Today, a brand-new indie company called Nebula Studios revealed Ninja Exorcist, a 2D platformer that features 1080p graphics, “stealth-exploratory” gameplay, and some badass art work. When a game lists Castlevania and Ninja Gaiden as references and has great aesthetics, it might be worth paying attention to.
The devs, based in Vancouver, have some talent backing them: they’ve worked on Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age, FIFA, and more, along with a strong history of video game art design. It definitely shows in Ninja Exorcist, which features hand-painted visuals and a detailed story. Doesn’t it remind you of Odin Sphere, Dragon’s Crown, etc.?
Mike B slashes and sneaks his way through this action/adventure game, Ninja Exorcist.
No matter what, you’ve got to respect indie games. The developers do what they want, when they want, fronting their own cash and time to see a vision through. Then there’s the other side of the coin, the part where the game gets released to the fans and the verdict hits. This time the gauntlet falls to Ninja Exorcist: Episode One, the newest side-scroller action game from Nebula Game Studios available on the Xbox 360 Arcade for 80 Microsoft points.
Glitch Cat - Overall Nebula Game Studios had a great idea: a side-scrolling ninja game that focuses on both combat and stealth. Sadly, the execution of these systems leave a lot to be desired. And yes, this is an XBL Indie game that’s worth just $1, but there are plenty of $1 games out there with better execution. The foundation for a great game is there, but Episode 1 of Ninja Exorcist does little with the systems at hand. We can only hope the Nebula Studios learn from their mistakes and craft a vastly superior Episode 2.
The name is cool, the art style has strengths, "stealth exploration" sounds enticing, but the hero's animations lack a bit of amplitude and the level design looks potentially a bit too bland.