Genji: Days of the Blade

Developer: SCEE
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: Nov. 14, 2006
System: PS3
ESRB Rating: T
Official Web Site

Today's Game for Lunch comes from guestblogger Alexander Sliwinski of Joystiq.

In a nutshell: Ninja Gaiden, but bad.

0:01 Pretty CGI intro of characters twirling around to some nice ancient Japanese drum beats.

0:02 Still enamored with the CGI. It looks like there will be four character to play eventually.

0:03 I hit start and prepare to attack enemy crabs for massive damage. Oh mercy, more intro. Too many characters being introduced to pay attention. *go into kitchen for a drink*

0:06 Another cut scene, now two guys staring at each other. They're so pretty with their perfect skin and hybrid Japan-British accents. They're even speaking with rumor being spelled "rumour" in the subtitles. They really are British. Oh, they're brothers and they are apparently going to fight together. YAY! There are warriors infiltrating the palace, finally some action.

0:07 More cut scenes? Nope, fighting time in front of a house on fire. Move two feet, another cut scene. At least these cut scenes are pretty.

0:08 Enough with the damn cut scenes already! The invaders are apparently after some temple. Who cares!?! Let's get the game going. Guys jump out. Fighting time?

0:10 Beat guys, magical chest appears. Grab swords in chest that seem stronger but make you move soooooo slow.

0:11 Beat two more guys and run into the burning building. Stuff falls and keep running forward.

0:12 Find a snowflake. Oh, it's the save point and it restores health.

0:13 I notice that the map in top right corner actually doesn't move in line with your character. The map is based on compass points and not on player view, meaning you can't look at the map to navigate.

0:14 Fight a bunch of guys in a courtyard now. I figure out my new swords from the chest are way too slow and make no sense control wise. Switch back to original with L2 button.

0:16 The camera angle is way too low. It's like you're watching the game from the standpoint of a member of the lollipop guild.

0:17 New game mechanic being introduced. The Kamui gauge which works like a God of War button-pressing-segment. I failed at using it.

0:18 Almost dead, I reactivate Kamui again. I can't tell if I'm supposed to hit the button they flash on the screen at the same time or in sequence, they actually give two options. Just keep hitting the square button. Seems to work, everyone dies and I only have a sliver of health.

0:19 Arrow guy killed me: GAME OVER.

0:20 Would I like to Continue? Sure. Start off back at the snow flake.

0:23 Figured out the Kamui section better this time. The annoying voice they have wailing through it is too much.

0:25 I can't figure out how to kill arrow guys attacking me. Ohhhhh, I have to jump on the lanterns. That wasn't very clear. Stupid camera won't turn to let me see other guy shooting me. So annoying...

0:26 Cut scene: magical barrier protects the house I'm trying to get to. Old woman from before tells soldiers to hold me off. She casts a spell and poof she's gone.

0:28 Camera angle is driving me mad. Bad guys are dropping extra health, but I can't see if because of the camera angle. Then the health disappears just as I see it.

0:29 I can't go any further. The gate is sealed, apparently. Switching to new character with giant battering ram as a weapon. Save at snowflake

0:32 I just fought a bunch of guys on a bridge. This new guy is awful. He hits sooooo slow. Got a chest with stone that dispels the barrier that blocked my path.

0:33 I can make character do ridiculous slide movement by just holding down the dodge right analog stick. The two characters now meet up.

0:35 Now I can switch between the two guys. I switch to the sword guy, he can at least dodge an attack. Enter the house I couldn't get in before.

0:36 Fighting in what appears to be the same courtyard from before, but I just went through this door. Is this the same place?

0:37 It is the same courtyard from before. I can't find a level map. So confused. The camera angle isn't helping Yeah, I'm back at the same burning building from earlier.

0:38 I ran back to the house, now in an alleyway. Trying to figure out where to go. This doesn't seem right either. Running back to where the enemies were. That's usually a good sign.

0:40 I use the big guy to break stuff in the fire house to reveal more items. Save at the first snowflake.

0:42 Back at the beginning of the game fighting off a bunch of guys. No idea if this is right. Now using the big guy, the camera angles are even worse. He's even taller so the angle is higher.

0:45 Defeated guys. Nothing new. Can't figure out what to do.

0:55 Figure out I need to run all the way back to where the big guy started, kick a cart to a wall and switch to the spry guy to get up it.

0:59 Defeat a swarm of enemies, watch the girl who jumped on my head earlier jump over a wall.

1:00 Break another wall to reveal a health crest.

Would I play this game for more than an hour? If I had to.
Why? Just to see if the game's structure gets any better. Also, because I must see the infamous "Giant Enemy Crabs"

This review based on a retail copy rented from GameFly.