|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
NINJA GAIDEN II XBOX 360 REVIEW |
|
| |
If you’re an
Xbox 360 owner, you’re in for a treat this
summer as a slew of blockbuster titles have
already shipped to your console! One of those
titles is the highly anticipated sequel, Ninja
Gaiden II. Fresh out of the box, we had to crack
our necks to prepare for the grueling challenges
we have to face in the game. If past experience
with the last Ninja Gaiden has taught us
anything, it’s that Tecmo has set a difficulty
bar pretty high and Ninja Gaiden II is no
exception. So far the latest installment offers
a lot exciting features but also a few letdowns.
Still, this is Ninja Gaiden in its best
presentation! No other version has come close to
implementing the use of smart yet gruesome
visual effects to such great lengths than this
one has.
The traditional combat in this game has changed
a bit, and the underworld entities you’ll face
are even more pernicious! Nevertheless, you
still play as the most badass ninja in video
games, Ryu Hayabusa. And it’s good that Ryu is
such as a ruthless “executioner” because the
demons that lie in your wake are unforgiving.
The stage is set for an all-out war against the
legion of Archfiends, who manage to return to
power after eons of being in hell by the
Dragons, an ancient force that vow to protect
the human world from evil. As the modern
descedant of Dragon Lineage, Ryu finds himself
in the path of his ancestors as he now battles
the same Archfiends using an intensive arsenal
of weapons and amazing combinations of
swordplay.
Each level of the game is action packed! You
hack, slash, and decapitate your way through a
multitude of vicious enemies and powerful
bosses. What makes the action so satisfying is
how quick and brutal these encounters are.
Thanks to a touch of gore, all that slashing and
acrobatic artistries look remarkably intense in
real time; they keep you engaged and immersed in
battles. But don’t let your eyes settle on that
detail alone. The gameplay itself is quite deep.
Besides the standard set of strikes, you are
given Obliteration Techniques, which allow you
to finish off opponents in devastating effect.
The gameplay is also accentuated by a new
auto-healing system that offers semi-permanent
damage restored at save points. Unlike before,
it was nearly impossible to stay poised as your
lives in stock suddenly dwindle down to zero. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
PRODUCT
OVERALL RATING: 8.0 OUT OF 10 |
|
| |
During fight
scenes, the game maintains an incredibly smooth
frame rate; even if there is large amounts of
metal clashing going on at the same time. Though
the action is right on target, some of the
camera angles are not. There are a number of
blind spots in the game where it’s tough to see
what’s hitting you behind those shaded areas;
you feel trap sometimes! As you struggle to
regain some momentary views of your field, you
have already lost a life. As you deal with these
camera issues, it doesn’t help that the game’s
difficulty feels like it has been set to expert
by default. If you don’t play smart, several
other wraithlike assailants can easily overpower
you with their assault. In addition, they are
surprisingly adaptive to your patterns of
attack, ready to set up counters with their own
dose of cheap shots. The early stages may seem
manageable at first glance, but the later
chapters will quickly pit you in grueling
battles. I supposed that it was our sheer luck
that got us through those intimidating levels.
Graphically, the game looks fantastic throughout
its presentation! The tone of action is not only
a lot flashier but a lot bloodier as well.
Pulling off those elaborate ninja moves is an
enormous spectacle, with seamless particle
effects and blazing swordplay. What's more is
that, disposing your enemy is a visual feat
itself, thanks to the introduction of
Obliteration Techniques that showcase an
over-the-top fatality. This is the best ninja
action we have seen to date! The lighting
effects are incredible, the character designs
are excellent, the animation is fluid, and many
of the background settings look polished. Tecmo
also did a good job in the audio department. The
sounds of the swords pounding on each other are
nicely fused into the fight scene. The blade
slashing through an enemy’s body is delivered
with a convincing degree of sickness. Explosion
that suicidal baddies create after defeating
them compounds to a deadly result.
Ninja Gaiden II is a remarkable 3D action
adventure overall. It is as impressive as the
previous version, offering a more flamboyant
swordplay and incredibly gruesome special
effects. However, it’s still as difficult as the
last Ninja Gaiden. With some restrictive camera
angles, the game is even more of a challenge!
Despite that experience, we still had fun
gutting out hordes of otherworldly beings. And
we never got tired of performing those insane
wall jumps and other high-flying maneuvers. The
levels are still big in scale, offering
continuous hours ninja action and slicing
frenzy. Sure, you can easily grasp the controls
but mastering the game will definitely take some
time, which has been the trademark of the Ninja
Gaiden franchise. For years, the Ninja Gaiden
games tend to work for hardcore action
adventurers; but if you’re ready for some
satisfying ninja actions, Ninja Gaiden II
certainly awaits your call. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
