Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Brings Back Memories...But It's A Bit Different (First Impressions)

[@jaksarcade327]

Thanks for watching. Let me know your thoughts on today's topic down below. Also, even though the game has its frame drops, they are not as bad as the recording of this gameplay shows. This footage was recording while I was also streaming. Link to the VOD is here kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZzLloiVn9B9p9U

[@RTXBRINGER]

OG for memory...6 enemies at a time...this one still holds back...but also beefs the enemies.

[@tankeater]

2:25 you DEFINITELY missed something by not going up those stairs.

[@kruegerpoolthe13th]

I really like the changes I can’t imagine ever missing the stupid water mines

[@thenonexistinghero]

Original had a few stupid things, but... Sigma 2 messed up a whole lot beyond just removing bad parts. They added bad parts and made the combat experience far worse. And this version mostly takes after that gutted version. Would've been amazing if it was the 360 version with some of the bs like the mines or sections with too many flying enemies fixed. And to be honest, this version isn't even worthy of being called Black. The original Black made quite a few changes to the main game, added mechanics and improved/polished a lot. This is pretty much just copypasta of Sigma 2 mechanically. Some things are removed or changed a bit, but that's also about it. And there's also been a visual overhaul, but I still don't think that's enough to call it Black. The original Black was more like a Director's Cut experience, not just a plus version. This game really is just a plus version of Sigma 2, beyond the visual overhaul.

[@Deadforge]

​@thenonexistinghero, it's a ground up remake in Unreal 5. It's a combination of NG2 and NG2 Sigma. The devs went for a good mix of the two. I'm having a blast with it. my only experience with the series was Ninja Gaiden Black and a Ninja Gaiden 3 demo.

[@kruegerpoolthe13th]

@@thenonexistinghero I really enjoyed it I love the 360 version but I’m not die hard enough to defend it’s really stupid design decisions Besides the stupid stuff from Sigma II aren’t present like the fights against the giant statues or the absence of gore and blood It’s a great rendition that combines the best aspects from both Besides the harder difficulties are just as challenging as ever

[@thenonexistinghero]

@@kruegerpoolthe13th Except it doesn't combine the best aspects of both. It quite literally only has 2 elements from the 360 version that were changed in the Sigma version. One is the addition of gore, the other one is the weapon upgrade system. Quite literally everything else is Sigma 2. And quite frankly there is objectively nothing good about the decision to make throws and certain projects do insane amounts of damage in the Sigma version. That's just objectively bad game design, no better than the stupid worm fight in the 360 version of NG2. And then there's many other objectively stupid changes in Sigma (that were retained in Black 2), such completely destroying the best moments in the game. The staircase battle even with all of its slowdown is a highlight in the 360 version and can be enjoyed in full speed when played on an Xbox One/Series). And the entirety of chapter 11 (14 in Sigma/Black 2) is just completely destroyed. It's straight up hypocritical to hate on the 360 original alone while completely ignoring the many objectively awful garbage game design choices that Sigma/Black 2 have. No, it's not the best of both worlds, not even close to it. Outside of the 2 things that made it back, everything that was completely ruined is still completely ruined.

[@kruegerpoolthe13th]

@@thenonexistinghero I don’t hate the 360 version at all I love it it’s one of my favorite games ever I just find the changes improve upon that version NGII is hardly an example of great game design anyway

[@uncensoredangel]

For anyone with no experience with the previous instalments like me this is the best entry into the series. It has the older games looking like a Nintendo port.

[@uncensoredangel]

Liked the review. Playing it on xbox1x rn through gamepass but will def get it on ps5 once it drops down a few bucks.

[@RTXBRINGER]

I feel it was the best attempt of both sides...missing og Ninja Gaiden 2 and Sigma. Needs more precise aiming for flying swallow but besides a few bugs homing to an enemy it is a solid remaster/update.

[@ShaoBONK_GAMING]

The enemy packs still being reduced on new hardware sucks, the "stairwell" fighting off a literal platoon of ninjas made you feel like a super badass. Plus, and this one is a small one for me. Why did every outfit get cut out? That should have been the easiest thing to bring back. I miss projectile UTs and the other throwable options too. I think that this was a great move for them to attract a new audience. But the hardcore fans need some love too lol

[@pancakes2726]

I'm so happy Ninja Gaiden is back

[@Antjhart]

Should have released it as a free update with the master collection.

[@brendankhoo8297]

75% Sigma and 25% OGNG2 Inferior to original but superior to that sigma shit. An acceptable mid ground for me personally. Too bad they didnt just remaster OGNG2, source code issues or someshit.

[@zakiaitslimane658]

@brendankhoo8297 heard they lost the source code of both ninja gaiden black and og NG2 but hey considering NG2 black is made with unreal engine and it will release on pc we can count on the amazing modding community to insert in a room as much ennemies as there was in og NG2

[@n1lknarf]

It's $50, I understand the nitpicking. It should've been $20 so it was less than the collection for $30, that way people would've bought the collection rather than just 1 game, and the remaster cuz it's just $20. Their marketing department doesn't understand how to create value.

