Games

Hands On With: Ninja Gaiden II

By Eli Green
April 16, 2008 - 22:00

Ninja Gaiden II is still a couple of months away from release, but that doesn't mean that it's too early to take a look at the game and start getting an idea of what to expect. Xbox Canada invited us to take the game for a spin yesterday, as well as answer any questions we had about this upcoming title. You'll be able to see those questions and their answers in a couple of days, when we post our interview with Microsoft Game Studios' Ryan Bidan, but for now, we're focusing on our preview experience.

Ninja Gaiden II follows the story of Ryu Hayabusa's quest to defeat the Arch Fiend and his legion of demon warriors and, in doing so, save the human race.

Bidan started off our preview by quickly demonstrating an older build of the game, from GDC, to show off a later stage in the game, as well as some of the weapons and attacks that become available in the later stages, and to give us an idea of how the development has progressed. We got a good feel for what the game looked like at that stage of development, and it's good to note that it has indeed come a long way since GDC.

The build we actually got the chance to play was approximately 70% complete, with some minor lighting bugs and disappearing objects. The environments we played through were dimly lit, but very detailed. Ryu appeared as if he were poorly photoshopped onto all the backgrounds, but when compared to the GDC version, this was considerably less noticable. By the time the game releases, all of these problems with the lighting and integrating the characters into the environments should be completely fixed.

Going hands on with the game was quite interesting, as we didn't fully know what to expect. We were soon informed that Ninja Gaiden Black was considered so difficult by some people that it was impossible to play, so the development went back to the drawing board, built the engine from the ground up and made the gameplay much more forgiving. The team made button mashing achieve more than before, and increased the speed and frequency with which health regenerates. That doesn't mean that fans of the difficulty level in Ninja Gaiden Black will be disappointed though, as this new, easier gameplay has been made available only in the Acolyte (easy) mode of the Ninja Gaiden II . So if you're still looking for serious punishment the Warrior (hard) or other higher difficulty levels will test your mettle and ability to maintain the precise balance of attack combinations and blocking.

The most notable thing about the game was the level of gore. Ninja Gaiden II is a pure hack & slash gorefest. When you're not hacking enemies' appendages off, you're lighting them on fire, blowing them away with wind attacks or using some other form of elemental magic to inflict severe pain upon them. We got to do all of that right away, even with only one weapon on hand. Also, your enemies' blood collects, and stays, on your weapons throughout your battles. As you keep hacking your opponents to bite size waste, their blood marks their time in battle with you, however short it was.

Gore, no gore. Gore, no gore. Can you tell the difference?

The game also includes some other features, like Ninja Cinema, which allows you to record your play sessions. We didn't get the chance to actually test it out, but Bidan explained it best when he said that, while it may take him two minutes to clear out a room from enemies, some players might be able to do the same in as little as 15 seconds (approximation); so those exceptionally skilled players will finally have the chance to show off their moves in the public forum.

Overall, the game looks like it's coming together quite nicely. This is most definitely a game for hack & slash fans. Whether your preference is plowing through enemies with absolute ease, or testing your might against brutally punishing foes, Ninja Gaiden II is getting set to become a fan favourite, especially because the easy option is there this time. Ninja Gaiden II is scheduled to release on June 3 ^rd and is rated M for Mature.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12