In the Premortem column, I offer speculation and opinion on potential problems I see for a particular as-of-writing unreleased game. The objective of this piece is not to officially declare a title's doom as the dramatic nature of the title would suggest, but rather to raise warning flags on aspects of the title which seem like they could potentially hinder the overall experience upon final release. If nothing else, these flags are raised to get the developer’s attention and that of the gaming community at large with the hope of provoking conversation on the points addressed herein. Disclaimer: everything stated here is speculation. These columns will focus on games which are works in progress. Any aspect of them at the time of writing is subject to change. Lastly, think of the column title under the technicality “premortem findings or infections”, with the provided caveat that the subject still has a chance to prevent their own ruin through appropriate action.

 

 

 

If any feature has been emphasized the most for Ninja Gaiden 3 by its makers, Team Ninja, it is what they’ve coined the Visceral Cut. Essentially, Visceral Cuts, or “steel on bone”, are attacks that can be initiated on enemies once they have been damaged a required amount. This is triggered by the player by pressing the matching button of their controller to the in-game prompt icon of the same button, or alternatively, by holding down one of the attack buttons for a charged power-attack. During the Visceral Cut the game’s camera pans in for an up-close and personal display of brutality for the player’s pleasure.

 

If you are wondering how it is the game accomplishes this camera shift without disorientating the player amidst the surrounding action, the answer is twofold: by making the player invulnerable for the duration of the attack, and slowing time in-game. Both are poised to be problematic to the overall effect of Ninja Gaiden 3’s combat; in the first case by eliminating the possibility for a risk/reward dynamic, in the second by allowing the player to breathe when breath has not yet been earned. The 3D Ninja Gaiden’s of past have intentionally not afforded this comfort to the player in combat situations, and the combat has been all the better for it; making each encounter demanding of the player’s focus and additionally creating a combat environment where each subsequent enemy that appears ratchets the tension further up.

 

Sure, I am making a concession here for prior games’ Ninpo and charge attacks, both of which if executed successfully allow brief invulnerability, and the difference with the Visceral Cuts in Ninja Gaiden 3 may seem negligible, but upon viewing footage of the game you can see that they can be initiated almost immediately – in fact just slightly more time consuming than a base-level attack – if charged versus being used at the end of combos. The qualities of the Visceral Cuts can also be seen in projectile use with the Bow & Arrow, which actually pauses the action mid-air in order to allow the player to more easily place their shot (this, in addition to aim assistance). As a final – and admittedly positive – note on Visceral Cuts, it is worth mentioning that Team Ninja has stated that the on-screen button prompts will not appear in the harder difficulty options in the game. I am skeptical this will remedy all of the issues I’ve addressed, but it is nonetheless a good decision on their part.