You fight Statue of Liberty for shits and giggles, and girls are hot. All a simple man needs in these trying times
This made me really upset. Inevitably, some people will think that this is an accurate representation of the original Ninja Gaiden 2 which is so unfortunate. In a vacuum, Sigma 2 is a decent action title but in the context of the series as a whole, this kinda sucks. The original Ninja Gaiden 2, for all it's faults, did still absolutely succeed in it's attempt to make the most bat-shit insane, challenging, absurd, and intense action game ever. While Sigma 2 does smooth over some of it's faults, it also lacks the direction and intent of the 360 version. On top of that, it makes a few baffling changes that only serve to undermine what it's going for. How unfortunate.
Ninja Gaiden 2, for better and worse, feels like the pure, unfiltered vision of director Tomonobu Itagaki, even moreso than Ninja Gaiden Black. As a point of reference, Ninja Gaiden Black was a game that Itagaki made harder after playtesters complained it was too hard, and that he created the infamous Ghost Fish enemy because he insisted that the developers either take them out or make them into enemies because Ninja Gaiden is an action game.
Ninja Gaiden 2, meanwhile, is best described as the video game version of cocaine, with its intensely fast and visceral combat with many a basic enemy feeling like an insane high, and its less than stellar boss line-up feeling like when you come crashing down from it. When a game running at a framerate beyond that of a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation feels like it was tertiary to the incredibly frenetic combat and making the game just barely toe the line between a great challenge and pure fucking bullshit. Itagaki's influence, for better or worse, was felt in almost every aspect of Ninja Gaiden 2, and is up there with games like The Wonderful 101, Devil May Cry 5 and No More Heroes in terms of action games that purely embody their director and what their games are.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is not Ninja Gaiden 2.
Much like the original Sigma, Itagaki was not back in the director's chair, with Yosuke Hayashi of Sigma 1 and NG Dragon Sword for the DS returning. It also has the same exact life story as its older brother; a PS3 exclusive initially, then got a Vita port for reasons only God knows, and is now the version of NG2 that's been stuffed unto the Master Collection. Although this version comes with the "great" bonus of having its online co-op challenges stripped for some reason. Did you know the removal of that feature also made the Vita version impossible to get the platinum trophy in without hacking? And exactly like its predecessor, Sigma 2 is an incredibly weird sidegrade that adds, subtracts and fucks with a lot of the basic foundation of NG2 and what made it the game it was.
And not everything it does is bad! The game introduces the ability to have the bow out at the same time as the shurikens, which is really nice in a game that still doesn't have full-blown on-the-fly weapon swapping. Also has infinite ammo, but loses its Ultimate Technique, so there's some winning and losing there. Ryu's got a new buster sword weapon, which feels damn good to use and has a lot of satisfying crunch to it. Genshin's second boss battle is actually a straight-up 1v1 without Incendiary Shuriken douchebags like vanilla 2, which is great, and the late-game worm enemies aren't constantly blinking in and out of reality, which is also quite nice.
Sigma 2's absolute best change, however, is the inclusion of a full-blown level select, something I pined for in both Black and Sigma. A great inclusion that I'm shocked took them this long, but Ninja Gaiden finally found itself catching up with... Devil May Cry 2, from 2003. Better late than never, I guess. Original 2 had New Game Plus for the difficulty you finished the current save file on, but you'd still be starting fresh if you wanted to tackle the next difficulty up, and this is only a good thing to go the extra mile to change.
But much akin to Sigma 1, 2 makes numerous structural changes to level design. The small amount of key hunting for progression is outright removed, and either I'm misremembering my time with 2, or some entire sections of levels are cut as a result. Either way, these changes lead to Sigma 2 making for possibly the most linear action game... probably ever. Team Ninja somehow found a way to make Ninja Gaiden 2, a game that was already really linear compared to Black, even more linear than it already was. I'm glad they removed almost all of the game's underwater combat, at least.
But that isn't where issues with Sigma 2 start and stop. The game's enemy count is massively reduced, both in terms of quantity per battle and in terms of enemy types, and the game is massively censored in order to get it released in Germany(?), both massively detracting from the things that make Ninja Gaiden 2 exactly what it is; a gory mess of brutality stuffed to the brim with enemies as lethal as the player. It removes so much of the punch from the satisfying Ultimate and Obliteration Techniques, that allowed Ryu to tear foes apart into gory stains on the floor in a grotesque display of violence and carnage.
In place of the lower enemy numbers, their health gets boosted far more, which also breaks the pace of the game. Ninja Gaiden 2 was a game where you die fast, but you also kill fast. It only made the game even more frantic and enjoyable, even when it was being total bullshit, and now that the very foundations of the core combat are being toyed with, it feels wrong and so, so much worse off as a result. The notorious staircase battle, known for throwing a dizzying amount of enemies at the player all at once and tanking the framerate as a result, is a flaccid joke in Sigma 2, and is just one of numerous examples I actively thought Sigma 2, taking account of both it and NG2's Warrior difficulties, was so much easier of an affair than the original. Not to say NG2 was solely better because it was hard, and it definitely had moments where it went a bit into bullshit territory, but nuking the difficulty to this degree is just too far a step in the opposite direction, to the point the game was actively boring me throughout.
