In a strange sort of masochistic way I’ve always enjoyed the Ninja Gaiden Series. Masochistic in the sense that the game was just so damn unforgiving. Having already played through Ninja Gaiden 2 on the 360 I had a pretty descent idea of what was in store for me. Though it seems that Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is a bit different. How does this edition hold up to the already established series.

Let’s begin with the Gameplay.
There is a fine line between Hard and just Unforgiving. Sigma 2 stands in between the two, the game is far from easy it’s just presented differently. Like most action games (i.e God of War..etc) you essentially beat the crap out of the baddie doing various amounts of combos. The larger the combo the larger the Orbs you collect. You then use said Orbs in upgrading you weapons or buying items. The difference with Sigma 2 is the Orbs are no longer used to Upgrade Weapons. I considered it to be an interesting choice, in the 360 version I felt I had largely upgraded the wrong weapons at the wrong time and the game seemed a lot harder because of that. There are limits though to the Upgrades you can only upgrade one Weapon at a Time and you can’t go past level 2 to later in the game. I felt this was a good way of introducing you to other weapons while allowing you to have your favorites. Another area where the game seems to depart from the 360 version was the addition of other characters, which I felt really added to the story. Before you can play the game you have to make a 3.25gb installation. While I’m not a particular fan of watching load screens while waiting to jump in and play, Sigma 2 gives you a prologue to the series in the form of motion comic. It largely focuses on Ryu’s Father and explains why he isn’t more of a bad ass in this game. Other forms of story elements consisted of short missions playing as the various Female Characters. While I’m not the biggest fan of Rachel it was a blast to play as Ayane and Momoji. These missions also added new villains to the series and were used later as replacements for the more frustrating replay boss battles. Just in case you were wondering the Double Armidillo Fight was removed :) The Controls have also been revamped to make Projectile Weapons easier to use. The game does feature a lot of replay value. The game supports Trophies through PSN while adding an online component to the game. The online is through Mission Mode, you essentially play through a mission with 2 players Online or Offline. You can select any of the characters and weapons that you unlocked during the Single Player Campaign and go to town. For every mission you can get a gold medal. Once the game has been beaten you also unlock the Chapter Challenge, allowing you to replay various Chapters. One of the areas that I was disappointed in was not being able to play through the entire game as any of the unlockable characters. I found Ayane to be really fun to play as, especially with her Exploding Kunai :) Also there were various times were the game seemed to lag a bit, not in any actual fighting more or less between reading scrolls and returning to the game. It’s certainly not a deal breaker but it was a tad annoying at times.

As for the graphics they looked great.
There wasn’t to much of an improvement over the 360 version it just seemed clearer. A graphical element I wasn’t to pleased with was the lack of blood in the game. There was still some but it was largely toned down. Instead it was mostly replaced with glowy wounds. I eventually became used to the style but it felt at times a bit T for Teen.

Sound quality was descent, of course the PS3 still shines through with the sound quality that it produces. Tecmo also came through again with it’s inclusion of a Japanese Dub to accompany the English Dub. It includes subtitles and the Fiends voice acting is also a treat to watch.

Overall a pretty descent addition to the already established game series.
It seemed the game was attempting to balance out the gameplay. While the game seemed to do this just fine, I hope that the game continues to push the difficulty. I myself enjoy the difficult nature that is the Ninja Gaiden Series.

First we get a glimpse of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed II Collector’s Edition and now this, the Ninja Gaiden Σ 2 Premium Set. Due in Japan on October 1st and priced at ¥9,980 (or about US$104), the premium set includes the original soundtrack and an accessory set, along with the game bundled up in a special sleeve. Also, those who preordered get a starter guide, which includes a costume code for a special costume for Ryu Hayabusa.

While this is great for Japan, will the US get this special collector’s edition or will Tecmo give US fans the shaft, as tends to be standard for US releases of Japanese games? Only time will tell, I guess.

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Ryu Hayabusa is back for another round.

I never got the chance to play Ninja Gaiden II for the 360 but I have played the original Ninja Gaiden Sigma. Having gotten a chance to demo the game over at the Tecmo booth at E3, I must say that Sigma 2 builds on the gameplay mechanics established in Sigma while maintaining some of the newer additions in the original Ninja Gaiden II.

There have been reports that Sigma 2 has toned down the gore and violence that was present in Ninja Gaiden II. However, according to Aileen Viray, Public Relations/Marketing Specialist for Tecmo Games, the demo build of the game had to be toned down. However, the full version of the game will retain the gore and violence of the original.

Speaking of gore, the game allows players to dismember enemies in battle, slowing them down and even killing them through decapitation. During the demo, I faced a monster whose arm and head I had chopped off…and he still continued coming after me. As standard of Ninja Gaiden, the game is difficult and relentless, so you have to constantly keep an eye on your health meter and healing items.

Players will control Ayane for the first time in the series.

A new addition to Sigma 2 is the inclusion of Ayane (of Dead or Alive fame) and Momiji (from Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword for the Nintendo DS) in addition to Rachel from Ninja Gaiden Sigma. The demo build on display featured Ayane as the playable character, given that most players are familiar with main character Ryu Hayabusa already. Known for her speed in the DOA series, Ayane moves swiftly and smoothly throughout the game environment. Combos can be chained together with a combination of standard and power attacks, projectiles (Ayane uses her standard Kunai), and Ninpo attacks, which can be powered up by shaking the SIXAXIS controller. Blocking and Dodging is an essential part of the game and you’ll be glad you’re able to do so when you’re being flanked by enemy ninjas on all sides.

Despite the difficulty, the game flows smoothly with combos feeling fairly intuitive. Using the SIXAXIS to power up Ninpo attacks seems a bit silly at first, but once you’ve done it a few times, it works well if you have the space to do so. The environments and character models are stunning and the game itself is shaping up to be a good one.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 will be released for the PS3 this Fall.

Click here to view the embedded video.