Ninja Gaiden 2 demo this week

By Robert Purchese Published 2 June, 2008

Gore-geous.

Xbox Live VIP Larry Hryb has promised a Western Ninja Gaiden II demo by the end of this week.

He made the comments on his Major Nelson blog after getting us all excited when a Japanese sampler was released last Friday.

The gory Xbox 360 exclusive is due out in Europe this Friday, and is the "most balletic, explosive combat game we've seen in years".

Pop over to our full Ninja Gaiden II review to find out why.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (41) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • The-Bodybuilder #1 4 years ago

    Why you think it's a 7/10?

  • Bumhug360 #2 4 years ago

    "And yet you still gave it a 7/10."

    Developer wearing sun glasses indoors now gets an automatic -2 to the score, see MGS 4 review
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/08 @ 12:26

  • bad09 #3 4 years ago

    Hmm, nice I'll give this a go.

    I did play the first one but it was very "meh" for me. Before you all jump on me I had a change of heart recently. Trying to find something to play on my PS3 I tried the sigma demo and enjoyed the gameplay more this time around so I'm half tempted to take the plunge with NG2.

  • kissthestick #4 4 years ago

    probably gold exclusive for the week, guess i'll wait
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/08 @ 12:32

  • penhalion #5 4 years ago

    It got 7/10 because it's got some ludicrous cheap shot bosses and enemies that rocket spam you to death with ZERO chance of retaliation or escape. A game shouldn't have sections that require actual luck to get through them.

  • Yossarian #6 4 years ago

    I eagerly await the opportunity to pit myself against the nastiness of this game.

  • miiiguel #7 4 years ago

    it's 7/10 because of the bias, and the backhand money and "oh my god! the fanboy!" shit..., so I read in the MGS thread.

  • Vice.Destroyer #8 4 years ago

    Thank goodness for the release of that demo. The japanese marketplace has been teasing me with the region-locked NG 2 demo so much, it actually hurts.

  • Darren #9 4 years ago

    The game is out this Friday, people with pre-orders will likely get it Thursday, so it's a shame that demo isn't out now. Why the delay, it's already out in Japan?

  • muscleblade #10 4 years ago

    I dont care about the demo im at work sitting with my retail copy in my hand right now. My friend at the store gave it to me early.

  • muscleblade #11 4 years ago

    Looking at all the reviews this isnt as good as the original i guess. It doesnt need to be either imo. If its half as good as NG its still one of the best games this generation. Ninja gaiden was the best game in the last generation, only Resident Evil 4 came close. No game ive played this generation is as good as Ninja Gaiden.
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/08 @ 13:24

  • muscleblade #12 4 years ago

    Those who havent played Ninja Gaiden Black should definently buy it on the marketplace. Playing NG2 without playing NG first is just wrong ( achievements or not Miguel. LOL ).
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/08 @ 13:28

  • hybridial #13 4 years ago

    "it mainly got a 7/10 as it's to similar to the first one and improves on very little, including the camera. For some that's no bad thing, read the whole review not just glance at the final score."

    But GTA IV got 10/10 and basically made no improvements at all over it's predecessors. Would be nice to get reviews that weren't hypocritical but oh well. I played the Japanese demo release, the game is great. As good as the original, I could only say when I play the full thing but rest assured, the game IS great.

  • muscleblade #14 4 years ago

    @hybridial and squarejawhero

    Sounds good. Cant wait.

  • bad09 #15 4 years ago

    But GTA got this, but Halo got that...wah wah wah!!!

    Are we going to get this comparing scores crap with every review now?

  • alimokrane #16 4 years ago

    Here something to avoid your troubles MS:

    Just dont freaking IP block the JP demo and you wouldnt have to release anything..... A lot easier that way and makes people happier.

