But even though Ryu’s new mean streak brings along a lot of satisfying blood spatters, there’s something missing in Ninja Gaiden II. Gone are the bosses that break you down to the point where you want to break your controller. Absent are the game over screens that taunted you in the past. From what we’ve seen so far in the early preview build of Ninja Gaiden II, the humiliation of having to wear the dreaded pink bracelet in order to finish the game shouldn’t be an issue if you choose to start on the game’s easier default difficulty level, currently flying under the moniker of ‘Path of the Acolyte.’
Ninja Gaiden’s hardcore difficulty level caused a lot of hair-pulling back in the day so we understand why developer, Team Ninja would want to make the sequel more inclusive. But as gamers, we’re elitists by nature and flying through the game’s first few chapters without even coming close to dying once just didn’t feel right.
For us, Ninja Gaiden’s brutal difficulty level was what kept us coming back for more punishment time and time again. From what we’ve seen so far, the default difficulty in Ninja Gaiden II looks like it’ll usher in a brave noob world, where ninjas can save the day with haphazard button mashing. Using save points now recharges your life meter, which also slowly recharges when there are no enemies on screen. And the enemies themselves are way more of a pushover for the most part.
Above: Ryu will get a bunch of new weapons to help him paint the floors, walls and ceiling with goopy splats of blood
Still, the easier default difficulty level doesn’t look like it’ll be a deal-breaker for fans by any means. The more challenging ‘Path of the Warrior’ mode looks like the difficulty setting all seasoned fans of the series should start on. This mode will give you the Ninja Gaiden experience you were weaned on with enemies that counter your counterattacks and laugh at your pathetic and predictable combos.
So far, Ninja Gaiden II plays great. The fast-paced combo-driven combat still flows well, and the environments are more detailed than ever. It’ll be interesting to see if this 360 exclusive will help bolster 360 sales in Japan. In the meantime, check out the latestscreenshotsand our assorted collection of videos below.
Below: We could tell you about how cool Ryu’s new Falcon Talons are. But it’s better to watch him shred like Wolverine in this exclusive gameplay video
Below:See Ryu deliver some brutal finishers to some stumpy limbless ninja
Below: Check out this sword porn, which shows off the return of the dual katana blades
Apr 7, 2008