There's a few new bosses, with some outright being replaced. The awful dual-dragon fight gets replaced with a fight against a single, different dragon that isn't too much better, and the terrible worm tunnel, arguably the worst boss in the entire series, is completely gone. But in their place are two fights against a statue of Buddha and the Statue Of Liberty. And they're both the usual "giant boss over a ledge" battle that're stapled onto the end of chapters that already ended with better bosses to go along with them. It's a case of one step forward, and two steps right back. Another thing the game removes is Ryu's ability to use the Windmill and Incendiary Shuriken, for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Is this a trade-off in order to get the big fuck off buster sword or something, because it's only further contributing to the Sigma series' baffling addition-subtraction method.
Much akin to Sigma 1, Rachel returns... and she still isn't too fun to play. Even better, Momiji and Ayane are both playable as well, each getting a single stage that similarly breaks the pace when they pop up in a campaign that wasn't designed with their inclusions in mind. None of them are especially fun and only serve to bloat the campaign in the same way Sigma 1 was bloated by Rachel's 3 stages. Much as I don't care for playing as any of them, I'd at least be more tolerant of the trio if I could just not play them during the main campaign. Having them sit in their own 3-chapter side campaign upon completing the game would be a far more welcome choice, because it wouldn't serve to pad out a game that didn't need this extra content. But alas, that isn't the timeline we live in.
But probably the single biggest complaint I can level with Sigma 2 over the original is its needless change to the upgrade system. In place of the original allowing you to upgrade what you want when you wanted, Sigma 2 now bestows this horrendous limit of only being able to upgrade one weapon at a time, for free, at specific shops throughout the game. This leaves the player with basically zero way to strategize on how to go about spending their currency, since it's now only used to purchase healing items. On top of that, there's an arbitrary cap to the weapon's max level, only allowing you to hit level 3 for each of them at around the second half of the game for zero fucking reason. This upgrade system is dogshit, and has no reason to exist beyond removing player freedom.
And the absolute worst part of it all, the thing that makes me go from simply not liking Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 to outright hating it, is it's seemingly just the version of Ninja Gaiden 2 now. Due no doubt in part to the missing source code of both Ninja Gaiden Black and 2, the Sigma releases are now all we have, which I would hate even if either game was objectively better. But while Sigma 1 is flawed, mostly due to Rachel bogging the pace of the game down, I'd still stand by it being a good way to play Ninja Gaiden Black if you're without an Xbox console. Sigma 2, meanwhile, is almost just Ninja Gaiden 2 in name only, and this has probably given a ton of people the absolute worst idea of what Ninja Gaiden 2 is. It isn't this damage sponge-filled slog with its brutality-focused attacks feeling limp and censored. It's a kinetic, insane shitfest of a game that felt like it was designed with the intention of killing the Xbox 360 you were playing it on as much as it was killing you in game. If you're interested even slightly in Ninja Gaiden, I implore you to consider getting an Xbox One or Series and playing the original version of 2 through there. You can probably find the game physically for the price of a hamburger, so if you're willing to stomach the brunt of purchasing an Xbox One X or Series X, an extra £2 for one of the most batshit loco games of all time shouldn't hurt your wallet too much.
Were it in a vacuum, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 might be fine. But it's not in a vacuum. It's in a world where Ninja Gaiden 2 exists, is directly comparable, and is a much better game in just about every way.
Sigma fucking balls.
Ninja Gaiden 2, meanwhile, is best described as the video game version of cocaine, with its intensely fast and visceral combat with many a basic enemy feeling like an insane high, and its less than stellar boss line-up feeling like when you come crashing down from it. When a game running at a framerate beyond that of a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation feels like it was tertiary to the incredibly frenetic combat and making the game just barely toe the line between a great challenge and pure fucking bullshit. Itagaki's influence, for better or worse, was felt in almost every aspect of Ninja Gaiden 2, and is up there with games like The Wonderful 101, Devil May Cry 5 and No More Heroes in terms of action games that purely embody their director and what their games are.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is not Ninja Gaiden 2.
Much like the original Sigma, Itagaki was not back in the director's chair, with Yosuke Hayashi of Sigma 1 and NG Dragon Sword for the DS returning. It also has the same exact life story as its older brother; a PS3 exclusive initially, then got a Vita port for reasons only God knows, and is now the version of NG2 that's been stuffed unto the Master Collection. Although this version comes with the "great" bonus of having its online co-op challenges stripped for some reason. Did you know the removal of that feature also made the Vita version impossible to get the platinum trophy in without hacking? And exactly like its predecessor, Sigma 2 is an incredibly weird sidegrade that adds, subtracts and fucks with a lot of the basic foundation of NG2 and what made it the game it was.
And not everything it does is bad! The game introduces the ability to have the bow out at the same time as the shurikens, which is really nice in a game that still doesn't have full-blown on-the-fly weapon swapping. Also has infinite ammo, but loses its Ultimate Technique, so there's some winning and losing there. Ryu's got a new buster sword weapon, which feels damn good to use and has a lot of satisfying crunch to it. Genshin's second boss battle is actually a straight-up 1v1 without Incendiary Shuriken douchebags like vanilla 2, which is great, and the late-game worm enemies aren't constantly blinking in and out of reality, which is also quite nice.
