One of the best games for Xbox is appearing in full form on PlayStation 3! Be assured, Sigma is the definitive version of Ninja Gaiden.

Whenever Ninja Gaiden is talked about among reviewers, it's most often touted as one of the greatest games of all time; a modern classic. While I don't think Ninja Gaiden as brilliant as it's considered, and I still prefer God of War for my action gaming, it can most definitely be said that I have thoroughly enjoyed and been impressed by Ninja Gaiden Sigma.

Sigma is an odd animal: it is neither an expansion pack, nor is it a straight port. Rather, it's more of an updating of the game. The visuals are obviously the first new content you'll notice and yes, they are breathtaking (most of the time); particularly the animations are entirely stunning. Sigma's core gameplay has a poetic fluidity that almost demands the new visuals and animations. In fact, I can hardly fathom going back and playing the Xbox original.

Speaking of the core gameplay, it's by far Ninja Gaiden's biggest jewel in the proverbial crown. I can honestly say that I haven't ever experienced an action game with combat this deep or rewarding. In theory, Team Ninja could drop two players controlling Ryu into an arena and easily call it a fighting game. It's about as complex as combat gets. But it's not in a bad way, mind you. Ninja Gaiden has also become notorious for being extremely tough. Now, it's not an easy game for sure, but it never becomes punishing if you learn the combat system from the beginning, rather than playing it like a hack 'n slash.

What else is new here, other than great visuals, you ask? Well, the biggest addition is making Rachel a playable character. She has 3 entirely new chapters of the story mode devoted to her. Thankfully, Team Ninja didn't simply tack on some extra missions that have no bearing on the game; Rachel's segments are well thought out and lend themselves to the overall story excellently. It's weird to be saying this about a game, but the sexual politics it presents once you get to play as Rachel the first time are pretty sharp for a video game. The fact that she's the one with the brawn and power, whereas Ryu is the graceful and fluid character is noticeable, and made me chuckle.