The average PS3 owner does not need an introduction Ninja Gaiden Sigma, one of the system’s most popular action games, though it’s a essentially a refined port of the original Ninja Gaiden on the last-gen Xbox. Still, it was a very well done port with some great new content. Having said this, fans should be delighted to hear about the new Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, which is scheduled to be released in Q4, 2009, and will be an updated port of the next-gen Ninja Gaiden II. That’s right, the Ninja Gaiden II for Xbox 360, initially released as a console exclusive. If this isn’t good news for fans of the Ninja Gaiden franchise on PS3, I don’t know what is.
For the most part, Sigma 2 should be a lot like you remember the original being, if you ever had the chance to play it. The gameplay is almost entirely combat-based, and relies on a style of action much reminiscent of the Devil May Cry series. Players can switch between melee and ranged weapons on the fly, allowing for a versatile fighting system that involves a lot of strategy and carefully timed combinations. New weapons, combos, and upgrades can be unlocked as the player progresses through the game.
However, Ninja Gaiden Sigma is not without some significant additions. Two new playable female ninja characters have joined the mix, called Momiji and Ayane. Fans may remember Momiji from the DS game Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword, but not many should have to. All you really need to know that this gal Momiji is particularly buff, and carries with her both a massive Naginata (a sword with spear-like qualities, due to it’s especially long handle) and a long and powerful bow for ranged combat. Ayane hails from the Dead Or Alive games, and is quite faster than both Momiji and the series’s main hero, Ryu. Her move-set also has a large emphasis on magical attacks.
The extra content doesn’t end there. For one thing, it’s confirmed that the game will feature an online co-op mode, where two players can compete together to complete up to 30 challenge missions, the high scores and rankings of which can be uploaded to the leader boards online. In addition, around thirty percent of the game’s single player content is entirely new. Throw in the fact that the developers, Team Ninja, have taken it upon themselves to refine the graphics with superior Playstation 3 technology (the effects of which are clearly visible in the game’s development), and it’s clear that Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is shaping up to be the definitive version of Ninja Gaiden II.
If you’re not sure if you will like it, you can always rent Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 from GameFly before you buy it to see if it suits you.
GameFly™ - Official Site
