Ryu is back, and he's taking his ninja-ing activities from New York to Tokyo to the Netherworld (the hellish one, not the saucy one) and back again. It's Ninja Gaiden 2!

As far as plot goes... well, there is one. Ryu's on a mission to avenge his clan or some such thing. The future of the human race is at stake. All in a day's work for an awesome ninja.

We all know, however, that the point is really fast, bloody gameplay, and that's what we're set to get.

The game - which follows up ... more >>

Ryu is back, and he's taking his ninja-ing activities from New York to Tokyo to the Netherworld (the hellish one, not the saucy one) and back again. It's Ninja Gaiden 2!

As far as plot goes... well, there is one. Ryu's on a mission to avenge his clan or some such thing. The future of the human race is at stake. All in a day's work for an awesome ninja.

We all know, however, that the point is really fast, bloody gameplay, and that's what we're set to get.

The game - which follows up Ninja Gaiden on the Xbox back in 2004 - will feature a brand spanking new gameplay engine built from scratch by Team Ninja and developer Tomonobu Itagaki, creator of the Dead or Alive franchise.

It also comes with a new auto-health regeneration system, a mechanic set to subtly shift the way you play. The biggie, however, is the new obliteration techniques. Nowadays, dismembering a foe isn't enough to stop them dead. The problem with that is that they'll attempt to suicide bomb you. This is why you'll want to use an obliteration technique - different weapons come with different moves - to wipe them off the face of the planet.

Also new to the series this time round is the cleverly-titled 'Ninja Cinema', which will enable players to record their exploits and share them over Xbox Live. You'll even be able to indulge your inner film noir fan with a black and white filter.

Live by the sword. Make a big red mess. Avenge your clan. Do it in whatever order you like. << less