Ninja Gaiden Master Collection Review (Xbox Series S)

by Jim Smale · Published June 10, 2021 · Updated June 17, 2021

Our Ninja Gaiden Master Collection Review takes on everything this collection has to offer, the three titles from the series which are included are NINJA GAIDEN Sigma (released in 2007), NINJA GAIDEN Sigma 2 (released in 2009), and NINJA GAIDEN 3: Razor’s Edge (released in 2012). Become the ultimate ninja and defeat deadly enemies!

Ninja Gaiden Master Collection Review Pros:

Decent graphics.
12.9GB download size. (4.3GB per game)
3 separate game downloads.
3000 Gamerscore. 1000 Gamerscore per game.
Ninja Gaiden Master Collection contains- Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3 Razors Edge.
Japanese or English voice. (available in every game as an option)
Hack and slash ninja gameplay.
Controller settings- Invert axis and sensitivity sliders, rebind buttons.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma modes- story, Ninja trials, and survival mode.
Online leaderboards.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma has 3 difficulties- Hero mode (autoblock attacks and a lot easier), normal and hard.
Tutorial tips as you go.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 has a Prologue cutscene.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 game modes- story and tag mission.
Really fast loading times across all 3 games.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 has four difficulties- Hero mode, normal, hard, and very hard.
Can skip cutscenes.
Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor’s Edge has 3 difficulties- Hero mode, Normal and hard.
Each game comes with all previously released DLC-like costumes and events.
Very fast and very gory combat.
Full gore and dismemberment.
Puzzle elements.
Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor’s Edge uses a Karma system. You earn Karma from kills and use them to buy new skills.
Combo counter in Sigma 2 and Razor’s Edge.
Tips pop up on the screen.
End of chapter breakdown of kills earned Karma and time completion.
Quick select and use/equip for swapping weapons and using items.
Camera reset button.
Savepoints that also heal.
Each game has a unique skill tree to unlock new abilities for you and your weapons.
Learn new attacks and styles by finding them in the game.
Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor’s Edge uses a crow as your save point and he can heal you.
Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor’s Edge will give you a breakdown of performance after every group encounter and reward you with Karma and health.
Some amazing set pieces.
Strong stories in all 3 games.
You can feel the advancements as you play through the games.
A lot of quick-time events.
Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor’s Edge has chain kills whereby you kill all injured enemies in a row.
Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor’s Edge has 3 game modes- story, Ninja trials, and chapter challenges.
Hidden Collectibles in each game for additional rewards or bonuses.
Big boss battles.
In Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor’s Edge you can bring up the combo/move sheet.

Ninja Gaiden Master Collection Review Cons:

The first Ninja Gaiden has a terrible tutorial and no way to check controls.
All games are separate.
The camera is still an absolute bastard to control mostly in part of the game speed.
The graphics on the earlier games look hazy and not as crisp as you would expect.
Difficult games even with hero mode.
No gore options in any of the games.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma is very clunky against the other two games.
No new enhancements like quicksaves.
Learning when and how to parry and block is really difficult.
It can be hard in a battle to distinguish who is who.