Scott Tortorice
Senior Member
Fans of Ninja Gaiden know what to expect from this game: brutally tough and epic action. But brutally tough action isn't going to appeal to those just looking for an excellent action game - this game is not for the faint of heart. That said, even fans are going to have a hard time struggling with Ninja Gaiden II's issues, making it a bit of a hardcore oddity in today's landscape of more polished, even-handed games and players' softening tastes.
The 3D incarnations of this long standing series are notoriously difficult games. Some relished the challenge, whereas others simply hated it. I, for the record, loved the original Ninja Gaiden, and consider it an action-gaming masterpiece. Strong words, I know, and I approach Ninja Gaiden II (NGII) with very high expectations.
Despite the difficulty, one thing is certain about Ninja Gaiden: it was inherently fair. Many may disagree, decrying the game as cheap and unreasonable, but they're mistaken: the game gave you every tool you needed, and demanded the most you could muster in order to master it. Regardless, Team Ninja implemented a feature or two in this sequel that were supposedly meant to appease the more casual gaming crowd.
Most notable of these concessions is a health regeneration system that's very vogue these days. If Ryu takes a hit, he will eventually recover some of his health once a battle has been finished. Such is the effect that you don't have to manage nearly as much health regenerating inventory as you used to. The other concession is a significantly easier difficulty level, "Way of the Acolyte," selectable from the start.
Whatever the case may be, these certainly don't seem to have the intended effect of making the game more palatable - at least on the default and more difficult "Way of the Warrior" difficulty. There's a catch to the health regeneration system: you only recover health after you've defeated all enemies on screen. So, while still in battle, you're simply as vulnerable as ever.
So, despite reports to the contrary, NGII is still as hardcore as ever, tougher than a slab of concrete with nails sticking out of it, or ninja dogs with katanas in their mouths. Actually, ninja dogs are really in the game - seriously. One should approach the game expecting to be brutalized.
For the returning fan, there's much to like and much that's familiar. NGII packs dense, difficult action per every square inch. It features razor sharp controls, a handful of impressive, upgradable weapons, and a multitude of combos for each. The weapon selection happens to be excellent. Stand-outs like the dual katanas, Lunar staff, and Falcon's Talons relegate Ryu's default dragon sword to the storage closet.
Ryu's bountiful, beautiful weapons are put to good use during your many encounters with brutal foes. Ryu dances around enemies with lightening strikes and fierce power regardless of the weapon he wields. Combat is animated brilliantly and gamers will delight in trying out each weapon just to witness the fluidity and grace of their respective combos. The combos also highlight the intricate fighting mechanics: you could choose to button mash, but the real reward is becoming a truly competent fighter by mastering the combinations, something that requires abundant dexterity.
Of real importance is how well these combos and weapons feel when applied liberally against your enemies. Blood will flow in rivers, serving to elevate the action on the whole. Besides the very satisfying contact between weapon and enemies, NGII features beautifully gory dismemberments. Depending on a number of factors including sheer chance, a combo or strike on an enemy can remove an appendage, lop off a head, or bisect someone entirely.
New obliteration techniques top off the gore nicely. These fatalities are performed with a simple touch of a button. Some of these are weapon and context specific, but always based on some variation of a zoomed-in showcase of Ryu positioning his enemy for one last brutal strike that invariably takes off a head or splits someone in two.
To say that the combat is satisfying is an understatement. What Call of Duty 4 was to visceral first-person shooters, Ninja Gaiden II is to visceral third-person action. But while you're reveling in the visceral, beautiful combat and gore, there's much that causes great consternation too.
The camera (oh, the camera) is the fiercest opponent you'll face. Exasperated by small spaces in the first few levels, the camera positions itself at the most disadvantageous angles - enemies launch attacks from off-screen, enemies block-out sight of Ryu, and you'll often find yourself functionally blind. Yes, it gets better as level design opens up, but it isn't a significant enough improvement to warrant forgiveness.
With regard to the challenge, this game feels oddly cheap and uneven at times; not something that could be said of the original game. There are more than a few moments where yelling at the screen is about as best an attack you can muster. There is also one brutally difficult boss battle that, after defeating the boss, you are rewarded by being killed and being forced to do it all over again. There's a trick, but it isn't obvious, and your efforts to find it will result in hair-loss inducing rage.
