Ninja Gaiden 2 First Impressions
So, this weekend I got to spend some quality time with Ninja Gaiden 2, and after being about five chapters in to the game, I can safely say that it truly lives up to the series high pedigree of action/puzzle/platforming. The improvements are subtle, yet significant. The graphics are improved, and the whole thing just feels like Ninja Gaiden should.
The subtleties of the changes really stand out to me since I just finished the original game. Enemies losing their limbs, but still trying to kill you complicates things(in a good way). Being able to charge your attacks fully without needing to absorb essence is another small, but important improvement.
This time around you spend more time fighting demons and a rival ninja clan than you do fighting marines which is nice because taking down helicopters and super soldiers felt a little weird in the previous game. The bosses are huge, dangerous, and quite fun. For anyone playing through this game, I recommend getting the dragon sword to lvl 3 and don’t even worry about the other weapon upgrades until you do that. It makes the boss battles much, much easier.
