Melee weapons, ninjas and demons...
As you might know, Mr. Ryu Hayabusa is a ninja that excels at one specific thing which is to tear his enemies to shreds by means of sharp objects such as the revered Dragon Sword. That’s right. No stealth, just run into a group of demons and tear their not-so-living digital flesh apart in a flurry of accurate and deadly attacks. Since Mr Hayabusa has been so proficient at his trade and accounted for countless hours of entertainment to console fans it was deemed necessary to return after quite some time. Keeping up with the original, the main goal of Ninja Gaiden II is to hunt down a group of demons that are roaming throughout the globe and introduce them to the Dragon Sword and…other very VERY sharp objects.
Here we go, button-mashing over the world.
One of the pleasant surprises of the game is the revamped item interface, through which the player can switch weapons, use health and magic power –also known as Ki- replenishing items with the D-pad, a seamless and intuitive addition. Of course core gameplay has remained the same so you’ll be expected to control Ryu with the left analog stick while the right one takes care of the somewhat limited camera angle. In addition, the X button is used for fast attacks and Y for slower and more powerful strikes; there’s the A button used for jumping and perhaps the most important control which is blocking is taken over by the left bumper. The introduction of a first person camera so the player can aim ranged weaponry such as shurikens or the Dragon Bow is another welcomed addition that will allow better results.
Blood is…everywhere!
Ninja Gaiden II is by far the bloodiest game of the saga with the red substance sprayed graciously at each and every successful strike towards the pixilated foes. As expected, in case of confined space or when you’re slicing your target against the wall, blood will paint the surrounding background adding to the splatter feel of the game. Moreover, the game excels in the limb removal section as almost all attack combos result in hands, legs and even heads flying in the air, and decimated bodies littering the ground. Besides the splatter effects though you can expect the same bizarre artistic approach of the first game with respect to the demons that you’ll be called upon to obliterate. From all-black ninja humanoids to huge electric cyber-eels that float on the subway, to disproportionate 3-meter tall demons to katana-wielding canines, Tecmo keeps up the atmosphere. Granted, art is in the eye of the beholder but still, the enemies look even weirder –if that’s possible- and out of place with the atmospheric background scenery than ever. As for the main character, the expected work suit is in place, resembling a ninja in spandex and leather instead of the traditional cotton all-black suits and a metal plate on his forehead makes it clear that this is not your typical spy-assassin from medieval Japan. You’ll be hacking and slashing your way in quite a few locations such as the Dragon castle or a well-known metropolis right back to the Hayabusa village and of course a healthy dose of city sewer levels. Apparently a city’s liquid waste system is something of great artistic look for the designers so they’ve decided to share their passion with the gaming community. Nevertheless, despite its dubious ‘feel’, Ninja Gaiden II does possess well designed visuals with all the necessary detail and polish. Too bad I can’t get to grips with those katana-wielding dogs though.
Scream! I know you want to.
The game’s sound suite follows suite –pun intended- with the graphics so you can expect all the slashing, cutting and pains of agony effects all over the place given with very good quality. However, cutscene voice-acting could have been better especially in English, carrying over that well known Far East-trying-to-sound-like-Americans accent that looks out of place with the visual representation of the game’s characters. Demons hiss, squeal and scream in a believable way and weapon effects carry the necessary ‘weight’ behind them from shurikens hissing through the air to huge explosions and katanas cutting through soft tissue. Overall, a highly professional and polished sound scheme that increases the game’s quality.
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Ninja Gaiden 2 
