Many consider NINJA GAIDEN Black to be the best version of the game, when compared to the original or the Sigma release. NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black is the third iteration of the 2008 ninja action game, self-proclaimed to be the “definitive” version – and I actually couldn’t agree more. This release feels like an apology tour bringing players to a simpler, but not easier time in gaming, and rectifying mistakes made when updating the game before. It looks and plays so well, you’d easily mistake it for being a remake. NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black is a remaster done right, and it’s a great way to get acquainted with the series.
A few years ago we got the NINJA GAIDEN: Master Collection, which included the Sigma (Σ) versions of all three games. While functional, they were bare bones re-releases that had a few modern updates. They did the job and made them all playable on PC and other consoles it never released on prior. When it comes to NINJA GAIDEN 2, the original source code was lost and so it never received a “Black” version of its own. Team NINJA managed to undo the changes NINJA GAIDEN 2 Sigma by restoring the gore, and making it harder. With this remaster though, a lot more work has been done to completely remake the lighting, remaster the visuals in Unreal Engine 5, make it more accessible with an easier difficulty, and adds additional playable characters. It’s really a complete package and meant to right the wrongs.
You’re once again in the Jika-tabis (shoes) of Ryu Hayabusa, the famed world-traveling ninja armed with his dragon sword ready to cut it up. The Black Spider Ninja clan attacks, and well, it’s a silly story that doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. You’ll be globe-trotting from Japanese villages to Times Square in New York City to even the Underworld while killing anything that moves. Meanwhile over-the-top cutscenes carry the exposition while villains standing in burning buildings waiting for you in this bleak cyber future. There are 17 chapters, and expect it to take most players nine to ten hours to see the end credits. There’s four playable characters, five difficulties, 35 team missions, and a never before seen boss: The Dark Dragon – there’s a lot of content here.
Ryu starts the game with his dragon sword, but quickly adopts additional weapons that he can swap to at anytime. The lunar staff is a longer-reaching blunt weapon with sharp edges, to ensure blood is spilt. Next is the falcon’s talons, a personal favorite that not only adds blades to Ryu’s hands, but his feet as well – Wolverine would been impressed. Lastly is the vigoorian flail, a type of nun-chuck with sharp scythes at the ends to ensure limbs don’t stay attached for long. Dual swords and even a longsword make their way into his arsenal about midway through the game. Ryu will even get handed ranged weapons like the fiend’s bane bow that fires true and keeps fights close and intimate. Ryu once again taps into ninpo, able to unleash devastating magical attacks to help clear screens when overwhelmed by encroaching enemies. With NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black, there are more enemies attacking you at any given time, so practicing ninpo alongside blocks and dodges becomes even more important than usual.
When the game switches up characters on you, there’s a clear difference in how they play, but there’s something intuitive in knowing what to do with them. There’s a lot of things happening on-screen all the time. It’s then that the camera often misbehaves, and moves in odd ways to either obscure your view, keep enemies out of sight, or whip around to keep up with you. While potentially unavoidable, it’s a telltale sign that this is a remaster and not a remake.
Combat is simple but so sublime. Dismembering enemies, executing combos, and unleashing devastating ninja powers is peak 2000s character action games. The challenge eases the more you play the game, as you learn how to use the weapons, powers, and characters. By the end of the game, you’ll feel like the ninja master that Ryu Hyabusa is.
This is a hard game. Thankfully there are checkpoints where you can save your game to either return to the game later, or utilize as a restoration point if killed for whatever reason. The first time you use the checkpoint, it heals you completely and saves your game. Subsequent visits will just save a newer checkpoint. It’s best to seek them out if it’s been a while, you never know when you’ll need them. Similarly, Muramasa’s shop is worth seeking out. There you can spend acquired yellow essence (the game’s currency) on upgrades and consumables. Purchased upgrades are permanent, and can increase the attack power on all of Ryu’s weapons. You can also purchase healing items, as to keep you up during battle without resorting to resurrections or checkpoints.
This time around there’s a real in-game menu with actual graphics options that the NINJA GAIDEN: Master Collection did not have. This follows suit with other KOEI TECMO and Team NINJA game. The game being remastered in Unreal Engine 5 has a lot of benefits, offering lots of technology from NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel. Things like DLSS, DLAA, Frame Generation, Ray Tracing – it has it all. I could even turn off things like motion blur, depth of field, and vignetting. The game being remastered in Unreal Engine 5 has a lot of benefits, and runs great. I ranged anywhere from 83 to 100fps with DLSS on the DLAA settings, and ~127fps with DLSS on Quality. The biggest drawback I’ve seen, is that there’s shader compilation every startup of the game (similar to what S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl does today) – so this seems to be an Unreal Engine 5 thing. The game does have an in-game FPS limiter of 120fps, which is more than enough to see NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black in blisteringly fast action that it was meant to be seen at for all these years.
My PC Specs:
– Microsoft Windows 11 Pro
– Intel Core i9 13900K @ 5.8GHz
– ASUS ROG RYUJIN II 360 ARGB AIO Liquid CPU Cooler
– G.SKILL TRIDENT Z5 6000MHZ 64GB (32×2) DDR5 RAM
– ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 16GB GDDR6X
– WD_BLACK SN850X M.2 (4 TB)
– LG UltraGear 34GP950B-G (21:9 Ultrawide @ 3440×1440)
The 17-year old game has been revitalized for modern day thanks to a lot of good people, and NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black is a throwback of a character action game that’s so rewarding. It’s an absolutely stunning game in Unreal Engine 5. NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black is gorier, with a wider cast of characters to become more difficult, yet more accessible with this remaster. NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black is great for anyone looking to relive past times, or dive into something they missed the first or even second time around. Receiving the “Black” treatment for NINJA GAIDEN 2 really gives this game the justice it deserves, and it bodes well for NINJA GAIDEN 4 releasing later this year.
A Steam code was provided by the publisher for review purposes