[360, PS3] Ninja Gaiden 2
- Thread starter Hardknock
- Start date
it's up in the European marketplace (except Germany):
http://majornelson.com/archive/2008/06/03/demo-ninja-gaiden-ii.aspx
http://majornelson.com/archive/2008/06/03/demo-ninja-gaiden-ii.aspx
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I managed to play the game today at my cousin's house, and went through about 2 chapters of normal mode.
As someone that has played Sigma, I can say that the feel of NG2 is very different from NGS.
I mainly felt the difference in the following aspects:
There shouldn't be spoilers below, but just in case...
To sum up my experience,
It feels like I was cutting up scarecrows in DMC4 that don't do much while playing NGS.
In NG2, the enemies feel much more like the gold angels.
EDIT：
Oh yeah, it is also a pity that just like NGS, Loading isn't completely spared.
Right after you finish loading, if you change weapons, it loads for a couple of seconds.
There is also loading if you move through the map too fast... just like Sigma, but it seems that they've divided the map up much more efficiently so that there is much less of that.
As someone that has played Sigma, I can say that the feel of NG2 is very different from NGS.
I mainly felt the difference in the following aspects:
There shouldn't be spoilers below, but just in case...
1. A lot more ways to chop the enemy up while not sacraficing your karma score.
Apart from using the different colored orbs to do the special combos
(which now take a lot more time to perform and looks a lot better. However, they deal.... well... about the same damage as before)
to rack up your scores, by wounding (and by wound I mean dismembering) the enemy, you also can do kill combos and rack up even more scores.
It seems that they are actually encouraging you to do the kill combos rather than using the special combos.
Yes, the special combos allow you more time to breathe because they are... well, easy to do over and over again if you get the gist of it, but offer somewhat less score (need more confirmation).
The kill combos requrire you to use normal attacks to dismember the enemy and then deal a killing blow. Much more skill required there.
2. The agressiveness of the enemy is VERY different. (minor enemies to bosses)
Acutally this is easily explained by the new HP bar, which I believe many on this forum know about.
The new HP bar, as I see it, is actually essential to this new difficulty.
Before, in NGS, it is relatively easy to clear an area losing little HP.
In fact, losing HP isn't actually that common in NGS (excluding the really hard difficulties please...).
In NG2, It felt completely different. Losing HP is now actually "part" of the everyday chore. Clearing an area and losing 1/4~2/3 of your HP is actually very normal.
Without the "regaining part of your health after combat" system, I'd say that it is virtually impossible to clear the game.
The enemes in NGS will sometimes stand around for a few seconds an not do anything. Not so in NG2.
If they are not attacking you with claws or swords, be sure to look out for their flaming arrows.
I remember myself being able to clear all the bosses in NGS on my first try, either by abusing my health items, or by taking it slowly.
I now find myself having a hard time clearing the second boss, using up to 10 continues due to trying not to use any items.
3. The special combos have been nerfed.
Most can recall that in NGS, A level 2 (or blue aura) special combo attack kills instantly. A relatively normal sized enemy is easily killed. This goes for Normal, as well has Hard mode in NGS. Only in Very hard do those enemies survive. Sorry, no more of this luxury in NG2. A level 2 combo doesn't kill that easily. In fact, it doesn't kill at all if you don't luckily dismember the head or something like that. The instant kills seem to be reserved for level 3 combos....
Also to be noted is that the orbs now appear a bit slower, so a constant use of level 2~3 combos isn't as easy as before.
4. The number of enemies have been increased
Er... did I say increase? Pardon me, I really meant "multiplied".
5. The tempo of the game is quite different.
Yes, people that have played NGS or NG or NGB will catch on much faster than newcomers.
(and I am also afraid that NG2 might scare off even more newcomers than the three versions mentioned before due to the high difficulty)
But at the same time, old players will notice that many of the old fighting styles are still usable, but due to the aggressiveness of the computer, many of the old styles may need to go.
