics have been retooled to focus more on killing rather than damage-dealing.

Ultimate techniques in older Ninja Gaiden games were the equivalent of a special/super in fighting games – they were high-powered auto-combos that dealt damage in a limited area. Each weapon had a unique ultimate technique, with specific targeting and damage properties. Some were better suited for single or few targets, while others were best used on groups or when Ryu was surrounded.

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Putting the scythe to good use in Ninja Gaiden 3. (Team Ninja, Tecmo)

Ultimate techniques have been redesigned in Ninja Gaiden 3 as glorified, automatic steel on bone attacks. Ryu will auto-target three to five enemies (depending on how late in the game you are), and kill them with a flashy red SoB attack. The technique has been simplified to a basic “remove X enemies” trump, which feels a bit cheap. The Scythe DLC that was made available recently has rectified this somewhat, since it utilizes a linear shockwave UT, much like the one in Ninja Gaiden 2. However, the sword and claw UTs function on the “easy kill” mindset of Ninja Gaiden 3. On the plus side, players cannot spam UTs in Ninja Gaiden 3 as they could in earlier titles, as Ryu can only execute the technique after defeating a certain number of enemies.

Ninpo (the Ninja Gaiden equivalent of magic) has been reworked under this mass-kill mindset as well. In truth, Ninpo has always been a particular grievance of mine – they were trumps in previous games as well, dealing enormous amounts of damage to opponents, keeping Ryu invulnerable during the casting animation, and requiring little skill to use. Their only balancing element was how limited players were in casting them, as Ryu could only cast a maximum of five or six times before running out of Ki (unless you used items to restore this, of course). That, and you were graded based on how much Ki you had left at the end of a chapter, so it was best to abstain from Ninpo-cheesing if going for a higher rank.

Ninpo in Ninja Gaiden 3 is earned by fighting – as players connect blows and defeat enemies, they fill a gauge beneath their health bar. When full, Ryu can execute his ninpo attack. I happen to like this change, as it means players must earn the overpowered super attack before they can utilize it. Unfortunately Ninpo is even more powerful in Ninja Gaiden 3 than any game before it, as it can quite literally clear an entire room of its enemies. It has the added benefit of serving as Ryu’s heal (since there are no items in Ninja Gaiden 3), encouraging players to use it whenever the opportunity presents itself. Ultimate techniques and steel on bone attacks fill the Ninpo gauge at an alarmingly high rate to boot, so Ninpo isn’t particularly difficult to earn in normal and hard modes. Team Ninja reduced the rate at which ninpo builds on Master and Ultimate Ninja modes, but it doesn’t take away from how overpowered the attack is.

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The Ninpo dragon devouring all enemies in the field. (Team Ninja, Tecmo)

What this all means is that players will not be using the combo system to defeat enemies, but rather as a means to set up steel on bone attacks, ultimate techniques and ninpo.

But, lets suppose a player opts not to cheese the newly designed instant-kill techniques. Suppose a player wants to make the combo system the focus of their playstyle. After all, the creative combo system and tight controls are what make Ninja Gaiden titles great, right? Sadly, Ninja Gaiden 3 makes it very difficult to enjoy melee combat if the player forgoes SoB, UT and Ninpo attacks. There are quite a few reasons for this, though the core issues are:

  • The combo system has lost much of its complexity (as stated earlier)
  • Ryu maneuvers like a tank, rather than a ninja
  • Even the most basic enemies have a lot of health, making not using instant-kills a time consuming and tedious affair

Ryu has some ridiculous recovery time after most attacks or combos in Ninja Gaiden 3. Ninja Gaiden has always had tight rules when it came to canceling and defense – if you committed to an attack, you could not cancel out of it. You had to know when to pull your punches and when to go all-out. However, Ryu’s recovery was excellent. One would never feel vulnerable after committing to an attack, since players could always throw out a block or dodge after the attack was over. Players could also use a shuriken to interrupt their own combo (or interrupt the attacking enemy).

Ninja Gaiden 3 gives Ryu notably longer recovery after combos and even basic attacks. This gives the combat a clunky and unresponsive feel, as some enemies and virtually all bosses can recover from Ryu’s attacks faster than Ryu can. What this means is that players will end up sticking to the shortest combos with the least amount of recovery in order to keep Ryu responsive and relatively safe. As one can imagine, this makes combat severely limiting, and it runs counter to the combat system in earlier titles, where every combo had some practical purpose.

