Ninja Gaiden Black 2 Review (PS5) – Ever since the franchise landed on Xbox, I have loved the Ninja Gaiden games. When they finally came to PlayStation, I loved them all over again.
Since then, these games have been re-released several times on different hardware. Naturally, I bought them all as they came. With that comes the aftereffect of diminishing returns. When playing the same release of a game repeatedly, you connect with it, learning its ins and outs.
However, when you continually buy the same game (albeit with a few additions along the way), you lose a bit of the original intrigue each time. You pay essentially the same amount of money for basically the exact same core experience.
Now, enter this version of Ninja Gaiden Black 2 with its visual overhaul. Yes, the gameplay remains the exact same, but the sheer volume of visual upgrades drops a wonderful hard reset on expectations.
Ninja Gaiden Black 2 Review (PS5) – Inherent Issues Be Damned, Ryu Hayabusa Is Back
Full Visual Upgrade
Right from the jump, you see the difference-you almost feel the difference. Absolutely everything about the game is more vivid and detailed. The backdrops alone add a different level of immersion that the original game just could not do.
Sure, the source material did a great job with what technology it had, and it was gorgeous at the time. Everything simply looks more like a high-budget title and not just an upscale of an older game. It’s also worth mentioning that the cut scenes are a one-to-one recreation of what the original game showed.
Ultimately, the game doesn’t look so game-like. Instead, you see more of a cinematic aesthetic to everything. It feels weird to say, but the female characters especially benefit the most from this visual overhaul. Instead of looking like mannequin-like representations of women, they receive natural skin tones and complexions.
The fan service nature of their outfits still remains in this version, but the level of attention placed in skin tone and hair color and texture make them look more believable.
Then there’s the blood. Boy oh boy, does this version enunciate the blood effect. Much like with everything else, the upgrades to texture and lighting add to the vivid nature of the blood. To top it off, it goes absolutely everywhere – on enemies, on your character, everywhere. Without doing a comparison, I don’t think that the amount of blood has changed, but the enhanced detail to the blood certainly makes it look like there’s more.
It’s not near the level of Kill Bill, but boy does it have a similar visual effect. Combat already felt visceral, but this added visual compounds that intensity. I’ve been playing the Ninja Gaiden games since they originally launched, and I haven’t been this excited about playing Ninja Gaiden 2 since the first time I ever played it.
The Good With The Inherent Bad
With this added realism comes a glaring aftereffect: pre-existing issues in the original game. Things like enemy projectiles that still pass through walls and obstacles. There’s also the fact that you still get stuck on objects, leaving you often executing a combo on a bridge railing or part of a wall while not landing any productive hits on enemies.
Just like the rest of the game mechanics, the camera is still the same camera from the original game. Your perspective shifts away as enemies approach, and the camera moves around dynamically as you move around the map. This camera was still a problem when the game originally released, but it still felt quite cool. In fact, the way the camera moves around can definitely still look cool, especially now that the game has a brand new coat of paint.
Regardless, your perspective constantly gets obstructed by something, anything from enemies to geography. One thing I had forgotten about is how the camera tries to spin around when you get attacked from behind. Sometimes this helps, like with most boss fights. Much of the time, you end up looking right into the torso of some massive baddie or shoved up against a wall-sometimes both of those examples happen at the same time.
A Compelling Refresh
Despite all of the inherited negatives, this version of Ninja Gaiden Black 2 absolutely rules. After a few hours of just enjoying this game for what it is (and getting my tuchus kicked a fair bit), I got to thinking that this is the kind of upgrade that Metal Gear Solid 3 is getting. Now, I was already excited to relive MGS3 in a new light, but after getting the shadow drop for Ninja Gaiden Black 2, I now have a game precedent for when MGS3 arrives.
Some may be wondering if this is more like Ninja Gaiden 2 Sigma or Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. I’m not an authority at all, and I don’t mind either way because I just enjoy the gameplay. That said, many things come from Sigma, like getting different abilities right away and being able to completely level up each weapon after you find them. Ninja Gaiden Black was the hardest version of the game, but I haven’t played it in literal decades. Either way, this is still the hard nose gameplay that comes with Ninja Gaiden, no matter how you slice it.
A Gorgeous Upgrade for A Classic
For many like me, seeing Ninja Gaiden emboss a game basically guarantees a purchase. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is no exception. On top of its stapled blisteringly challenging combat, the entire game receives a visual level of polish that makes it feel new again.
Also for those like me, the problems that come with the original game don’t keep us from falling in love all over again. That said, the problems still exist, like enemy projectiles flying through objects and still hitting you. Then there’s getting physically stuck in an object, unable to get out of it while your combo remains active.
Above all else, though, the camera issues remain the most frustrating element of the game. It jumps around to meet enemies and far too often gets blocked by your surroundings. Still, there’s enough fun, gore, and challenge that will outweigh the outdated traits, even for newcomers.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is now available on PS5.
Review code generously provided by the publisher.