The combat is very satisfying and the results of combat is even more so. Arms, legs, and heads littered everywhere after you’re done with a killing session, even better is the detail. If you’re on a slope, these bodily parts will slide according to gravity. Overall the blood lust is very appeasing and it’s a great way to burn off some stress after a hard day’s work.
Besides two weapons (maybe), everything else seems balanced and overly fun to use. You can kill anybody, any boss, with anything but if you were more strategic about your gameplay, certain weapons work better for certain situations. In which ever way you decide to obliterate your enemies, all of ends in a savory mess of guts.
The action is fast as hell and I’ve heard some say it’s “frantic.” True, it is in a sense - this is a not a game for those with a normal heart rate of 60 or below. It’s so fast that when you’re done clearing out a room of bad guys, you sometimes have no idea what direction to go to next. That’s ok though being that this sequel is a lot more linear than the last one. There’s not much back-tracking, it’s right-out kill, kill, kill, and look around a bit for a key. Not to say that there are some annoying and mundane processes. The same old formula of finding Key A to open Door B still persists and not with any innovation from the last game or any other with this similar routine.
The combat, speed, gore, and satisfaction of being a badass ninja is the only thing that keeps you going. The replay rewards are awful. At least in the last game, you could unlock the Dark Dragon Blade, which is something that changes the dynamics of the gameplay. In this one, you get different costumes and 360 achievement points. If you’re a 15-year-old kid with no bills to pay, I guess that’s a notable way to make something of yourself. You’ll be the big swinging dick on the Ninja Gaiden II leader boards but that doesn’t get invited to parties.
Even as an oldschool fanatic, I can’t see myself replaying this game over and over to obtain numbers that don’t pay off. I wouldn’t mind trying a few harder runs but if it’s just for different costumes and gamer tags, I think I’ll just go masturbate. At least there’s a conclusion to that.
Along with this let-down of a replay value, there is the same crap from the last game. A horrible storyline with one of the worst art directions I have seen. The monsters look like they’re rendered from 90’s Bryce fanboys and everyone is incredibly huge with their biceps, hips, or tits. I certainly wouldn’t be hiring the likes of Sonya to go into battle for me.
She’s got a $90 hair job and clothes that only meth strippers find classy. That’s not a warrior, that’s a warrior’s off-night in a brothel. Even Ryu doesn’t make sense. What fucking ninja wears a shiny metal head piece? I thought they were suppose to be stealth and sleek, not big and flamboyant. I can’t even imagine how the other unlock-able costumes make him stand out like a retard on a ferris wheel.
I thought the music in the beginning was ok. It was your standard game music with exciting feats and an epic approach. Some levels were quiet, which built a great atmosphere but overall it was ordinary. It was a lot better than the last game, which was some of the worst music I’ve ever heard. I’ll say it again and maybe I’m saying this as an oldschool fanatic but the original Ninja Gaiden games for the NES had some of the best tunes ever. It’s stupid for them to not revive any of those pieces.
To break it down, the game is a lot of fun. It uses the same combat formula from the last one and exceeds with great results but the same bullshit is there. The art direction is cheesy, tacky, and un-creative — and what’s with the shitty bevel and embossed typewriter font on the UI? Yes, the game is bloody but why did they need to splatter blood across the pause screen dashboard. We get it, it’s bloody…now be more creative!
The replay had degraded incredibly. If another one comes out, I will still play it for the new weapons and combat but beyond that, Team Ninja really needs to find some in-depth writers and concept artists to boost them to a newer level that they deserve.
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