Sigma 2's absolute best change, however, is the inclusion of a full-blown level select, something I pined for in both Black and Sigma. A great inclusion that I'm shocked took them this long, but Ninja Gaiden finally found itself catching up with... Devil May Cry 2, from 2003. Better late than never, I guess. Original 2 had New Game Plus for the difficulty you finished the current save file on, but you'd still be starting fresh if you wanted to tackle the next difficulty up, and this is only a good thing to go the extra mile to change.
But much akin to Sigma 1, 2 makes numerous structural changes to level design. The small amount of key hunting for progression is outright removed, and either I'm misremembering my time with 2, or some entire sections of levels are cut as a result. Either way, these changes lead to Sigma 2 making for possibly the most linear action game... probably ever. Team Ninja somehow found a way to make Ninja Gaiden 2, a game that was already really linear compared to Black, even more linear than it already was. I'm glad they removed almost all of the game's underwater combat, at least.
But that isn't where issues with Sigma 2 start and stop. The game's enemy count is massively reduced, both in terms of quantity per battle and in terms of enemy types, and the game is massively censored in order to get it released in Germany(?), both massively detracting from the things that make Ninja Gaiden 2 exactly what it is; a gory mess of brutality stuffed to the brim with enemies as lethal as the player. It removes so much of the punch from the satisfying Ultimate and Obliteration Techniques, that allowed Ryu to tear foes apart into gory stains on the floor in a grotesque display of violence and carnage.
In place of the lower enemy numbers, their health gets boosted far more, which also breaks the pace of the game. Ninja Gaiden 2 was a game where you die fast, but you also kill fast. It only made the game even more frantic and enjoyable, even when it was being total bullshit, and now that the very foundations of the core combat are being toyed with, it feels wrong and so, so much worse off as a result. The notorious staircase battle, known for throwing a dizzying amount of enemies at the player all at once and tanking the framerate as a result, is a flaccid joke in Sigma 2, and is just one of numerous examples I actively thought Sigma 2, taking account of both it and NG2's Warrior difficulties, was so much easier of an affair than the original. Not to say NG2 was solely better because it was hard, and it definitely had moments where it went a bit into bullshit territory, but nuking the difficulty to this degree is just too far a step in the opposite direction, to the point the game was actively boring me throughout.
There's a few new bosses, with some outright being replaced. The awful dual-dragon fight gets replaced with a fight against a single, different dragon that isn't too much better, and the terrible worm tunnel, arguably the worst boss in the entire series, is completely gone. But in their place are two fights against a statue of Buddha and the Statue Of Liberty. And they're both the usual "giant boss over a ledge" battle that're stapled onto the end of chapters that already ended with better bosses to go along with them. It's a case of one step forward, and two steps right back. Another thing the game removes is Ryu's ability to use the Windmill and Incendiary Shuriken, for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Is this a trade-off in order to get the big fuck off buster sword or something, because it's only further contributing to the Sigma series' baffling addition-subtraction method.
Much akin to Sigma 1, Rachel returns... and she still isn't too fun to play. Even better, Momiji and Ayane are both playable as well, each getting a single stage that similarly breaks the pace when they pop up in a campaign that wasn't designed with their inclusions in mind. None of them are especially fun and only serve to bloat the campaign in the same way Sigma 1 was bloated by Rachel's 3 stages. Much as I don't care for playing as any of them, I'd at least be more tolerant of the trio if I could just not play them during the main campaign. Having them sit in their own 3-chapter side campaign upon completing the game would be a far more welcome choice, because it wouldn't serve to pad out a game that didn't need this extra content. But alas, that isn't the timeline we live in.
But probably the single biggest complaint I can level with Sigma 2 over the original is its needless change to the upgrade system. In place of the original allowing you to upgrade what you want when you wanted, Sigma 2 now bestows this horrendous limit of only being able to upgrade one weapon at a time, for free, at specific shops throughout the game. This leaves the player with basically zero way to strategize on how to go about spending their currency, since it's now only used to purchase healing items. On top of that, there's an arbitrary cap to the weapon's max level, only allowing you to hit level 3 for each of them at around the second half of the game for zero fucking reason. This upgrade system is dogshit, and has no reason to exist beyond removing player freedom.
And the absolute worst part of it all, the thing that makes me go from simply not liking Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 to outright hating it, is it's seemingly just the version of Ninja Gaiden 2 now. Due no doubt in part to the missing source code of both Ninja Gaiden Black and 2, the Sigma releases are now all we have, which I would hate even if either game was objectively better. But while Sigma 1 is flawed, mostly due to Rachel bogging the pace of the game down, I'd still stand by it being a good way to play Ninja Gaiden Black if you're without an Xbox console. Sigma 2, meanwhile, is almost just Ninja Gaiden 2 in name only, and this has probably given a ton of people the absolute worst idea of what Ninja Gaiden 2 is. It isn't this damage sponge-filled slog with its brutality-focused attacks feeling limp and censored. It's a kinetic, insane shitfest of a game that felt like it was designed with the intention of killing the Xbox 360 you were playing it on as much as it was killing you in game. If you're interested even slightly in Ninja Gaiden, I implore you to consider getting an Xbox One or Series and playing the original version of 2 through there. You can probably find the game physically for the price of a hamburger, so if you're willing to stomach the brunt of purchasing an Xbox One X or Series X, an extra £2 for one of the most batshit loco games of all time shouldn't hurt your wallet too much.
