Matt Peckham writes that the new game Ninja Gaiden II has some camera troubles. He wishes that the game would stick the camera high up with a wide camera lens. He also says that a freeform camera works well, but it runs into other problems, such as directorial responsibility. On the positive side, he mentions that the camera angles are better here than in the original Xbox game. Go to the source to read more.

Your job is to control both the layout and flow, in other words, not wait for the design team to lay things out for you like road stripes down some invisible highway. No Z-trigger gimmicks with easy lock-on cameras, no cheaply hamstrung AI that won't attack from any angle. Ninja Gaiden 2 isn't just about chaining buttons and timing countermoves and learning to read each enemy's telltale combo signs, it's also about directing yourself in a way that best suits your own unique play style.

Does that sound like a chore? Then you don't get what Team Ninja's up to, or maybe you do and you reject it, which is totally cool. But don't mistakenly assume Ninja Gaiden 2 works the way it works because of some wonky design accident, or that the requirement that you babysit the camera to manage the blizzard of activity you're unleashing onscreen at any given moment isn't unapologetically intentional.

Synergized via blogs.pcworld.com »