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 Ninja
Gaiden II (Xbox 360)
Those who played Team Ninja's first remake will find much to love
about Ninja Gaiden II for Xbox 360. While the basic parameters of the
original title are very much in evidence, a deeper and more elaborate
combat system, dramatically improved visuals and intense battles make for
a brilliant, engaging experience that's not to be missed. Enemies attack
from all directions, and can even damage the player if a limb has been
severed, which adds to the challenge. The sheer intensity of combat, aided
by multiple weapons, devastating special moves and brilliant combo-moves
makes this a challenge that should test even hardcore gamers. These
elements combine to make Ninja Gaiden II one of the more impressive action
titles on the console. |
Set several years after the events seen in the last installment, Ninja
Gaiden II has players once again in control of master ninja Ryu Hayabusa.
This time, he's battling a beast known as the Archfiend, a demonic force
who's been locked inside a temple for thousands of years and is plotting
his revenge - the destruction of humanity. Ryu's mission is to stop him
before he can succeed in this endeavor and his progress plays out between
levels in elaborate cut-scenes. Those who played the original game should
be immediately familiar with the basic parameters in the new game, though
there are numerous changes and enhancements to the combat system that make
for a deeper game. When he's battling waves of standard foes, Ryu can use
his standard attacks at close range, to slice and dice opponents. He's got
a number of familiar weapons at his disposal including his trademark
Dragon Sword, the devastating Lunar Staff and a cool new weapon, called
the Falcon's Talons which are claw-like extensions that allow him to slash
opponents at close range. There are also several projectile weapons such
as bow and arrow from the first game and shuriken which allow you to
attack enemies from a distance. All of this should be somewhat familiar to
Ninja Gaiden veterans, but there are a few surprises as well. One of the
biggest changes this time around are the smarter, harder and much more
dangerous enemies. They're much harder to defeat for a number of reasons.
They tend to cluster together and fight smarter. In addition, instead of
being killed immediately as in the previous games, many times foes will
survive minus an arm and a leg. They'll still attack you if they can, so
it's important to finish them off, even in their weakened state since they
can still cause significant damage. One of the coolest things is the new
Obliteration technique which allows you to finish off these fallen foes in
dramatic fashion when you're standing near them. As you defeat foes,
you'll collect their life force in the form of essence which increases
your own health bar. There are several types of these which replenish your
energy in different ways. Since the enemies now attack you from all
directions, and won't stop until they're completely destroyed, you'll need
more than just Ryu's standard weapons to survive. Fortunately, he has a
lot more than meets the eye in his arsenal, and its these elements that
give Ninja Gaiden II more depth than a standard hack and slash title
usually offers.
 Ryu
has a number of abilities that he can master as he moves through the
levels. He can run sideways along walls, jump over gaps in the levels,
swing from bars and climb over objects to escape attacks. He can also move
very quickly and instantly change position to attack unsuspecting foes in
his way. There are also a number of special attack techniques called
Ninpro that he can learn along the way. These devastating attacks can kill
or damage any nearby foes, though they can only be used a certain number
of times depending on Ryu's energy bar. Each of these moves can be learned
by collecting scrolls, which detail how to perform them. As an added
bonus, mastering these moves also unlocks additional achievements. Other
scrolls and magic items allow Ryu to increase his skill set, add to his
energy bar or collection more essence from fallen enemies, all of which
helps him to survive his brutal mission. The game offers frequent save
points, which have the added benefit of completely restoring his health.
Additionally, he can purchase items at Maramusa's Shop that can further
enhance his endurance and abilities. The game's menu selection screen is
fairly easy to navigate and use and can be called up at any point during
the game. His weapons are quite powerful on their own, but he can carry
two at a time later on and these can be further upgraded as he catches
essence and earns Ninpro by defeating fallen foes. Most of the action can
be viewed from a third person perspective, but the game gives you the
option of viewing some areas in first-person mode, which is decent. Some
of the camera angles can be distracting and annoying, and allows opponents
to attack you unseen. This can make for some frustrating moments but they
aren't enough to ruin the experience. Additionally, some of Ninja Gaiden
II's puzzles are a little oblique and can be annoying because they get in
the way of the action, making things come to a screeching halt. However,
these are usually temporary diversions that don't significantly detract
from the game's overall quality.
Despite the camera issues that can
become annoying after awhile, Ninja Gaiden II's beautiful production
values and intense combat more than compensates. It's range of
environments ranging from sleek, futuristic office towers, to isolated
villages shows an incredible versatility that the developers at Team Ninja
have become known for. Ryo himself is an impressive character and he moves
through the levels with an elegant grace and style befitting a master
ninja. The other characters in the game are also impressive, and show Team
Ninja's singular style of hyper-realism. Ninja Gaiden II's beautifully
rendered character models move with an incredible amount of grace and
realism, and feel quite natural. The game's impressive environments feel
alive and authentic. Nearly flawless light-sourcing, richly detailed
textures and seamless renderings allow you to focus on the action.
However, even the smallest details, such as air vents, and weapons designs
show a great amount of care which gives Ninja Gaiden II a beautiful design
that's consistently impressive. A silky smooth frame rate shows no signs
of slowdown and clipping, which helps to keep the action moving along at a
breathless speed. The game's overall look shines on Xbox 360, delivering
sleek HD visuals that put players right into the action. An excellent
soundtrack mixes techno and traditional Japanese themes to create a score
that fits the futuristic yet traditional action perfectly. Ninja Gaiden
II's elaborate cut scenes give things a nice cinematic feel, but they
don't overwhelm the story. You can see that a great deal of attention has
been paid to every element in the game, and this helps to create a
coherent and believable game universe.
 You
can find minor faults with some elements of the title, but it continues
the uncompromising tradition of the series. Most importantly, the controls
allow you to perform incredible chain attacks and breathtaking special
moves without having to memorize extensive moves lists. It's all about the
player's skill, which makes the game's sleek and intuitive interface all
the more impressive. It takes some time to get used to all the systems and
abilities, but once you get the hang of things, Ninja Gaiden II's gameplay
flows like butter. The trajectory of its levels slowly ramps up as you
move along, with ever more difficult enemies leading to increasingly
difficult boss encounters. It's intuitive controls make switching between
weapons is simple, and they deliver quite a variety of attacks from close
range to distant combat. The upgrade and power-up menus are seamlessly
integrated into the action, with frequent save points and shops available
to make the journey a bit easier. Between the pacing of its storyline,
with loads of intense combat, pausing only for the occasional puzzle,
Ninja Gaiden II delivers an absolutely relentless experience that will
challenge even the best players throughout. It's difficulty can become a
bit frustrating at times, but the game's skill level never feels
impossible. This is definitely not a title aimed at button mashers, but
the intense gameplay gives the player a sense of satisfaction that each
victory has been earned, which makes for an occasionally difficult but
consistently rewarding experience. This makes it one of the best action
titles on Xbox 360 to date and a must-own title for any gamer looking for
a real, sustained challenge.
- Michael Palisano
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