Were it in a vacuum, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 might be fine. But it's not in a vacuum. It's in a world where Ninja Gaiden 2 exists, is directly comparable, and is a much better game in just about every way.
Sigma fucking balls.
i finished the game with more than 100k of yellow essence. i don't know if it's because it's the easiest action game in history in "normal" mode (actually warrior is supposed to be the hard mode lol) and so most of the time i wasn't using healing items (so i was saving a LOT of money)
...or if it's because Ryu is contributing to Muramasa's pyramid scheme. either way, i don't know if i'm proud or disappointed that i didn't die a single fucking time in this game.
(btw, if you have the chance, play the original version. it's one of the best games of all time, stuck on X360. unless you have a modern xbox. retrocompabitility is the way.)
...or if it's because Ryu is contributing to Muramasa's pyramid scheme. either way, i don't know if i'm proud or disappointed that i didn't die a single fucking time in this game.
(btw, if you have the chance, play the original version. it's one of the best games of all time, stuck on X360. unless you have a modern xbox. retrocompabitility is the way.)
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is not a perfect H&S game like DmC or Bayonetta but want to play a new H&S game you can play with peace of mind
Protoganist Ryu Hayabusa has a lot of different weapons and each weapon has different animations so gameplay never felt boring but game hasnt sufficient variety of enemy and all bosses are bad because they never stop the attack nevertheless somehow you are defeating the boss
Protoganist Ryu Hayabusa has a lot of different weapons and each weapon has different animations so gameplay never felt boring but game hasnt sufficient variety of enemy and all bosses are bad because they never stop the attack nevertheless somehow you are defeating the boss
I recommend downloading Sigma 2 Black mod for this one. It combines the best part of Original 2 and the better systematic features of the Sigma version.
this game, on its own, is a watered down port of Ninja Gaiden 2, but with some great quality of life updates like not having to go to the chapter screen every time you die, and extreme performance/framerate increases, a new weapon, and a cool mode in Ninja race. but the increased health of enemies and less enemies per encounter just makes fight feel significantly less fun, since what used to be a game of thrillingly dodging between tons of enemies as you cut through them turned into dodging two enemies and slowly hitting them until you got a lucky dismemberment
then enter the mod Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Black, and the game becomes perfect, essentially just removes the bad of Sigma while keeping the positives. it reduces enemy health, appropriately adjusts damage and makes dismemberment feel like it did in the original. and because its on PC, you don't have to worry about the insane enemy counts resulting in the game starting to lag, you keep the quality of life updates and extra gamemodes, and you get the new weapon which is one of my favorites in the game.
if you loved Ninja Gaiden 2, this modded version is a must play, and the only real way to play the master edition on PC as far as I'm concerned, even worth its price tag. god tier game
then enter the mod Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Black, and the game becomes perfect, essentially just removes the bad of Sigma while keeping the positives. it reduces enemy health, appropriately adjusts damage and makes dismemberment feel like it did in the original. and because its on PC, you don't have to worry about the insane enemy counts resulting in the game starting to lag, you keep the quality of life updates and extra gamemodes, and you get the new weapon which is one of my favorites in the game.
if you loved Ninja Gaiden 2, this modded version is a must play, and the only real way to play the master edition on PC as far as I'm concerned, even worth its price tag. god tier game
Hey what if we made a really great game into a bad one
It says a lot to how fucking crazy Ninja Gaiden II is that someone new to the series could go from Sigma 1 to Sigma 2 and think, "Damn this game is way more bananas than NG1."
It's still NG so I can still have fun with it, but wow the shop system is so bad. Legitimately what were they thinking. Hayashi seems like a good producer but a lot of bosses that get through on games he directs are just bizarrely bad (Gamov, Statue of Liberty) and yeah, the twin armadillos are really stupid in NGII but they at least have more going on than "attack the hands of a big thing" boss fight.
If this is the only way you can play NG2, yeah it's not bad. If you have an Xbox One, NGII actually runs well on it and can be found at most game stores for about 13 bucks.
It's still NG so I can still have fun with it, but wow the shop system is so bad. Legitimately what were they thinking. Hayashi seems like a good producer but a lot of bosses that get through on games he directs are just bizarrely bad (Gamov, Statue of Liberty) and yeah, the twin armadillos are really stupid in NGII but they at least have more going on than "attack the hands of a big thing" boss fight.
If this is the only way you can play NG2, yeah it's not bad. If you have an Xbox One, NGII actually runs well on it and can be found at most game stores for about 13 bucks.
watched a friend of mine breeze through the first three chapters, taking only chip damage from alexei's infamous grab (he only grabbed once btw, no chains) and say "do people really call ninja gaiden 2 hard?" and that's all you need to know about this version
en su esencia sigue teniendo las virtudes del original, pero adolece de una censura y simplificación general que llega a ser insultante
A hack n' slash that is definitely worth playing, even if it has a few downgrades from the original, 5/5
mashing mess of a video game, alot of people seem to like the original non sigma one over this, so i might have to try it, because i do see the vision
everything is better, Literally everything better than Sigma 1
Except the camera, it becomes worse.