Apart from using the different colored orbs to do the special combos
(which now take a lot more time to perform and looks a lot better. However, they deal.... well... about the same damage as before)
to rack up your scores, by wounding (and by wound I mean dismembering) the enemy, you also can do kill combos and rack up even more scores.
It seems that they are actually encouraging you to do the kill combos rather than using the special combos.
Yes, the special combos allow you more time to breathe because they are... well, easy to do over and over again if you get the gist of it, but offer somewhat less score (need more confirmation).
The kill combos requrire you to use normal attacks to dismember the enemy and then deal a killing blow. Much more skill required there.
2. The agressiveness of the enemy is VERY different. (minor enemies to bosses)
Acutally this is easily explained by the new HP bar, which I believe many on this forum know about.
The new HP bar, as I see it, is actually essential to this new difficulty.
Before, in NGS, it is relatively easy to clear an area losing little HP.
In fact, losing HP isn't actually that common in NGS (excluding the really hard difficulties please...).
In NG2, It felt completely different. Losing HP is now actually "part" of the everyday chore. Clearing an area and losing 1/4~2/3 of your HP is actually very normal.
Without the "regaining part of your health after combat" system, I'd say that it is virtually impossible to clear the game.
The enemes in NGS will sometimes stand around for a few seconds an not do anything. Not so in NG2.
If they are not attacking you with claws or swords, be sure to look out for their flaming arrows.
I remember myself being able to clear all the bosses in NGS on my first try, either by abusing my health items, or by taking it slowly.
I now find myself having a hard time clearing the second boss, using up to 10 continues due to trying not to use any items.
3. The special combos have been nerfed.
Most can recall that in NGS, A level 2 (or blue aura) special combo attack kills instantly. A relatively normal sized enemy is easily killed. This goes for Normal, as well has Hard mode in NGS. Only in Very hard do those enemies survive. Sorry, no more of this luxury in NG2. A level 2 combo doesn't kill that easily. In fact, it doesn't kill at all if you don't luckily dismember the head or something like that. The instant kills seem to be reserved for level 3 combos....
Also to be noted is that the orbs now appear a bit slower, so a constant use of level 2~3 combos isn't as easy as before.
4. The number of enemies have been increased
Er... did I say increase? Pardon me, I really meant "multiplied".
5. The tempo of the game is quite different.
Yes, people that have played NGS or NG or NGB will catch on much faster than newcomers.
(and I am also afraid that NG2 might scare off even more newcomers than the three versions mentioned before due to the high difficulty)
But at the same time, old players will notice that many of the old fighting styles are still usable, but due to the aggressiveness of the computer, many of the old styles may need to go.
To sum up my experience,
It feels like I was cutting up scarecrows in DMC4 that don't do much while playing NGS.
In NG2, the enemies feel much more like the gold angels.
EDIT：
Oh yeah, it is also a pity that just like NGS, Loading isn't completely spared.
Right after you finish loading, if you change weapons, it loads for a couple of seconds.
There is also loading if you move through the map too fast... just like Sigma, but it seems that they've divided the map up much more efficiently so that there is much less of that.
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Hey Gamersyde has tons of footage.
Specially the first ten minutes of the game, I dunno guys but the game has some issues with loading.
http://gamersyde.com/game_900.html
enjoy
Specially the first ten minutes of the game, I dunno guys but the game has some issues with loading.
http://gamersyde.com/game_900.html
enjoy
Blim recorded that with the review build. The retail build shouldn't have such frequent loading (when kicking open the chests etc).
Yep - read the Team Xbox review, which specifically mentions differences between review and retail builds. It's actually something I'm more and more happy with, now - waiting for retail builds to give a view on exactly what we customers will have in our hands, rather than giving false negative impressions or worse, trusting they'll be fixed based on a promise by the publisher.
