Microsoft/Xbox (£39.99)
Ryu Hayabusa is the deadly and feared assassin who appeared recently in the Dead or Alive series, Microsoft/Tecmo’s answer to Tekken, having started life as a humble arcade game in 1988. In this ninja stealth game he is seeking revenge after his family clan are massacred. The evil Vigoor Empire is responsible, and Ryu is out for blood — running across walls, jumping on heads, slashing with deadly nimble blows.
The graphics are flawless, the fighting just the right level of hard, but not too hard, and even the voice artists are less annoying than usual. And though the action is thrilling, with challenging bosses and an increasingly bewildering option of fighting moves and weapons to choose from as the game progresses, there’s enough creeping, leaping and problem-solving to make it a tip-top adventure game as well.
This is one of the best-looking games on the Xbox. That it also boasts fluid, intuitive gameplay, and does not condescend to the audience by making the fighting too simple or automatic, is miraculous. Recommended.
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Dominic Wells