Except the camera, it becomes worse.
As a massive modern Ninja Gaiden fan and a action game player I knew the Sigma games were downgrades from the original releases, but when I finally tried Sigma 2 I was very pleasantly surprised I enjoyed it way more than the OG. Yes you are missing the metric tons of gore, but you get new missions, new characters and a much more fairer difficulty curve for the player. Since the vanilla release really had no consideration for the player. Sigma 2 really feels like a video game made for people in mind. Despite the lack of gore and the reputation the game has, it's still a wonderful action game for people to enjoy!
one of the worst ports/remasters i have ever played. They changed and added so many unnecessary things it's insane. like removing charging bow and adding stupid bosses, stages which i think boring. They even changed game's weapon upgrade system and disbalanced whole shop. They removed gore and there are slightly less enemys too due to the ps3. The original ng2 was challenging and hard but sigma 2 feels like child's play. There are so many things to criticize but the game's core gameplay is in there so controlling Ryu is still fast, enjoyable and felt badass.
May as well open with this world-shattering opinion: No, I don't think this game is better than Ninja Gaiden Black. Of course, it would be difficult to improve on near-perfection without just doing it again, so I can understand why they'd go in a different direction gameplay-wise. It's still got "Ninja Gaiden" intertwined in its DNA. Enemies are relentless and will rip Ryu a new one if you hesitate for even a few seconds. The big difference is that in NGB, understanding Ryu's moveset and reacting accordingly could get you out of any situation. In NGS2, I felt like my playstyle revolved entirely around vaguely calculated button-mashing. It has its own appeal (it's almost as cathartic as a musou game on lower difficulties), but it tends to lack the deliberate action of NGB.
A lot of the game's additions and changes are good in a vacuum, but often clash with each other in practice. The most notable of these are limb dismemberment and obliteration techniques. While slicing and dicing your enemies, there's a chance one or more of their limbs may come off. You'd think this would put them at a disadvantage, but it's actually quite the opposite; they become the biggest threat in your vicinity. Turns out these motherfuckers will do literally anything to make sure Ryu is taken down, even grabbing onto him with their last ounce of life for a kamikaze attempt. This is where obliteration techniques come in handy. All Ryu has to do is use a heavy attack in the vicinity of a dismembered enemy, and he'll execute them in a single stylish blow. This helps a ton since enemies always show up in crowds of 5-6, and are packing much larger health pools than usual. The new gameplay loop is basically dismember->obliterate->charge essence->ultimate attack->repeat. Outside of normal fights, all bosses died within 30-60 seconds (this may or may not be because I insisted on using Enma's Fang, the greatsword weapon).
The other mechanics that bear discussion are your health meter, save points, and the shop. Ryu's health refills automatically once he's out of combat, but only to a certain extent. As you take damage, you'll accumulate a portion known as "lasting damage", which will only heal via blue essences, one of the game's two healing item types, and hitting a save point for the first time. Save points provide a single-use health refill at every single one. I feel like the value of these is diminished by how linear the stages actually are. It never felt like I was too far away from a full refill, and tended to use my items sparingly. You can only carry three of each health item now, a limitation that was probably put in place due to the addition of a quick-select on the dpad. Lastly, there's the shop, which comes in two varieties: with/without blacksmith. For some reason, weapon upgrades don't cost money in this game. You just get to pick one upgrade per blacksmith shop. This means you can spend the rest of your yellow essence on healing items, and since your supply is already strictly limited, you can treat shops like yet another full health refill. I had way more essence than I knew what to do with by the end of the game because I had almost nothing to spend it on.
NGS2's ridiculous plot could give a Platinum Games title a run for its money. A sacred artifact is stolen from Ryu's village, and in order to stop the awakening of the Archfiend, Ryu must go on a globe-trotting adventure to take down the four Greater Fiends. It sounds simple on paper, but so much dumb shit happens in this game, it's like a cheesy action flick. There is a point in this game where you fight the Statue of Liberty, and it fucking rules. The biggest afterthought in the story has to be Sophia. Aside from being a CIA agent who deus-ex-machinas Ryu to his next destination, she doesn't do a whole lot in the story. In fact, she spends the last chapter or two of the game turned into a sexy prisoner. Very tasteful. In between chapters where Ryu takes down a Greater Fiend, you'll play an intermission chapter as one of Ninja Gaiden/DOA's lovely ladies. I will never understand for the life of me why they cram these in between Ryu's chapters, and not just let you play them standalone outside of his campaign. They only serve to break up the pacing of what little cohesion Ryu's story has. On the bright side, I have a soft spot for playing as shrine maiden Momiji and kunoichi Ayane. I will never understand how to play as fiend hunter Rachel, but I do at least like how they gave her a heavy machine gun. Real missed opportunity not letting me play as Sophia though, just blasting everything with an RPG.
