Ninja Gaiden 3

 Xbox 360
User Score
4.5

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 146 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 146
  2. Mixed: 35 out of 146
  3. Negative: 71 out of 146
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  1. Johng4
    Mar 22, 2012
    8
    This is by far the worst ninja gaiden but its not terrible. It's fun if you give it time for the game to start to pick up. The steel on bone moves are stupid and a big step back from the obliteration techniques from ng2. The bosses are decent but frusterating, mostly fighting robots. The story is retarded. The antagonist is the worst enemy ive ever seen. You only get one weapon which uThis is by far the worst ninja gaiden but its not terrible. It's fun if you give it time for the game to start to pick up. The steel on bone moves are stupid and a big step back from the obliteration techniques from ng2. The bosses are decent but frusterating, mostly fighting robots. The story is retarded. The antagonist is the worst enemy ive ever seen. You only get one weapon which u cant power up. Over all its a different kind of ninja gaiden that wont appeal to everybody but i got used to the steps back and found a bit enjoyment with it… Expand
  2. kingchris1045
    Apr 5, 2012
    10
    why are you guys giving this game such a bad score????? because I honestly loved the game, i loved the story, the fighting, and the online. The only thing I can say that was stupid about the game was that they took off upgrading the weapon, when the enemy grab you I wish you can kick them off, and buying potion and that the only thing that was neg about the game but everything else I lovedwhy are you guys giving this game such a bad score????? because I honestly loved the game, i loved the story, the fighting, and the online. The only thing I can say that was stupid about the game was that they took off upgrading the weapon, when the enemy grab you I wish you can kick them off, and buying potion and that the only thing that was neg about the game but everything else I loved the game.… Expand
  3. detox88
    Mar 21, 2012
    8
    I give ninja gaiden 3 an eight because the developer took some essential things out of ninja gaiden that i felt that was important because it has always been apart of the franchise, they took the ability to upgrade your weapons, they make you use the quick time in-game tutorials because you might get in a situation and you would not know what button to press,they made the move list hard toI give ninja gaiden 3 an eight because the developer took some essential things out of ninja gaiden that i felt that was important because it has always been apart of the franchise, they took the ability to upgrade your weapons, they make you use the quick time in-game tutorials because you might get in a situation and you would not know what button to press,they made the move list hard to understand, it use to be when you press the back button all of your items and move list come up, now that does not exist anymore, the lack of having more weapons is a big issue, Ryu has always been a versatile ninja to use other weapons besides the dragon sword. It seems like they mad fix the issue of the game being "too Hard", that people always complain and **** about for years, a true fan of the series always love a challenge of the ninja gaiden being hard, that is what made a better player of the previous ninja gaiden titles because i would practice and gotten better at ninja gaiden and ninja gaiden part two, no matter what you do in life, you are not going to be good at something to you full potential if a person expects everything to be easy, in this case ninja gaiden. People who complained about do not need to play the game and ruining for the rest of the real ninja gaiden fans, now that itagaki left the company, the new guy seems to not know how to make a true ninja gaiden game, ninja gaiden will not be the same with T. Itagaki, plain and simple… Expand
  4. Vicill
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    This game has been reviewed so badly in comparison to what the game really is. It's a fast, fluid action game that isn't that bad at all. It doesn't deserve a 10, but it sure as hell doesn't deserve a user score of a 3.9. People are saying the game has been simplified, well try the game on Hard. I've started it on Hard and it's not that easy. Imagine that if Hard isn't easy, there will beThis game has been reviewed so badly in comparison to what the game really is. It's a fast, fluid action game that isn't that bad at all. It doesn't deserve a 10, but it sure as hell doesn't deserve a user score of a 3.9. People are saying the game has been simplified, well try the game on Hard. I've started it on Hard and it's not that easy. Imagine that if Hard isn't easy, there will be Master Ninja and Ultimate Ninja later on. This game will challenge you whatsoever. Also the problem people are talking about is the lack of weapons. Yes you have one weapon to use. (That doesn't include the bow and maybe other, yet unknown weapons