Ninja Gaiden Black- First Thoughts

Finally started playing Ninja Gaiden today, and finally deciding on Black version (on first Xbox afaik). This game is SO PUNISHING. While in the beginning, you can easily defeat weaker enemies, you quickly get harder versions of them. Soon after this appears the boss that is basically teaching you not to be greedy when attacking, also being the first enemy to have a "punishment attack"- attack that just gets you and deals damage.

In general this game is very much Dark Souls of hack'n'slashes for me right now. It's hard, really hard, but there's that satisfaction from defeating something, with knowledge it wasn't dumbed down by programming on purpose.

Granted, this is 2005 game so I'm less critical (e.g. excusing poor camera).

Finally, I still feel motivated to play this game despite it's flaw. I would say it's worth a shot, but it's hard and it's a hack'n'slash.