I feel like NGS2 tends to cover up a lot of its shortcomings by using excessive amounts of spectacle. Performing an ultimate/obliteration technique zooms in for a fancy closeup of Ryu's technique. I say this in every god damn review I make of a Team Ninja title, but they know a thing or two about pumping out shiny graphics at a silky-smooth 60 FPS, and this game is no different.
The last thing to mention is Team Missions, this game's version of Ninja Trials. They're meant to be tackled co-operatively with a partner, which honestly sounds like a blast. Seeing as the online is basically dead though, you can still play with an AI (they won't be able to carry you through the harder fights though). You also unlock Chapter Challenge after beating the game, a way to replay any chapter of the game with the Karma scoring system turned on. You can also choose to play as any character in both these modes, which is a really cool extra.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is a different kind of fun. It's what I would describe as "junk food" fun. It's nowhere near as tightly designed as NGB, but I can't stop playing it regardless. Maybe one day I can wrangle someone who's willing to play the online mode with me. Now I only have the infamous third game ahead of me...
A lot of the game's additions and changes are good in a vacuum, but often clash with each other in practice. The most notable of these are limb dismemberment and obliteration techniques. While slicing and dicing your enemies, there's a chance one or more of their limbs may come off. You'd think this would put them at a disadvantage, but it's actually quite the opposite; they become the biggest threat in your vicinity. Turns out these motherfuckers will do literally anything to make sure Ryu is taken down, even grabbing onto him with their last ounce of life for a kamikaze attempt. This is where obliteration techniques come in handy. All Ryu has to do is use a heavy attack in the vicinity of a dismembered enemy, and he'll execute them in a single stylish blow. This helps a ton since enemies always show up in crowds of 5-6, and are packing much larger health pools than usual. The new gameplay loop is basically dismember->obliterate->charge essence->ultimate attack->repeat. Outside of normal fights, all bosses died within 30-60 seconds (this may or may not be because I insisted on using Enma's Fang, the greatsword weapon).
The other mechanics that bear discussion are your health meter, save points, and the shop. Ryu's health refills automatically once he's out of combat, but only to a certain extent. As you take damage, you'll accumulate a portion known as "lasting damage", which will only heal via blue essences, one of the game's two healing item types, and hitting a save point for the first time. Save points provide a single-use health refill at every single one. I feel like the value of these is diminished by how linear the stages actually are. It never felt like I was too far away from a full refill, and tended to use my items sparingly. You can only carry three of each health item now, a limitation that was probably put in place due to the addition of a quick-select on the dpad. Lastly, there's the shop, which comes in two varieties: with/without blacksmith. For some reason, weapon upgrades don't cost money in this game. You just get to pick one upgrade per blacksmith shop. This means you can spend the rest of your yellow essence on healing items, and since your supply is already strictly limited, you can treat shops like yet another full health refill. I had way more essence than I knew what to do with by the end of the game because I had almost nothing to spend it on.
NGS2's ridiculous plot could give a Platinum Games title a run for its money. A sacred artifact is stolen from Ryu's village, and in order to stop the awakening of the Archfiend, Ryu must go on a globe-trotting adventure to take down the four Greater Fiends. It sounds simple on paper, but so much dumb shit happens in this game, it's like a cheesy action flick. There is a point in this game where you fight the Statue of Liberty, and it fucking rules. The biggest afterthought in the story has to be Sophia. Aside from being a CIA agent who deus-ex-machinas Ryu to his next destination, she doesn't do a whole lot in the story. In fact, she spends the last chapter or two of the game turned into a sexy prisoner. Very tasteful. In between chapters where Ryu takes down a Greater Fiend, you'll play an intermission chapter as one of Ninja Gaiden/DOA's lovely ladies. I will never understand for the life of me why they cram these in between Ryu's chapters, and not just let you play them standalone outside of his campaign. They only serve to break up the pacing of what little cohesion Ryu's story has. On the bright side, I have a soft spot for playing as shrine maiden Momiji and kunoichi Ayane. I will never understand how to play as fiend hunter Rachel, but I do at least like how they gave her a heavy machine gun. Real missed opportunity not letting me play as Sophia though, just blasting everything with an RPG.
I feel like NGS2 tends to cover up a lot of its shortcomings by using excessive amounts of spectacle. Performing an ultimate/obliteration technique zooms in for a fancy closeup of Ryu's technique. I say this in every god damn review I make of a Team Ninja title, but they know a thing or two about pumping out shiny graphics at a silky-smooth 60 FPS, and this game is no different.
The last thing to mention is Team Missions, this game's version of Ninja Trials. They're meant to be tackled co-operatively with a partner, which honestly sounds like a blast. Seeing as the online is basically dead though, you can still play with an AI (they won't be able to carry you through the harder fights though). You also unlock Chapter Challenge after beating the game, a way to replay any chapter of the game with the Karma scoring system turned on. You can also choose to play as any character in both these modes, which is a really cool extra.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is a different kind of fun. It's what I would describe as "junk food" fun. It's nowhere near as tightly designed as NGB, but I can't stop playing it regardless. Maybe one day I can wrangle someone who's willing to play the online mode with me. Now I only have the infamous third game ahead of me...
ligma 2
Ninja Gaiden 2 happens to be one of my favorite games period now when Tecmo koei announced that there would be an updated version on PS3 I got really excited.
