Tecmo has decided it is time to take another romp into the world of Ryu Hayabusa. Ninja Gaiden II is unapologetic in the path it takes you down.
Graphics:
Character detail is simply amazing. To start with Ryu looks amazing. Light refracts off of his blades, his movements are fluid, and fitting within the world. The little details however are what makes him such a mesmerizing avatar. Leave him standing with weapons out, and he flings the blood on his weapons on the ground before sheathing them. Also his head pans to follow enemies even if the camera is not looking directly at them.
In the enemies, there is just as much care taken. Each enemy itself has several subtleties that add to their beauty and immersion into the world. Once you slice into the bodies, the blood and gore spewing from the enemies is much like an anime movie. I had no idea a human body held so much blood and under that pressure. Did I just slice off a leg, and it bounced down a couple of stairs leaving a small trail of blood? The carnage that ensues in every fight is nothing but a beautiful symphony that leaves me feeling a sadistic glee.
The same attention to detail can not be said of the levels. There are some such as the Hayabusa Ninja Village that are breathtaking. But, as the game progresses, the levels appear to become a bit more generic and not as awe inspiring. The details are there, of course, and it is fitting with the world, but there is the constant feeling of "It's all been done."
Finally, this game does test the limits of XBox 360 hardware. And occasionally it does show. In the middle of the carnage the game will sometimes stop and award the player with a screen shot. This is unintentional. The frame rates do stay up during it all, but the occasional stop while the game is thinking totally puts a damper on combinations and overall tone.
Control:
The control scheme can be summed up as elegance in simplicity. With plenty of layout options, and minor tweaks, any player can get something that does feel natural to them. Moving Ryu and fighting with him a simple task, and responds perfectly. Any player can pick up the controls and play the game. But there is a difference in watching a novice play, and someone who has mastered the system. That is what makes the control one of the best in any game. Simple to learn, but takes time and skill to actually master.
Now next to a bane of the new Ninja Gaiden series, the cameras. It is rather obvious that I was a Ninja Gaiden (XBox) player, as I never touched the right thumbstick during play. The camera itself can be annoying, and there are times when it decides it wants to look at a stone column instead of Ryu, but I don't find the camera to be as annoying as most do. The reasons for this are that Ryu will always turn his head to a threat, which allows for almost supernatural control.
A new feature to the game, is the Obliteration Techniques. When I first encountered it, I was very skeptical. It made it seem as if the game would be made easier, single button final kills. However there is a strategy to it. Chopping off a limb of an opponent makes them go crazy and usually suicidal. Sometimes it is better to put them out with an obliteration technique right away, or just leave them for later. It added a new layer to the gameplay which became more appreciable the more the game went on.
Sound:
The music in the game does well for its ambiance. There was not any detraction into it, and the music moved up and down pending on the escalation of the level and what was about to ensue. There are a few pieces of music there that were gorgeous and send me looking for the soundtrack to download, but most are just there. It doesn't detract from the game, but doesn't add to it greatly either.
Combat sounds are remarkable. Sounds of bullets ricocheting off a sword, the sound of blood hitting the floor all add up into the visceral experience. I can not complain in the least on this aspect. As a side to the combat sounds, playing the game in 5.1 makes a huge difference. This is another reason I did not mind the camera so much. When putting the sound into 5.1 and having the speakers properly adjusted, I found myself listening to which direction my attackers were coming from, a major boon, although this is rapidly diminished the more action there is.
Gameplay:
Level design was well done, although uninspired. During any combat situation, there usually was columns, walls and the like to launch and leap from, to assist in the destruction of enemies. The problem is, Ryu has an impressive move list, that could be better utilized in the platform aspect. There were a few puzzles here and there involving showing off acrobatics, especially off the beaten path, but I found myself wanting a little bit more. It could be worse, and have a lot of jumping puzzles that were exercises in frustration.
The maps were straightforward, and basically put onto rails. Few options going in and out, but the game was fairly linear. The trade off of not having an open world, is that there is always a good fight around the corner. And that is one trade I am very willing to take.
The difficulty of the game can be summed up as hard, harder, I'm going to make you cry, and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. It is not a game for casual gamers, and it doesn't appear to be. Getting through and learning tactics used by a boss, and finally overcoming it on whatever try is a feeling of accomplishment. It's a breath of fresh air in comparison to games that want everyone to beat it at least once.
Weapon design is varied, and each feels different and can be utilized throughout the game. I found uses for everything, and was impressed with how different each felt when wielded.
The story isn't very well told, and it's in quite a disarray. I found myself wanting to just skip the cutscenes and get into the next world.
Replayability Ninja Gaiden II takes a hit. Once you've beat the game, it remains the same game. Completionists, masochists and perfectionists however will keep getting drawn back in. For the average person though, beat it, maybe again on harder difficulties, then shelve it for a while.
Overall:
For what the game is, it's the top of its class. A no holds barred action ride. It does have its minor flaws, and is more of the same in terms of the game, but in this aspect, it's a good thing.