  • Trafford #17 4 years ago

    Why no demo now.
    Region locking the JP demo caused my home network no end of bother.
    Took the wife about 4 hours to get everything working again so I could play age of conan
    Roll on friday

  • Perjoss #18 4 years ago

    people that complain about the camera: there is a button on the gamepad, when you press it, the camera snaps behind ryu, unless they removed it in ng2, but i doubt it.

  • alimokrane #19 4 years ago

    @Perjoss

    Indeed. the original NG game had the WORST camera in a game ever! yet it was a BRILLIANT game. some people just complain for the sake of complaining.
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/08 @ 14:23

  • muscleblade #20 4 years ago

    "Indeed. the original NG game had the WORST camera in a game ever!"

    I never actually had trouble with the camera in Ninja Gaiden. I just didnt get why people complained. If its the same in NG2 its all good to me.

  • Vice.Destroyer #21 4 years ago

    Has anybody tried to use the gold trial card they got from GTA IV, on the japanese marketplace, to be able to download the NG2 demo? If it works, I might try the demo myself, otherwise I'll just add it onto my principal account.

  • TONYgr #22 4 years ago

    having played the first stage i totally agree with EG.the problem is that the camera have stayed the same but the game didnt.the game has a bigger number of opponets at any given time and is a lot faster than black.so the camera cant keep up to the frenetic action.half the time i didnt see what i was doing.i slaughter them okey,but i couldnt get the same satisfaction as black because i couldnt see myself doing it.anyway thats my opinion.for the record ihave all 3 gaidens and i have finished the first and black on all difficulties.

  • johnnybrn #23 4 years ago

    Don't complain about camera angles cos GTA IV has the worst camera that I've seen in a long time. I constantly have to adjust it especially whilst in the car, its so counter-intuative. Cant remember NG having being that bad a camera, will wait for the Black edition cos that one rocked!

  • septimus #24 4 years ago

    It got 7/10 because of it's cheap and shitty AI/difficulty. Get. Over. It.

    It is just an expansion pack to the first one. Ninja Gaiden 1.5 as GameTrailers put it quite well. If you liked the first, you will like it, so what is the problem?

  • ParanoidZombie #25 4 years ago

    DMC4 has the worst camera ever IMO, and I can't understand why everyone is bashing NG's camera while on the other hand capcom has never ever managed to provide a decent camera in any of the 4 games of the DMC series. It must be a worlwide conspiracy or something. NG's camera is decent enough in comparison, JUST PRESS THE RIGHT TRIGGER FFS.

  • alimokrane #26 4 years ago

    @ Vice.Destroyer

    DONT! the demo is IP locked so only people who are actually in japan can download it. MS has locked it to Japan.

  • Vice.Destroyer #27 4 years ago

    Thanks for the timely warning, AlimoKrane. The only reason that I asked was that there seem to be two different pages to download the same demo. Two different pages and two different error messages. If I look into the jap equivalent of new arrivals on the marketplace blade and look at new arrivals, I get the error that I would not get this demo in my location.

    But if I look into the NG splash page, I hope that is what that is called. You know, click the NG ad and then the Xbox takes on a temporary NG wallpaper, well, Id I do that, then the error message tells me that Xbox Gold owners only can pick up this demo.

    But I'll take your word for it. The game is out on friday, and I know I am buying it.

  • mikeawmids #28 4 years ago

    Oh. So they finally recall that there are a few people in Europe that own 360's. Well, thanks, I guess.

  • Negotiator #29 4 years ago

    A 7 out of 10 shit fest, who cares about a demo. That nob head from Team Ninja is so far up his own ass, he's messed up the follow up to one of the best action games ever.

  • DUFFKING #30 4 years ago

    Stars please don't post the IW website link, they've been having bandwidth issues ever since someone posted about it on GFAQs. Use the other links floating about isntead.

  • DUFFKING #31 4 years ago

    Thanks :)

  • hybridial #32 4 years ago

    "GTA4 improved car physics, story, characters, had a whole new graphics engine and physics engine, cover system plus online modes the games predecessors were also not in major need of camera, difficulty spikes, and weak story tweaks NG's was."

