The scene opens up; it is a beautiful autumn setting with vibrant, blaze orange leaves falling all around the peaceful mountain fortress. A few ninjas walk around patrolling the entrance. The camera moves up to see another ninja coming out of nowhere to silently kill the patroller. That ninja is none other than Ryu Hayabusa.

That, my friends, is how to open up a game. Ninja Gaiden Sigma is a roller coaster ride from the start and will not let you go. The battles are intense as you try and nimbly slice and kick your way out of the middle of a frenzied fray. Sigma pulls no punches. The learning curve is steep right out of the gate, Samurai will converge on you and bats will swarm over you. Even only after a few minutes will you question your gaming skills as “challenge” rooms will make you face round after round of enemies before a door will unlock.

Quick response controls come in at just the right time as you will adapt to the ever quickening pace of trying to stay one step ahead of death. You are also able to run up walls to perform some truly devastating attacks. There are also technique scrolls you pick up along the way that allow you to chain moves to pull of staggering combos. Sigma's gameplay is something right out of the Matrix movie. The arsenal of moves and combos at your disposal, while easy to in theory, will leave you frustrated because the enemies will sucker punch you as you are in the process of mashing buttons. This is only the beginning of the game’s infamous difficulty.

Notorious since the 8-bit days for being holy-crap-my-blood-pressure-is-rising hard, Ninja Gaiden will put you to a grand test of skill. If you are able to master the controls and learn the enemy AI patterns, then you’ll have an easier time staying alive. Boss battles are large and plentiful as you travel on your journey to avenge your clan. At 60fps and 1080p, boss fights will never be the same again for you. Once you get through the main game, you have an entire mission mode to play through to keep you dodging and slicing for another few hours. One of the new additions to the game is the playable character Rachel. The femme fatale can really pack a punch against the forces of evil. Unlike Ryu’s quick and repeated attacks, Rachel is sluggish yet exceedingly powerful. Seeing that the AI will beat you down quickly as Ryu, the slow Rachel attacks will leave you fuming with frustration. The change of gameplay was appreciated but the extreme difference between the two will make you all the more happy to play as Ryu.

More issues crop up in “quality of life” issues. The camera that is fully controllable works as well as a rusty wheel. While the enemy charges, you’ll find yourself fiddling with the right analogue stick when you should be preparing to strike. Getting backed into a corner will lead you to your demise via the camera not knowing what to do about the best viewing angle. Also, the in-game menu system is cumbersome and archaic. Thankfully, the life and Ki potions are accessible using the d-pad for a shortcut.

Sigma is a must own for PS3 owners and anyone who likes to have a good bout of action. The fluid nature of the ninja-like movements will have your eyes pop even on a standard definition TV. The gripes I had with the game were so minor but the difficulty is something to consider before you get too crazy for the game. There will be times you will throw the SIXAXIS as a Shuriken to the floor on a number of occasions. Still, diligence will pay off in the end as you ascend the ranks and become a ninja master. This summer, the action is only going to get hotter but Ninja Gaiden Sigma just set a scorching pace.