Hazuki Ryu
Regular
Played the demo loved the demo camera is a little better than in the first game thanks to the right analog movement it will work well if the player makes it work really liked the framerate and the game though its running at a lower resolution doesn't look very jagged or blurred
It's very nice n' clean. If it wasn't for quaz it'd be hard to tell.
CoD4 had 2xAA. This has a slightly higher resolution than CoD4 with 2xAA.
This game will own you! So I picked it up last night and start playing on Easy since this is my first time with such a game.
Easy isn't Easy. The level 2 boss is a bastard! but this game is really damn cool. The enviorment changes are been dramatic in the first 3 level and absolutely no back tracking what so ever. If you have a 360, get this game. It's difficult and that can be frutrating but there is something rewarding and mentally satisfying when you get past it. Mainly because the fault was with you, not the game.
Easy isn't Easy. The level 2 boss is a bastard! but this game is really damn cool. The enviorment changes are been dramatic in the first 3 level and absolutely no back tracking what so ever. If you have a 360, get this game. It's difficult and that can be frutrating but there is something rewarding and mentally satisfying when you get past it. Mainly because the fault was with you, not the game.
Playing on Path of the Warrior (default) and I beat the chapter 2 boss on my second try. I had a much tougher time with the chapter 3 and 4 bosses.
I got the game when I arrived home from work today, and before long got it fired up.
Visuals are quite nice but I am really hating the camera and am also getting owned on path of warrior.
I finished the first game on normal difficulty without too much trouble, but I've either got really out of sync with the way the game plays or I'm not aging well
I am going to blame it on being tired and plan to retry it tomorrow, but I just can't get over how bad I find the camera (even when using the R. Trigger to center it), and really don't remember it being so bad.
Visuals are quite nice but I am really hating the camera and am also getting owned on path of warrior.
I finished the first game on normal difficulty without too much trouble, but I've either got really out of sync with the way the game plays or I'm not aging well
I am going to blame it on being tired and plan to retry it tomorrow, but I just can't get over how bad I find the camera (even when using the R. Trigger to center it), and really don't remember it being so bad.
I got the game when I arrived home from work today, and before long got it fired up.
Visuals are quite nice but I am really hating the camera and am also getting owned on path of warrior.
I finished the first game on normal difficulty without too much trouble, but I've either got really out of sync with the way the game plays or I'm not aging well
I am going to blame it on being tired and plan to retry it tomorrow, but I just can't get over how bad I find the camera (even when using the R. Trigger to center it), and really don't remember it being so bad.
Heh, if you're struggling with the camera, possibly you may get some value from reading this blog post. I haven't had a chance to play with the game yet (*patiently waits for PlayAsia delivery*) but it sounds like the player managing the "direction" of the game was one of the ground-level goals in NG2.
That's just the guy's theory: that post isn't really much more than a nice long 'it's not broken, lrn2play'.
Whilst I'm hoping that with play time tomorrow when I'm more awake and alert I will be able to find it more manageagle (the Camera) the rant by the guy on the link is a bit... Hmm well a fans justification of the game.
Maybe some players prefer this type of "directorial" do it yourself kind of camera. But with a game that already more difficult than the averge game in the Genre, why choose* to make us fight with the camera too?
Maybe some will come and say it's just because I suck, (and after how bad I played briefly tonight, I'd be inclined to agree) but I am finding myself really disappointed with it, on an otherwise solid experience.
*Choose in reference to the article which if I'm not mistaken, is trying to say that it was a design choice to make it intentionally difficult.
Maybe some players prefer this type of "directorial" do it yourself kind of camera. But with a game that already more difficult than the averge game in the Genre, why choose* to make us fight with the camera too?
Maybe some will come and say it's just because I suck, (and after how bad I played briefly tonight, I'd be inclined to agree) but I am finding myself really disappointed with it, on an otherwise solid experience.
*Choose in reference to the article which if I'm not mistaken, is trying to say that it was a design choice to make it intentionally difficult.
