Game Shinobido Way Of The Ninja For Pc
Judging by the number of similar ninja games out there, one would believe there is some uncompromising formula to make them. We've seen franchises come and go, all using the same mechanics, stories, and graphical styles. Every new release seemingly becomes just another ninja game. Shinobido: Way of the Ninja seeks to break that trend.
The game is a standalone release outside the well-established ninja-themed franchises. It might inject a little bit more excitement by having the freedom to develop something a little different. Poetic license is something these tired games could use. However, the staunch representation of a classical ninja dictates otherwise. Let's see how Shinobido: Way of the Ninja fares.
The opening scenes of the game don't do much justice. Shinobido: Way of the Ninja will not be any different from the others. The player will find themselves taking on the ninja Goh, who has no memory of who he is or why he has washed up on the river bank. And guess what? The narrative is all about finding the fragments of your memory in the form of pink stones. Only they will reveal the truth about a devastating attack on your village.
This all seems very budget movie-like - but maybe the gameplay can provide some redeeming factors? The expected mechanics of stealth and quick combat associated with a ninja are all present. You'll be navigating around each level, exploiting assets such as rooftops, buildings, and water to hide and commit stealth kills. It's almost instantaneous that this is going to be just another ninja game.
Missions do try and vary under the more limited mechanics. Goh will be tasked with assignments like assassinations, kidnappings, and escort duties - but none are exciting given the gameplay's limited scope. Let's not mention the obnoxious camera angles that hinder anything you are trying to do.
The whole aura of the game is finalized by the visuals that look a little stale. The story of Shinobido: Way of the Ninja is written in good faith but lacks immersion with stiff animations, bland environments, and really questionable voice acting. The general feel of the game is like playing ninja at home with a salt and pepper shaker.
The short answer to 'is this a revelation in the ninja game genre?' is no. Shinobido: Way of the Ninja makes a valiant effort in its writing to attract players with a decent story, but every gameplay aspect melds tirelessly to present a bland paste. It's worth noting that this game only came to fruition because the developer's beloved Tenchu series was lost to another entity.
The result is an attempt to show the world that Acquire can still make ninja games. Well, they can - but starting afresh has shown there's a lot of work to be desired. Shinobido: Way of the Ninja is playable, but its mundaneness is what leads to its verdict. Don't bother if you're looking for a ninja game with a bit of flair.
Shinobido has the player take the role of an amnesiac ninja who wakes to find himself lying on the bank of an unfamiliar river. In fact, everything is unfamiliar, as the man finds that he can no longer remember his identity and has no memory of his life or situation up until the point of his regaining consciousness. Finding only a sword lying next to him on the ground, the man stumbles across an isolated and seemingly derelict shack, only to have an arrow shoot past his head and lodge itself into the shack's outer wall. Startled, the man scans the trees and undergrowth surrounding him, but then notices a letter attached to the arrow. The letter states that the person who wrote it is simply a \"concerned bystander,\" and further identifies the amnesiac man as \"Goh,\" a ninja of the Asuka clan, which was wiped out the previous day. The letter informs Goh that his memories and soul have somehow been stolen and placed within eight mystical stones which were scattered during the initial attack on the Asuka ninjas' village, and then further scattered by people who have located and claimed the stones.
Using the run-down hut as a base-of-operations, Goh must locate the stones to reclaim his memory and discover the truth regarding the destruction of the Asuka ninja. However, this monumental task would prove impossible without the assistance of powerful and knowledgeable allies, and Goh is advised by the mysterious writer of the letter to gain the trust and protection of one of three powerful warlords and charismatic leaders within his proximity. Goh is further advised to begin his search in Utakata Castle, where the kind and noble Nobutero Ichijo resides. Ichijo and the Asuka ninja apparently together maintained peace throughout Utakata. With the destruction of the latter, Utakata now appears on the brink of war as ambitious neighbouring warlords and religious leaders turn their attention towards the vulnerable province. Goh must decide whether he will trust Ichijo, or instead ally himself with one of the other leaders vying for control of the region.
