WITHIN THE BLADE REVIEW
Reviewed on Playstation 5
Honestly, I think journalists just do not like Shinobi/Ninja games. These journos do notWITHIN THE BLADE REVIEW
Reviewed on Playstation 5
Honestly, I think journalists just do not like Shinobi/Ninja games. These journos do not seem to fully appreciate the whole “become am agent of shadow” fantasy. I fail to understand why journalists do not like games of this sort… Some reviews call within the blade (previously known as “pixel shinobi”) a classic 2D adventure but nice features but forgettable.
I have seen AAA games out there who are boring and repetitive. Within the blade stands on its own and as it is made by a small indie company, their efforts to put this into motion are amazing. I bought the game first on steam and thought that it was amazing, now people on consoles will get to enjoy one of the best 2D Shinobi/Ninja experiences
SETTING
Feudal Japan. Wamoru Imai is calling the forces of darkness to rule Japan. You, a Ninja from the Black Lotus Village need to stop him.
There is really nothing more to it, and you know what? I do not care. The simple story pays up for what you will experience. You are a Shinobi with a mission to stop a madman from ruling Feudal Japan.
MECHANICS
• Stealth:
Stealth is an option, and for it, you need to crawl all the time, hide within grass, or be out of the enemy’s line of sight. The enemies you may think are stupid, but no, they actually move pretty fast. You need to sneak upon them by crawling and then press the block button for a satisfying finishing move in which either heads will roll, guts will be spilled, and lots of blood will be shed. The animations for a 2D game are quite cool. I like the stealth portion of this game, and it is how I first approach enemies. By the way, in order to use stealth, you need to first unblock the skill
• Combat:
Hack and slash? No no, in here you need to attack quickly and nimble as if an enemy spot you, they will either run towards you and ceaselessly attack you, or they will run away and shoot from a distance. Karate guys are a pain, Ronin will parry most of your attacks so you need to find a window of opportunity, Samurai will not be damaged unless you unlock a skill which allows you to penetrate armor, archers will shoot in any given direction, etc. Plan your approach, but seriously, use combat as a last resort!
Battling bosses is fun, they are super-fast and hard, so you need to plan your tactics before engaging them
• Tasks and crafting
At the beginning of each mission you need to complete tasks which will reward you with goal at the end of each stage (ie: killing certain enemies, not been seen, etc) and as stages are pretty straight forward you might be inclined to move fast, but plan your approach.
You can find items in the world and buy them also from merchants, and you can craft a lot of assorted ninjutsu items: shuriken, kunai, bombs, poisons, paralyzing bombs, etc. You name it, this game will make you feel like a true Shinobi in terms of tools
VISUALS
It is an old school game but to me the animations are great. Enemies are kind of weird with those BIG eyes, but I guess they are being brained controlled by Wamoru, so no issues there. The game is bloody and gory, yes, a 2D super gory game. Animations are insane especially when you die or you dispose of enemies. Backgrounds are great and everything is hand made. It is a unique art style that many may not like, but I do not need to have 3D super rendered models to feel at home.
Bosses are amazing, some terrifying Oni and Yokai!
SOUND
Music is great too, relying in the use of Japanese instruments mixed with a bit of heavy rock to make it more satisfying. Some missions have a more calmed music, kind of telling you to slow down and go undercover, plan your entrance, and deliver your blows silently.
Overall sounds are great to me.
FINAL VERDICT:
9.0 for one of the best Shinobi/Ninja games out there which actually has a setting of Feudal Japan and including Oni and Yokai to my pleasure. This is a must have game for any Shinobi/Ninja aficionado, you will not be disappointed. We need to keep supporting indie developments as some of them are creating games with core value, regardless of the current video game trend.
This is a great adventure, do not miss it. Play as Bruce Lee… I mean, as the Shinobi… haha, play the game to see why!… Expand
