Step into the dark and mysterious world of “Ninja Blade,” where gamers will be given the epic task to defend Tokyo and ultimately humanity itself from a horrific, genetically mutating disease.

High atop the towering skyscrapers of modern-day Tokyo, Ken Ogawa and his team of skilled ninjas are deployed to destroy the infected monster horde and stem the spreading disease as humanity hangs in the balance. Matters quickly take a turn for the worse as Ogawa and his team are betrayed from within their own ranks. After narrowly escaping death, Ogawa is left to fight the daunting battle alone while also attempting to understand the motivations behind his father’s betrayal.

Armed with an extensive arsenal of specialized ninja weapons, tools and skills including the powerful forces of Ninja Vision and Todomé Attack, players must fight insurmountable odds, and once again bring peace and order to Tokyo.

FromSoftware created a modern ninja epic where Ken Ogawa and his team of skilled fighters battle a terrifying disease that transforms the citizens of Tokyo into an infected monster horde. Armed with an extensive arsenal of ninja weapons and abilities, including Ninja Vision and Todomé Attack, players confront grueling challenges in their mission to save humanity.

Get a head start on the action by downloading the “Ninja Blade” demo on Xbox Live Marketplace. Available March 9, this free demo will provide players with an engaging first look into the world of Ken Ogawa and a chance to battle the monster horde before the game hits store shelves in April.

Additionally, when players pre-order the game at retail, they will receive a token that’s good for an exclusive “Ninja Blade” Premium Theme Pack on Xbox Live, a full week before anyone else. The Premium Theme Pack will include five avatar backgrounds including “Ninja Blade” weapons, Japanese Gardens and Tokyo skyscrapers. The pack will also contain four NXE-compatible wallpapers featuring the Tokyo skyline and various “Ninja Blade” characters.

Key Features:

• Unique ninja abilities. To help defeat the genetically mutated monsters, players will have the special abilities of Ninja Vision and Todomé Attack at their fingertips. Enabling Ninja Vision will allow players to detect and analyze potential enemy weak points, secret paths and hidden information within the environment. Beware, though, that while using Ninja Vision, characters become susceptible to excess damage. Todomé Attack is a special attack that destroys an enemy character’s core (heart), by dealing a fatal wound. Balanced and calculated use of both these abilities will be critical to progressing through the game.
• Variety of weapons, tools and Ninjutsu — specialized Ninja powers — offer an enticing array of options. Varied environments force players to think strategically about which set of weapons and tools will be most effective at conquering their way through different levels. Everything from dual-wielding swords to grapple wire hooks and grenades has distinctive features and characteristics, so choose wisely! Ninjutsu is a special power that results in an explosive electrical force to either stun enemies or protect oneself from attack. Only true Ninja Masters can achieve this technique.
• Interactive quick-time events. Scattered throughout integral parts of the storyline, characters will come across various quick-time events where players will have the opportunity to directly interact with in-game cut scenes. Quick reflexes will be rewarded as players interact with controller buttons as directed on screen during intense battles.
• Modern realism. “Ninja Blade” offers a fresh twist to the classic ninja saga by basing all 3-D gaming maps directly from the actual skyscrapers and building tops in modern-day Tokyo.

50 Achievements (1000 Points):

1. Good Job: Complete all missions on Normal or higher game difficulty (40 points)
2. It Slices! It Dices!: Upgrade a sword (10 points)
3. Enter the Way of the Ninja: Upgrade Ninjutsu (10 points)
4. How Ya Like Me Now?!: Complete a Todomé attack (10 points)
5. Yes, I Am That Good: Achieve a 10 Hit Combo (10 points)
6. Not Too Shabby: Achieve a 3 Kill Combo (10 points)
7. Let Off Some Steam: Use the Cyclone Shuriken to put out a fire (10 points)
8. Burn, Baby, Burn: Use the Flame Shuriken to set an enemy on fire (10 points)
9. Lightning Strikes Twice: Use the Lightning Shuriken to charge the surface of water and shock an enemy (10 points)
10. I'm Rubber and You're Glue: Deflect an enemy's projectile (10 points)
11. Nothing Left But the Dying: Complete a Finish Attack (10 points)
12. Chewy on the Inside: Destroy a piece of armor (10 points)
13. Gotta Get Them All: Find a Shinobi Moji (10 points)
14. Sharp Dressed Man: Find an outfit (10 points)
15. Bling or Flair?: Find an emblem (10 points)
16. Hattori Hanzo Achievement Award: Upgraded all swords to their maximum level (20 points)
17. Snatch the Pebble: Upgraded all Ninjutsu to their maximum level (20 points)
18. I Think I'll Go for a Walk: Max out the Health Gauge (30 points)
19. "Feel it flow through you.": Max out the Chi Gauge (30 points)
20. Almost There: Find 50% of the Shinobi Moji (15 points)
21. Complete Set: Find all the Shinobi Moji (30 points)
22. Walk-in Closet: Collect all the outfits (30 points)
23. Brings Out Your Eyes: Collect all emblems (30 points)
24. Ya Can't Touch This: Deflect 20 projectiles (15 points)
25. One with the Blade: Kill 25 enemies with the Finish Attack move (15 points)
26. Mission.001: Speed Demon: Complete Mission 001 within 30 minutes (15 points)
27. Mission.002: Master of Style: Complete Mission 002 with more than 20 Finish Attacks (15 points)
28. Mission.003: Hit Combo Fever: Complete Mission 003 with a Max Hit Combo above 30 (15 points)
29. Mission.004: Ninja Sky Marshall: Complete Mission 004 with less than 30% jet plane damage (15 points)
30. Mission.005: Nick of Time: Complete Mission 005 within 40 minutes (15 points)
31. Mission.006: You Want Some?: Complete Mission 006 with a Max Kill Combo above 10 (15 points)
32. Mission.007: Back in a Flash: Complete Mission 007 within 50 minutes (15 points)
33. Mission.008: Only a Flesh Wound: Complete Mission 008 without taking 1000 points of damage (15 points)
34. Mission.009: That Just Happened!: Complete Mission 009 without retrying (15 points)
35. Ninja School Valedictorian: Achieve a Total Play Result A+ ranking (75 points)
36. Musashi's Way: Complete all missions on Hard or higher game difficulty (50 points)
37. Your Work Is Done: Complete all missions without retrying (20 points)
38. A Perfect 10: Achieve 10 "Perfect" button presses in a row during a Quick Time Event (20 points)
39. "...And that's all I need.": Complete all missions using only one of the swords to attack (20 points)
40. Showboat: Achieve a 100 Hit Combo (20 points)
41. Show-off: Achieve a 50 Kill Combo (20 points)
42. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement (25 points).
43. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement (25 points).
44. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement (25 points).
45. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement (25 points).
46. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement (25 points).
47. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement (25 points).
48. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement (25 points).
49. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement (25 points).
50. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement (25 points).

Ninja Blade, rated M for Mature, is currently scheduled to launch in North America on April 7, 2009 for $59.99, and Europe on April 3, 2009.