Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Review – Paint It Black

Previous chats have been had, but now it’s confirmed – Ninja Gaiden has made its return! Not only is Team Ninja teaming up with PlatinumGames for the next mainline game, Ninja Gaiden 4, but they’ve also secretly launched (or maybe Izuna dropped?) Ninja Gaiden 2 Black on current-generation platforms. This isn’t just a simple re-release; it’s been given a major facelift using Unreal Engine 5 technology.

Is this the final version of Ninja Gaiden 2? Not exactly. What’s available now is called Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, which combines the original game with the controversial Sigma 2. While some parts might lean more towards the latter, it may not entirely feel like the original for some players. For PC gamers, keep in mind that while there are numerous graphical settings, 4K support, and higher frame rates, further adjustments and fine-tuning are required to optimize the gameplay experience.

Though it may not be a complete rebuild, the quality of the graphics surpasses expectations. The textures, vegetation, settings, lighting effects, and shadows have all been significantly improved, resulting in a visually breathtaking experience.

Considering all that, isn’t it thrilling? Indeed, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black offers an exhilarating, demanding, and captivating journey – a bloody spectacle characterized by its deep combat system, substantial skill expression, reinforced by robust pacing, level design, and formidable bosses.

Despite not being particularly fond of the series’ narrative or this specific title’s plot, it starts off quite impressively. The story follows CIA agent Sonia who gets abducted in Tokyo by the enigmatic Black Spider Ninja Clan. Ryu Hayabusa, a relentless city dweller, goes on a destructive rampage to rescue her. Along the way, he crosses paths with Elizabeth and uncovers information about the four Greater Fiends. This revelation sets him off on a mission to recover a valuable artifact that was stolen from Hayabusa Village.

Revised: Experiencing the revamped cinematics is a real delight, whether it’s leaping from a skyscraper’s pinnacle to glide through a window into another scene or observing Joe Hayabusa facing off against Genshin, the leader of the Black Spider Ninja Clan. It may not be a complete remake, but the graphics quality is top-notch. The textures, vegetation, settings, lighting, and shadows have all been updated to look absolutely breathtaking. While the character animations remain unchanged, the models themselves now exhibit significantly more detail.

Enjoying the upgraded cinematics is a treat, whether it’s diving from a skyscraper’s peak through a window into another scene or watching Joe Hayabusa go head-to-head with Genshin, the leader of the Black Spider Ninja Clan. Although it isn’t a full remake, the visual quality surpasses expectations. The textures, greenery, environments, lighting, shadows, and other aspects have been reworked to look incredibly beautiful. While the character movements remain consistent, the models now contain much more detail.

Absolutely, one of the primary attractions lies in the intense combat found in Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, and it delivers some truly outstanding experiences. Every weapon, ranging from the Dragon Sword and Lunar Staff to the Falcon’s Talons and Vigoorian Flails, is a delight to wield. Each one accommodates a distinct playstyle; for instance, you can use the staff to attack multiple enemies with swings and sweeps, or unleash furious stabs with the claws. Other moves involve jumping onto enemies and flinging them over your head (or directly into a wall).

In certain areas, the impact of Sigma 2 is noticeable. Black has a slightly larger enemy count compared to other regions, yet it’s not nearly as significant as the initial situation.

In this game, you’re able to deploy Flying Swallow, which swiftly cuts through a number of opponents and possibly beheads some of them. Performing an Izuna Drop on an enemy, crushing their skull into the ground, feels quite satisfying. It’s beneficial to run along walls during battles as it allows for seamless transitions into various attacks. The strategic use of the environment is crucial. Weapons like the Fiend’s Bane Bow and Ninpo add diversity, with Ninpo offering unique advantages such as Art of the Wind Blades, which can slice through multiple enemies and potentially dismember them.

In this scenario, the enemy becomes vulnerable to Total Annihilation, where Ryu mercilessly dismantles a limbless foe in an extravagantly violent finale. The graphic violence that was characteristic of the original game is intensified here, making it thrilling to observe. Witnessing Ryu unleash his Ultimate move and swiftly chop or pummel an adversary, with blood splattering everywhere, offers a deep sense of fulfillment. Similarly, beheading a Fiend and repeatedly attacking its twitching corpse before completely eradicating it is equally gratifying.

