Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Review (PS5) – Bloodier And Brutal
I do love a bit of hack and slashery in my games. I’m not quite at the Souls level, but had it not been for Toby, Stellar Blade would have been my game of the year. It was a simple hack and slasher with some modern twists. Not as hard as From Software’s offerings, but something nice in between. With that in mind, when I head that way Ninja Gaiden 2 Black was shadow dropped on PS5 I jumped at the chance to review it. Hoping to fill a void until Stellar Blade 2 makes an appearance.
There aren’t many games that earn the title of legendary, but Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is one of them. Originally released in 2005, this reworked edition of Ninja Gaiden Sigma took everything the base game did and has refined it to near perfection. Now, playing it on the PS5 it’s clear that while the game shows its age in places, it still delivers some of the best action gameplay you can get your hands on.
Sharpened Steel
What makes Ninja Gaiden 2 Black so special is its combat. It’s fast, fluid, and brutally precise. And given the amount of claret on display, borderline ridiculous. Every encounter feels like a test of skill, punishing mistakes and rewarding mastery. Ryu Hayabusa moves with surgical precision in an old-school kind of way, chaining together attacks, dodges, and counters in a way that never stops being satisfying. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black makes you earn every victory – and that’s what makes it so rewarding.
Running at a rock-solid 60fps on PS5, the combat still feels buttery smooth. There’s a weight to every strike, and enemies are relentless. Not as relentless as Sigma, they’ve taken away the mass foes that were easy to dispatch and replaced with less but tougher enemies. You can’t just button-mash your way through; you have to engage with the mechanics, learn attack patterns, and use every wepaon in Ryu’s arsenal. This is old-school difficulty, but it never feels unfair—just demanding.
Beyond its challenging combat, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black features a handy upgrade system that allows players to enhance Ryu’s abilities. Throughout the game, players collect essence, the game’s currency, which can be spent at Muramasa’s shop to upgrade weapons, purchase new techniques, and acquire health-restoring items. Weapons like the Dragon Sword and Vigoorian Flail can be upgraded to unlock more devastating combos, while learning new skills such as the Izuna Drop and counterattacks provide more options in battle.
Aged But Still Deadly
That said, time hasn’t been completely kind to Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. The camera, which was already a point of frustration back in the day, remains one of its weakest elements. It often struggles in tight spaces, forcing you to fight against both enemies and your own viewpoint. It’s manageable, but it’s a reminder that this is a game from a different era.
Level design is another area where the game shows its age. The environments, while atmospheric, feel a bit empty compared to today’s more detailed and interactive worlds. Backtracking can be a bit of a chore, and while the game does a decent job guiding you, there are moments where it’s not entirely clear where you need to go next.
A Classic Worth Revisiting
Even with its quirks, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black remains in the upper echelon of action games. The fluidity of its combat, the challenge of its encounters, and the satisfaction of mastering its mechanics make it a must-play for fans of the genre. On PS5, it runs beautifully, ensuring that the gameplay, graphics and framerate remains as tight as ever.
If you’ve never played it before, be ready for a tough but rewarding ride. And if you’re a returning player, diving back in is a reminder of why this game is held in such high regard and yes, it’s still as hard as you remember. I know the camera sucks, and yes, having to block to be able to dodge feels archaic but few games capture the essence of pure, ridiculous ninja-based enjoyment like Ninja Gaiden 2 Black.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black might not be perfect, but it’s still a razor-sharp experience that deserves its place in your collection. Still great, still brutal, and a timely reminder of how great the Ninja Gaiden games are, just in time for the upcoming Ninja Gaiden 4 which I’m now super excited about.
Ninja Gaiden Black is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Microsoft Windows.
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: KOEI TECHMO
Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.
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