Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z

 Xbox 360
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 49 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 49
  3. Negative: 19 out of 49
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  1. Kysar
    May 15, 2014
    3
    Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is one of those games that deceives you: Most of you I'm sure were enticed by the admirable animated visuals and flashy combat, as I myself was. But hopefully, you're not too transfixed on those things that you're not distracted from what's actually enjoyable about this game: NOTHING!!

    While the hack-and-slash gameplay is very much functional, it's nothing you    Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is one of those games that deceives you: Most of you I'm sure were enticed by the admirable animated visuals and flashy combat, as I myself was. But hopefully, you're not too transfixed on those things that you're not distracted from what's actually enjoyable about this game: NOTHING!!

    While the hack-and-slash gameplay is very much functional, it's nothing you won't get from hundreds of others like it these days, and it might prove worth sitting for an hour through if it didn't constantly break up the action with completely unnecessary Borderlands-style intros to every single meaningless generic enemy.

    Which brings me to question why Ninja Team would ever consider slapping the Ninja Gaiden name on this game; with an obvious zombie apocalypse motif, I can see NOTHING in this game, other than series icon Ryu Hayabusa, that shows me that this is a Ninja Gaiden game. While the game can be frustratingly tough to get past at times, that's only because of atrociously designed enemies with cheap attacks and oversized life bars.

    Blocking is useless, countering is a pain in the ass to want to do with how precise the timing demands, and targeting specific and prominent enemies is nearly impossible. The first few minutes of chopping down zombies might be a little fun, but with how repetitive and gimmicky some sections can be, it gets old very, very fast.

    In conclusion, this game wears down your patience very quickly, it tries way too hard to look cool and edgy, it shoves its uninteresting story down your throat constantly, and with how many better hack-and-slashes there are out there, Yaiba isn't even worth your time by renting.    … Expand
  2. shootingstars99
    Sep 1, 2019
    3
    This game starts out fun, and Yaiba seems kind of funny yet cynical at first, but he just ends up being a huge dickhead as the story goes on. The game play itself is a lot of fun, and feels like an old school beat-em-up, but the reason I rate this game so low is that Yaiba is just not a likable dude. If I could jump him off a ledge to just end him after Hayabusa already did, I would, butThis game starts out fun, and Yaiba seems kind of funny yet cynical at first, but he just ends up being a huge dickhead as the story goes on. The game play itself is a lot of fun, and feels like an old school beat-em-up, but the reason I rate this game so low is that Yaiba is just not a likable dude. If I could jump him off a ledge to just end him after Hayabusa already did, I would, but Hayabusa takes care of that for you, twice. I found myself rooting for Hayabusa and Momiji from the moment they were introduced into the game, because Yaiba is just that big of a prick, you can't like him. He ruins an otherwise decent game.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

43
#43 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2014
21
#21 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2014
36
#36 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
50

Mixed or average reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 20
  3. Negative: 10 out of 20
  1. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2014
    40
    I would turn a blind eye to a non-existing level of challenge posed by Yaiba and to excessively simplified combat system, but why is the hero such a yokel?! [06/2014, p.50]
  2. GameOver.gr
    Apr 17, 2014
    40
    A mess of a game that doesn't really know what it is trying to achieve. Fans of the legendary Ninja Gaiden franchise should keep their distance from this one.
    Read full review
  3. Everyeye.it
    Apr 15, 2014
    63
    Yaiba could have been an interesting take on the genre: unfortunately, it fails on the long run, resulting in a quite boring action game.
    Read full review
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