Ninja Gaiden II -Xbox360- 7

March 2, 2025

This past week, I finally played through Ninja Gaiden II for the Xbox360, beating the game on Path of the Acolyte mode. There have been other versions of the game that came out later (2009’s Sigma 2 and 2025’s Black 2), but I decided to play the vanilla version that released back in 2008. Following the masterpiece that was 2004’s Ninja Gaiden (as well as its amazing Black update in 2005), I had high hopes for this sequel. While flawed and uneven, NG2 still proved to be a competent action title with exquisite combat and some fearsome foes to fight, despite also having some frustrations and disappointments.

The throw-away plot of NG2 begins with Ryu Hyabusa chasing after the Black Spider Clan to rescue the damsel in distress and retrieve some demon statue. The cutscenes are just an excuse to string together the real draw of NG2, and that is the swordplay you perform against the endless hordes of bad guys. NG2 retains the outstanding fighting system and razor sharp controls of the previous NG, but adds in the ability to dismember limbs from your opponents, leaving them still alive to attack until you finish them off. The extra blood and gore adds even more to the visceral impact of the already brutal combat.

Unfortunately, NG2’s otherwise superb gameplay is compromised by some pesky technical issues and problematic design choices. Many of the areas feel cramped and enclosed, and the camera makes matters worse. The developers foolishly chose to close the camera in and lower the angle. You have to constantly fight with the camera stick about as much as you fight with the enemies themselves, and it can be difficult to see exactly what’s going on. I learned to get used to NG2’s camera after a while, but it is a big step down from the first NG’s camera.

The quality of NG2 varies throughout the 14 chapters. Some segments are really cool, such as Chapter 7, which takes place aboard a flying airplane, and has plenty of great encounters that showcase the incredible fighting mechanics beautifully. However, there are also some parts in the campaign that are just unfair and not fun. Certain areas of NG2 are littered with cheap shots from enemy projectiles that you simply cannot see coming. Snipers will spam their bow&arrows or rocket launchers from afar, and it gets extremely frustrating. You will have to deal with bits of this throughout the whole game, but it becomes especially bad in chapters 8 and 9.

NG2’s boss battles can be hit-or-miss. The Metal Fish from Chapter 3, Water Dragon from Chapter 5, and Worm boss from chapter 9 were really weak and lame. That’s not the case with all of the bosses, though. The showdowns with Elizabet, Alexei, and Genshin were cool. And most of the late-game boss battles require skill and mastery of the controls to beat, giving the game a much appreciated upswing towards the end.

After the utter perfection of NG1, it’s a shame that NG2 is hampered by the faulty camera and inconsistent quality. There are even the occasional instances of slowdown, getting especially horrendous in chapter 10. NG2 must have been slightly rushed through development after the success of the first one. Team Ninja had created the finest 3D swordplay around with NG1, and that brilliant combat system is still here. Landing devastating combos with the badass selection of weapons is pure bliss. That is the Ninja Gaiden we know and love, giving me the test of tight reflexes and martial art skills that I was craving. NG2 is indeed a mixed bag. In the end, it is a good game overall, even if it does not quite meet the standards set by the series before. I rate NG2 a 7 out of ten.