|
Ninja Gaiden 2 (Xbox 360) | 
 enlarge
| From: Microsoft
Category: Video Games
List Price: £44.99
Buy New: £24.48
You Save: £20.51 (46%)
New (17) Used (18) from £20.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 319
Platform: Xbox 360
Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Media: Video Game
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: FZA-00056
UPC: 882224626705
EAN: 0882224626705
ASIN: B0012PX9HS
Release Date: June 6, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 Brilliant but frustrating! July 18, 2008
I'll keep this review short and sweet!
Good points:
The combat system(endless variety of combos and moves)
Stunning graphics
The new recharging health bar
Massive variety of weapons to slice n dice with
Nice level locations
Only for the hardcore gamer!
Bad points
The camera view
frustrating enemies in the latter levels
Only for the hardcore gamer!
To sum the game up I'd say this
Ninja Gaiden 2:As brilliant as it is tough
flawed but fun July 13, 2008
One of the things that really held the first ninja gaiden back was that it had one of the worst plots to a videogame ever AND it was very very badly told at the same time. The developers of the 2nd game however have done themselves proud by actually managing to create a storyline that's even worse than the first one. However, I was able to tune it out becuase I was enjoying the game so much.
This is one of the most violent games I have every played. Most people might say that things like Manhunt are about as nasty as gaming gets but NJ2 is different as its action is a lot more heated and less cold bloded than Manhunt is. It's like that bit in Kill Bill where she's in the Japanese bar and dismembering all the Yakuza, you know. It's a ridiculous kind of violence that nobody could ever really take seriously (I mean you wont see a kid armed with bunch a gardening tools hacking folk left right and centre based on this games influence) but I still feel that the 18 certificate is appropriate as it's game intended for adults only.
This game is very hard aswell. Not quite as hard as the first one I suppose. This is mainly down to the boss fights being a lot more difficult in the original game. The day to day enemies though are just as challening as they were in the first game. You still have those annoying black ninjas that stick you with about TWENTY EXPLODING SHURIKENS every single second. Plus a few new enemies to mix things up a bit but nothing particularly different from the first game. I enjoy the challenge that ninja gaiden games provide though. I don't know why people complain so much about it so much as it covers up many of the flaws within this game. I found I cared more about killing the giant fire breathing armadillo that attacked me for no reason after I had crash landed my airship, BECUASE it was so difficult to kill. And while we're on the subject, just incase anybody is stuck at this part you have to press BLOCK to survive the explosion after you finish this fight. That's right, you can block an explosion. Not that I'm complaining, I was very relieved after I figured this out, but upon reflection the whole fight was quite daft. Still fun though.
Something else that lets the game down a little is the camera. Most of you are probably sick of hearing about this but it is kind of noticable during play. However it does not prevent the game from being functional, it's just one of those annoying little things that will make you wonder why they couldn't have sorted it out before release. I mean they could have made it auto target the nearest enemy or pan back a bit when the screen was crammed with enemies. Simple solutions that would have stopped game reviewers stomping on what is actually just a small defect. What people forget is though is that we've been putting up with this for years and it's about time we learned to deal with the whole manual camera control thing and not expect the game to do everything for us. For instance, look at console first person shooters. Everyone was whinging about how they were never going to be as good as PC FPSs becuase of lack of mouse control but most of us have learned to deal with that so I don't see why THIS is a major problem. So what if can't see every enemy on the screen at once, if that happens just block, then move the camera to your own convenience. That's what I did and for the most part and it worked out fine. I fact if we remember back to the first ninja gaiden you couldn't even do that. Any movement on the right analogue stick would move the camera to the first person perspective and I for once am grateful that this was redesigned for the remakes and the sequel. Anyway...
