Ninja Gaiden II

"One of the most incredible challenges of this console generation."

Ah, Ninja Gaiden 2. The sequel to the game that fans have been waiting so eagerly for. Before the game released, there was a lot of questioning, debating and speculating as to whether or not this title could live up to (or surpass) its predecessor. While others may think differently, I can say from experience that it not only surpasses the first game, but makes the experience all the more challenging than anyone could have ever thought possible.

Graphics: 9

Many will argue that the graphics in this game don't live up to the standard that the Xbox 360 has now acquired with its visuals, and they're perfectly correct, but I see the game as it should look: a high definition version of the visuals we fans have all known and loved. The environments are questionable at times, but most of them are a treat to the eyes, and the character, enemy and boss models and animations are some of the best in the business. The special effects are also incredibly well-done (particularly the gore) and will leave many people slack-jawed.

My only gripe with the game's visuals is the lack of an animated skybox for the majority of the game. Yes, I know it's a small complaint, but things like that help to build atmosphere. I can very much live without it. That totally aside, however, the game looks exactly how it should and looks great doing it.

Sound: 10

First of all, I love this game's soundtrack. Other reviewers didn't really talk about it much, and some even said it wasn't all that great, but this game's musical score is excellent in every way. There are over 50 tracks, all of them fitting the overall theme of the game and placed in the appropriate situations and environments. A particularly memorable track is played in New York, giving the player a heavy sense of destruction and chaos.

The sound effects themselves are of just as high a quality, if not moreso. I have never in my years of gaming heard such perfection in the sounds of weapons coming into contact with the flesh and bones of an enemy. Some of these weapons will make the most satisfying, cringe-worthy sounds as they hack, slash and bash away at the unfortunate enemy's body. This game is definitely not for the squeamish.

Gameplay: 9

Gameplay. The very essence of the game called Ninja Gaiden. This is what could make or break this game, and I'm very happy to say it makes it. This game's gameplay consists of three things: Combat, platforming, and more combat. The platforming is, contrary to popular belief, surprisingly common in a game with this much emphasis on pure action. I'm also happy to say that most of it is of a high quality. Some of the platforming sequences even reminded me of those found in God of War.

The combat, on the other hand, is brutal, fast, and will make newcomers to the series go crying to their mothers. This game is H.A.R.D. I'm talking Battletoads hard. Even a veteran to the series will die a surprising amount of times on their first run through this game. Everyone else will die at least three times as much. The game rarely becomes cheap, but it gets so incredibly difficult at times, it almost feels as though it is.

Now, you're probably wondering why this section gets a 9. I've got one word for that: Projectiles. The enemies in this game are quite well-balanced, but there are exceptions. Some of the Ninja opponents in this game (especially in the later portions) will spam projectiles with absolutely no pause and no mercy. To newcomers who don't know what the big deal is, most of these projectiles involve nearly unavoidable and unblockable Incendiary Shurikens. These things stick into Ryu and explode a few seconds later. There are ways to avoid damage from this explosion, but when you have about four of those things lodged into your backside, it becomes quite a problem.

Now, you think I'm done? Oh hell no. This game has several more enemy types with ridiculous amounts of powerful projectiles, the most prominent of these including a soldier-type enemy that fires upwards of half a dozen rockets at Ryu in a single volley. Now, imagine dodging the attacks of *four* of these guys while battling massive robots, and you've got a very good chance of tossing that controller out the window (or into your television screen).

As annoying as those projectile spammers are, the rest of the game's opponents are very fair and provide a solid challenge.

Story: What story? / 10

The story in this game is so confusing and jumbled that it's nearly non-existent. It basically consists of Ryu, the Ninja protagonist, going to locations all around the world and defeating a Greater Fiend (boss) at each one. He'll traverse through multiple terrain types, including an urban New York, a dense jungle, snowy, combat-riddled streets, a mountain village in Japan, and far more.

Replay Value: 8

The game offers a good amount of replayability, and it should, being an action game and all. There are multiple color palettes to unlock for Ryu's default Black Falcon costume, two harder difficulties, a Ninja Cinema you can use to record videos of you playing and watch other people play, and a hefty amount of achievements that will have the average and hardcore players alike busy for a long while.

Overall: 9 / 10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/09/08

Game Release: Ninja Gaiden II (US, 06/03/08)