For newbies rent first, for fans of this excellent franchise it's a must buy!!!!
Graphics: Character models for everyone,and thing looks great in a sense is that they look more organic than in the first game. The detail of everything is gorgeous and sharp. From the water, fire, explosions, and of course blood is top notch.
Gameplay: Not much has changed since the first game, but what changes are present make Ninja Gaiden 2 an instant pick up for fans. In the game you can change weapons and use items you collect in the game from the D-Pad. Saving in the game also refills your health bar after tough fight from the local (and unfriendly) natives. Combos flow and connect alot better from the first game, and the new "fatality" moves are so enjoyable and easy to pull off. Another great improvement from the first game is that when unlock new moves like wall jumping, the game shows a little video of the new moves so that newbies can learn them much faster and easier. The bow and arrows are greatly improve by being able to jump and shoot at the same time, to charging up the power of the arrows you shoot, double the amount you can care (30), and FINALLY have a target reticule (something the first game didn't have). The Ninpo or magic attacks can attack more than one enemy like the "Wind Blades", "Art of Inferno", and "Art of the Piercing Void". Sometimes the enemies can be really challenging to just down right cheap. Example: on Chapter 8, you'll be facing "Commando Ninjas" with rocket launchers that can shoot 6 or 7 rockets at time, and these fiend cyborg hybrids that can take alot of damage. Even when you're using the Eclispe Schye the most powerful weapon in the game IMO.
Story: The story...well let's just say it's no Star Wars: KOTOR or Halo. It's basic stuff, like stop the Fiends (demonic creatures) from resurrecting the "Arch Fiend" from hell, so hell on Earth won't occur. The writing is sometimes average, and sometimes just right stupid. I mean at the end of Chapter 2, Ryu and his father could have clearly destroy that guy (which I can't think of his name right now) together so I won't have to worry about him later in the game. I've only played through Chapter 4 (now on Chapter 9) because I'm playing my friend's verison at his house (I still own an Xbox 1 :(
Negatives: Well I just said one of them above, the second one is that there is no multi player in Ninja Gaiden 2. Seriously Tecmo WTF? It would have been great if this game had at LEAST have co-op in it!!! There to many loads in the game. It's not like there long, it's just that they're so many of them. Like pausing the game, using the D-Pad to select weapons and items.
Bottom Line: If you love hack and slash games, and is tired of playing "Devil May Cry 4", and you have a 360 well as expensive as games are today, I still recommend you rent it first, or borrow from a friend of yours!!
Graphics: 9-some character models look a little bland, and so do some of the environments!
Gameplay: 9-if load times and crashes won't so frequent it would be a 10 for hack n slash fans!
Story: 5-no where near God of War or Halo 1 storytelling.