The player takes control of the Asuka ninja, as Goh, \"The Crow\", who conducts various missions and tasks, primarily stealth-based, for one of three warlords competing for Goh's allegiance. Missions include assassination, escort duty, protection, theft, kidnap, and various other clandestine operations at the request of the lords, and are delivered by a mysterious individual who shoots a message-carrying arrow into the wall of Goh's shack, the usual method of notification, used throughout the game. Generally, several missions will be available to the player at any given time, and will sometimes involve locating and claiming one of the eight stones containing Goh's memories and soul, after gaining the trust of a particular lord, who will advise of the stone's whereabouts. The character is guided by the mysterious \"Onji\", who helps him in his search for the truth, for his memories and for the greater evil that threatens Utakata.
As a ninja, Goh is swift, agile, and silent, and can use these attributes to his benefit during missions. Although Goh is a capable combatant, he will generally be at a disadvantage in a straight sword fight, as his opponents are larger in number and are often more skillfully trained in direct kenjutsu than he is. Goh will encounter heavily-armoured rival ninja, skilled yojimbo, ronin warriors, and large groups of an opposing lord's regular guardsmen, who will often call for reinforcements or sound the alert if they become aware of Goh's presence. It is very much in Goh's favour to utilise stealth tactics to avoid detection, such as crouching behind ledges and walls, climbing across rooftops, and sneaking through canals. Such tactics will allow Goh to accomplish his tasks with minimal interference, or until the enemy can be picked off slowly and silently, one-by-one.
The open-ended nature of Shinobido allows the player to continue the game for as long as they wish to do so. The game can only advance and finish as the player selects specific missions. If the player continues to select alternative missions rather than those necessary to advance through gameplay, the war can effectively be sustained indefinitely or until the player decides to eliminate two of the warring factions and locate all of the mystic stones. Due to this style of gameplay, missions take place in pivotal strategic locations throughout Utakata rather than on uniquely specific levels. These locations include commercial hubs such as Sengen Town and Ryonin Market, transport routes such as Dandala Peak and Rokudo Valley, and the strongholds of each individual warlord, such as Fudo Castle and Sotai Tower. One mission may have Goh attempting to sabotage a transport cart full of food or weapons bound for the front by attacking the convoy in Rokudo Valley, whilst the next mission may have Goh returning to the same location to exterminate a group of barbarians who are attacking allied convoy shipments.
There are pseudo-realtime ramifications to various tactics. For example, if there is no rice (if the player stole it or destroyed the cart transporting it) for a particular warlord, their soldiers will be less focused, weaker, and much less dangerous, repeatedly complaining about their severe hunger and alerting Goh to their positions. If the player opts not to eliminate a rampaging bear in the mountain or forest regions surrounding Utakata in one mission, the beast will likely find its way into the town settlements, leaving the player the responsibility of rectifying the resulting chaos at a later point in gameplay.
Witnesses can also be problematic for Goh. Should Goh choose to accept a contract from one lord against another for whom Goh has worked on other occasions, the second lord will feel personally betrayed and likely request their troops hunt down and execute Goh. This can become especially tedious if said lord consistently contracts rival ninja or barbarians to attack Goh's hideout. Failure to fend off these attackers will result in Goh's hard-earned money and items being stolen by the enemy, although successfully remaining hidden and earning an \"Invisible\" rank at the end of each mission will prevent this from occurring to some extent.
After the Tenchu series was lost to rival Japanese developer From Software, Acquire began development on a new series with similar style and gameplay values in an effort to retain its stealth/ninja genre fan base.
The game's success in Japan spawned an expansion pack which was released exclusively to the Japanese market. The pack, entitled Shinobido Takumi and released in June 2006, contains 130 fan-made missions which have been judged and selected by the Spike development staff to be the best on offer. The creators of the submitted missions chosen by the development team received in-game credit, a copy of the game and an additional commemorative bonus item.[1]
Another title in the series, Shinobido: Tales of the Ninja, is available on the PlayStation Portable. Acquire stated and apologized on its official website that, due to circumstances beyond their control, there was no planned North American release.[17] A sequel to the PlayStation Portable game, titled Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen, was released for the PlayStation Vita.