Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus

Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus was among the PlayStation Vita launch titles and brought one of the most demanding action games of its time to the handheld. The player takes on the role of the ninja Ryu Hayabusa, who sets out on a bloody quest for revenge and for a lost demonic sword. The fights are fast, precise, and merciless: enemies attack from every direction, block, catch the player in combos, and even a common foe can kill within a few seconds if the player forgets to dodge and guard. An arsenal ranging from a katana to a scythe and combat staves changes the style of combat, and every weapon has its own set of combos that can be developed through upgrades.

The Vita version is based on an earlier remaster of the game and adds its own new features. It came with an easier difficulty for players who want to see the story without dozens of deaths, a mode focused on quickly blitzing through levels, and controls using touch and tilt for aiming a bow or performing special attacks. The technical side had a cost, however: the game runs at a lower frame rate than the home versions, which is noticeable in such fast action and takes a while to get used to.

Reviews at the time received it as a solid launch title and as proof that Vita could handle even demanding console-style action, but they did criticize its smoothness and an at-times chaotic camera. The Ninja Gaiden series had a major influence on modern action games through how high it set the difficulty bar and how firmly it insisted on precise, defense-oriented combat, a line later followed by other demanding action franchises. Today, Sigma Plus is a challenge for players seeking tough, honest action without compromises. The atmosphere shifts between Japanese mythology, European cathedrals, and underground temples full of demons, while the music moves from quiet tension to fierce drums the moment the arena seals shut and the fight for survival begins. It's exactly this combination of high difficulty, precise controls, and stylish violence that makes this series, for many players, the yardstick by which other action games are measured.