Mexican Ninja wastes no time introducing its peculiar personality. The opening floods the screen with cartoon and newspaper-style advertisements, but the story soon takes a back seat to the fighting.
Combos, chaos and comic timing
Accessible controls make it easy to begin building enormous combos, slicing and punching through waves of enemies. Exploding barrels, falling objects, shielded opponents and huge enemies keep the encounters lively, although they can also interrupt a promising run. In one particularly frustrating encounter, barbed-wire barrels repeatedly inflicted damage while larger foes and projectiles made escape difficult.
Early defeats generally felt fair once enemy attacks became recognisable. The upgrade system gives each return another reason to keep fighting, from a whirlwind-like ability to a deliberately ridiculous flatulence attack. The humour carries through to the exaggerated characters and enemy shouts.
Style over story
Vibrant character designs and bright effects contrast with grittier environments. Sound effects are memorable, though the music made less of an impression. The busy opening also makes the narrative difficult to follow, and the combat ultimately proves more compelling than the character motivations.
Verdict
Its environmental hazards occasionally frustrate, and its story struggles to compete with the action, but Mexican Ninja succeeds through satisfying combos, creative upgrades and a willingness to be absurd.
Final verdict 86/100
Chaotic, colourful and packed with satisfying combos. Its outrageous upgrades and lively combat outweigh occasional environmental frustration and a story that struggles to hold attention.
What works: Accessible combat, rewarding upgrades, comic sound design and vivid presentation.
What holds it back: Frustrating hazards and an overwhelming opening narrative.
Review by Vanessa Arnott. Assessment based on Xbox gameplay. The review score reflects independent editorial judgement.