XBOX REVIEW | Ninja Gaiden 2 Black

Ryu Hayabusa is back… sort of. Well, okay, this is a remaster of Ninja Gaiden 2, but it is a phenomenal remaster and a welcome one, especially with a brand-new chapter on the way soon as well. I love the Ninja Gaiden games; the humour, the action, and even the difficulty all make this series one of my favourites to play through. Okay, sorry, let’s get into this review now.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is the remaster we have all been waiting for. It brings back the gore and the difficulty and also includes the playable characters that you know and love, like Rachel, Ayane, and Momiji. It is as close to a complete edition of Ninja Gaiden 2 as you could hope for. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black has also had a complete overhaul of the graphics; everything looks absolutely gorgeous, and the game is so fluid it feels almost effortless to play. I say almost because, let’s be honest, you are not going to be completing this game on the first try, even on its easiest mode. The enemies are brutal; they don’t just hang around waiting for you to hit them; they will attack you relentlessly, so make sure you remember the guard button! It’s there for a reason, and you will be using it a lot more than you would in other action games.

Things I liked!

• Graphics | Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, as I mentioned, has had a complete overhaul of the graphics, utilising Unreal Engine 5 to make an already gorgeous game look stunning. From the glints on Ryu’s armour to the flash of light on your weaponry as it slashes through yet another enemy, all the way down to the shadows which let you know if an enemy is lying in wait just around the corner—everything about the game is just beautiful.

• Weaponry | All of the weapons are back and looking so much cooler than I remember, especially the scythe. I mean, come on, who else but Ryu Hayabusa could make swinging a farming tool look so stylish? The sword, the Lunar Staff, the flail… I could go on and on, but you will have to play the game for yourselves to discover them all and see which best suits your own play style.
  
  
• Voice Over | The voice acting in Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is fantastic, over-the-top, insane, and sometimes hilarious. I love that the voice artists obviously relish their roles in this game; you can always tell when people believe in a project they are part of. Kudos must also go to the voice actors who played the nameless masses of ninjas as well; somebody has to make all of those ‘oof’ noises sound believable, and they did it beautifully.

Mixed & disliked!

• Fighting | I do love the fighting in Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, but sometimes it can be hard to tell who is Ryu and who is an enemy due to the very similar colour palettes. All this means, though, is that you really need to make good use of your guard button and learn all the moves you can to stay on top of the action; otherwise, you might find yourself overwhelmed by a legion of adversaries.

• Weapon Swapping | Something I was really hoping would be implemented is faster weapon swapping. I mean, I do have my favourites which I use a lot, but I would love to just swap them out on the fly instead of having to pause the action, however briefly, to access the next weapon I want to use to decimate my enemies.

CONCLUSION

Score: 86/100 – All in all, a welcome addition to the Ninja Gaiden franchise, albeit a remastered edition. I cannot wait to see what Ninja Gaiden 4 is going to be like if this is any indication of what is to come. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is everything that the original versions should have been and more. If you love a challenge and want to just destroy hordes of enemies stylishly, then go over to Game Pass and play to your heart’s content.