Review: Ninja Gaiden II - now with added gore

Mike Bantick
Saturday, 21 June 2008 11:51

Opinion and Analysis

Level design is relatively linear, though Ryu (or was that just me?) will sometimes find it difficult to know what to do next.  Having defeated all nearby enemies it is not always obvious where to head to next – minus a map and with the ability to athletically get just about anywhere (apart from where invisible walls block) the level design could give a little more direction to the next challenge.

It could have been the preview code in action, but I did also experience the enjoyment of game freeze when exploring some of the further options packaged with NGII.  These included Ninja Cinema, allowing the ego boosting process of uploading some wicked in game sequences for others to enjoy.  You can turn on a grainy black and white filter for these films bringing that Kurosawa experience to your own action.

Ninja Gaiden II is a not so instantly accessible title that becomes more engrossing as the game progresses.  The pace and balance are not quite perfect, but Tomonobu Itagaki has unleashed a game that captures and expands the spirit of the original onto the next-gen platform with aplomb.

7.5 severed arms out of 10