Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Review
Are there a more pert pair of buttocks in all of video gamedom than those belonging to Ryu Hayabusa? Like two smooth boulders covered in latex, Ryu’s glutes have accompanied him on many adventures over the years, mostly involving the deadly ninja hacking, slashing, and dismembering his way through a veritable horde of assassins, ninja-dogs and fiends. First introduced in 1988’s Ninja Gaiden, Ryu has appeared in numerous games since, yet it’s arguably when he went 3D in 2004 that both Ryu and his famous bum cheeks really broke through into the mainstream consciousness.
2008’s Ninja Gaiden II is arguably the best action-adventure in the series history, offering thrills, spills, and gore by the bucketload. So, with Ninja Gaiden 4 revealed for release this year, it’s fitting that the original version of Ninja Gaiden II has received the remake treatment. Now dressed up in stunning Unreal Engine 5 visuals, the game certainly looks the part. Character models are top-notch, the level of details added to a 17-year-old game is something to behold. The speed of the gameplay is lightning fast too, Ryu moving with lighting fluidity at a silky smooth 60fps, packs of enemies exploding in viscera around him.
It’s rather quaint to remember that Ninja Gaiden used to be considered a rock-hard, uber-punishing game. Now, in contrast to the Souls genre, it proves itself to be extremely accessible, and all the better for it. Controls are simple and spectacular, basic inputs resulting in phenomenal screen-shaking combo of attacks. Ryu is a bad-ass, and the game lets him be that bad-ass.
Rather than preoccupying itself with limiting the ninja’s abilities, Team Ninja’s finest is all about unleashing that power. With an extremely generous block to protect you, your main task is managing the space and ensuring Ryu doesn’t become overwhelmed by the multitude of murderous foes he faces in each encounter. That means timing Ultimate Attacks just right, and once you’ve done that, the awesome flurry of
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