I just got back from school today and went to get my copy of Ninja Gaiden II. Luck has it, shit has to happen today, sister need my help, someguy on the street stopped me to talk about saving the environment and stuff like that. Well I got my game in the end and hell Im loving it. Right so this game picks of where the previous one left off. The Black Spider Clan are still up to their evil deeds and something about an 'ArchFiend'. Well it feels exactly like the previous game really, be it the controls, the gameplay, and the graphics arent much of an improvement. A little dissapointing but yet Team Ninja added some goodies to this game.
Now let's see what is new. Ryu defiitely is equipped with a new array of weapons. Some of which are the dual blades, staff and so on. You are also given new techniques which *hint hint peforming it is considered an avhievement. Not to mention you also have magic skills at your disposal to waste any baddies giving you trouble and......of course what would a ninja game be without shurikens. All these sound great and all doesn't it? Well it gets better. For those of you hardcore violent enthrusiastic gamers, pray no more, Team Ninja takes the gore in Ninja Gaiden II to the next level. How so? Im glad you ask. Well for starters, now not just your enemies head can be decapitated but their limbs as well. Even if they are alive, you will notice some enemies you hurt will continue fighting you without an arm. Furthermore, now some enemies may not totally die yet. This may prove to be a complication for Ryu. Fortunately, you can end their miserable lives by pressing Y. This will trigger somewhat of a cutscene where Ryu finishes his adversaries off.
Not using a weapon that cuts you say? Have no fear, bashing type weapong will leave your enemies exploding into pieces of meat. Well of course all this is no use unless you know how to apply them. Ryu will constantly be swarmed by hordes of enemies. It always pays to be fast when attacking and keeping a sharp eye out for any sneaky enemies who tries to jump on you and react immediately by pressing block. If someof you have played the previous game, strong attacks may break your guard. Well that's where this new technique comes in. Now should that ever happen, you can quickly dash aside by moving the left analogue stick. The camera in Ninja Gaiden II has improved. You can now adjust ther camera to auto center. Theres even a little novelty where after killing your enemies your sword will get stained by blood. Just leave it awhile and Ryu will flick it off his blade. Fun to watch.
Another new concept Team Ninja added is your health factor. It focuses now on a new 'Threshold of Life' which I call it. It's something like from MGS 3. When you take an amount of damage, your health meter empties and is replaced with a red bar to a point. This redbar is the threshold at which your health will recover at the end of the battle. The red bar increases as you take more severe damage, reduing the amount of health you are able to recover. Use healing items to get rid of it. This new concept is definitely proving to be a great help. As a bonus, save points now heal you the first time you use it.
This game is pretty much challenging. If you think the difficulty 'Way of The Acolyte' and 'Way of the Warrior' is not enough, there are additional difficulties for you to unlock in order to satisfy that insatiable hunger for challenge. Still the difficulty Im currently playing is pretty challenging for me. Even normal henchmen prove to be quite an annoyance as they come in swarms and you cant possibly be watching all the time. Someone is bound to take a shot at you.
Still this game is as I have mentioned almost feels the same as the previous one. Dont get me wrong, this is definitely a great game worth buying. Unless you're not a fan of ninja gaiden and have played the previous series, this is definitely a good game both newcomers to the series and diehard fans can enjoy.
Sorry I cant get any screenshots so I nicked it from ign.com
Fountains and fountains of blood
Severed limbs galore
Presentation (9/10): Interface, leve design all works well.
Graphics (8.5/10): Nothing really great that will leave you in awe. More or less like the previous game but still good nonetheless.
Sound (8.5/10): I appreciate the occasional rock during battles. Well done
Gameplay (9.0/10): Feels the same and that's what makes it great. The reward of blood,new techniques & weapons will definitely keep you going.
Lasting appeal (8/10): There are some goodies to unlock including harder difficulties for hardcore gamers out there.
Overall (43/50) or (8.6/10) Excellent, this is a game you may want to purchase.
