Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance

[diet_orange]

Thoughts? Was considering buying it on Steam then I noticed that it had DRM, specifically Denuvo Anti-tamper and I was immediately turned off with no plans on buying it for the foreseeable future

 

[bjork]

The demo felt like a serviceable ninja game that could've come out from anyone, but since Sega owns a ninja-related IP, it's a new Shinobi.

 

[Clippy]

I have no intention of infesting my PC with malware so...

You'd think Sega would've learned by now.

 

[Stookymalarkey]

Sega is paranoid about pirates so every single release from them comes with Denuvo. If you're lucky, they'll remove it a couple years later (like when they did for Yakuza 6)

 

[RETRO-VETRO]

Well I mean it looks good I guess....

 

[Morgana Veil]

If you want it, buy it then pirate it. 99% percent of the time, if you get it from the not fat girl site (you know who I mean) it's been cleaned of any and all DRM and anything that would send info back to the home base.

 

[RageBurner]

It looks decent, but I'm not about tacitly tell Sega it's all right for them to lace their games with Denuvo, so it's a no get. Considering all they probably did was allow Lizardcube to use the IP (as was the case with SoR4), Sega has zero merit in those successful revivals.

Edit: Go play Cyber Shadow or Ninja Gaiden Ragebound for your ninja fix (heck, Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi 3 have aged very well).

 

[Turbo Kid]

So is anybody gonna actually talk about the game itself?

I'll be playing it on Switch, so maybe I'll chime in later.

 

[RageBurner]

So is anybody gonna actually talk about the game itself?

I'll be playing it on Switch, so maybe I'll chime in later.

You can bet the fact Denuvo is there will always be more relevant than the game itself, for people cognizant of what it represents; the game will probably be decent, but it won't be free of tarnish.

 

[Turbo Kid]

You can bet the fact Denuvo is there will always be more relevant than the game itself, for people cognizant of what it represents; the game will probably be decent, but it won't be free of tarnish.

I guess it's irrelevant to me as a non-PC player, but I can see why people don't like it.

There are so many reasons why I don't understand why people like PC gaming. Denuvo, no physical releases, etc.

 

[RageBurner]

I guess it's irrelevant to me as a non-PC player, but I can see why people don't like it.

There are so many reasons why I don't understand why people like PC gaming. Denuvo, no physical releases, etc.

For some investing in consoles is not feasible. Having a powerful PC makes more sense for a myriad of reasons; emulation being one of them, and, save for invasive DRM, the widest gamut of game access outside of exclusives.

 

[Turbo Kid]

I've gotten pretty comfortable with android devices for emulation. I play newer stuff on a modded OLED Switch or occasionally the PS4.

I guess I can see the appeal of PC gaming for some people, it's never really offered me anything though.

 

[Clippy]

I don't understand why people like PC gaming. Denuvo

Us PC folks have nothing but extreme hatred for Denuvo. Why are you trying to conflate PC and Denuvo as if it were some sort of standard?

no physical releases,

PC does get physical releases. It's nothing more than a steam code in a box most of the time. My understanding is that it's not all that different for consoles these days either. You get a code for PSN/Xbox Gamepass or whatever. Even a disc/cart means little when all it does is log you into a server to download the actual game.

I remember the old PC vs Console wars where one of the chief arguments of the console players was that you could just slap a cartridge into your system and play your game within a minute at most. Those days are long gone.

 

[RageBurner]

I've gotten pretty comfortable with android devices for emulation. I play newer stuff on a modded OLED Switch or occasionally the PS4.

I guess I can see the appeal of PC gaming for some people, it's never really offered me anything though.

I got pretty used to it. I haven't had a console since the XB360, and don't feel the need to have one.

 

[Turbo Kid]

Us PC folks have nothing but extreme hatred for Denuvo. Why are you trying to conflate PC and Denuvo as if it were some sort of standard?

PC does get physical releases. It's nothing more than a steam code in a box most of the time. My understanding is that it's not all that different for consoles these days either. You get a code for PSN/Xbox Gamepass or whatever. Even a disc/cart means little when all it does is log you into a server to download the actual game.

I remember the old PC vs Console wars where one of the chief arguments of the console players was that you could just slap a cartridge into your system and play your game within a minute at most. Those days are long gone.

That's not actually true though. I don't know where this myth comes from. Several games release fully on cartridge and in a playable state on the Switch and same for a lot of PS4 games too. I know this because I own several physical games. My Switch is completely offline. It's PC gaming that offers nothing for physical collectors and as for Denuvo it only seems to be an issue for PC gamers.

 

[RageBurner]

PC does get physical releases. It's nothing more than a steam code in a box most of the time. My understanding is that it's not all that different for consoles these days either. You get a code for PSN/Xbox Gamepass or whatever. Even a disc/cart means little when all it does is log you into a server to download the actual game.