And then I actually played and well I don't think they could fuck it up harder if they tried
There are less enemies in Sigma 2 but the trade off is they have waaaaaaaay more health and their grabs do insane fucking damage. Bosses range from absolute pussies to one grab and you die.
difficulty is also massively lowered across the board and any semblance of challenge is robbed from you the second you get Sigma 2's exclusive new weapon Enma's fang a great sword with absurd damage and an insane UT with massive damage and invincibility out the ass.
Some stages are considerably cutdown due to the removal of keys to open doors which is fucking stupid and makes this even more linear than it already is.
the infamous stair encounter which is usually a highlight of the game is a pathetic affair in this version where there are barely 5 enemies on screen as opposed to the absolute madness that occurs on the original version. chapter 14 (11 in the original) is an absolute joke instead of an all out brawl in the village to get to mount Fuji it's instead a brisk jog with like 2 enemies throughout the entire damn stage.
these are just a few examples of the shit this version pulls.
Now this one is just more of a nitpick rather than a serious dealbreaker issue but what the hell is up with removing the blood and having it be purple mist instead? it fucking sucks and makes attacks have less of an impact.
to add more fuel to this dumpster fire in the new collection some moves just flatout don't work which is just bizarre but be wary of that if you are buying that collection I guess.
In short fuck this version go play the Xbox 360 version if you can (preferably on one of the new consoles since it runs good there)
And then I actually played and well I don't think they could fuck it up harder if they tried
There are less enemies in Sigma 2 but the trade off is they have waaaaaaaay more health and their grabs do insane fucking damage. Bosses range from absolute pussies to one grab and you die.
difficulty is also massively lowered across the board and any semblance of challenge is robbed from you the second you get Sigma 2's exclusive new weapon Enma's fang a great sword with absurd damage and an insane UT with massive damage and invincibility out the ass.
Some stages are considerably cutdown due to the removal of keys to open doors which is fucking stupid and makes this even more linear than it already is.
the infamous stair encounter which is usually a highlight of the game is a pathetic affair in this version where there are barely 5 enemies on screen as opposed to the absolute madness that occurs on the original version. chapter 14 (11 in the original) is an absolute joke instead of an all out brawl in the village to get to mount Fuji it's instead a brisk jog with like 2 enemies throughout the entire damn stage.
these are just a few examples of the shit this version pulls.
Now this one is just more of a nitpick rather than a serious dealbreaker issue but what the hell is up with removing the blood and having it be purple mist instead? it fucking sucks and makes attacks have less of an impact.
to add more fuel to this dumpster fire in the new collection some moves just flatout don't work which is just bizarre but be wary of that if you are buying that collection I guess.
In short fuck this version go play the Xbox 360 version if you can (preferably on one of the new consoles since it runs good there)
Boring and why do I have to play as three different women for three different chapters?
This is the best example of shitting on someone's creation completely, and the funny thing is the way they rebalanced the game is even less of a challenge compared to the original game's difficulties (I played on very hard and it felt like I was playing normal), and Master Ninja is basically one shots out of the ass so good luck having fun with that.
Overall I cannot recommend this to anyone who is interested in Ninja Gaiden 2, it's basically an hollow husk of what it used to be
This is the best example of shitting on someone's creation completely, and the funny thing is the way they rebalanced the game is even less of a challenge compared to the original game's difficulties (I played on very hard and it felt like I was playing normal), and Master Ninja is basically one shots out of the ass so good luck having fun with that.
Overall I cannot recommend this to anyone who is interested in Ninja Gaiden 2, it's basically an hollow husk of what it used to be
The nearly perfect Ninja Gaiden experience. Sure, the gore is missing, and the missions as Momiji and Rachel aren’t great, but when you’re playing as Ryu, this is the ideal that all the future ninja gaiden entries should aspire to. Fast paced combat against ruthless enemies, the essence system allowing you to control when you can unleash your ultimate techniques, and an arsenal of well-balanced weapons that allow skilled players to decimate foes.
A lot of complaints are made of the reduced enemy count, but I feel that change is actually a strength, here. Hordes of enemies aren’t terribly interesting, especially when it’s clear which ones are actively fighting you and which ones are just hanging around near the edges of the fight, their AI in a sort of passive mode. Sigma 2’s philosophy of reducing enemy count but increasing enemy aggression and lethality is one I can respect, as it gives the player the impression that each enemy really is a ninja or fiend, not some hapless mook that exists purely to be slaughtered. If you’re not constantly on top of your game in the higher difficulties, enemies will make quick work of you, just as you do to them. And that is how it should be. Character action games in general are best served when your life is balanced on the edge of a blade. Otherwise it becomes an experience more akin to dynasty warriors. Which just isn’t as engaging.
A lot of complaints are made of the reduced enemy count, but I feel that change is actually a strength, here. Hordes of enemies aren’t terribly interesting, especially when it’s clear which ones are actively fighting you and which ones are just hanging around near the edges of the fight, their AI in a sort of passive mode. Sigma 2’s philosophy of reducing enemy count but increasing enemy aggression and lethality is one I can respect, as it gives the player the impression that each enemy really is a ninja or fiend, not some hapless mook that exists purely to be slaughtered. If you’re not constantly on top of your game in the higher difficulties, enemies will make quick work of you, just as you do to them. And that is how it should be. Character action games in general are best served when your life is balanced on the edge of a blade. Otherwise it becomes an experience more akin to dynasty warriors. Which just isn’t as engaging.