Overall I liked this game. I has it's flaws (most of which I've mentioned, I don't have enough space or patience to go through them all) but it looks nice, it's fast, it's responsive and fun to play. Also it's way better than devil may cry 4. The graphics arn't as good and stories not as good either (not that that's saying much, nor would I wish to say too much as the the storyline in DMC4 is kinda pants, still better than NJ2s though) but the game is nowhere near as slow and the weapons are much better too. Also, devil may crys enemies were just targets that would hit you occasionally if you were too slow to hit them first, whereas ninja gaidens badies are really REALLY agressive. You cut off a guys arm or leg and they'll still be after you. Also I managed to find a use for every weapon I recieved, something that I found quite refreshing. Not the best game I've played this year (MSG4, loved it) but something that I will probably go back to at some point as I'm keen to try it on one of the higher difficulty levels.
Oh.My.God... July 12, 2008
I'v just bought two games; Meass Effect and Ninja Gaiden 2. I am blown away by both, but Ninja Gaiden is just increadible. I am more shocked by the people that don't rate it high. Yes, this is a hard game. Battle through! One of my fave xbox games. Buy it now.
Expensive Thrills and Cheap Tricks July 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Ninja Gaiden 2" probably will not be remembered very fondly. A game blighted by terrible camera, cheap difficulty-raising tricks, and a game engine generally hailing from the previous generation of consoles, NG2 nevertheless has enough of the magic dust of its XBOX predecessor to make it a fully worthwhile purchase.
Everything about "Ninja Gaiden 2" is intimidating. From the sturm und drang Tecmo video intro sequence to the final boss fight, the game retains the fearsome seriousness and difficulty of 2004's "Ninja Gaiden". That game was possibly the greatest action adventure of the 3D era. To attain success, "Ninja Gaiden 2" has to follow that and add the requisite gloss of current-gen gaming, whilst fixing the original's annoying camera and tweaking the controller-damaging difficulty level. In this regard, NG2 is a failure: the graphics are often bland and barren, the camera sits too close to the player character, and the admittedly lessened difficulty is soured in many places by cheap hikes in difficulty which the player cannot possibly avoid.
However, there is a big "but". The gameplay is as thrilling as NG, as beautifully detailed and rewarding as the rest of the game elements are shoddy and perplexing. While the sequel incorporates close-up Obliteration moves to kill wounded enemies and a regenerating health-bar (a nod to making the game more accessible), it is still fundamentally the same game engine as the original...but more. More blood, more fighting, more all-round violence.
The point is that the wonderfully fluid and responsive controls actually make the gamer feel in control of a master ninja. It makes you feel proud to have accomplished a tough boss fight or to have countered an enemy attack. This element alone makes this charismatic game worth paying serious attention to. And, having played such cutscene-heavy games as Metal Gear Solid 4 recently, NG2's non-stop action shines particularly brightly for me; the game represents a big gold star in favour of action gaming. Perhaps having realised this, Tecmo have gutted out the often tedious and obtuse puzzles from Ninja Gaiden in favour of added enemies.
To be clear, Ninja Gaiden 2 is a deeply flawed videogame. There are plenty of elements to the game which are not really good enough. In keeping with Team NINJA's Mount Fuji logo, the game is either peaks or troughs.. The peaks are fantastic, and the troughs are "fantastic", too. The camera, it must be stressed, is awful, locking up terribly especially in tight corridors and on flights of stairs. Graphically, the game has bland backgrounds, although the detailed character animations make up for this in large part. The story is the usual tosh about armageddon that game developers so love, with demons and devils spewing terrible dialogue -just ignore them. But Ninja Gaiden 2 has the magical charisma of a game which just knows it is special, that can treat you badly because it knows you will come crawling back.
 Madly over-rated and simplistic gameplay June 26, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
From a game that promised so much, to have one combat button, which you press and it does one of many slashing moves at total random, is madness! you should have to choose the move of attack depending on the situation; not repeatedly tap the attack button and watch your character backflip, slash and stab all around the screen out of your control. the storyline is weak also. The game is aestheticly good as the graphics are decent and the character movement is also. It reminds me more of 'super smash brothers' than anything else to be honest.
|
|
|
| |
