There Will Be Blood: Ninja Gaiden 2 Reviewed!

Ninja Gaiden reinvented an action classic and set the bar for viciously demanding combat. Ryu Hayabusa's lost none of his acrobatic vigor or combat prowess, but a few troubling problems keep this sequel from the soaring heights of a master.

Want to see Ryu Hayabusa in action firsthand? Then check out our sweet, sweet video clips of the game right here!

The Big Show

On the eve of a massive invasion of Tokyo by the Black Spider Ninja Clan, Special Agent Sonia waits for iconic ninja Ryu Hayabusa at Muramasa's shop with a message, but is kidnapped before she can deliver it. Thus begins a rollercoaster that'll take Ryu from the streets of New York City to strange worlds where human feet have never dared to tread. Okay, so you won't find much in the way of coherent storytelling or characterization in Ninja Gaiden II, but what the tale lacks in craftsmanship it makes up for with plentiful moments of jaw-dropping spectacle.

As inspired as some of the set pieces are, like a werewolf-infested tour of Venice or the steep slopes of Mount Fuji, each is an almost completely linear romp through paths that wander to and fro with no apparent logic or purpose. Injected into these staged spaces are doors to break down and invisible lines to cross, which trigger armies of foes to rush out of nowhere. Though the graphics are certainly slick, you'll never feel like you're exploring a living world, but rather the third-person melee action equivalent of a rail shooter. The occasional jumping puzzle or twenty-second key hunt breaks up the monotony a bit, but they're too few and far between to even qualify as bona fide elements of play.

Raining Blood

Luckily, the sterile nature of the nevertheless detailed environments fades into the background any time you're fighting through teeming crowds of fleet-footed ninjas, horned demons, winged beasts, and creepy crawlies. These aren't Kung Fu Theater rejects who wait patiently for their turn to get pummeled, either: they'll tear into you with incredible speed and effectiveness if you don't learn to block, dash-dodge, counter, and charge-attack like a pro. Sheer visceral spectacle is where Ninja Gaiden II shines the brightest, filling the screen with a gory and ever-shifting maelstrom of colorful costumes, amputated limbs, spraying bodily fluids, and the metallic streaks of Ryu's chosen weapon.

There's trouble in this cinematic paradise, though. The most common cause of death for the skilled warrior is an obstinate camera that's plainly unconcerned with giving you a decent view of the action a solid half the time. Ryu regularly jumps completely off-screen during attacks in any area smaller than an arena. Ninja Gaiden II is perhaps the most blisteringly fastest-paced action combat game ever, and as such demands a prodigious level of timing skill, but how is a newcomer to acquire such skill when he must constantly fiddle with the viewpoint just so they can see what's going on? The ability to save and upload extended clips of your most impressive beat-down sessions with the Ninja Cinema system is wonderful, but we'd gladly trade it in for a camera that more effectively tracked the action.

Comments [154]

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EKGPROD

They could have given this game a 1 and I woulda still bought it. Anyone who complains about the difficulty being too hard is a pussy and doesnt deserve to play it in the first place. We need games like this to remind us that we are all still hardcore gamers!

spunnups

agreed, this is a must buy in my book. But, A 3.75 from GP is way below what i expected though, and GP rates alot of games 4 and above. maybe it's not as good as we think. i'd hate to get hyped up just to be let down.

Train_of_Thought

i'm surprised they didn't say anything about the story (as others did). but it seems every review has "stated" about that bad camera angle

ROCKY102682

I'm still up in the air about this one, not sure if I want to pick it up today or not. Any thoughts?

partTimeNERD

lower score than expected from GP... still a must buy for me... The mindless carnage is fun

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