Visually, the game is also disappointing. Ninja Gaiden was a visual showcase on the original Xbox, and so we hoped for as much with NGII. While the violence is beautiful and the game runs at a smooth clip, the overall look of the game is underwhelming. Texture detail is flat and lifeless and the game lacks any discernable high-end features like robust lighting and other special effects. That said, chapters 11 and 12 are much better looking than the whole of the chapters preceding them.
In spite of these criticisms, the game doesn't end up a disaster. I was drawn back again and again by the combat which is easily the game's saving grace. Indeed, at one point during my lengthy playthrough, I was quite enjoying the combat and about to forgive all of the aforementioned critiques…until the game nearly ground to a halt. When Ninja Gaiden II finally decides to go for broke, finally decides to flex its muscle, it becomes exceedingly clear that Team Ninja bit off way more than their engine could chew. During an extended battle sequence in Chapter 11 - the first Chapter we could honestly say was visually impressive - the game plays out in frame-rate hell for several minutes at a time. I can't remember the last time we've seen slow-down so bad. This, you might say, was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Ninja Gaiden II will ride you roughshod throughout its entirety, for better or for worse. The casual gamer will find nothing but a bizarre and too difficult game. Even the story won't give them (or anyone) any satisfaction - much like the original, its an obtuse, disjointed "story" about the resurrection of an evil race of monsters, the Fiends, whom are hell-bent on taking over the world; it is barely worth the mention.
Hardcore gamer masochists will love the challenge and viscerally brutal combat, which is precisely the demographic and aesthetic that Ninja Gaiden II is going for. The combat is the best you'll ever experience in a third-person action game and can be appreciated solely on its own. But even a hardcore gamer won't be easily able to forgive the camera, the uneven spikes in difficulty, and generally underwhelming visuals.
Closing Comments:
This emphasis on brutal challenge, coupled with very linear and familiar design, gives Ninja Gaiden II a distinctly old-school feel. Even though it borrows heavily from the original Ninja Gaiden, which was cutting edge for its time, the formula feels antiquated just four years later. Ninja Gaiden II, while viscerally satisfying in spite of itself, is likely one of a few last gasps of air for this hardcore gaming philosophy as the industry migrates towards more casual gaming.
7.0 out of 10
The 3D incarnations of this long standing series are notoriously difficult games. Some relished the challenge, whereas others simply hated it. I, for the record, loved the original Ninja Gaiden, and consider it an action-gaming masterpiece. Strong words, I know, and I approach Ninja Gaiden II (NGII) with very high expectations.
Despite the difficulty, one thing is certain about Ninja Gaiden: it was inherently fair. Many may disagree, decrying the game as cheap and unreasonable, but they're mistaken: the game gave you every tool you needed, and demanded the most you could muster in order to master it. Regardless, Team Ninja implemented a feature or two in this sequel that were supposedly meant to appease the more casual gaming crowd.
Most notable of these concessions is a health regeneration system that's very vogue these days. If Ryu takes a hit, he will eventually recover some of his health once a battle has been finished. Such is the effect that you don't have to manage nearly as much health regenerating inventory as you used to. The other concession is a significantly easier difficulty level, "Way of the Acolyte," selectable from the start.
Whatever the case may be, these certainly don't seem to have the intended effect of making the game more palatable - at least on the default and more difficult "Way of the Warrior" difficulty. There's a catch to the health regeneration system: you only recover health after you've defeated all enemies on screen. So, while still in battle, you're simply as vulnerable as ever.
So, despite reports to the contrary, NGII is still as hardcore as ever, tougher than a slab of concrete with nails sticking out of it, or ninja dogs with katanas in their mouths. Actually, ninja dogs are really in the game - seriously. One should approach the game expecting to be brutalized.
For the returning fan, there's much to like and much that's familiar. NGII packs dense, difficult action per every square inch. It features razor sharp controls, a handful of impressive, upgradable weapons, and a multitude of combos for each. The weapon selection happens to be excellent. Stand-outs like the dual katanas, Lunar staff, and Falcon's Talons relegate Ryu's default dragon sword to the storage closet.