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Ryu can slice through enemies with ease. (Team Ninja, Tecmo)

Tied to the clunky recovery issue is Ninja Gaiden 3‘s odd attack buffering implementation. In earlier games, one could input certain commands during the animation of another attack, essentially allowing players to “combo” certain attacks into one another. Strong 360° heavy attacks could easily be tacked on mid-combo, for example. Because of the odd recovery of Ryu’s combos and attacks, this is no longer possible. At the same time, the game will buffer attacks that didn’t need buffering before – like aerial combos. Ryu has a terrible habit of continuing a failed aerial combo on the ground, with players unable to cancel out of the combo until he finishes his assault. This is particularly annoying when fighting strong enemies and boss fights, as they can fall out of air combos when not weakened. Ryu ends up landing and executing the failed aerial combo input on the ground, regardless of whether or not his attacks are connecting.

It is clear that Team Ninja set out to create a more accessible and cinematic Ninja Gaiden title with Ninja Gaiden 3. Unfortunately, in its attempt to do so, it sacrificed the depth that made their games stand out from others in the genre.

The final nail in Ninja Gaiden 3‘s coffin stems from a severe lack of variety. Ninja Gaiden 3 offers players three weapons to play with: the katana, the claws, and the scythe. Each weapon has its own unique attack animations, speeds, and ranges. The katana is the most rounded of the three, the claws are fast but close-ranged, and the scythe offers awesome range but slower attack speed. Unfortunately, the combo inputs for each weapon are relatively similar – so learning how to properly utilize these weapons doesn’t take much time. Also, as stated earlier, steel on bone finishers, UTs and Ninpo are the crux of combat, so mastering the weapon techniques isn’t as important as knowing what the “safe” moves are, or how to chain steel on bone attacks with them.

Enemy variety is lacking in Ninja Gaiden 3, and the bland, lifeless environments compound this issue even more noticeably. Players will engage four or five basic human enemy types for the majority of the game. That’s not to say that these are the only enemies in the game, but these basic human types will make up the bulk of Ryu’s combat encounters. These enemies will learn a new attack or two in later chapters, but engaging them is the same regardless of the chapter you encounter them in. Worse still, stages in Ninja Gaiden 3 are essentially large fighting arenas linked by hallways, with no interesting or dynamic features to differentiate the encounters. Fighting these enemies in a desert arena is no different than fighting them on an aircraft carrier arena, and this makes combat feel like a repetitive slog. The odd chapter that does introduce new enemies will throw waves of them at you, destroying any novelty the enemy type may have had. The final chapter is the only one in the game that offers anything resembling variety, and this is only because the chapter throws nearly every enemy type at you at one point or another. Yet even still, players will be forced to fight waves upon waves of fiend-type enemies during the tail-end of the chapter, dragging the gameplay back down to a monotonous chore.

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A change of scenery is nice, but quickly loses its charm. (Team Ninja, Tecmo)

It is clear that Team Ninja set out to create a more accessible and cinematic Ninja Gaiden title with Ninja Gaiden 3. Unfortunately, in its attempt to do so, it sacrificed the depth that made their games stand out from others in the genre. The combat looks excellent, sure, and the combo system still has some semblance of the Ninja Gaiden skeleton beneath the superficial flash, but the technical aspects feel criminally underdeveloped. Ninja Gaiden needs a combo system with depth, one that rewards players for mastering its many facets. It needs interesting enemies that operate under the same combat mechanics as Ryu. It needs levels with substance, where players feel like they’re making progress – not a collection of eight or ten themed rooms to fight in. These are all elements that Ninja Gaiden 3 lacks, and the game suffers for it.

An in depth look at Ninja Gaiden 3s flaws Gabriel Zamora (20 Posts)

Gabriel Zamora is a freelance writer, ghost writer and hardcore video gamer. He has contributed written works for 2D-X, Examiner and MultiplayerGames among other sites.


  • http://www.blackxino.blogspot.com Xino

    basically this article is nothing more than comparing NG3 to past games. Why don’t you start by having an open mind and play the game as it’s supposed to be. NG3 is meant to be a different game to past NG games, just because it bares the title sequel ’3′ doesn’t mean it would copy and paste all gameplay from past games. In the end you would have Ninja Gaiden 2.5.

