Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja Image
Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 11 Ratings

  • Summary: Finally, a dungeon RPG strong enough for a man... but played as a hot chick! Drop your stylus, you pansy, and get back to the old school, hardcore, monster bashing we all grew up on! See if you have what it takes to conquer the impossible levels and gruesome bosses. After all, does it get any better than the feeling of cold steel at the palm of your hands? Hi there! I'm Izuna! So you see, we were canned because "Ninjas are sooo yesterday," and now we're looking for a nice place to settle down... That stupid lord... Just wait'll I get my hands on that jerk! So anyways, we found this quaint little village, but... Everyone's actin' all weird. Grandboss's acting like a kid... Shino-Sis's all mean... What's going on!? I mean, what is up with this place!? Features deep, challenging labyrinths that change every time you enter. Use Talismans to cast spells or power up your equipment. Customize and power up your weapons, which gain strength over time. [Atlus USA] Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 21
  2. Negative: 2 out of 21
  1. If you're looking for a serious story of epic proportions and melting the senses graphics and sounds, Izuna may not be your cup of tea, instead you might want to pick up Final Fantasy III. If you're looking for a solid dungeon crawler packing a challenge, Izuna is the ninja for you.
  2. You may not be worthy of playing Izuna. Chat with the Oracle a few times, and maybe you'll figure out if you are.
  3. Izuna will find its fans, but it will also alienate plenty of gamers that may be expecting a funny, fuzzy, anime frolic.
  4. 40
    While the characters are funny and there is a definite old-school/hardcore edge to the design, only those in the market for a tough-as-nails dungeon crawler are likely to find enjoyment here.

See all 21 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. DaveO.
    9
    Izuna requires a little bit of time and patience to figure out how the mechanics work, but once you do, it's really an excellent game. Many reviewers have called it "unforgiving", but in fact that's not true at all. In Izuna, dying is really not a big deal, as you get to keep all your experience points, and you can just jump back in and start playing again. Over all, it's a well-designed game with addictive gameplay and nice visuals and music. Expand
  2. PatrickR
    8
    I see alot of reviews complaining about mortality and the loss of all items as being the deal breaker. I'll admit that at a time I was often getting killed and loosing it all, but once I got into the flow of the game, dying is a very avoidable scenario. I also find the system for powering up weapons rewards skilled players alot more then people claim. I find working towards being able to power up my weapons with various talismans and tricks to be very rewarding. Expand
  3. M
    6
    What's the point in having randomly generated dungeons when you have such shallow combat and have the levels looking all the same? It hardly affects the experience, I think it would have been better if they just made a single design for every dungeon that actually looked good. Putting talismans on your weapons was pretty cool but I think it would've been a lot better if the game was more lenient with them letting you easily put a couple on your sword without grinding, reminds me WoW. The game is only good for it's characters and simple story but the game isn't really big on that either. Expand
  4. GrantS.
    3
    Izuna and Shino are irresistibly cute and sexy, and the game at it's heart is a descendant of Rogue, being a Mysterious Dungeon game. As a NetHack fan who adored the concept of something like Shiren with a character as cute as Izuna as the lead role, I really wanted to like this game. However, there is no nice way to say it, the gameplay sucks. I stuck it out to the end and unlocked the EX Dungeon, the 100-floor dungeon that starts you out at base stats and no items, offering the ultimate challenge and permadeath. However, it is at this point that the game boldly shows you that not only is it totally lacking in the necessary depth, but it's also cheap and broken. The random level generator isn't the best on the planet, and traps will often do 200 out of 300 damage on the first level, and you'll be swarmed by enemies that you can't run from or fight, leaving you dead without a chance. Just download the wallpaper, fantasize about Izuna and Shino, and go play NetHack. You'll be glad you didn't waste your money on such a poor game. I really wanted to like this game. :( Expand

See all 7 User Reviews