for me) But later on there will be FREE DLC for the game which contains extra maps and extra weapons. In April there will be DLC for the Scythe and the Claws. So that's not that bad, just a bummer they didn't put it on the game in the first place. Also about the Health Regeneration. People are saying that it's too easy because your health will be constantly regenerated or something. Well, the health system is the same system that has been used in Ninja Gaiden 2. Instead of getting a red bar within your HP bar, you'll simply lose a certain chunk of your HP bar. So your HP bar will decrease. This makes it a lot harder. Yes, after your fight is finished your health will regenerate up for as long as your HP bar is at that moment. This also happened in Ninja Gaiden 2. The only way to increase your HP bar again is to either use Ninpo or save the game at certain save points. Ninpo doesn't fully increase your HP bar, but only increases it for a small part. Ninpo doesn't come in easy either. You have to kill a certain amount of enemies to get your Ninpo bar to fill up. Now about the Quick Time Events (QTE's). Yes, there are QTE's. Is it a bad thing? Maybe. In the beginning you'll be confronted with a few QTE's in the cinematics. Later on, you won't have them as much anymore. Even better, you can turn them off if you want. Also, you won't be confronted much by QTE's while your fighting. Actually almost none of the time. Something you have to press an extra button, but in the heat of the battle you'll probably won't even notice it. So all in all, the game really isn't as bad as a lot of people portrayed it. Maybe they started the game on Easy or Normal, or surely a lot of people didn't even play the game but just aren't happy with the changes that have been made. So play the game first, then judge it, and you'll come to notice it isn't a bad game. There have been better Ninja Gaidens, that's for sure. But it's not worth a 3.9!… Expand
  5. DANDEIN
    Mar 20, 2012
    8
    The good(+): massive bloody ninja action, very good graphics. The bad (-): No character/equipment upgrades. Awkward and confusing story. After a while gameplay feels VERY repetitive. Unapealing enemy bosses. Random bugs and glitches from time to time. In my opinion this game despite its major flaws it delivers very good non sense action. Perhaps as a Ninja Gaiden game this game feelsThe good(+): massive bloody ninja action, very good graphics. The bad (-): No character/equipment upgrades. Awkward and confusing story. After a while gameplay feels VERY repetitive. Unapealing enemy bosses. Random bugs and glitches from time to time. In my opinion this game despite its major flaws it delivers very good non sense action. Perhaps as a Ninja Gaiden game this game feels very poor, but for those who like me enjoy ripping apart hundreds of fiends with lots of blood over and over this might satisfy your needs. I feel those who gave a 0 or a 3 were looking for something that doesn't exist. Moreover I would only give a 0 or a 3 (IGN) score to something like a half finished game, with very horrible graphics and really bad controls. NG3 doesn't suffer form any of these flaws. I really hated FFXIII-2 but still I gave it a 6 because I could see some effort on trying to make something work. Really, how many people are involved on making a videogame (MANY!). On these days making a "good" game isn't easy at all and the hardest part is to please everyone. Scoring zero NG3 is just being rude and unfair with other people's work.… Expand
  6. ryanfrye
    Mar 20, 2012
    9
    As a huge ninja gaiden I too was disappointed at the degree to which the game is different. It ALMOST does not feel like Ninja Gaiden, but at the end of the day I feel like I am playing Ninja Gaiden. The only change that really bothers me is the removal of all the weapons, especially the lunar staff. Once you get over the changes, you are left with a very solid action game, better thanAs a huge ninja gaiden I too was disappointed at the degree to which the game is different. It ALMOST does not feel like Ninja Gaiden, but at the end of the day I feel like I am playing Ninja Gaiden. The only change that really bothers me is the removal of all the weapons, especially the lunar staff. Once you get over the changes, you are left with a very solid action game, better than most. Tight, lightning quick action, tons of blood, lots of Ryu wrecking fools. You really need to ignore most of the user reviews on the website as they are obviously submitted by heartbroken hardcore Ninja Gaiden fans, as is the review by IGN. OBJECTIVELY, the game is solid. Go into the game expecting big changes, play the game on hard mode since the default is too easy, I promise a game that will quench your bloodthirst. Also remember that no one is better at listening fan feedback a republishing an improved game than team Ninja. Expect a Sigma or Black or whatever edition to be released in the future which incorporates fan feedback. Heck, they already have the Claws and the Scythe on the way in a DLC. The game is an 8.5, not a masterpiece, but very good. Anyone giving this game a 0 or a 1 clearly needs a therapist to discuss their relationship with Ninja Gaiden and work out their lengthy emotional issues. The IGN review is puzzling as well. IGN is usually right on target with their reviews, but this 3 and the language included in the review is blatantly biased and rather unprofessional. I wish too the game played just like Ninja Gaiden 2, but I got over that in ten minutes and proceeded to spill the blood of thousands of foes. Pretty fun.… Expand