Even more true with the whole game card thing going on. It's pretty much a certainty that Sony and MS will follow suit to cut their own costs down and increase the end user's complications even more.

 

[Clippy]

That's not actually true though. I don't know where this myth comes from. Several games release fully on cartridge and in a playable state on the Switch and same for a lot of PS4 games too. I know this because I own several physical games. My Switch is completely offline. It's PC gaming that offers nothing for physical collectors and as for Denuvo it only seems to be an issue for PC gamers.

One example I can think of off the top of my head is Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5. That game is pretty much nothing more than a coaster if you don't connect your console to a server to get a day one patch that downloads the actual game. A server that's no longer active.

There's a grain of truth to every myth. There are many Switch and PS4 games that never got a physical release either. Heck, most PS5s don't even offer a disc drive to begin with so make of that what you will.

With that said, I do miss the days of big boxes with all the goodies inside. If gaming companies ever had a good argument against piracy it was the fact that you'd be missing out on all the stuff that came with your legit purchase. Not much of a reason to turn this into another petty console vs PC argument when all of us suffer unfettered greed and cost cutting from corpos who forgot who made them great.

 

[Turbo Kid]

There are several companies whose business model is physical releases, the big one most people know of is Limited Run Games. Physical isn't going away, at least not entirely. As for the keycard thing on the Switch 2, we'll see how that plays out given all the negative backlash it's gotten. It's one of several reasons I don't want a Switch 2 at the moment.

More power to people who love PC gaming though, even if I don't personally get it.

I played Shinobi just before posting this, finished the first stage and completed the first bonus level. I think it's great and already feels more impressive than any previous 2d Shinobi game I've played.

There's a little more focus on hack n slash combat here than is typical for 2d Shinobi games with flashy combos, dodges, and a cool execution mechanic. You basically have the same move set as Shinobi III but expanded quite a bit.

It has levels, but they have secrets and you can return to them after you've completed them to find hidden items, collectibles, and challenges. I wouldn't call it a metroidvania given the stage by stage structure, just a platformer with secrets in each stage that you likely won't find on your first run through the level or simply won't have the necessary ability to unlock a certain path.

There's a shop with upgrades. You can buy them with money, but you need to find collectibles to make some upgrades available.

Artistically, the game is gorgeous. It gives me Okami vibes. The first bonus stage is a visual treat that you have to see.

My one nitpick is I kind of wish it had a Japanese audio track given how very Japanese it feels but no biggie.

Any way, good to see two iconic ninjas back in classic 2D again. Kind of wish we could get a new Strider game now.

 

[RageBurner]

I played Shinobi just before posting this, finished the first stage and completed the first bonus level. I think it's great and already feels more impressive than any previous 2d Shinobi game I've played.

I still think Shinobi 3 is the peak of the franchise, this new one seems to tick the right boxes, though.

It has levels, but they have secrets and you can return to them after you've completed them to find hidden items, collectibles, and challenges. I wouldn't call it a metroidvania given the stage by stage structure, just a platformer with secrets in each stage that you likely won't find on your first run through the level or simply won't have the necessary ability to unlock a certain path.

There's a shop with upgrades. You can buy them with money, but you need to find collectibles to make some upgrades available.

That's a neat touch, took a page from Ragebound there, I'd wager.

Artistically, the game is gorgeous. It gives me Okami vibes. The first bonus stage is a visual treat that you have to see.

My one nitpick is I kind of wish it had a Japanese audio track given how very Japanese it feels but no biggie.

Yeah, it definitely uses the same Sumi-e/brush stroke art style as Okami. It's a credit to the game's visuals, even though I still prefer pixel art.

Any way, good to see two iconic ninjas back in classic 2D again. Kind of wish we could get a new Strider game now.

I agree, I was discussing this point with a friend two days ago.

 

[Dew Prism]

Played it at my buddies house. It's ok.
I really wanted to like it, but... well, there's actually nothing about it that I like at all. I'll just be brutally honest. The game is too easy, even on hard mode. The enemies get stunlocked, and time like stops everytime you hit them. The art design looks too cartoony for my taste, especially in a ninja game, which to me is supposed to look mature.

I'm not downing anyone for liking it, I just couldn't find enjoyment in it. It honestly feels like every other modern action platformer on today's market. There's very few of them that I have come to actually enjoy, one of them being Slave Zero X. Also Shadow of the Ninja remake was pretty decent. Vegeful Guardian was ok, still better than Shinobi though. It's a shame I couldn't jump on the bandwagon of this game, because I wanted to.

 

[RageBurner]

Vegeful Guardian was ok, still better than Shinobi though. It's a shame I couldn't jump on the bandwagon of this game, because I wanted to.

I really liked Moonrider, but the story and writing were cringeworthy (nice cutscenes though).