Choice of the Ninja Demo

Ninjas are a big part of the fantasy world, especially when it comes to video games. Even if they are not directly referenced most of the time, you can find some of their traits in a variety of situations, including D&D scenarios and the like. Hence, whether they are called rogues or assassins, they are mostly famous for staying hidden and striking from the shadows.

Choice of the Ninja is a text-based adventure game in which you are given the chance to role-play as a ninja, but you are also free to use magic spells and a few other tricks to get your way. Naturally, there are no graphics whatsoever, which means that you have to imagine the whole thing by yourself and use your imagination to visualize the locations and the characters involved in the story.

Speaking of which, the action takes place in a feudal world governed by the same rules as feudal Japan, with a few changes here and there. There are two powers fighting for supremacy, and you have a say in this conflict, given the fact that your actions have tremendous effects sometimes. In short, you are free to approach each situation as you desire, and the plot changes according to your choices.

There are a couple of skills you can develop over the course of the game, depending on whether you like using weapons or magic spells. Diplomacy is important as well, because sometimes conflicts can be resolved using dialog. Other characters can change their behavior in response to your actions as well, so it’s important to take that into account before making an important decision.

You can disobey your master and pursue personal gains instead of the common good, as well as assassinate important characters just to see if you can. As mentioned before, there are no graphics to hand-hold your imagination along the way, but then again this is a trademark of the genre. The broad range of choices wouldn’t be possible in a regular video game anyway.

In the end, Choice of the Ninja can easily keep you busy for a few hours, especially since there are so many possibilities and tools at your disposal to shape the story as you go. Hence, it’s fun to go back and see what happens when you change things around.