A Slice of Life- Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Review

Few of our eight-bit era heroes have aged as remarkably well as Ryu Hayabusa. Sure, Mario is alive and still kicking Koopa shell, his contemporary adventures still evoking the vigor of his renowned NES exploits. But the illustrious plumber is no match for Hayabusa; 2004’s Ninja Gaiden remake endowed the celebrated assassin with prodigious speed and precision, rejuvenating actions games in the process.

It’s a shame that the game’s 2008 sequel was hampered by attacks from unseen foes, an overwhelming difficulty, and an uncooperative camera. Gamers that could look underneath Ninja Gaiden 2’s jagged exterior could see the potential for a very solid action title. The recently released Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 for the Playstation 3 looks to remedy most of those woes.

The title’s most pressing afflictions have been well remedied. Cheap shots from ninjas with explosive shuriken and the infamous detonating armadillo boss(es) have been corrected. Fetch quests through areas cleared of Black Spider members have been excised, creating a more intense play experience. The game’s camera shows remarkable improvement, only occasionally becoming obstructed by an environmental object. A quick tap of the R1 button resets the camera, while holding it down directs the player to the next objective.

Beyond resolving issues with Ninja Gaiden 2, the game adds a wealth of additional content to the game. New bosses like a Buddha statue or the Statue of Liberty have a wonderful sense of scale that evokes the God of War series. Once players complete a level, they may view their carnage via the game’s Ninja Theatre. For players stuck on a particularly thorny boss, downloading an expert player’s playthrough is an especially welcome contribution. Strangely, the blacksmithing options in Muramasa’s shop have been scaled back from Ninja Gaiden 2.

The title’s main campaign is skillfully augmented with chapters featuring recurrently Tecmo protagonists- Rachel, Ayane, and Momiji. Each of the femme fatales handles quite differently, as each character possesses a unique repertoire of moves and an individualized weapon set. Rachel crushes foes with her burley war hammer while Momiji’s impales adversaries with her elongated naginata.  Outside the central storyline, Sigma 2 adds twenty cooperative missions where a duo can battle an onslaught of foes. Although stages vary greatly in difficulty, each requires teamwork for success. From allowing players to revive fallen comrades to coordinating Ultimate ninpo magic attacks, each level cunningly requires solidarity if players are hoping to rank on the online leaderboards. 

Sigma 2’s environments and character design are certainly visually impressive; owners of 1080p televisions will surely delight in the game’s opulence, even if the sporadic screen tear is noticeable. Watching each of the well-animated protagonists zip around the screen, obliterating rivals is undeniably pleasing. Some will likely mourn the 360’s version Grand Guignol. Arterial sprays, severed limbs and heads have all been mysteriously excised, and replaced with an equally lascivious boob-bouncing mechanic. The game’s soundtrack and voice work retain the competency of the Xbox 360 iteration; no changes appeared to be made to Sigma 2’s apt sound design.