Graphics:
Character detail is simply amazing. To start with Ryu looks amazing. Light refracts off of his blades, his movements are fluid, and fitting within the world. The little details however are what makes him such a mesmerizing avatar. Leave him standing with weapons out, and he flings the blood on his weapons on the ground before sheathing them. Also his head pans to follow enemies even if the camera is not looking directly at them.
In the enemies, there is just as much care taken. Each enemy itself has several subtleties that add to their beauty and immersion into the world. Once you slice into the bodies, the blood and gore spewing from the enemies is much like an anime movie. I had no idea a human body held so much blood and under that pressure. Did I just slice off a leg, and it bounced down a couple of stairs leaving a small trail of blood? The carnage that ensues in every fight is nothing but a beautiful symphony that leaves me feeling a sadistic glee.
The same attention to detail can not be said of the levels. There are some such as the Hayabusa Ninja Village that are breathtaking. But, as the game progresses, the levels appear to become a bit more generic and not as awe inspiring. The details are there, of course, and it is fitting with the world, but there is the constant feeling of "It's all been done."
Finally, this game does test the limits of XBox 360 hardware. And occasionally it does show. In the middle of the carnage the game will sometimes stop and award the player with a screen shot. This is unintentional. The frame rates do stay up during it all, but the occasional stop while the game is thinking totally puts a damper on combinations and overall tone.
Control:
The control scheme can be summed up as elegance in simplicity. With plenty of layout options, and minor tweaks, any player can get something that does feel natural to them. Moving Ryu and fighting with him a simple task, and responds perfectly. Any player can pick up the controls and play the game. But there is a difference in watching a novice play, and someone who has mastered the system. That is what makes the control one of the best in any game. Simple to learn, but takes time and skill to actually master.
Now next to a bane of the new Ninja Gaiden series, the cameras. It is rather obvious that I was a Ninja Gaiden (XBox) player, as I never touched the right thumbstick during play. The camera itself can be annoying, and there are times when it decides it wants to look at a stone column instead of Ryu, but I don't find the camera to be as annoying as most do. The reasons for this are that Ryu will always turn his head to a threat, which allows for almost supernatural control.
A new feature to the game, is the Obliteration Techniques. When I first encountered it, I was very skeptical. It made it seem as if the game would be made easier, single button final kills. However there is a strategy to it. Chopping off a limb of an opponent makes them go crazy and usually suicidal. Sometimes it is better to put them out with an obliteration technique right away, or just leave them for later. It added a new layer to the gameplay which became more appreciable the more the game went on.
Sound:
The music in the game does well for its ambiance. There was not any detraction into it, and the music moved up and down pending on the escalation of the level and what was about to ensue. There are a few pieces of music there that were gorgeous and send me looking for the soundtrack to download, but most are just there. It doesn't detract from the game, but doesn't add to it greatly either.
Combat sounds are remarkable. Sounds of bullets ricocheting off a sword, the sound of blood hitting the floor all add up into the visceral experience. I can not complain in the least on this aspect. As a side to the combat sounds, playing the game in 5.1 makes a huge difference. This is another reason I did not mind the camera so much. When putting the sound into 5.1 and having the speakers properly adjusted, I found myself listening to which direction my attackers were coming from, a major boon, although this is rapidly diminished the more action there is.
Gameplay:
Level design was well done, although uninspired. During any combat situation, there usually was columns, walls and the like to launch and leap from, to assist in the destruction of enemies. The problem is, Ryu has an impressive move list, that could be better utilized in the platform aspect. There were a few puzzles here and there involving showing off acrobatics, especially off the beaten path, but I found myself wanting a little bit more. It could be worse, and have a lot of jumping puzzles that were exercises in frustration.
The maps were straightforward, and basically put onto rails. Few options going in and out, but the game was fairly linear. The trade off of not having an open world, is that there is always a good fight around the corner. And that is one trade I am very willing to take.
The difficulty of the game can be summed up as hard, harder, I'm going to make you cry, and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. It is not a game for casual gamers, and it doesn't appear to be. Getting through and learning tactics used by a boss, and finally overcoming it on whatever try is a feeling of accomplishment. It's a breath of fresh air in comparison to games that want everyone to beat it at least once.
Weapon design is varied, and each feels different and can be utilized throughout the game. I found uses for everything, and was impressed with how different each felt when wielded.
The story isn't very well told, and it's in quite a disarray. I found myself wanting to just skip the cutscenes and get into the next world.
Replayability Ninja Gaiden II takes a hit. Once you've beat the game, it remains the same game. Completionists, masochists and perfectionists however will keep getting drawn back in. For the average person though, beat it, maybe again on harder difficulties, then shelve it for a while.
Overall:
For what the game is, it's the top of its class. A no holds barred action ride. It does have its minor flaws, and is more of the same in terms of the game, but in this aspect, it's a good thing.
