Team Ninja Getting More Emotional With Ninja Gaiden 3

[Logan Westbrook]

Team Ninja Getting More Emotional With Ninja Gaiden 3

If you've ever wondered how it feels to gut a man, Ninja Gaiden 3 might have the answers you seek.

According to project leader Yosuke Hayashi, Ninja Gaiden 3 won't just be about cutting up hundreds of rival ninjas in what can only really be described as a "kill frenzy," it will also delve into what it means to be an Earthly manifestation of the Angel of Death.

Hayashi, who took over as the head of Team Ninja following the departure of Tomonobu Itagaki in 2008, told PlayStation: The Official Magazine that Ninja Gaiden 3 would portray its protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa, as a "dark Japanese hero," and would examine his feelings, thoughts, and bizarrely, even his lifestyle. "We are trying to take the violent concepts even deeper," said Hayashi. "And make people realize how it feels to actually kill someone and what it is to actually gut someone." He said that it was important that people realized that there was more to the games violence than the gore.

He also said that Team Ninja would be going back and trying to make the game more accessible. He said that didn't mean that it would be making the game easier necessarily, just that it wanted more people to be able to enjoy it. "We know that many fans feel good about the difficulty level, but we are taking a slightly different approach," he said. Furthermore, he revealed that the game would have a "complex multiplayer mode," but didn't elaborate on what it would be like.

It remains to be seen whether this is really the right direction for the Ninja Gaiden series, especially as the violence and the punishing difficulty are two of the series' calling cards. What's more, the last time that Team Ninja tried to focus on a character's feelings and thoughts - namely those of Samus Aran in Metroid: Other M - it was roundly criticized for taking a strong female character and turning her into a overly loyal, yet petulant women with daddy issues.

Ninja Gaiden 3 is set for simultaneous release on the PS3 and 360, although no release date has been announced just yet.

Source: Games Thirst [http://www.gamesthirst.com/2011/04/01/new-and-exciting-ninja-gaiden-3-details-unleashed-move-support-hinted/] via CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/296602/news/ninja-gaiden-iii-has-complex-multiplayer-mode/?cid=OTC-RSS&attr=CVG-News-RSS]


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[Onyx Oblivion]

Team Ninja didn't kill Samus. The man-who-will-not-be-named (I can't fucking spell it), who created Metroid, did.

But they are responsible for the shoddy gameplay.

But when given a standard joypad, they can work wonders.

But really...NG3 doesn't need emotions. It need more badass fight scenes and action.

 

[Woodsey]

The only thing they need to do to the difficulty level is provide one that isn't obnoxiously difficult for people who just want to play, and then create a proper learning curve.

As for the emotional thing, aren't these the guys who did boob-jiggle-physics with the Sixaxis?

 

[TheAmazingHobo]

Weird,
I somehow feel this is their attempt to show that the hilariously shit writing in Other M wasn´t their fault.
"SEE, we CAN do emotion well. It was that other dude that kept cocking everything up."

 

[gphjr14]

Hope they don't go R* route of exchanging fun for "gritty realism" like they did with GTA IV you end up with a pretty game, with an intriguing story that is a bore to play.

 

[SageRuffin]

All I want is the combat to not be a broken mess like NG2 was (I've heard great things about Sigma 2, lack of excessive red liquid and railroading into using certain characters at certain times notwithstanding). Go ahead give Hayabusa feelings and have him question his purpose and all that, so long as the game like NGB - and I guess Sigma/2 (never played) - was.

 

[drwow]

GODDAMNIT, DID YOU NOT LEARN YOUR LESSON WITH OTHER M

 

[Jonesy911]

This will probably end up being one or two cutscenes in which Ryu gets a little bit sad

 

[LawlessSquirrel]

I hope they don't botch the difficulty factor...that was perfect in the first game. Ridiculously hard, but without feeling cheap, so there felt like you were in with a chance if you just managed to keep up.

Adding some emotion to the violence? I can see that working great IF they pull it off. They just need to make sure it's an internal conflict about being a figment of death, not a sentimental tale or lovestory.

 

[Spookimitsu]

Someone said it's still gonna be hard (twss), and something about multiplayer mode??? Fuckssake I'm all in.


/preorders with reckless abandon

 

[Xanadu84]

Emotional depth? Awesome. Need more of it, please, bring it on. From Team Ninja? Umm...I love DOA, don't get me wrong, but they have never really made any bones about throwing around the titties and being an over the top action fest. I have...reservations about them as a group exploring deeper feelings, and from what Ive heard of Other M, my reservations seem to have supporting evidence. There is a serious risk of a Prototype-style, "Arg, angst over killing this one guy, now let me go and eat a few civilians for fun" sillyness that could undermine the game. Much like Prototype, stick with a consistent tone for Ninja Gaiden. If you want to explore something with emotional depth, try a new IP. If you suceed, Ill buy it.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I shall attempt to reserve judgement, but this article set off a LOT of red flags for me.

 

[Frank_Sinatra_]

As for the emotional thing, aren't these the guys who did boob-jiggle-physics with the Sixaxis?

That's what I was thinking. While I find his desire to make Ninja Gaiden more mature that thought just sat in my mind thinking what they're going to to about... Those.

 

[Shirokurou]

Killing someone is actually barely explored in videogames, despite many of them having to kill.

 

[WorldCritic]

I've got my eye on you Team Ninja. You fucked up with Other M, but I love the Ninja Gaiden games so for now I'll trust you know what you're doing.

 

[CheckD3]

From what I could look up, I believe Team Ninja did mostly gameplay, and it was Nintendo that handled the writing. If this is the case, than I believe there is hope for NG3. If TN did work on the story, than we've got a problem since the story really hurt the Metroid franchise name.

I personally enjoyed the design of gameplay in Other M. Yes, the first person mode was flawed, but it was used well at times, and the 2D Metroid feel put into a Metroid Prime 3D spectrum felt pretty natural and worked well I thought. I ain't a fan of NG Sigma 2 on PS3, but I'll give NG3 a look see, as I can be a sucker for a nice story

 

[Irridium]

I still find it hilarious that people think Team Ninja had anything to do with Other M's story.

TEAM NINJA JUST DID THE GAMEPLAY! NOTHING ELSE! Although they may have made the cutscenes. But still, they didn't write shit. Nintendo did all that.

 

[The.Bard]

"We want you to feel the uncontrollable rage of the camera not working with you. Every time you slash your sword, the desperation of knowing that demonic little camera is your enemy will bring you to your knees. These are some of the feelings we want to explore in Ninja Gaiden 3. Also, breasts."

- Team Ninja