    Though I do agree, Team NINJA should have included a tutorial how to trigger SoB. The problem is, when people know how to control SoB via tutorial, the game sort of becomes VERY easy. Then again I like how you need to master NG3 in order to learn how to control SoB because it is something you will depend on in Master Ninja. Now I know why there’s 2 ways of triggering SoB, one for the n00bs and second for people who knows how to control it.

    I was very disappointed with the UT Animation because they were basically SoB attacks:/
    and the basic enemy doesn’t have lots of health.

    A game having less enemy variety means nothing, would you rather fight same power ranger coloured enemies or fight pointless enemies in games that prove no purpose or challenge.

    And I don’t get this part:
    “Suppose a player wants to make the combo system the focus of their playstyle. After all, the creative combo system and tight controls are what make Ninja Gaiden titles great, right? Sadly, Ninja Gaiden 3 makes it very difficult to enjoy melee combat if the player forgoes SoB, UT and Ninpo attacks.”
    You make it sound as if UT and Ninpo happens automatically. You are not forced to use them as they are optional, just like in past games. And playing NG3 on Hero will make you trigger SoB easily and randomly as opposed to playing on harder difficulty.

    though good article, you understood this game very well and understood the gameplay mechanic.

    • rowsdower

       It explains why things worked so well before and explains how they are flawed now. And someone that understands the gameplay mechanics can see where they went wrong.
      They really should have given a better tutorial on SoB, NG2 had the ninja diaries at least. And is it just me, or was Ryu more responsive in NG2? The game also doesn’t tell you about shuriken canceling which is Ryu’s only way of dodging out of a combo.

      I can’t see how lacking enemy variety isn’t a legit complaint. The fact that they included old enemy models from the previous game and into the trials mode (and more with DLC) shows they knew this. When you lack a large selection of weapons, a variety of UT animations, Ninpo variety and combine that with a lack of enemy variety, you’re working with a sorely repetitive gameplay formula.

      • http://www.blackxino.blogspot.com Xino

        oh and what if someone who also knows how the gameplay mechanics work but doesn’t see some changes as flawed?

        It’s a shame there’s no tutorial for SoB, like i said above, it’s also a good thing it was never explained. Steel On Bone is cheap, basically the *easy way to kill off enemies, SoB is basically the replacement of Dismemberment from NG2. Once you dismember any body part of an enemy, you can finish them off with Obliteration Technique. It’s ‘exactly’ the same Principle SoB works.

        Now teaching newbies how to trigger SoB would just make the game very easy to them because they can spam the SoB through out, especially with SoB Chaining. If there was a tutorial to teach how to dismember enemies in NG2, it would make the game easy. There are 2 types of SoB, one way is the random way and the second is by Sliding which Zamora explained. For Master Ninja and beyond, you will need to master the SoB Triggering which is sliding if you want to win MN. The reason why critics say NG3 was easy and with all the ‘QTE’, is because in Hero mode, SoB occurs more often.

        Yes Ryu is more responsive in NG2, the engine for NG is getting old making the controls unresponsive. Control unresponsive happens in NG2 although not that bad, it got really bad in NG Sigma 2 and now worst in NG3!

        And I believe there shouldn’t be a tutorial for Shuriken combo cancelling, again those are for skills and pros. If gamers want to become skillful in challenging games like NG, they will need to figure out stuff for themselves, not being taught or hand held all the time.

        Yes enemy variety is a valid argument point.I would rather fight multi colour ninjas from Ninja Gaiden Black, than fight useless, weak and pointless enemies in NG2. They didn’t include old enemies in Story because it wouldn’t make sense and it would be in consistence.

        and dude…every game in the world is repetitive man.
        the game was just rushed peroid. Basically Beta version much like how NG2 was a beta of the full game Sigma 2. Full game for NG3 is Razor’s Edge.

        • rowsdower

          I think they should have taught gamers the basics of the engine, important things like SoB and how to dodge out of a combo since the only way to do that is by shuriken canceling.

          Proper dodging knowledge shouldn’t be exclusive to just pros, everyone should be given the keys to drive here, it’s how you use the tools that decide the player’s worth and investment.

          They could have just made it possible to dodge directly out of a combo like previous NGs, but multiplayer balance issues affected Ryu in single player I guess. Ironically, clan battles is the least played mode on both 360 and PS3. Perhaps they will make multiplayer more compelling for Razor’s Edge/NG4.