In terms of your adversaries, they may disrupt your assaults by attacking persistently, attempting to breach your defense and even pinning you down. If you fail to eliminate a limbless enemy, they might grab onto you before exploding with a kunai, reducing your health. Finishing encounters will restore your health, but excessive damage can cause an irrevocable portion of your health meter, which save points and certain items can help mend. Mastering the art of reading your opponents, blocking, dodging, counter-attacking, and staying mobile, sometimes even throwing shurikens to momentarily stagger threats is essential for success.

In certain locales, the impact of Sigma 2 is noticeable. While Black has more adversaries compared to the original, the difference isn’t as significant as you might expect if you’re new to Ninja Gaiden 2. You may find some encounters with ninjas, dogs, and magic users quite difficult. Moreover, there are instances where you’ve cleared a room only for more enemies to trickle in one at a time. Added to this, the occasional strange respawning, where threats seem to materialize out of nowhere, can be disconcerting.

Occasionally, brief drops in performance could be noticed, particularly in complex scenarios involving numerous adversaries and visual effects running at 1440p resolution. Generally speaking, the PC edition managed to keep a consistent frame rate during most combat situations.

The elevated resilience of the foes remains a factor, although sometimes I didn’t notice it during gameplay. However, there were instances when repeatedly attacking an enemy with complex combos and observing it struggle to stand up left me wondering, “How are you still alive?” On one particular occasion, this resilience even disrupted my plan to Destroy a limbless Monster, resulting in my own demise.

While everyone’s experience might differ, it’s worth noting that the remastered version of Ninja Gaiden 2 doesn’t include some features found in the original game. You won’t find online cooperative play, and popular modes like Ninja Race, Tests of Valor, and Ninja Cinema are absent. However, Tag Mission is still present, though you’ll team up with a Non-Player Character (NPC). Enhancements such as using Essence for weapon upgrades are appreciated, but the game can seem too easy at times due to an abundance of healing items and checkpoints.

As the game progresses, it continues to improve, but the bosses remain just as tough. On the Path of the Warrior, which is equivalent to Hard difficulty, I found that there was a noticeable lack of greater challenge. Although Path of the Mentor and other levels still provide more difficulty, this might not be an issue in this specific case.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’d highly recommend an eighth-generation Core i7 processor, coupled with 16 GB of RAM, and a GTX 1080 graphics card for a smooth 1080p/60 FPS experience with TSR and Standard settings in this game. However, during my personal testing on an 11th generation Core i5, 32 GB RAM, and an RTX 4060, I observed consistently solid 60 FPS performance at both 1080p and 1440p resolutions. At 1080p, the game ran flawlessly at Best Quality, while High Quality was maintained for 1440p. Occasionally, I noticed minor frame rate drops in some larger-scale environments with numerous enemies and special effects, particularly when playing at 1440p. Overall, the PC version of this game delivered a steady frame rate during most battles.

The game’s stunning accuracy in combat, reminiscent of some of the finest hack-and-slash battles, remains impressive even after so many years. It continues to entice players, encouraging them to delve deeper into its complexity and return for more.

The upscaling techniques present a bit of a hit-or-miss situation. I’ve avoided AMD FSR 3 following reports that weren’t particularly impressive. In contrast, Nvidia DLSS in Quality Mode functioned smoothly across both resolutions; however, it appeared incredibly poor in Hayabusa Village, especially with its dense forestry. Adjusting the Sharpness to zero luckily resolved the problem.

TSR performed satisfactorily, but stretching beyond the standard 60 rendering resolution could pose issues. Additionally, there appears to be a glitch where saving TSR as an option isn’t available, which seems unusual. However, the shader compilation process speeds up significantly after the initial boot-up.

Previously mentioned, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black may not be the ultimate version to enjoy the original game, considering the missing content, alterations in Sigma 2, and other factors (and it’s still a substantial $50 investment). Yet, it offers the finest way to engage with Team Ninja’s classic on contemporary systems. Its stunning visuals are complemented by some of the most exhilarating hack-and-slash combat, which remains impressive even after many years, and it will entice you to continually strive for mastery of its intricacies.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

2025-01-28 14:12

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