A viciously brutal action game marred by neumerous glitches, imperfections and punishing difficulty. Fun none the less.
Setting and story: Ryu Hayabusa, the Modern Day Super Ninja, stars in a noticably similar role as last time. This time, the Fiends are trying to reasurect their master, the Archfiend which is bad news for everyone, as lesser fiends overrun many places threatening to destroy everything. Not to mention that the Archfiend would rule over the entire worl should he come back. Not surprisingly, it's up to Ryu and his new Female lead Sonia, to stop his minions form doing just that.
The story starts with a remarkably similar set-up to the first game. Ryu's village is attacked (again) and a powerful artifact stolen (again) forcing Ryu to track down the thief while killing everything in his way.
To be honest, the story is not much worth paying attention to. It merely sets up the action and prime evils of the plot although there are some cool tidbits you can find if you pay attention or if you remember the artifact from the previous game. New players won't get much out of it, sad to say.
Graphics: Here's where I felt I was let down. While the graphics are by no means bad, parts of them seem no more advanced than the last game. The environments often feel stale and undetailed. By contrast, character models and particle effects are great especially in regards to the gore (of which there is plenty). Backgrounds of cityscapes are flat and uninteresting. My guess it that Team Ninja did not assume that players would spend much time looking at them.
Sound: I was almost as impressed with this soundtrack as I was with the last one, which had quite a few killer tracks and some mediocre ones. This one's tracks have an interesting blend of electronic and other more natural elements that really set the mood for the fights Ryu is in. I can't really describe the music well but I can provide some examples if you are interested. (Don't tell my lawyer)
Gameplay: Now the Good Stuff (trademark)! Those who played the last Ninja Gaiden may have thought that the combat couldn't get any more intense were gravely mistaken. NG2's action is upped to 11 with the addition of 8 unique weapons with enough combos to make it feel like Dead or Alive. Each weapon is so different that there are Achievements for going through the game using only a certain one and a ranked online board for each too.
Also added to the game are Obliterator Techniques or OT's. Once an enemy has lost a limb, Ryu can press Y to activate the OT if he's close enough, triggering a devastating attack that kills the enemy 100% of the time. This may seem like it makes the game easy but, believe me, it doesn't. Enemies are still very capable of hurting (and killing) Ryu when they've lost a limb and are quite happy to blow themselves up with a grenade to do it.
Enemies also appear in greater supply and more at the same time, swarming Ryu to try to kill him. Enemies also have a variety of throws and combos as well. Some of which are pretty dangerous if not avoided or blocked. Unfortunately, the game has a tendency of slowing down when to many foes are onscreen. Annoying except for one case in a latter chapter where Ryu is facing about 100 ninjas and slaughtering them in slow motion (the framerate stays solid jut everything is slow) is extremely entertaining.
Some enemies are just annoying. Like ninjas who use rocket lauchers that fire volleys of death dealing destruction which out having to reload. Did I mention that they like to respawn right after you've dealt with the, seemingly from nowhere? Many foes can be seen popping out of thin air without even any magical aura of teleportation. There are also enemies who are extremely difficult to kill as they cannot be dismembered for an Obliterator. In short, there are many many instances of where you will be prompted to exclaim that something is cheap. It only gets worse on latter difficulties.
Bosses offer some variety but you are just as likely to think them as cheap (if not more so) than the regular enemies. I can't recall ever having fun when fighting a boss. By the way, be prepared to fight some bosses multiple times.
Difficulty: This section is exclusive in my reviews to this game. Ninja Gaiden 2 will beat you into the ground and laugh in your face (and some enemies are literally quite good at that first part.) It only gets worse too. The 3rd difficulty level, Path of the Mentor, is a HUGE step up from the 2nd, Path of the Warrior, with a combination of stronger enemies, enemies wielding guns from fight one and more expensive items will dissuade many. I believe that a gentler curve was called for but rejected so as not to anger the "Hard Core" fans. If you were frustrated on Warrior mode, I suggest not even trying Mentor.
Glitches and Stuff: The only reason this section is here is because I feel that I need to talk about it. Ninja Gaiden 2 is THE GLITCHIEST GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED. Team Ninja's reputation for perfection has been thrown aside here. I can't count the number of game freezes I've had, accounts of enemies running in circles or getting stuck behind walls. Body parts and blood often float a few inches from whatever they are supposed to be on and headless enemies sometimes take a second to realize that they are dead.
Final Thoughts: You will love in and you will hate it. Despite it's overall feeling of being unpolished, glitchy and rushed into stores so it could beat Metal Gear Solid 4, the crushing frustration and cheapness, the amount this game has made me swear, I have still logged OVER 50 HOURS! Why? The answer is that while it may be rougher than sandpaper it is still a blast to play. The action can be such a blast that the first time I played I was in awe for the better part of an hour. I have been driven to play through with each different weapon and I will attempt Mentor mode since I know it is possible. So many faults just can't cover up a brilliant action game from start to finish. I am quite satisfied with my purchase.
Breakdown.
+Action dial set to 11
+Gore and particle effects are great
+Sweet Soundtrack
+Highly addictive
+Awesome weapons which are all unique.
-Crushing difficulty
-Confusing and bland story
-Crushing difficulty
-Overall unpolished and glitchy feel
-Extremely cheap enemies will make you swear more than you though possible.
-Did I mention the crushing difficulty?
Worth buying? I would certainly say so, but if you aren't a patient person or have fast reaction time in video games, you would definetly be better off renting until you are sure. For action buffs, this is a no-brainer.
*Smoke bomb!*