  7. gamefan
    Mar 22, 2012
    9
    The negative reviews are unfounded.This for one is an action game and it sticks to that oh well you dont switch weapons its telling a story about the sword. So you dont upgrade weapons or go looking for potions id like to re-iterate this is an ACTION game not an RPG.The difficulty is toned down well then dont play it on normal or hero start out on hard and later on master ninja or whateverThe negative reviews are unfounded.This for one is an action game and it sticks to that oh well you dont switch weapons its telling a story about the sword. So you dont upgrade weapons or go looking for potions id like to re-iterate this is an ACTION game not an RPG.The difficulty is toned down well then dont play it on normal or hero start out on hard and later on master ninja or whatever the hardest difficulty is. I also played and beat the original nes ng games,ng black on its hardest difficulty, but this is an excellent action game that should not be overlooked because of the aformentioned differences.… Expand
  8. dragonfire
    Mar 20, 2012
    8
    The thing about this Ninja Gaiden is that the setting begins in London! It's wonderful! I love it! I also feel like a ninja, flows smoothly and more importantly the end of the world, cultish story line is cool. NG3 has frankly surprised me in being a great ninja action game. I recognized the previous games were all showy offy about how terribly difficult they were, blah, blah, blah, ''I'mThe thing about this Ninja Gaiden is that the setting begins in London! It's wonderful! I love it! I also feel like a ninja, flows smoothly and more importantly the end of the world, cultish story line is cool. NG3 has frankly surprised me in being a great ninja action game. I recognized the previous games were all showy offy about how terribly difficult they were, blah, blah, blah, ''I'm awesome at ninja badass games''. Yeah whatever. This game is accessible and feels good, fun and has creativity. Silent hit of March.… Expand
  9. jamesweber
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    lol @ everybody giving bad scores. what's wrong with you? this is the best thing that's ever happened to this console! idiots!!! the music and controls and gameplay are all really good. what did u expect it to be like the atari version? jeez
  10. sargent
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    thia game is full game desighn is good sound and music is good Swap a full bar to transform into a dragon, killing everyone and refilling your health. What makes this tough is the long list of nameless combos, the sheer number of enemies and a loose camera that doesn't keep you the centre of attention.A once-branching tree has been pruned down to a trunk. Where you used to have athia game is full game desighn is good sound and music is good Swap a full bar to transform into a dragon, killing everyone and refilling your health. What makes this tough is the long list of nameless combos, the sheer number of enemies and a loose camera that doesn't keep you the centre of attention.A once-branching tree has been pruned down to a trunk. Where you used to have a collection of weapons to master and upgrade, now you fight with static swords, a bow, and shurikens… Expand
  11. poupy1979
    Mar 23, 2012
    8
    NG2 was the best one imo and NG3 does indeed falls short from it. NG2 was perfect, but it is very difficult to continue to develop a "perfect game" everytime. It will NEVER happen. Oh dont forget the challenge of trying new stuff without pissing off retarded fan boys. still the game offers many appeal for hardcore gamers and for the first time it opens up for a larger casual audience. TryNG2 was the best one imo and NG3 does indeed falls short from it. NG2 was perfect, but it is very difficult to continue to develop a "perfect game" everytime. It will NEVER happen. Oh dont forget the challenge of trying new stuff without pissing off retarded fan boys. still the game offers many appeal for hardcore gamers and for the first time it opens up for a larger casual audience. Try it for yourself, give this game to a casual player and ask him after 30 min - 1hour gameplay.… Expand
  12. ewall
    Mar 20, 2012
    10
    MULTIPLAYER IS AWESOME. Why would you not want to be able to battle other people online ninja gaiden style??? So there is no lunar staff or kusari gama in campaign mode. Whatever. Play ninja gaiden 2. So far multiplayer has been amazing and for that reason this game should get a 10. Ninja gaiden with a whole new angle.

