Ninja Gaiden 2 is singlehandedly the greatest action hack n slash ever
User Rating: 10 | Ninja Gaiden II X360
Ninja Gaiden is one of my all time favourite franchises, with the exception of Ninja Gaiden 3, and the spin off zombie title, all of them have been excellent. However I never did start playing the series with the NES classic. I didn't actually start with the 2004 reboot on the Xbox. I actually started with Ninja Gaiden 2 on the xbox 360. A little history of the game before I get I to a detailed review, when I was still in high school I had purchased a 360 for Ninja Gaiden 2 at the time, not to say I really wanted a new generation console at the time, and Ninja Gaiden 2 was the only game that really interested me back in 2008 when I first bought this game. Out of all my 360 games, this one is by far my most played. I can remember going over to a friends house with my new 360 and playing the crap out of this game when I first bought it and had the biggest joy when I finished the game on the path of the acolyte (the easiest difficulty). However it wouldn't be until I started mastering the games other difficulties where I truly learned how great Ninja Gaiden 2 was. Ninja Gaiden 2 is an action hack n slash at its finest. The game starts with a beautiful cinematic intro, introduces the combat system slowly, and doesn't ramp up into full force until the second chapter of the game. All in all, it is perfectly paced, have moments of ease and moments that ramp up combat to extravagant heights. The game centres around Ryu Hayabusa, a ninja from a sacred dragon clan that live life as a traditional Feudal Japan village. Legend says that the dragon clan are the lineage of real dragons, and stay true to an oath to protect artifacts and live a simple life. Ryu however learns of a plot to steal the artifacts from the village that contain ancient evil, and thus the young ninja journeys forth to retrieve these artifacts and save the world. The games story is nothing super exciting, but it is epic. Having a simple story to get the player from point a to b. It is the setting of a Feudal Japan in a modern world which really makes Ninja Gaiden 2, and all games in the series feel unique and different. The writing in the game is nothing superb however. Characters say there lines but again it is just there to drive a plot which moves Ryu around the world. The game also looks beautiful. It is unique because it is not dark or use browns and greys. There is a wide range of colours in the game, and character animation is top notch as well running at a very consistent frame rate. Don't quote me as to what the frame rate is, I will say that the whole game is fluid ands completely fantastic to control. Now the most important aspect of the game is how it plays. It is an action hack n slash after all. Well If you haven't played Ninja Gaiden before, it is almost it's own type of action game. The player has a strong and quick attack, projectile. And then a jump and guard. The game adds depth then different button combinations can be used to preform different mechanics. The player can cast arts, dodge, parry and preform a huge array of combos as well. Also each weapon has a different feel strength and weakness. Each weapon also can be levelled up with the games form of currency which adds a huge amount of depth and replay value. The player will get to try every weapon, but not even weapon will be able to be levelled up, so it is best to choose your weapons wisely depending on how you play the game. Example: players my like the falcon talons because they are incredibly powerful at a close range and excel in taking out small numbers, however it lacks the ability of crowd control (killing large numbers). So you may be using arts to control huge crowds of enemies. Or if you use the scythe which has amazing crowd control, you will realize it is also very slow and my not do good against small quick foes. Control on how you play is completely in he players control. Now for those who may not know, Ninja Gaiden 2 is hard... I mean really hard. Think of a FromSoftware Souls game, but as a action hack n slash and that is kind of what Ninja Gaiden 2 is. Even on the easiest difficulty, if you are not playing attention even the simplest of enemies or the dumbest of choices can cost the player. But even so when the difficult parts are passed, the game becomes incredibly rewarding and drives the player to wanting even more. Few games can conjure such feelings of progression and reward. Ninja Gaiden 2 for being made in 2008 has also aged incredibly well. The game even to today's standards looks amazing and not to say in terms of gameplay, Ninja Gaiden 2 still feels very fun and fresh. The game itself clocks at over ten hours on a regular play through which given the amount of replay value with the title, there is plenty of time to be spend with the game. The game may have a share of problems to some. Those who really like story in video games, might be disappointed because of the lack of narrative content. The game is also hard and requires a chance to really prefect gameplay style which goes against many modern games today. For those who still haven't played this game who wants to, I would highly recommend it. On a personal level this is one of my all time favourite video games and compared to the lack luster Ninja Gaiden 3, Ninja Gaiden 2 is the best action game that can be played on any console.
