Quality fast-paced action games are few and far between these days and with Ninja Gaiden II available at retail since June, one has to wonder what is coming up next in this genre to get excited about. Yeah, there’s Bayonetta, but that is still a ways off. Taking notice of the potential offered by this hardly competitive market, From Software has announced that it’s working on an Xbox 360 exclusive action adventure called Ninja Blade.

Slated for release early next year, Ninja Blade is a brand new intellectual property from the makers of Armored Core 4 and Chromehounds. It features an armour-clad ninja in the making named Ken who is, as expected, a swordsman with some special ninja powers, like “Todomé” and “Ninjutsu” (don’t ask us what those are supposed to do). Unique to the game is the Ninja Vision gameplay mechanic which allows players to reveal hidden information, such as enemy weak spots and navigation clues.

From Software producer Masanori Takeuchi explains that Ninja Blade “features fast-paced action and an interactive cinematic experience” and “unlike most games that bounce between slow-moving cut scenes and twitchy gameplay, Ninja Blade offers a seamless action-movie experience that keeps you in control,” which, by the way, is expected to last 12 or more hours.

In addition, the game will sport a set of Xbox Live features, however, the developer is yet to reveal what exactly will be on offer in the online department. Also good to know is that a demo is planned for release before the game hits retail early next year.

We’ll have more on Ninja Blade in the coming weeks.

Source: IGN