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Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Polluted by the bloodbath. Corrupted by your actions. Consumed with saving your nation but seduced by enemy annihilation. If it’s sharp, you’ll make it a weapon. If it’s got a pointed edge, you’ll drive it through the nearest attacker. There is no mercy for the merciless, and no forgiveness for those who insist on fighting till death.
It’s all so graphic, gruesome and perfectly orchestrated that you’d think you were experiencing a new creation from David Jaffe or Ed Boon. But it is not Mortal Kombat, God of War, or a vehicular combat game with clowns gone bad. This beast has another kind of DNA running through its body, that of Team NINJA. Its offspring is the long-awaited sequel to the Xbox groundbreaker, Ninja Gaiden.
If you’ve been eyeing Ninja Gaiden II since the day it was announced, then you’re well aware of the visual changes: the game is gorgeous (who was stunned by this? Anyone?) and is overflowing with blood. The latter seemed like an odd choice. Why make the game gory and create a Sin City or Kill Bill effect, when Ninja Gaiden has traditionally been more serious?
But the screens are misleading. In motion – and most notably, on a TV just a couple feet from your face – the blood is not only realistic, but it is not at all cheesy or out of place. It is actually a very constructive (and destructive!) addition to the series, since you are now able to make your enemies (ranging from human-sized ninja freaks to mammoth monsters) feel the kind of pain you want to inflict. When donning Ryu’s new claws – three foot-long blades that clamp onto each hand – players are able to stab through chests, slice off arms, rip through inches of flesh, and finish by cutting off an enemy’s head.
But the screens are misleading. In motion – and most notably, on a TV just a couple feet from your face – the blood is not only realistic, but it is not at all cheesy or out of place. It is actually a very constructive (and destructive!) addition to the series, since you are now able to make your enemies (ranging from human-sized ninja freaks to mammoth monsters) feel the kind of pain you want to inflict. When donning Ryu’s new claws – three foot-long blades that clamp onto each hand – players are able to stab through chests, slice off arms, rip through inches of flesh, and finish by cutting off an enemy’s head.
Monsters and Monstrosities
While Ninja Gaiden II’s appearance is instantly different, the gameplay changes are not as apparent. Building on the stellar mechanics of the first game, Team NINJA has pumped up the speed, widened the size of each environment, increased the number of on-screen opponents, and multiplied the size of those opponents.
The weapon lineup has also changed, providing new weapons and/or upgrades (plus a stellar list of combos for each type) to test out in nearly every stage. Fans of the DS edition will be glad to see that the magic system has been carried over, albeit with less importance on solving puzzles and more emphasis on making devils (ahem – monsters) cry.
There is a story involved, and though some gamers may be engaged by its above-average voice acting, high-quality presentation and TV-style camerawork, the beauty is in the beast. Or rather, it’s in the slicing and dicing of that beast, as well his siblings and lifelong friends.
Swords are painful and unforgiving. The Dragon Sword is Ryu’s default weapon; in the beginning, Shurikens are his only other option. When he unleashes a Dragon Sword combo on a 10-foot poison-breathing monster, flesh is torn like a knife slicing through butter. It glides through easily, twisting and flipping with Ryu’s every precise and realistic move, giving the player a bit of courage and the sense of unyielding power. Ryu is twice as deadly when wielding the Dragon’s Claw and Tiger’s Fang, two Japanese swords that were once used by a master.
If only visual, Ninja Gaiden would be a cool movie. But everything Ryu does is controlled by the player. There is a simple charge move (one per weapon) where, once performed, Ryu executes a vicious, unblockable combo automatically. But that is the only one of its kind, and it is impossible to use during most end-of-stage boss battles. The rest of the combos – of which there are many – are performed solely by the player. They’re easy to pick up and master, two elements that should always be requirements (and likely were by the developers’ standards). You couldn’t base a fighting game off this engine since the two attacks buttons, while excellent in this game, would become repetitive in a one-on-one arena. But with hordes of enemies and new monster types frequently introduced, you won’t be bored. You’ll be overjoyed.
You may also be, on occasion, very frustrated. To this day, no action game seems tougher to me than the original Ninja Gaiden titles (the first one for NES and the first one for Xbox). But aside from the boss battles, which can be enormously difficult (especially if you’re low on health items), Ninja Gaiden II didn’t seem as difficult. It’s still a wonderfully challenging game, but this time around I only lose hairs and break windows while fighting bosses.
