In 2008, Ninja Gaiden II was released. It was praised as an instant cult classic, fun, and extremely difficult. Fifteen years later, Ninja Gaiden II returns as a remaster using the Unreal 5 engine in Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. Ninja Gaiden 2 is a testament to the mastery of action-packed, high-octane gameplay that leaves no room for the faint of heart. Does it remain true in this remaster? Let’s find out in our review of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. (By Mgs2master2 – PS5 review and V1RACY – Xbox Series review)
Ninja Gaiden II Black
Platform: Xbox Game Pass / Xbox Series X|S / Microsoft Store / Steam® / PlayStation®5（PS5 Pro Enhanced）(Reviewed on normal PS5 and Xbox series)
Release date: January 23, 2025
Genre: Action
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Developer: Team Ninja
*Special thanks to Koei Tecmo PR for providing PS5 and Xbox Series reviews Key*
The story in Ninja Gaiden II Black is the same as the original title. Ryu Hayabusa, the ultimate ninja, is on a quest to stop the resurrection of the Archfiend, a demonic force threatening the world. The game begins with the Black Spider Ninja Clan stealing the Demon Statue from the Hayabusa Village, triggering a chain of events that leads Ryu into a global battleRyu pursues the villains across a variety of locations, from Tokyo and Venice to the depths of a fiery underworld. Along the way, he battles powerful enemies, including the Black Spider Clan ninjas, demonic fiends, and bosses like Elizébet, the Regent of the Fiends, and Genshin, the leader of the Black Spider Clan. The game’s story is a blend of intense combat and supernatural themes, culminating in Ryu facing the Archfiend itself.
Once you’re in the game, you can feel just how big of a jump forward it is from the previous release. We feel that it’s finally addressed many issues from Sigma. For the uninitiated, Sigma is the PS3 version of Ninja Gaiden 2. This is where they decided to cut down on everything in the game. You know, the blood, the content, the difficulty. It was practically a travesty for those who were used to having all of those elements present in a Ninja Gaiden game. It wasn’t all bad; there were some quality-of-life changes. But on the whole, this new game fixes a multitude of things that we took issue with in Sigma.
The first thing that you’re going to notice is that they’ve entirely changed the UI element. And the second thing that you’re going to notice is the improvements to combat. The game is already so quick and hardcore, but against other games in the genre, this goes even harder, thanks to its difficulty. Making it less like Devil May Cry and more like a Soulsborne game. We felt so much more powerful in this iteration of NG2 than we ever have in any other games in this style. Every move forward seems like you’re slamming on the gas, every strike makes you feel like you mean it, and once you clear a space of baddies in no time flat, you feel like a superhero, this is thanks to moves like the Obliteration Technique. It’s one of the new iterations of the game. We can’t explain the feeling of using it to you, but we highly suggest you play it to feel the power.
The original put down the foundation. This sequel, however, is everything cranked up to 11. It’s like the difference between Alien and Aliens: both are good, but one is superior. This new version of this title especially focuses on brutally bloody action via the fighting. Every attack splashes blood, and the execution moves become vital to fair battles. While it may take time to master, *Ninja Gaiden 2* is nearly flawless once you get the hang of it.
Aside from the large graphical facelift, the developers have not touched the core gameplay for this release of NG2. There are elements throughout, though, where the title does feel a bit long in the tooth. You’ll see as you’re playing that there are oddly placed platforming elements to the game. It feels almost forced in because it’s like you just finished wiping out baddies in one section, and you run off, and then, in the next section, you have to scale elements to get to the next area. This is something where they simply could’ve started you in the next area of the game and broken up the action with a cutscene of him doing the platforming. It just seems like an older gaming mentality to try to break up action with a different game genre. The camera also doesn’t always play nice, so have fun doing the platforming while the camera does its clunky dance.
Now, the Ninja Gaiden elitists may be upset that this new version still has elements of Sigma in it. It’s still without many unlockable costumes. Also, you’re going to miss out on the extra modes (I’m looking at your Survival and Ninja Race!). So that means that there is less to grind to unlock after the game is beaten. That’s not to say there’s zero unlockable, but your time with the game once you’ve beaten it has been reduced. You’ll have to play the modes you’ve got over and again just for the fun of it. And that’s not to say that maybe there won’t be DLC later with the extra content. Maybe they simply had to finish what they could by the day that Koei Tecmo announced the fourth game, coming out later this year.
And despite not having quite so much content as the original PS3 version, we feel that this game is a great place to start if you’re new to it all. This one still has the most action and gore in the series. Many long-time players may prefer the original’s unforgiving difficulty, but we firmly believe that most of you guys who have been with the franchise all along will be pumped to see that Ryu’s still got it and that Koei Tecmo was striving to fix their previous “mistakes” that were tainting Sigma.
This is because,e at its core, *Ninja Gaiden 2* delivers straight to your eyeballs an exhilarating combat system that rewards precision, timing, and creativity with brutality. Ryu wields a range of deadly weapons, such as the iconic Dragon Sword and the Eclipse Scythe, each of them offering distinct playstyles. The Obliteration Technique we mentioned before adds some hellaciously cinematic and brutal flair to the combat along with other abilities you discover along the way. Moves beyond just slashing enemies adds in over-the-top, gory finishes. While the difficulty is relentless and mistakes are costly, the addition of regenerating health between battles provides some relief amidst the chaos. For players who may not enjoy the game’s punishing difficulty, the “Hero play style” introduces automatic support to make the game more accessible. This is an addition that helps make the game a bit more beatable over its original port without being so easy, like Sigma.
Finally, to talk about how great this game looks and sounds–it truly shines not only with its new UI but also with its redesigned and remastered stages and characters. The effects have been upgraded using Unreal Engine 5, offering stunning current-generation graphics. The atmosphere is further enhanced by the immersive audio, where the music, sounds, and voice acting blend seamlessly to create a heightened sense of urgency throughout Ryu’s mission. You truly don’t even notice the music as you’re doing your platforming, and it especially blends in when you’re cutting down swaths of baddies. Between the graphics and audio, you get a cohesive package that is great fun to play through.
Wrap-up/Conclusion:
Despite the occasional camera struggles that were mentioned before (especially at the worst times), the game is a damn classic. It’s hands down a brutal, thrilling action game that demands skill (and patience). It offers one of the most satisfying combat systems in gaming. With the addition of new features and remastered visuals, Koei Tecmo has invited both newcomers and veterans to experience Ryu’s relentless, blood-soaked journey once more.
Score: 8/10 – Ninja Gaiden II Black revitalizes an old classic. However, with that revitalization and new features, some of the old headaches remain. That does not deter from the overall experience, and it is a fantastic time to play.
Purchase Link Steam, Xbox, PlayStation
*Special Thanks again to Koei Tecmo for providing the review key*