EIF09 Preview: Mini Ninjas

IO Interactive, best known for the Hitman franchise, are the guys behind Eidos’ charming, ninja-based, anime style action adventure. Surprised? Yeah, so was I. It seems the guys have gotten tired of coming home, their mind a flood with mass murder, and have decided to do something for the kids. That said, don’t expect this to be just another kiddie action game, I quite enjoyed my time with it.

The main protagonist is Hiro. Hiro has a nack for controlling nature and generally being a sneaky little dude. He’s joined by other supporting characters, all of whom can be switched to at any time. Futo, a bigger guy with a hammer, is the one you rely on to get things done. Although Hiro is sneaky and agile, if you want to clear out an area full of enemies Futo is your man.

As you progress through the game you’ll meet up with the other, ‘lost’, ninjas and add them to your team. Once freed, you’ll be able to use them and their different abilities in combat. Giving you extra advantage over your enemies. Besides Hiro and Futo, I also got to play as Suzme. She’s no femme fatale, but when she gets out her flute, she can lull enemies into a deep sleep. Something that can certainly help.

Mini Ninjas, despite being kid-friendly on the surface, lets you do all the ninja-type things you’d expect. Creeping in the shadows, using darkness to gain an advantage are all things you can do here. That said, the general combat is completely uncomplicated. It’s a basic button basher, with only a few attacks to choose from. Chaining these attacks will build up special magic abilities, these seemed only a little more effective than mashing the attack button though.

The general presentation of the game is great. The visuals are great, the whole ninja aesthetic is spot on. The character design is great, and even though the characters look quite cute, that never takes away from the feel of the game. The way each character moves is great too. Characters will move slowly and even run on tiptoes adding to the whole feel of the game. Being able to swap between characters on the fly stops the gameplay, especially the combat, becoming boring. Something which certainly helps in a hack and slash.

Overall I think, although Mini Ninjas is a big change for IO,  they might have just pulled it off. The visuals are great, the characters and setting is pretty original and the whole game seems to, just, work. I look forward to playing the full game when it drops September 8th.

Popularity: 2% [?]