Tecmo: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 less gory

When Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2's debut trailer appeared earlier this year at GDC, it left more than a few people scratching their heads. A PlayStation 3 redux of the Xbox 360's well-received Ninja Gaiden II, the video gave many the impression that Sigma 2 may feature toned down violence, rather than hardcore gore for which the series is known.

It appears that assumption is correct, according to Sigma 2's producer, Yosuke Hayashi. Hayashi, who was in London today at an event for the game, told journalists "When we developed Ninja Gaiden 2, we very much placed the emphasis on the violence. Since last year, the number of games featuring high levels of violence increased. So rather than do something the same as everyone else is doing, we decided to make it different." Despite this, GameSpot UK can confirm Sigma 2 will still contain blood, limb dismemberment, and decapitations, though the level of blood spatter is markedly less than in Ryu Hayabusa's last Xbox 360 outing.

In addition to less gore, the other major change this time around, according to Hayashi, is an improved camera system and adjustments to the level of difficulty--something else for which the series is known. Hayashi also played down any plans to support Sigma 2 with downloadable content, saying "We are not going to support downloadable content for the time being."