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Mini Ninjas Review
Considering its previous work includes the Hitman series and Kane & Lynch, it's hard to imagine IO Interactive creating something as charming as Mini Ninjas. Filled with likable characters and a great art style, it's bound to be a lot of fun for the younger demographic.
You play as several different characters throughout the story, but the main protagonist is a young ninja named Hiro. An evil warlord has used his magic to turn woodland animals into his personal army, and it's up to Hiro and his ninja buddies to take him down. Don't expect any major twists and turns...this isn't MGS2, the storytelling is about as straightforward as you can get.
Most of the fun lies in the combat, as all of the playable ninjas handle uniquely. Hiro is a magic user and balanced swordsman, while Futo is a massive brute who crushes large enemies with his hammer. You'll use these two the most, but some situations call on the skills and abilities of others. Switching between each ninja is easy to do and can be done on the fly, meaning any unlocked character is available at any time. You can mow through an army of standard enemies with Hiro, and then immediately switch to Futo to take down the larger foes.
The majority of gameplay is combat-based, but there are some stealth aspects and a couple fun diversions, like using Hiro's comically oversized hat to row down a river or sled down a mountain during an avalanche. These moments are spaced out well and do a good job of helping the gameplay avoid repetition.
Minor annoyances pop up every once in a while, but not enough to seriously disrupt gameplay. The camera is finicky at times, and the stealth mechanics and quick-time-event-centric boss fights are underdeveloped. If you can look past these mechanical issues, it's entirely possible to be sufficiently entertained by the characters and charm of Mini Ninjas.
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