Graphics: Striking, seamless architecture and crisp, gorgeous, varied textures highlight each of Ninja Gaiden‘s dozen or so areas. An exquisitely designed traditional Asian village, a fantastic airship in the skies above the Vigoor capital, a string of ancient underground tombs and even a stunning series of ice and magma caverns are only some of the game’s spectacular environments. The dazzling CG work also deserves mention; apart from FMV veterans such as Square Enix, no company can claim to have cutscenes as detailed and atmospheric as the ones in Ninja Gaiden. From Rachel’s buxom figure right down to the very fabric in Ryu’s clothing, every aspect of these full motion videos is perfect. What’s more, as fabulous as the CGI is, the in-game cinematics don’t lag far behind. Observing the expressions on characters’ faces or their body movements is a treat.

Ryu maintains an equally high level of detail during actual gameplay, and the fluid, lifelike animation is flawless for each and every of his techniques. Enemies are just as impressive; the sheer size and complexity of the dragons is awe-inspiring, but even smaller foes, such as the mummies, are astonishing with their dry, exposed muscle tissue. It’s not all eye candy, however, as hacking the arms and heads off of these particular creatures not only produces a cool visual effect, but also disables one or both of their powerful attacks. Add to this a solid, stable frame rate, and you have one of the best-looking games available today.

Interface: A small “interact” display will appear at the bottom of the screen whenever you’re near an object that can be manipulated. This deceptively useful device not only aids in uncovering partially or wholly obscured treasure boxes and scarabs, but can also assist in solving certain puzzles or at least uncovering clues. In terms of options, there are various sound and video preferences as well as a handy button configuration option. Aside from being able to customize the controller to your liking, the thumbsticks can also be reversed so that swimming and first person aiming will feel more natural. The menu screen is also very well designed; all of the information is laid out in a logical manner, making switching weapons or using items a painless affair. My only gripe is that the unused buttons could’ve been easily made into quick-function commands, which would’ve eliminated the need to call up the menu screen every time you want to look at the map or use a health potion.

Gameplay: Few developers are capable of blending action and adventure elements as skillfully or seamlessly as Team Ninja have with Gaiden. The battle system is probably the most impressive accomplishment, staying fresh and enjoyable right up to the game’s finale. A broad range of weapons, each with dozens of unique moves and combos, ultimate techniques and ninpo attacks, not only makes each battle interesting and enjoyable, but also fluid, so that it’s simply part of the experience rather than a burden or chore. The adventuring and platforming elements break up the pacing admirably and add some variety, but never feel out of place or unnecessary. One brilliantly designed segment has Ryu stuck in an Indiana Jones moment, running from a giant boulder while try to avoid falling objects and spikes in the ground.

Additionally, with plenty of collectibles that unlock new costumes, weapons, armor and even the classic Ninja Gaiden titles, replayability and longevity aren’t much of a concern. The terrific level design and hidden extras make a second trip through just as enjoyable as the first, and with the promise of a Master Ninja Tournament to come via Xbox Live, most players will want to revisit the levels over and over again in order to raise their scores and compete with the rest of the world.

The only element that warrants any criticism is the sometimes-tricky camera system. I hate to raise issue with this, as it is absolutely flawless a majority of the time, but with no ability to manually control the POV, some problems will (occasionally) arise. The auto center function helps alleviate many issues, but falling to your death because of an unexpected camera movement is still frustrating.

Multiplayer: As Ninja Gaiden has no multiplayer mode, this criterion has not been rated.

Sound FX: Ninja Gaiden supports Dolby Surround setups, and makes full use of the option with an engrossing, moody ambience. From dripping water and bats flapping their wings in the distance to the clang of your sword hitting another and squirts of blood from your opponent’s decapitated torso, all of the sound effects are clear and discernible. The game also makes use of English voice talent, and though the option to switch on the Japanese voices with subtitles will undoubtedly appease purists, it isn’t required, as the English dub is respectable. The cold, detached nature of Ryu may seem a little dry and halfhearted, but it suits the character well, as do the equally understated performances from Rachel and Gamov.

Musical Score: The subtle music is best compared to that of Metal Gear Solid 2, and features just as much variety, range and depth as Konami’s classic 2001 soundtrack. Many of the tunes will swell and fade depending on the situation, such as encounters with enemies and other story-driven events. The atmosphere will also change dramatically according to the setting, from a traditional Asian theme in the opening village to a Middle Eastern influence in the Egyptian-styled underground tombs.

Intelligence & Difficulty: Games as difficult as Ninja Gaiden are few and far between these days, but rather than overwhelming you with wave after wave of monsters as so many other titles do, the developers test each of your abilities with some truly outstanding AI. Enemies are capable of blocking your attacks, but can and will break through your defenses, so holding down the left trigger won’t save your skin on every occasion. Additionally, most foes have a number of abilities at their disposal, some to counter your techniques, others to ward off your ninpo attacks. Some of the creatures are massive, others are tiny, some can drain your health gauge with a single blow while others chip away at it with methodical precision. Regardless, every enemy is a threat, from those crafty Black Spider Samurais to the tremendous Ice Dragon.

Boss battles are the embodiment of all that’s great about the action adventure genre, as they force the player to use every skill they have learned up to that point. Each of the bosses has their own unique gimmick or weak spot, and sometimes it will only present itself every few moments, so patience and strategy are essential. Everything from ninpo spells to special techniques come in handy during these brawls, but finding out exactly how to approach one of these fiends can take time. The game is generally quite fair in this respect, though, hardly ever placing save points more than five or ten minutes from a boss encounter. While this keeps the player from becoming overly frustrated with the repetition, it does force them to observe and learn to avoid fighting the same battle eight or nine times.

While few of Ninja Gaiden‘s puzzles require a tremendous amount of thought, most will test your fighting and platforming skills in interesting and original ways. One of the more memorable breaks from the action came in the underground tombs, when two side rooms had to be cleared before the main door could be opened. Taking out the mummy archers was the easy part, as you then had to navigate a narrow, broken bridge with swinging guillotines and beds of nails. As is the case with combat, patience, timing and great reflexes are key to completing these mini-quests.

Overall: Ninja Gaiden looks great, sounds great and, most importantly, plays great. The combat system is deep, varied and insanely addictive thanks to dozens of fantastic techniques and plenty of memorable enemies. The adventure is superb and the number of collectibles and hidden items keep the gameplay fresh. Ninja Gaiden is a must have for virtually any player and, alongside titles such as Halo and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, qualifies as one of the Xbox’s elite offerings.