Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo have surprised everyone by releasing Ninja Gaiden 2: Black, a new version of the Xbox 360 hack-and-slash game Ninja Gaiden 2, built on Unreal Engine 5. It is now available on Steam and Microsoft’s Game Pass service. It feels like it has emerged from the darkness like a ninja, but with so many ninjas around lately, let’s say it’s like a duck resurfacing, its beak filled with pond vegetation, symbolizing tweaks to the weapons upgrade system. Check out the trailer below:
Ninja Gaiden 2 was previously released on PC as part of the 2021 Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection, which was criticized for being a bit basic in terms of PC ports. This new version takes into account feedback from players and is designed to appeal to both experienced players and newcomers.
Head of Team Ninja, Fumihiko Yasuda, explained in an interview with Xbox Wire, “We added ‘Black’ to the title to indicate to fans that this is the definitive version, similar to how NINJA GAIDEN Black was for the first game.” This is the ultimate Ninja Gaiden 2 experience. If Koei Tecmo remasters it again, they would have deceived us.
“This version is tailored to satisfy both those familiar with the original and newcomers experiencing it as a modern action game,” Yasuda added. “We have carefully integrated some elements from Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 while maintaining the challenge and essence of the original 360 version, including its trademark gore and violence. We have also adjusted the weapon upgrade system to align more with the original release.”
All of this sets the stage for the upcoming Ninja Gaiden 4, which was recently announced and set to release later this year. And if 3D ninjas aren’t your thing, there’s also Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a 2D game developed by Koei Tecmo, Dotemu, and The Game Kitchen, known for their work on Blasphemous.
