"Simple and deep?"

It pains me to see games that are often overlooked because of the learning curve and deep gameplay, which is often found in complicated games. Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed ninja is deep and does have a steep learning curve, but it does not come with the pains of overly complicated systems incorporated into gameplay. Izuna shines in simplicity, not complexity, and is focused more on deep gameplay than anything else.

The first thing you may notice about Izuna is that this game is not your typical run-of-the-mill console-style RPG where you have a party of characters. Instead, this game is a dungeon crawler RPG, where the player is alone and needs to explore a dungeon and get to the lower floors to face a boss. Battle and exploration are not separate, they happen at the same time. Typically, dungeon crawlers are complex, have a strange sense of humor in gameplay, and are tough to play (and dungeon crawlers have been around for years). Izuna follows this general mold, but instead of having a complex system, it is a "bare bones" dungeon crawler, with only the basics.

The second most notable thing about Izuna is that it is much harder than most commercial games that are on the market. To first time players, this game will be frustrating if they aren't able to spend the time to try and learn how to play, but is fairly rewarding to those who can adapt to the challenges and develop lasting strategies. As players get accustomed to Izuna and learn the quirks of the game, they learn how to "survive" the dungeons.

Izuna's graphics are a mixed bag. On one side, you have nicely done sprites and anime-style character portraits; on the other side, the sprites for monsters and the background tiles do get repetitive. However, every different category of enemy has its own animation for attacking, and the animation of the sprites is well done.

The sound of Izuna is one of the weaker points of the game. The sound effects are average, and the music does get repetitive if not noticeable. The only aspect of the sound department that deserves mention is the fairly small amount of original Japanese voice acting, which is nice touch.

The story is simple as the gameplay, but it tells what it supposed to. The humor of the game isn't bad, it does have some fairly sly lines of sarcasm that can be easily overlooked and confuse people.

Overall, this is a game for people who want a challenge, and can withstand the difficulties that are presented.

Gameplay: 10/10
Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 7/10
Story: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/26/07

Game Release: Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja (US, 02/20/07)