Preview: Ninja Gaiden II for the Xbox 360

Years ago, the first Ninja Gaiden was released for the Xbox and to universal, critical acclaim, becoming arguably the most popular Japanese-made Xbox title released in the United States. Why was the game so popular even in the U.S., where sword-wielding ninjas are not exactly the most well-received characters? Simple. The series redefined the action-brawler genre, delivering amazingly rich graphics, a mix of action/adventure as complex as any action game, and weapons-based battling as intricate as any fighting game. It's also probably why the game went on to spawn a number of follow-up efforts, including the remakes of Ninja Gaiden Black for the Xbox and Ninja Gaiden Sigma, recently released for the Playstation 3. Now, three years later, the highly-anticipated "real" sequel to the original, Ninja Gaiden II, is set to be released on the Xbox 360 in early 2008, proving to not only match, but surpass, its predecessor. Once again a Microsoft exclusive, Ninja Gaiden II is made by the same developers that have created the entire franchise, Team Ninja, the same guys that develop the popular Dead or Alive fighting series. Those of us who were lucky enough to try out the original demo at the recent Tokyo Game Show found ourselves impressed, but desperately wanting more. Thankfully, the latest demo of the nearly finished game has provided four complete levels and has given a major glimpse into the new and exciting world of Ninja Gaiden II.

Plot-wise, the sequel takes place somewhere between six months to a year after the events of the first game. The infamous Vigoorian Empire from the first game does not appear in this title, and neither does fan-favorite heroine Rachel. This time around, the focus is primarily on the ongoing war between protagonist Ryu Hayabusa's clan and its rival clan, the Black Spiders. However, the most distinct difference comes from the game's settings, which, unlike the original's historic and fantasy-based world, take place in the modern-day real world. Levels like the Lightning Necropolis, which is modeled after a war-torn Times Square, and the Aqua Capital, modeled after the water-locked town of Venice, bring much more realism to the sequel. Even so, the fact that pretty much all of the levels lack civilians or bystanders of any kind definitely takes away from the overall realism. Nevertheless, this is definitely one of the most visually stunning titles currently available or in production, and while in action, the player-controlled Ryu literally moves like a blur on the screen.

In addition to a beefed-up story, superior graphics, and more life-like settings, Ninja Gaiden II is an improvement upon its predecessor in almost every way, with several elements from the original that were perceived as drawbacks dutifully removed. For example, many fans had complained about a few of the weapons that were utilized quite frequently in the game and did not end up being all that useful. This time around, all questionable weapons have been cut from the game, including the infamous megasword Dailhabro. In addition, the amount of backtracking that was required in the first game, something that plagued players to no end, has been all but removed in the sequel, which is much more linear in its gameplay. In Gaiden II, the game gets rid of all of the "dead" areas that served only to puzzle players and force them to lose sight of their main objectives, and now the game itself strives to help push players in the right direction, while still maintaining the level of difficulty that distinguished the original. In fact, in terms of pure gameplay and combat intensity, the sequel does not disappoint. Players still control Ryu in finger-hurting, head-dizzying combat, with the same ultraviolent battles that the first game made popular, the kind that involves the decapitating of heads and the severing of limbs and body parts of several opponents in a matter of seconds.

Despite the sheer amount of dismemberment that occurs in the game, Gaiden II has successfully maintained a Mature rating, rather than the "kiss of death" Adults Only rating, from the ESRB, ensuring that it will be available at an electronics store near you. So far, most of the playable levels, including the Castle of the Dragon, Sky City Tokyo, and the Aqua Capital, are incredibly well developed, although certain stages, such as the Lightning Necropolis, are still in need of polishing, as huge swarms of enemies attack in waves that can prove to be too furious, even for Ninja Gaiden. However, new features in the game such as the weapons-dependent Obliteration Techniques will offer healthy solutions to getting rid of swarms of enemies at once. Overall, Ninja Gaiden II should prove to be just as popular, if not more so, in the U.S. as its ground-breaking predecessor. And although the game lacks the previously promised online multiplayer capability, the serious and significant improvements and enhancements that have been shown will undoubtedly warrant some serious awards and critical acclaim for this upcoming title in the Ninja Gaiden franchise.