Just... horribly boring.
The game totally ruins the DNA and the purpose of the original version.
First of all, why the stupid blood censorship? (they didn't hesitated to add sixaxis on girls chests, hmpf, double standards)
Secondly, there are barely any enemies in the game. The number is so toned down, it gets boring, because the gameplay of Ryu isn't meant for such small numbers.
As a counterpart, they increased the enemy's health and the damage they deal (a one shot from a grab?!). Amazing game design from them, wow.
Also, the game completely ruins the flow of the gameplay by forcing you to play Rachel and Momiji, such forgettable parts. Ayane is decent at least.
Anyway, the added features doesn't totally save the removed ones. If you have an xbox360 or higher at hand, do the original instead. It's totally crazy
The game totally ruins the DNA and the purpose of the original version.
First of all, why the stupid blood censorship? (they didn't hesitated to add sixaxis on girls chests, hmpf, double standards)
Secondly, there are barely any enemies in the game. The number is so toned down, it gets boring, because the gameplay of Ryu isn't meant for such small numbers.
As a counterpart, they increased the enemy's health and the damage they deal (a one shot from a grab?!). Amazing game design from them, wow.
Also, the game completely ruins the flow of the gameplay by forcing you to play Rachel and Momiji, such forgettable parts. Ayane is decent at least.
Anyway, the added features doesn't totally save the removed ones. If you have an xbox360 or higher at hand, do the original instead. It's totally crazy
Boss gigante só é bom em monster hunter e sotc
Um jogo medíocre, feito pra tirar dinheiro de quem não teve a oportunidade de zerar a versão original de Xbox 360, aqui poucas coisas são realmente melhores que a versão de Xbox. Zerei no Very Hard e senti que jogava no normal, tirando alguns inimigos pro final do jogo e alguns bosses, tudo era fácil demais, não se compara nem de perto à sua versão original. Adicionaram alguns bosses que são fáceis de decifrar e matar e retiraram outros bosses e áreas. A gameplay é piorada, não notei isso na primeira vez, mas ao longo do jogo percebi que várias vezes comandos não funcionavam quando eu queria e o dinamismo que tinha na versão anterior desapareceu, mas ainda assim é MUITO divertido sair fatiando geral e descobrir combos novos graças a ENORME variação de armamento. Melhoraram alguns mapeamentos de botões, mas isso não o deixou melhor de fato, apenas "okay". Adicionaram a Rachel, Momiji e Ayane como jogáveis, sendo que a Ayane é a única que vale realmente a pena já que as outras duas são EXTREMAMENTE lerdas nos ataques, uma verdadeira decepção. Recomendo esse game se você ama Hack'n Slash como eu, mas se tiver a oportunidade jogue a versão de Xbox 360.
Por cada mejora a NG2 hay también una cagada. Por ej. las flechas son infinitas pero sin ataque cargado y el nuevo espadon es genial, pero quitaron el shuriken gigante. Se supone compensaron la disminución de enemigos haciéndoles más resistentes, pero no se nota (el juego es mucho más fácil, recomiendo modo difícil). Al menos arreglaron lo bullshit que varios bosses eran. Momiji y Ayane están ok pero Rachel sigue siendo basura (además se siguen sintiendo como una interrupción a Ryu).
lots of things done better compared to sigma 1, namely combat mechanics and speed. big complaints are losing the level exploration of sigma 1 and a big drop in difficulty. i felt accomplished getting out of fights in sigma 1 and in sigma 2 i feel like i sidestep a boss and rip half their health bar for free. but like other than that, great time.
Combat is still sick, if you play it on normal. Anything above that start to makes the game less engaging and fun with how tanky enemies get.
Enjoyed this one a little bit better than the first (couldn't get past level 2 again in the 360 version back in the day). It's a more linear experience but still fun as hell. Who would've thought something as simple as adding executions would give the gameplay an insane sense of fluidity in combat? May feel draggy but the story is fun and engaging, progression system is simple and it incentivizes experimenting with the wide array of weapons since now I realize everyone has an specific purpose and combining them in combat reaps its rewards.
Feels really watered down and boring to play compared to original ninja gaiden 2 .Haven't played the black mod but l think just buying a new xbox and playing 2 that way would be a much better investment in my time.
People will complain that the original is better but most players dont own a 360 and will play this version. I havent played the original but from what ive heard, it just kinda sounds like people are mad that the game isnt absolute horseshit like it used to be. I had a great time with this game. Me personally, i like fair but challenging games and not bullshit haha fuck you games. Some of the complaints like less enemies that are tankier confuse me a bit. Action games are typically more fun when you arent swarmed by tons of dudes, if i wanted that, id play a musou game. The gore got taken out which sucks, and the levels where you arent ryu arent as fun but otherwise this is probably the new definitive way to play this game. The old one is console locked and will probably never see the light of day again.