          Some old enemies they included in NG3 were the Black Spider Ninjas…and scaled up Obaba from
          NGS2…although both have tweaked Ai. Some say Ch 5 is the best in the game just because they can fight
          ninjas again. Actually that whole chapter didn’t really fit in the game
          compared to others now that I think of it, just reason to gain another
          sword. So some old models made it into the story mode regardless.

          Games are repetitive by design, yes. But certain factors can make repetition become more obvious to the player. In NG3, these said limitations do make the combat become tiresome to many, because the freedom of variety and  playstyle isn’t as flexible as past NGs.

          • http://www.blackxino.blogspot.com Xino

            Again I disagree, if you play any fighting game for an example Mortal Kombat (MK9), do you expect the devs to teach gamers how to perform 70% hit damage by Cyrax bomb+net moves? No, gamers need to learn and teach themselves in order to be a pro.
            Devs only teach gamers the basic knowledge of how to fight and survive, to become a pro you have to learn the game yourself.
            In NG1, if you want to survive you need to learn- On Land UT, Wall attack and mastering what moves causes invincible damages (or so called i-frames). But dev teaching you all these advance moves means you are only challenging yourself and not challenging what the devs has put out.

            For the multiplayer, they should either improve it vastly or just ditch it. Co-op was very fun, multiplayer is playable if the connection is decent.
            lol, I see Chapter 5 as my favourite too:)

            Well the chapter did fit into the game, the sword Hayate lent Ryu was for a limited time, Ryu needed another word so he tend to Genshin’s Blade of Archfiend.

            Though I can agree with your words on repetition because of the limited content NG3 has. It is still shocking to me how NG3 can lack so much content, because I believe the game was rushed. Team NINJA is known for unlockable contents.

      • tag

        well i think his shuriken to powerful to blast of lol well im good at it street fighting but i dont have the time and i blaze at fighting with ryu though with ryu’s big blast
        in marvel vs capcom 2 and what your guy’s are arguing about here i think capcom should stick with option’s in marvel vs capcom 2 and but part 1 it’s lot better then
        marvel vs capcom 2 though i still have that game since 2001.

  • Tim

    Excellent analysis. You clearly know your Ninja Gaiden. It’s too bad the series never got better.

    The first Ninja Gaiden is a paragon of the genre. All that needed fixing was the sometimes-finicky camera… and those damn ghost fish. The sequel? Worse camera and more ghost fish… apparently. I didn’t get too far in that one. It felt repetitive and joyless. And I didn’t bother with this one for the same basic reasons, as well as how dull the combat felt. Reading this, I don’t understand the choices they made.

    But hey, Tecmo Koei just reported a very successful year thanks in part to NG3′s sales, so someone’s happy… 

  • oroshiuchi

    As Tim said, excellent analysis.
    I delayed my purchase after the bad reviews. But I liked it after playing the demo briefly and decided to spend some time learning the new system so I bought the game. I mainly learned the new system by playing trials. Many things I liked but the things that were lacking were really, really lacking in the fighting system. You explained it all perfectly. 
    After 10 hours or so with trials, I went to the story. Sadly I just couldn’t continue. Sold the game after playing the last level (not finishing it) as I was disgusted by the repetitiveness up until that level and the random enemies that kept appearing in totally unrelated environments. Did not want to compare past NG games, but the enemies felt like cheap, uninspiring imitations of past NG games. Wanted to keep the game for the trials only but combo system just too lacking.

  • Taurus Walker

    Dude I didn’t understand any of that. I’m playing on hard and keep getting owned in the pub so all the shit your talking about means jack to me, I’m just trying to survive the fights not look pretty in them.

    • tag

      Yo dude im sorry here’s a tip have you tried tea make’s you fight a lot better what your
      good at street fighting though and im still sorry what i just pulled hey did you heard that big
      show got fired in WF the general leader the owner fired him and i felted sorry for big show
      in WF but their’s a next coming this sunday and know something else john cena fired back at general this recently happen last monday i think the general leader of WF gone for good becouse he’s stinck’s and i think it’s ganna shot this news last what just happened and i bet big show will return.  

  • Murphy’s Ghost

    This was an excellent article, the best review of the game I’ve yet read. You identify the technical issues with the game, whereas most critics are bogged down in “NG3 is a button masher that’s too easy”, which really doesn’t identify the problems at all. Bravo, sir.