[@anthonyjones1325]

I can't imagine there being a level harder than MN, I still have nightmares about those exploding kunai the enemies NEVER stop throwing. I might pick it up if my wife allows it, considering I just bought a new game and the battle pass for Rivals.

[@MechaTengu21]

Maybe picking up by game pass is easier to convince her? Since it is cheaper than buying the game.

[@Lior__plays]

Asking permission from your wife to a buy a game with your own money is weak!

[@thenonexistinghero]

It's not comparable to the original NG2. The combat in Sigma 2 and subsequently Black 2 is a gutted experience. Instead of an overwhelming amount of enemies and projectiles, the hardest difficulties aren't all that different from the normal difficulty. Except enemies are much tankier and you die in a single grab or from a single exploding arrow. To be quite honest, I much prefer how it was in the original and the majority of people who played through the original on MN all agree that MN sucks in Sigma 2 (and by extension also Black 2).

[@Deadforge]

​@@thenonexistingheroYou don't die from a single arrow or grab lol. Plus if you're good you'll barely ever be grabbed. Performance seems to be the reason they went for less enemies than classic but more than Sigma 2.

[@thenonexistinghero]

@@Deadforge Except you do die from a single grab or 'exploding' arrow on Master Ninja in Sigma 2. In fact it's a very common complain. It shows you've never even played it on Master Ninja. It's not until the late game until you can barely survive it. That's not a subjective opinion, this is straight up a fact.

[@eltrapo7556]

I just beat stellar blad on hard mode in NG+ and bought this like hey I remember ninja gaiden looks cool, I’ll play on very hard lol I’m fighting the shadow ninja for the second time after you get the bow and I want to rip my locs out

[@jaksarcade327]

@@eltrapo7556 I think you should check out my latest vid I uploaded just an hour ago. You may find it interesting

[@matthewkiggin5456]

I hate the balls blowing you up on this game and trying to dodge them there like cannons

[@donielstrong3993]

The devs already said that this is the definitive version of the game

[@NY-Buddy]

It's hard to say a game is a definitive edition when content is removed from the previous edition.

[@pancakes2726]

​@@NY-BuddyI was gonna go there and ofc they'll claim it is the definitive version but that's just to boost sales. It is a good remake for what it does right but I wouldn't go as far as to say that this is the "definitive version." That's for the consumers to decide.

[@ShikiRyougi05]

It really isn't lol, i'm loving 2 black however the missing content, cut coop and not mode resembling enemies from OG NG2 makes calling it "definitive" just...wrong.

[@nacthenud]

Since Tomonobu Itagaki isn’t with Team Ninja any more and they’re using Sigma 2 as the base, which wasn’t his, it’s kind of like saying it is the definitive version of a movie when it’s put together by someone who wasn’t the original director. It could be the definitive edition of Sigma 2, sure.

[@geroffmilan3328]

Gaslighting & revisionism. The fact this is the best they can do after 20 years of vapid fumbling tells me everything I need to know about the upcoming Ninja Aco-Lite 4. Maybe the only thing worse than nostalgia-mining is when dilution is added.

[@LanceMcClaren]

I love the game but NG2 is still the definitive version of the game.

[@geroffmilan3328]

💯 Everything after is a diluted substitute

[@uncensoredangel]

Dude it's 17 years old, let it goooo. Also devs said this is the definitive edition.

[@GriffithXZ]

The game is to EZ compared to the OG ninja gaiden 2

[@jaksarcade327]

@@GriffithXZ even on Master Ninja?

[@thenonexistinghero]

@@jaksarcade327 Not on Master Ninja technically, but... for the wrong reasons. In Sigma 2 (and Black 2) you pretty much die from 1 grab or exploding arrow until late game (and even then it won't take more than 2), but outside of that and tankier enemies... the actual combat experience isn't very different from normal. Basically if you can play through normal without getting hit in Sigma/Black 2, then you can do that on Master Ninja. That's not the case for the 360 original, where every single difficulty is pretty much a wholly different gameplay experience that forces you to truly learn the game and its mechanics on a deeper level every time you move up.

[@bztxo502]

Facts this is just sigma 2 with blood and better graphics

[@reyquezada9062]

Seems a bit clunky to me. The controller feels outdated.

[@thenonexistinghero]

The game seems to have an issue when played with an Xbox Series controller. Switching it up makes for a major improvement, but it's still a bit less responsive than the Xbox 360 original.

[@SevenP2830]

I thought I was going crazy. I don’t remember the old game feeling clunky, but that’s exactly how it feels on my Series X. Compared to a modern game like Sekiro, it feels so slow.

[@shinra358]

it's so boring but it's a well made game

[@aestheticwolf7769]

Boring?

[@NY-Buddy]

I would agree that it's boring as well, But only because the original version of the game with the amount of stuff that was present always had me on my toes and active. There was never a free moment outside of the savepoint lol

[@thedarkside3899]

Tbh.. This remembered me of the good old times. When games were made to be fun... No woke DEI bullshit, no immersive camera perspective... No 2h tutotial at the beginning of the game. It's just pure spectical and fun.

[@M.Kabane]

Game's only 80gb ...