Ninja Gaiden 2 provided peak ninja hack-and-slash combat and received near-universal praise when it was released exclusively on the Xbox 360 in 2008. The same could not be said for its updated release, Ninja Gaiden 2 Sigma, which made multiple changes that divided the fanbase as the game went multiplatform and landed on the PlayStation 3. More than a decade later, Team Ninja has pivoted away from developing more action RPGs—the past several years have included Nioh 2, Rise of the Ronin, Strangers in Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins, and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty—to return to one of their original IPs to give its second installment another revised release in the form of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. And it has quickly established itself as the best way to experience the game on modern platforms.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black has been rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, blending bits of the 2008 original and Sigma together in a way that straddles the line between remake and remaster. However, it does lean more heavily towards one of the two iterations, but we’ll get to that later. Protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is back, as cold and calculated as ever, proving to be a single-minded killing machine (side note: this lack of humanity is what Ninja Gaiden 3 mistakenly chose to correct, and suffered for it). If you’re unfamiliar with the story, it’s nothing award-winning. Ryu, the current Dragon Ninja and wielder of the Dragon Sword, finds himself up against the Black Spider Ninja Clan and a host of unleashed Fiends following the theft of the Demon Statue. Oh, and Ryu’s father is named Joe.
Like a Dragon
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black hosts the same forgettable story, but that’s not why this game drew players in droves the first time around. Ryu Hayabusa is a certified badass, and Team Ninja makes sure you feel like one throughout the entirety of the game. Ryu can shred enemies in a matter of seconds, turning unlucky foes into limbless blood geysers. The prevalence of blood and dismemberment signals the return of the original game’s gore, a sorely missing component of the Sigma release. Combat is fast, fluid and ferocious, all of which are aided by the visual feedback of each opponent being cut into bits with their body spewing liters of blood in exaggerated fashion. Needless to say, long-time fans will be pleased to see the gore system restored to its former glory.
But that’s about the point where the influence of the original game ends. Sigma is clearly the main template used for Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. Enemy density still remains low compared to the 2008 sequel, the added story chapters with different playable characters (Ayane, Momiji, and Rachel) are retained, and the Team Tag missions return. The game echoes much of Sigma, but even so it doesn’t fully mirror the maligned 2009 re-release. A couple statue bosses have been cut, as have weapons like the Windmill Shuriken. Additionally, the once co-op enabled Team Tag missions have had their online functionality removed, relegating players to an NPC companion.
An Izuna Drop Party Don’t Stop
Still, even with the Sigma-heavy blend in this remake, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is a damn good time. And given that the Sigma version is the one tied to the 2021 Master Collection, this new release is the best form to experience the game in if you don’t have an old Xbox 360 copy of the original lying around. Plus, that Unreal Engine 5 update sure is gorgeous and elevates the gameplay beyond the visual sharpness of the former cutscenes, making for an even more cinematic experience.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is a refreshing surprise in 2025, reminding us of a time when difficult games came to us as unique experiences without being lumped into FromSoftware’s Soulslike genre designation. The game is punishing, but fair. Sure, the rigid camera may have aged the most poorly out of everything lifted from its former self, but Black maintains Sigma‘s accessibility with a more forgiving difficulty option. Learning the proper flow, and understanding that “hack and slash” does not mean “button mash,” is quite rewarding as you dive back into the designs and stylings of yesteryear.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Review Verdict
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black: Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is a triumphant return for a long dormant franchise. It blends the gore systems of the original with a somewhat more refined approach to the Sigma formula. Although it does lean more heavily towards Sigma, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black easily declares itself the definitive experience on modern platforms. – Joshua
[Editor’s Note: Ninja Gaiden 2 Black was reviewed on PC, and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.]