Ninja Gaiden 2 Black shadow launched for consoles, PC and Game Pass
Team Ninja didn’t just rock up with one announcement, but two! In addition to the reveal of Ninja Gaiden 4 at the Xbox Developer Direct showcase, they also announced and shadow-launched Ninja Gaiden 2 Black across consoles, PC and Xbox Game Pass.
This is an Unreal Engine remaster of Ninja Gaiden 2, the 2008 Xbox 360 exclusive.
Writing on the Xbox Wire blog, Fumihiko Yasuda, Head of Team Ninja explained the reason for this remake, “The biggest reason for developing NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black was to address the concerns of core fans who might be wondering, ‘What’s going to happen to Ryu Hayabusa?’ We also wanted to give players something to enjoy as they wait for the release of NINJA GAIDEN 4. We chose NINJA GAIDEN 2 because it stands as one of the most solid action games in the series. We added ‘Black’ to the title to signal to fans that this is the definitive version, much like NINJA GAIDEN Black was for the first game.”
We can unpick this a little, given the penchant for re-releasing and enhancing games. While Ninja Gaiden 2 was and remained an Xbox 360 exclusive, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 brought the game to PlayStation 3 in a heavily modified form with new bosses, but also with content removed from the game and enemy counts modified. It’s this game that was featured in Ninja Gaiden Master Collection in 2021. Fans requested the original Ninja Gaiden 2, and so this is Yasuda’s answer.
“This version is crafted to satisfy both those who played the original and newcomers discovering it as a current-generation action game,” he says. “We’ve meticulously incorporated some of the additions of NINJA GAIDEN Sigma 2 while staying true to the challenge and feel of the original 360 version, including its signature gore and violence. We’ve also adjusted the weapon upgrade system to more align with the original release.”
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, of course, comes out alongside the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4. This is the first mainline sequel in over a decade, bringing a new protagonist, and
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