    Ah, but GTA never was actually any fun, nothing that superficial changes like that could change for anyone. As well as that, the game suffers from major popup issues, the cover system was horribly implemented, the physics engine made no noticeable impact besides duff up the car handling, and the online modes are tacked on. It's a terrible game, I feel personally, but even objectively, there was nothing that warranted the perfect score and yes, comparisons should be made because they expose immense bias in the way reviews are handled.

    Now Ninja Gaiden 2. Eurogamer's review of the game was flawed, critically, and I could tell that just from a 10 minute demo of the game. The review did not attempt to cover the changes in gameplay from the original. The game does not play the same as the original at all, it's much faster and the combos for all the weapons have been completely reanimated. This is not a clone of the previous game, far from it. It also has an improved projectile aiming system, manual aim for ninpo magic, the option to only use talismans when you have them equipped making it a lot easier to ration their use. Almost every practical concern from Ninja Gaiden Black has been addressed, at least every concern that would actually matter to a person who can appreciate Ninja Gaiden properly. I submit to Rob Fahey that his review was garbage, that there's no way he appreciated Black properly if he failed to see the practical improvements made in 2, and thus he does not appreciate it properly either. Do I appreciate GTA? Not really, but hey, you don't see me writing reviews about it.

  • wingZero21 #33 4 years ago

    @lavalant
    it mainly got a 7/10 as it's to similar to the first one and improves on very little, including the camera. For some that's no bad thing, read the whole review not just glance at the final score.

    like the other ones improves on very little.. like Halo 3 then :)

    €€€€urogamer
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/08 @ 18:54

  • Dynamism #34 4 years ago

    "It got 7/10 because it's got some ludicrous cheap shot bosses and enemies that rocket spam you to death with ZERO chance of retaliation or escape. A game shouldn't have sections that require actual luck to get through them."

    So you've played it?

    Rocket spamming occured on in the first game (Military Destruction phase 5, anyone?) and the same cry babies bitched about cheapness etc, for sections/bosses they found difficult.

    Man up.

  • DAN.E.B #35 4 years ago

    who cares!
    still be the best action game this gen

  • penhalion #36 4 years ago

    @Dynamism

    Yes I have played it. A friend of mine just reviewed it for a newspaper and I got to play through the first 5 levels. I'm not talking about lack of skill here, where you can dodge or get hit a few times and escape/counter. The game actually has sections where a full health bar can be wiped out by continuous rapid fire rocket hits that stun you and leave you unable to move out of the way of the follow up attacks, which also stun you. It becomes a loop that you as the player can do absolutely nothing about!

    My friend played against the exploding boss. Anyone who doesn't know the boss will explode i.e. everyone playing the boss for the first time, will be killed in the explosion again with zero chance to escape. Hint if it goes red then run like fuck and don't spare the horses!

  • The-Bodybuilder #37 4 years ago

    My question was tongue-in-cheek, didn't mean anything by it.
    But an exploding boss IS cheap, no matter what, especially when you don't know.

  • Ryze #38 4 years ago

    [ Nemo seagulls ]

    Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine...!

    [ / Nemo seagulls ]

  • Chimps #39 4 years ago

    Demo is out at 10am on Tuesday:- http://ma jornelson.com/archive/2008/06/0...

  • Vice.Destroyer #40 4 years ago

    Chimps, you little beauty.

  • muscleblade #41 4 years ago

    I played the retail game last night. I completed the 2 first levels. I love it so far. I think the Teamxbox review is spot on.
    I forgot how different it is from DMC and other hack and slash games so i was in trouble right away until i adjusted to the good old NG way of playing and the enemies didnt stand a chance. You cant just press the buttons randomly and think you will survive. You have to carefully anticipate the enemies moves and counter with you own. This is why NG and NG2 is much better games than the competition. If you think the first game was a 10/10 this is atleast a 9/10 to you, maybe even a 10/10.