Metareview: Ninja Gaiden II

by Richard Mitchell { Jun 3rd 2008 at 5:30PM }

The reviews for Ninja Gaiden II are in and thus far they paint the game as a solid action affair, though it doesn't come without its share of problems (and some . Mentioned in every review we scoured was the camera, which Eurogamer declares "awful - really, speechlessly awful." Still, while the reviews scrape together a pile of negatives -- poor plot, annoying camera, occasionally cheap bosses, steep difficulty -- they all agree that Ninja Gaiden II excels at what it does best, action.

IGN (8.7/10): "It's challenging and rewarding. It looks great in motion and it feels great to know you're the one at the helm, directing this bloody dance. It has its foibles and doesn't feel as rich as the last Ninja Gaiden, but this sequel still offers up a great ride.
1UP (B-): "[The camera] drags along behind you like a wounded dog and wanders off on its own when you need it most. When fighting multiple enemies that are more than a sword's length away, it's a chore to constantly pull the right trigger (which forces the camera to face the same way as Ryu). When those enemies come armed with unblockable projectiles, it becomes damn annoying."
Eurogamer (7/10): "NG2 doesn't even need a map to guide you around, because the section you're looking for is clearly signposted by the absence of blood, gore and limbless torsos, which are strewn and caked all over everywhere you've been."
Team Xbox (9/10): "One thing you won't hear us complain about with Ninja Gaiden II is the difficulty. This is a tough game. Deal with it, or go play Devil May Cry."

Gallery: Ninja Gaiden II (Gamers' Day 2008)

Tags: ng2, ngii, ninja-gaiden, ninja-gaiden-2, ninja-gaiden-ii, team-ninja, tecmo

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

AoE @ Jun 3rd 2008 5:39PM

Eurogamer quote sold me entirely... Not that there was ever any chance that I wasn't picking this up on the way home...

Jonah Falcon @ Jun 3rd 2008 5:51PM

Chief selling point for Age of Conan, too. :p

[Note: Dear Weblogs - please fix the Reply button bug.]

AoE @ Jun 3rd 2008 6:16PM

really? I had no idea, I kinda glossed over that one, you just piqued my curiosity greatly Jonah....

BananaBoat @ Jun 3rd 2008 7:35PM

The camera was terrible on the original as well. I can't see that detracting from my overall experience whenever I do get around to picking up this game (probably sometime after the demo hits the US, and if that isn't soon, then sometime after I finish MGS4). I think you are right though, the consensus seems to be a solid B+ with some on the A side of the fence, and some on the low B to C side of the fence.

Considering that this is probably the last Ninja Gaiden to come out before Tecmo decides to milk Ninja Gaiden for all it's worth. I can see the Dead or Alive cart racing and tennis now. Ryu in a little clown car, driving around the track, chasing down Kasumi and Ayane......yep.....that's probably the future of this franchise.

BananaBoat @ Jun 3rd 2008 7:36PM

and I replied to the wrong comment....I fail.

Jonah Falcon @ Jun 3rd 2008 5:49PM

Seems like NG2 is a solid B, B+ title from the consensus.

Jonah Falcon @ Jun 3rd 2008 5:50PM

Chief selling point for Age of Conan, too. :p

Darkwun @ Jun 3rd 2008 7:02PM

after playing the demo i can safely say the camera is appaling BUT......... that doesn't mean i dont love the game all the same, the feeling off taking body parts clean off with hits from the lunar comes second to none..........

ryan @ Jun 3rd 2008 8:23PM

ain't nothing wrong with the camera dude.

it's just you're probly used to cameras like Devil May Cry or God of War that give you that "perfect" view.

Ninja Gaiden's all about giving that dynamic feel to it's combat. in short, it's you who directs your action, not a fixed angle cam.

if anything i PREFER this camera to one that hand feeds me the field of battle like an RTS.

Arnon @ Jun 3rd 2008 7:55PM

Aye.. it was already considered so far to be the best Action game on the 360. No reason to let simple reviews put you down, especially if you liked the others.

Niko_Bellic @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:13PM

At least it's not Haze. (Not like they have anything in common.) I'll pick up a copy, later this summer, after I finish MGS4.

reson8er @ Jun 4th 2008 12:07AM

At least MGS4 is not Ninja Gaiden II.

reson8er @ Jun 4th 2008 12:12AM

Sorry hit reply before the rest of my comment.

Gamespot just gave it an 8.0. Looks like I'll be picking this up when it hits the discount bin.

Haohmaru @ Jun 3rd 2008 9:26PM

"This is a tough game. Deal with it, or go play Devil May Cry."

Hahahaha. I like Devil May Cry, but this quote wins.

BluesmanTLU @ Jun 4th 2008 12:08AM

Based on the reviews, sounds like its similar to the first game, problems and all.

My face will melt Raiders of the Lost Ark style.

Simon @ Jun 4th 2008 5:42AM

Gotta say just finished third level and up until now the camera hasn't been a real issue. The first Boss I killed without any problems, the second took me about 10 tries, the third one three. In NG on the original Xbox I didn't even get past the first boss. It's not really hard, the camera is not really a problem, the moves look absolutely stunning and although it's far from perfect and the difficulty varies a lot (sliced through dozens of ninjas but get killed by dogs with knives in their mouths), it's just great fun.