On Friday, February 26, Team NINJA releases Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus for Playstation Vita, and today they threw us some details regarding it’s gameplay and story. With more blood, action, and improved gameplay, Ryu Hayabusa‘s adventure continues, with a superb cast and a new Hero play mode, set to strengthen Ryu‘s attacks on his enemies. We have new screens, gameplay commentary, and storyline points from Team NINJA.
Ryu‘s Hero mode gives gamers that extra edge to play Ryu like an all-star. When their health gets low, Ryu dodges more, attacks harder, and has a greater chance of dismembering enemies in the field, an advantage that can help players win fights even after they’ve gone south.
The cast of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus is rich, with the following characters appearing:
Ryu Hayabusa, of the Hayabusa Clan must fight his way through the ranks of the Black Spider Ninja Clan and keep them from bringing the Archfiend back.
Momiji, a sister-like friend to the youth of Hayabusa Village, holds the status of full kunoichi, and is the last of the Dragon Shrine Maidens.
Sonia tries to prevent the rise of the Archfiend, and is a CIA agent who attempts to track down Ryu and warn him of the impending resurrection.
Muramasa is the owner of an antique shop in Sky City Tokyo and Muramasa’s Weapons and Tools, and is a master swordsmith.
Elizébet, Ruler of Blood, conspires with Genshin, and is the Queen of the Greater Fiends, with deep ties to the Black Spider Ninja Clan.
Dagra Dai, originally a philosopher, is now the Infernal High Priest of the Archfiend.
Team NINJA also gave us images of the following bosses, memorable to fans of the series:
Genshin, enemy of Hayabusa, is currently teamed with the Queen of the Greater Fiends, in a quest to destroy Ryu, as well as his father.
Alexei, Ruler of Lightning, is one of the Four Greater Fiend Lords, and wields the powers of lightning and electricity with great speed. To defeat him, players must plan counter-attacks based around dodging Alexei’s abilities.
Volf, Ruler of Storms, also a member of the Four Greater Fiends, is a werewolf and incredibly strong. To win, players must evade his attacks, and when he reels from performing them, time attacks appropriately.
Zedonius, Ruler of Flame, strikes Ryu with hellfire, and from up close, meaning players must stay one step ahead of his attacks to defeat him.
Black Dragon, once defeated by Ryu Hayabusa, is a massive dragon summoned by Elizébet to finish the job, attacking in myriad ways to destroy the ninja.
In order to stay ahead and defeat each of these bosses, players will take advantage of a variety of weapons available to the playable characters, Ryu, Ayane, Momiji, and Rachel, including:
For Ryu, the Dragon Sword, his weapon of choice; the Vigoorian, similar to the nunchuck, a short-range weapon, but destructive nonetheless; the Kusari-gama, with its immense reach; and the Eclipse Scythe, with it’s ability to slice through multiple surrounding enemies.
For Ayane, the Fuma Kodachi, a pair of murderous short swords.
For Momiji, her Heavenly Dragon Naginata.
For Rachel, her Inferno Hammer.
Releasing at $39.99, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus is sure to please gamers, with intense ninja action, crisp, detailed graphics, and buckets of blood. Fans of the series will find delight as Ryu fights his way all over the world, from Tokyo to New York, against difficult enemies, earning more and more violent, powerful weapons. The cast is top notch, and the play is intuitive, positioning this game to sit in a long-standing, well-respected series.