I didn't realise this was a budget title...oh no wait, it isn't.
Pros:
1) Customising outfits. There's something strangely pleasurable in decking out your ninja in the most flamboyant costumes as possible. Plus, you'd be surprised at how much time this feature can suck in as you attempt to get all the colours to work and to try and make it silly as possible. Yeah maybe it's a little sad, but it's better than side missions any day!
2) Tactical Gameplay. If I told you this was a hack and slash action title you'd think a mindless game involving you battling through swarms and swarms of enemies using the biggest sword you have at that time and repeatedly tapping the same button. Actually...no! You have three swords. One the slow close range powerhouse, one the long range and speedy but weak sword and a third and final sword that comes somewhere in the middle (although this does eventually become crucial, but I won't delve any deeper due to spoilers). What this means is, you can't play through the whole game using just one sword you like the best, you have to continuously swap between the three if you want to get anywhere. Throw in some elemental ninjutsu which are used for puzzle solving (in a sense of the word) and for killing specific enemies (if they're on fire, you can't hit them until you've put out the flames with the wind ninjutsu). And you get some fairly straightforward stuff, admittedly, but this is quite complex and deep for an action game of this genre. And it's nice to see them adding some intelligence to the mindless.
3) Interactive Cutscenes. Ever found yourself sitting for what feels like hours wondering when you actually get to play? Well Kick Ass...I mean Ninja Blade says "No!" to that and adds in QTE's so you're PLAYING the cutscenes. This makes for some absolutely epic moments and it feels good that you very rarely sit back and watch, you feel like you have almost total control of your character and his destiny. It makes you feel closer to your character than ever before.
4) The Characters. Although all of the key characters are pretty much your standard anime archetypes it isn't a bad thing because in my opinion the typical anime archetypes in a genre like this are insanely badass.
5) The Story. Typical anime like story of this genre, but if you like this kind of story (which I do) you're gonna love this and be throwing your fist in the air at all the epic moments and all the gar. It's just fantastic!
6) The Combos. Wildly imaginative and over the top. They just look so awesome.
7) Destructible parts in levels. There's just something brilliant about slicing an enemy and watch the bolder behind him split in two. Or as you fight, a flurry of bamboo branches floats around you etc it's pretty much a novelty, but a much welcomed one.
Cons:
1) Reused levels and bosses. This game is probably under ten hours long and with something so short you'd think there'd be originality flowing through this like a river. Well aside from the archetypes it does have a fair amount of originality, keeping things fresh. Then along comes the mission entitled 'deju vu' which has to be one of the biggest copouts I've ever seen, reused locations and bosses. And by reused I mean to the max, even the QTE cutscenes involve exactly the same things. The only changes are the areas you're fighting in and possibly the Todome you do. But then you suddenly realise that actually long before this you'd find yourself in many rooms that look EXACTLY the same. This is really poor for a game released at full price.
2) The Glitches. The amount of times I failed a platforming section because of slamming face first into invisible walls which knock me into oblivion or I'd jump from one wall to another, only for Ken to not register that it is a wall and just slide off it into oblivion. This is one of the first games I've played in all my years of gaming where the glitches seem to scream in your face. Plus occasionally in a cutscene a sword'll phase through another one (which I'd presume was unintentional) as they clash together or you're thrown through a sign and physically phase through it (which once again, I presume unintentional). Not something you expect from a full price game.
3) The Bosses. You fight A LOT of them. And although not particularly hard in themselves, they each have some sort of frustration ability. One for example destroys panels of the floor you're on, if you fall through, automatic death so be careful when you're rushing to try and do the Todome before the boss rises up again with half its health back! Oh I didn't mention that? Take another, where you fight it in unofficial stages and die on the 5th out of 7th? Back the beginning you go!
Final Verdict: Yes it's glitchy and frustrating and in many ways feels like a budget title but you can get this game cheap now and it's worth it for the sheer amount of Kick Ass they can cram in under 10 hours. However if the animeequeness or the idea of a deeper take on the hack and slash action genre doesn't appeal to you, this is probably a game you should give a miss.