Hardcore NG fans: how do you FEEL about other games in the genre?

[themule]

I'm asking this question 'cause many (ignorant) people tend to group my beloved Ninja Gaiden games with the likes of certain games in the genre (hack n' slash action) as if they are very similar gameplay wise. Sure, NG is a hack n' slash game/action title but the way it plays it's nowhere near a game like God of War, Devil May Cry, Heavenly Sword, Too Human, Ninja Blade, etc, etc.

I don't mean no offense against many of these excellent games, they all shine on their own although on different aspects. I can get a lot of satisfaction from playing God of War as a whole, but the combat itself has never been so intricate, complex and emotional as in a NG game. Notice I left "challenging" out of it, although I know for sure there's nothing as challenging as Master Ninja in any of those games, but I won't grade the excellence of NG's battle system based on challenge level against the others since there's so much more to it, and you don't have to play on the hardest difficulties to appreciate it.

I consider myself a fairly objective person. I know I love NG above the others in the genre, but I can honestly point out its flaws and even grade other action games better than NG. We hardcore NG fans know what we look for in a NG game, we don't come for the cool story, or the amazing "powers" or even great level design. We just play for the beats. We play to master our fighting style, much like a fighting game actually. I don't know if many of you see it that way, I really do.

Before I drag this thing any longer I'll return to the main issue of this thread which isn't comparing NG to its "competition" but more along the lines of : Do you pour your soul into any other hack n' slash game as you do with NG, and do you feel it as rewarding a experience as beating a NG game?

I've recently played the demo for Bayonetta and Dante's Inferno, they may turn out to be good games, but I just don't feel they're as technical as NG, I've never felt very involved in the combat on any of those games, maybe it's just me, but they're not my thing. The GOW3 demo feels a little different but only because the whole setting, visuals and direction make it feel "epic", the scale of that game is just amazing, even though the combat is (to me) the same button-mashing it's always been.

Discuss, please.

[Marfje]

You're not the only one. To be honest with you i don't consider Ninja Gaiden a hack 'n slash game anymore, i believe it more to be a Strategy game lolz, you really have to know what you're doing (just kidding), but i do somehow consider Ninja Gaiden a seperate genre.. can't name it, but feels like it. I hate how my friends say omg another hack 'n slash, and then they come over and are like: Hey omg wtf? and i'm like: Yeah.. that's different eh?
Maybe it's because i let them play on master ninja ().

Btw, Ninja Blade sucks ballz

[Labartu]

Okay, I'm not a Hardcore Die Hard Fan of NG, but, I just want to say something aswell.
I played NG Sigma 1 and played the demo for NGS2 aswell as playing it on a friends place for hours. I just don't know, but for me it actually feels like a Hack n' Slash. The difference I see is that you don't have the typical Interrupt Moves you have in other Games of the Genre, you know, those that throw you enemy meters away or just make them stumble without great effort by just pressing 2 up to 3 buttons. Thus making Combat in NG more of a challenge as well as requesting a lot more of concentration like when playing a Beat em' up, you need to watch what your enemy's doing so that you can react accordingly (dodge, block, w/e).
But otherwise, it feels the same for me as other Games like GoW, Devil May Cry or Heavenly Sword do. And I pour my soul into every game of the genre.

[Cypher_Cobra]

I play a lot of action games, and the ones that really matter are Devil May Cry, God of War and Ninja Gaiden. There are others that are solid, but those 3 are the big sluggers.

That said, each have a major advantage.

NG's advantage is that it focuses on combat mechanics. Its got the depth of a fighting game in an action game, in fact one of Ryu's weapons movelist competes with Neero's entire movelist in DMC4.

GoW's advantage is in it's storytelling and adventuring. The action isn't bad but it's mainly just graphic and violent, not necessarily hard or intense. But you visit incredibly interesting places with breathtaking visuals, and the traps are vicious and savage. It's like Indiana Jones.

And DMC's strength is stylishness. You're super human and the game rewards you for performing incredibly super human things that are WAY over the top. Dante is the hero that is "too cool to get scratched" in a conflict and he plays just like that.

For me, I just like action games. But I play them for such different reasons, I play God of War because I want to look around ancient ruins and solve interesting puzzles. I play Devil May Cry to just woop ass on poor defenseless people that stand no chance against me in rediculous ways most action games can't deliver. But I play Ninja Gaiden when I want to play a serious, evolved, classic action game. Ninja Gaiden is simply that, the evolution of the hardlined action game.

[Panklaar]

Originally Posted by Cypher_Cobra

NG's advantage is that it focuses on combat mechanics. Its got the depth of a fighting game in an action game, in fact one of Ryu's weapons movelist competes with Neero's entire movelist in DMC4.

GoW's advantage is in it's storytelling and adventuring. The action isn't bad but it's mainly just graphic and violent, not necessarily hard or intense. But you visit incredibly interesting places with breathtaking visuals, and the traps are vicious and savage. It's like Indiana Jones.

And DMC's strength is stylishness. You're super human and the game rewards you for performing incredibly super human things that are WAY over the top. Dante is the hero that is "too cool to get scratched" in a conflict and he plays just like that.

For me, I just like action games. But I play them for such different reasons, I play God of War because I want to look around ancient ruins and solve interesting puzzles. I play Devil May Cry to just woop ass on poor defenseless people that stand no chance against me in rediculous ways most action games can't deliver. But I play Ninja Gaiden when I want to play a serious, evolved, classic action game. Ninja Gaiden is simply that, the evolution of the hardlined action game.

I have all 3 of these games and love them all but i think ninja gaiden is better then above when it comes to the fighting gameplay.
Yu will lose at the harder difficulties with hack and slash,and it can be very frustrating.
but i think its one of the best games i have ever played,the ninja gaiden series.

[jthamind]

Ninja Gaiden's combat system makes ever other action game's combat system feel like shit to me. that's how good it is.

[ieyfura]

It is not an action game...no...it is a Ninja game.

[Kagerasimaru]

Originally Posted by jthamind

Ninja Gaiden's combat system makes ever other action game's combat system feel like shit to me. that's how good it is.

i second that!!!

[Tuheljski-gamer]

Wow, i never see that topic

First for starter, i agree with everything he said...

H n`S is one of my favourite genre and i play really much of games in this genre, but, like Jthamind said, combat system in any other games compare to NG is shit...

Maybe, only maybe, i can say Bayonetta has a combat system that you must master like in NG2 but nothing too special...

GOw series is great but lol...press 5x and you can go with this combo almost through entire game...Evade is crucial in GOW 3 on Titan and Chaos, ofcourse, but...

Darksiders...great puzzles, but combat...meh, fail...

Dante...fail...

DMC...ok, good but nothing special...



NG has so much varioations, combos, combat styles...its damn hard to master that game and that is what i most respect in that game...you really must pull all you have in that game...


I play other games and i will always play, but NG is one and only

[010]

Ninja Gaiden is the best hack/slash no doubt. My first NG was one the original Xbox and it was so awesome. I love Bayonetta and DMC too. DMC 1 was fucking awesome(great bosses and Dante Must Die mode was pretty hard-freaking annoying Griffon >.<). GOW is great to. Otogi was also cool(anyone who played that game?).