Newcomers may disagree. Those players should expect to be overwhelmed. Ninja Gaiden II is a game where you must be on guard every second. Death is sneaky; just when you think you’ve got the upper hand, a monster will throw in a combo and reduce your life meter to nothing.
In the grand scheme of things, these are all positive elements. But there are a few tidbits of tenacity, most of which would have been expected on the original Xbox but not on Xbox 360.
As with every game these days, the camera is controllable and moves smooth most of the time. When it doesn’t, however, you could end up with an awkward perspective. If standing near walls, buildings or walking through a tunnel, the camera might even get locked until the current battle is over. Given Team NINJA’s heritage, I would have expected them to iron out this issue.
Players come to Ninja Gaiden for the action; they don’t come for map-and-compass-free exploration. But like the first game, that’s just what you get. I’m not looking for arrows to point me in the right direction (that’d be a lame). However, a simple, Resident Evil-style map would have been the perfect way to remind players of where they are, where they’ve been, and where they need to go. Ninja Gaiden II is mostly linear, so you won’t need a map most of the time. But when navigating the sewers, I walked in circles for 20 minutes before realizing that the small, unmarked opening at the top of one corner was where I needed to go.
You may also be, on occasion, very frustrated. To this day, no action game seems tougher to me than the original Ninja Gaiden titles (the first one for NES and the first one for Xbox). But aside from the boss battles, which can be enormously difficult (especially if you’re low on health items), Ninja Gaiden II didn’t seem as difficult. It’s still a wonderfully challenging game, but this time around I only lose hairs and break windows while fighting bosses.
Newcomers may disagree. Those players should expect to be overwhelmed. Ninja Gaiden II is a game where you must be on guard every second. Death is sneaky; just when you think you’ve got the upper hand, a monster will throw in a combo and reduce your life meter to nothing.
In the grand scheme of things, these are all positive elements. But there are a few tidbits of tenacity, most of which would have been expected on the original Xbox but not on Xbox 360.
As with every game these days, the camera is controllable and moves smooth most of the time. When it doesn’t, however, you could end up with an awkward perspective. If standing near walls, buildings or walking through a tunnel, the camera might even get locked until the current battle is over. Given Team NINJA’s heritage, I would have expected them to iron out this issue.
Players come to Ninja Gaiden for the action; they don’t come for map-and-compass-free exploration. But like the first game, that’s just what you get. I’m not looking for arrows to point me in the right direction (that’d be a lame). However, a simple, Resident Evil-style map would have been the perfect way to remind players of where they are, where they’ve been, and where they need to go. Ninja Gaiden II is mostly linear, so you won’t need a map most of the time. But when navigating the sewers, I walked in circles for 20 minutes before realizing that the small, unmarked opening at the top of one corner was where I needed to go.
Aside from the aforementioned changes, most players will be convinced that this is another Ninja Gaiden born from the first game’s concept. That’s not a bad thing, at least not in this case. This series had room to grow within the current spectrum, as proven by the tweaks and additions made here. Enhancements, jaw-dropping battles and a near-seamless combat system are a part of Ninja Gaiden II. But if you were blown away by the Xbox original, you may only be very impressed with the sequel.
Gameplay: 8.8
Hardcore battles, relentless boss fights, and a breathtaking combo and weapon system that rivals Devil May Cry 4, Ninja Gaiden II is every bit the brutal and action-packed sequel players were expecting.
Graphics: 8.7
Graphics: 8.7
Stunning. Ninja Gaiden is almost as fun to watch as it is to play. Whether unleashing attacks or being eaten by a monster, this game looks amazing.
Sound: 5.0
Sound: 5.0
Disappointing. The voice work isn’t bad but the music is low-key, repetitive, and fails to inspire the kind of emotion you crave from a game of this caliber.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Warning: Do not play near windows.
Concept: 7.9
Concept: 7.9
Ninja Gaiden II is a stellar sequel that plays off the original game’s success. It’s improved in many areas…but where’s the innovation?
Overall: 8.8One of the must-play action games of the year.
Overall: 8.8One of the must-play action games of the year.
Content source : http://xbox360.gamezone.com
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