Legendary game developer Tomonobu Itagaki, creator of the popular Dead or Alive franchise, has developed his last game for Tecmo in the form of Ninja Gaiden II, a highly anticipated release for the Xbox 360 gaming console. This installment of the Ninja Gaiden series may be the most special one, as it is the last for Itagaki with the gaming giant. Keep reading to find out if he's created something that lives up to his name.
There is no doubt that Itagaki left no stone unturned in his last hurrah, as Ninja Gaiden II comes equipped with a new and improved gaming engine developed specifically for the Xbox 360 and is chock full of new weapons, levels, and enemies to keep fans of the franchise on their toes.
As with most games on the powerful Xbox 360, Ninja Gaiden II is very aesthetically pleasing when it comes to graphics. The animations are excellent and smooth. The player models, as far as the ninjas in the game go, are crisp as well.
The same cannot be said for some of the other characters or enemies in the game, though. One downside of Ninja Gaiden II’s graphics is that the environments are not interactive. Your movements and actions during battles do not affect your surroundings at all. This is a bit disappointing considering the level of technology being used nowadays, especially on the Xbox 360. Nobody is expecting environmental interaction like in Grand Theft Auto IV, but at least some response from the surroundings would have been a nice touch.
Lighting in the game is a bit dull and static also, and had this been improved it would make the environments look even better than they already do. Although the environments are not interactive, they do look very good and are serene. One setting in particular that is quite amazing is Sky City Tokyo, the game’s first mission. The environments are highly detailed in everything from bridges to architecture -- even the landscaping comes in for this treatment. When you're not busy fighting off enemies, you can easily keep yourself entertained by walking around and gawking at the great scenery that has been built into Ninja Gaiden II.
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