Ryu's bountiful, beautiful weapons are put to good use during your many encounters with brutal foes. Ryu dances around enemies with lightening strikes and fierce power regardless of the weapon he wields. Combat is animated brilliantly and gamers will delight in trying out each weapon just to witness the fluidity and grace of their respective combos. The combos also highlight the intricate fighting mechanics: you could choose to button mash, but the real reward is becoming a truly competent fighter by mastering the combinations, something that requires abundant dexterity.
Of real importance is how well these combos and weapons feel when applied liberally against your enemies. Blood will flow in rivers, serving to elevate the action on the whole. Besides the very satisfying contact between weapon and enemies, NGII features beautifully gory dismemberments. Depending on a number of factors including sheer chance, a combo or strike on an enemy can remove an appendage, lop off a head, or bisect someone entirely.
New obliteration techniques top off the gore nicely. These fatalities are performed with a simple touch of a button. Some of these are weapon and context specific, but always based on some variation of a zoomed-in showcase of Ryu positioning his enemy for one last brutal strike that invariably takes off a head or splits someone in two.
To say that the combat is satisfying is an understatement. What Call of Duty 4 was to visceral first-person shooters, Ninja Gaiden II is to visceral third-person action. But while you're reveling in the visceral, beautiful combat and gore, there's much that causes great consternation too.
The camera (oh, the camera) is the fiercest opponent you'll face. Exasperated by small spaces in the first few levels, the camera positions itself at the most disadvantageous angles - enemies launch attacks from off-screen, enemies block-out sight of Ryu, and you'll often find yourself functionally blind. Yes, it gets better as level design opens up, but it isn't a significant enough improvement to warrant forgiveness.
With regard to the challenge, this game feels oddly cheap and uneven at times; not something that could be said of the original game. There are more than a few moments where yelling at the screen is about as best an attack you can muster. There is also one brutally difficult boss battle that, after defeating the boss, you are rewarded by being killed and being forced to do it all over again. There's a trick, but it isn't obvious, and your efforts to find it will result in hair-loss inducing rage.
Visually, the game is also disappointing. Ninja Gaiden was a visual showcase on the original Xbox, and so we hoped for as much with NGII. While the violence is beautiful and the game runs at a smooth clip, the overall look of the game is underwhelming. Texture detail is flat and lifeless and the game lacks any discernable high-end features like robust lighting and other special effects. That said, chapters 11 and 12 are much better looking than the whole of the chapters preceding them.
In spite of these criticisms, the game doesn't end up a disaster. I was drawn back again and again by the combat which is easily the game's saving grace. Indeed, at one point during my lengthy playthrough, I was quite enjoying the combat and about to forgive all of the aforementioned critiques…until the game nearly ground to a halt. When Ninja Gaiden II finally decides to go for broke, finally decides to flex its muscle, it becomes exceedingly clear that Team Ninja bit off way more than their engine could chew. During an extended battle sequence in Chapter 11 - the first Chapter we could honestly say was visually impressive - the game plays out in frame-rate hell for several minutes at a time. I can't remember the last time we've seen slow-down so bad. This, you might say, was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Ninja Gaiden II will ride you roughshod throughout its entirety, for better or for worse. The casual gamer will find nothing but a bizarre and too difficult game. Even the story won't give them (or anyone) any satisfaction - much like the original, its an obtuse, disjointed "story" about the resurrection of an evil race of monsters, the Fiends, whom are hell-bent on taking over the world; it is barely worth the mention.
Hardcore gamer masochists will love the challenge and viscerally brutal combat, which is precisely the demographic and aesthetic that Ninja Gaiden II is going for. The combat is the best you'll ever experience in a third-person action game and can be appreciated solely on its own. But even a hardcore gamer won't be easily able to forgive the camera, the uneven spikes in difficulty, and generally underwhelming visuals.
Closing Comments:
This emphasis on brutal challenge, coupled with very linear and familiar design, gives Ninja Gaiden II a distinctly old-school feel. Even though it borrows heavily from the original Ninja Gaiden, which was cutting edge for its time, the formula feels antiquated just four years later. Ninja Gaiden II, while viscerally satisfying in spite of itself, is likely one of a few last gasps of air for this hardcore gaming philosophy as the industry migrates towards more casual gaming.
7.0 out of 10