    If you only want ninja gaiden for the campaign don't buy this    MULTIPLAYER IS AWESOME. Why would you not want to be able to battle other people online ninja gaiden style??? So there is no lunar staff or kusari gama in campaign mode. Whatever. Play ninja gaiden 2. So far multiplayer has been amazing and for that reason this game should get a 10. Ninja gaiden with a whole new angle.

    If you only want ninja gaiden for the campaign don't buy this game. IF YOU WANT TO BATTLE NINJAS ALL OVER THE WORLD BUY THIS GAME    … Expand
  13. cookiehour
    Mar 21, 2012
    8
    It's pretty sad how there's so much blind hatred for this game. It's not a bad game. Yes its not Ninja Gaiden but I respect the fact that Team Ninja tried to do something different. I can tell you the action is still there. Here are some positives and negatives about the game.

    + The charged Ninpo action is good addition to combat. +The graphics are detailed and stand on their own.    It's pretty sad how there's so much blind hatred for this game. It's not a bad game. Yes its not Ninja Gaiden but I respect the fact that Team Ninja tried to do something different. I can tell you the action is still there. Here are some positives and negatives about the game.

    + The charged Ninpo action is good addition to combat.
    +The graphics are detailed and stand on their own. Please do not listen to IGN and their nonsense.
    + The combat overall is solid.

    -The enemies talk way too much. They actually sound better with the Japanese audio so change before you play.
    -The bosses could have been better. Some bosses were plain cheap and you needed a good strategy to take them out.
    -I do miss weapon changing. But I think Team Ninja wanted to emphasize what was happening to Ryu regarding the Dragon Sword, which is why the different weapons is DLC (and free at that).

    Don't let Metacritic or negative reviews scare you away. Rent/buy the game and judge for yourself.    … Expand
  14. cesarcom
    Mar 29, 2012
    10
    Nao consegui parar de jogar ate o final do game, as cenas de açao sao surpreendentes e a historia e incrivel. Muitas pessoas estao dando nota baixa pois seu gameplay e bem diferente dos 2 episodios anteriores, mas, a franquia retomou a gloria dos tempos de NES! Ja esta na minha lista de melhores games!
  15. SILENT_harrison
    Aug 22, 2012
    8
    I really dont agree with all these reviews it is still an enjoyable game as any. However the game has been dumbed down considerably so it is understandable for the fans backlash but overall combat is still good if a little tedious and the story is as over the top as before plus multiplayer is ok. Also i bought this game for 10 quid new in asda so it helps that i did not pay 4 times thatI really dont agree with all these reviews it is still an enjoyable game as any. However the game has been dumbed down considerably so it is understandable for the fans backlash but overall combat is still good if a little tedious and the story is as over the top as before plus multiplayer is ok. Also i bought this game for 10 quid new in asda so it helps that i did not pay 4 times that for a dumbed down experience but if you find it for that price buy it , finish it, and trade it in you probably wont regret it.… Expand
  16. EalyLiu
    Feb 17, 2023
    10
    It's great. It's the best game I've ever seen. The picture is exquisite, the movement is smooth, and the design is exquisite.

Awards & Rankings

41
#41 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 39
  3. Negative: 6 out of 39
  1. Thunderbolt
    Jun 20, 2012
    50
    It's not a bad action game by definition, but it lacks everything that made the series endearing, making it an overall unmemorable outing for fans that fell in love with the white-knuckle action and hair-pulling difficulty found in previous Ninja Gaiden titles.
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  2. GamingXP
    May 29, 2012
    62
    Every – really every – fan of Ninja Gaiden was probably expecting a different game than this Ninja Gaiden 3.
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  3. Eurogamer Portugal
    May 2, 2012
    50
    Ninja Gaiden 3 discards all the elements that made the previous titles popular among players, and the result is a worse and mutilated game.
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