Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

[ThaGenecyst]

I can't post the scans here but I'll link to them... it's been revealed in the latest Famitsu.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=355534

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/2346/09031715063935c0281fe85.jpg

Some translations of the text:

• It will be an upgraded version of Ninja Gaiden 2 (not a direct port)
• Set to release in autumn 2009
• The magazine will be reporting new elements in coming issues
• Producer and director: Yosuke Hayashi (From Sigma)
• Development: Team Ninja

New features in the PS3 version:

• New weapon - spiked hammer "Genma"
• New giant boss battles not in the 360 version
• New playable character - female ninja Ayane

[bkfount]

Re: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

awesome. It kind of sucks that the 360 won't get it, as NG2 was fun, but had numerous glitches. I didn't even finish it, because it was literally broken by a patch for 2 months.

An improved NG2 is certainly worth a purchase.

[luv_mist]

Re: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

What was broken about it? I'm trying to get through it but I'm stuck a little. My brother-in-law is coming so I'm sure he'll just kill that for me. We'll see though. I'm kind of hurt that they give no extra DLC to NG. How did Sigma fare on the PS3 when it was released later on?

[Altimus]

Re: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

Wasn't it mentioned that the second game had no chance to go PS3? Or am I thinking of another title?

[bkfount]

Re: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

Wasn't it mentioned that the second game had no chance to go PS3? Or am I thinking of another title?

well technically it isn't the same game, as Microsoft published NG2. But yes, I believe Itagaki said something like that about NG2 on the ps3.

[ThaGenecyst]

Re: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

[ThaGenecyst]

Re: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

[Flawless]

Re: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

This article mentions online co-op.

The new version, which ships this fall, will include new playable characters, online co-op play, and other improvements.

[Flawless]

Re: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

Trailer:

http://gdc.gamespot.com/video/6206586/ninja-gaiden-sigma-2-official-trailer?hd=1&tag=videos;hd;2

[Flawless]

Re: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

Wow, tweaking the camera too. Really sucks for 360 only owners. Ninja Gaiden II sells over 1 million, despite technical issues, poor balancing, and bugs. It was obviously rushed and Itagaki had one foot out the door while in development. It just seems wrong to me to not offer this to 360 owners too.

Gamespot

The approach is fueled in part by the feedback provided by fans after playing it on the Xbox 360 and the team's desire to create the best game it can. On the story side, Sigma 2 will tell the story seen in Gaiden II on the 360 and will also add in new story elements tied to the new playable characters.

New playable characters we say? Yes, brand new and even sexier (this is Team Ninja we're talking about). Sigma 2 will feature new playable female characters, which should be familiar to fans of the series and of Tecmo's Dead or Alive. The first is Ayane, the purple-haired ninja from DOA, who will come packing her own unique moves, weapons, magical attacks, and provocatively placed butterfly accessory. The second new character is Momiji, last seen at a lower resolution in Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword on the DS, who will bring her own arsenal of abilities and weapons to the fray. Both characters will be integrated into the story, which will branch off to follow their adventures. Not to be outdone in the new content department, Hayabusa will face off against new enemies and bosses with some new weapons tossed in to help deal with the new foes.

Beyond new playable characters, Sigma 2 will feature an all-new online co-op mode that lets you and a friend team up to work your way through more than 30 challenge stages, which can be played in one of four difficulty settings. Your performance will be ranked and uploaded to leaderboards so you can see how you stack up against the world. The stages will be a mix of original areas and those seen in the single-player game, which are being redone for co-op play. Finally, the game will see a good amount of work put into refining the gameplay experience. The game's camera is being tweaked based on user feedback. You will also get additional cues on where to go next from your playable character because your character's head will look off in the direction you're supposed to go in. You'll also find a variety of additional tweaks peppered throughout the gameplay to help make Sigma 2 a smoother, sleeker evolution of its 360 counterpart.

Sigma 2 is making use of an enhanced version of the graphics engine used for the original game. The game is aiming to surpass the visual quality of the last game by blending new tech into the original engine. The results so far are impressive and bode well for the game's final release.

Outside of the meat and potatoes of gameplay and visuals, Sigma 2 will feature trophy support. But you should plan on logging a good chunk of time in the game's various modes to earn them all, because Team Ninja is sprinkling them throughout both the single-player and the co-op modes. You'll at least be able to look back on all the work in stat form, thanks to an in-depth stat-tracking feature that will keep tabs on fun facts like the number of enemies you've killed, preferred weapons, and so on. Lastly, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 will feature Dual Shock 3/Sixaxis functionality, so you can plan on rumble to enhance your experience and shaking your way to more powerful ninpo magic attacks.

[Flawless]

Re: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

Interview: Ninja Gaiden: Sigma 2

The last time we interviewed Tomonobu Itagaki he said it "would be a loss of face" for the company if a PS3 version was released? How do you respond to that?

Yosuke Hayashi: In those days, I was working on other series of Ninja Gaiden, so I wasn't in the team of Ninja Gaiden 2. I truly love and respect NG and I'm sure it's a good thing to make it evolve into more attractive game. I believe, as a developer, the worst thing that can be a real "loss of face" is to develop a sequel that isn't fascinating for our fans.

The original Ninja Gaiden Sigma on PS3 only included one major new area (the burning house). Will the sequel feature more unseen areas?

Hayashi: A new stage is prepared for each new playable character. Additionally, since we've been refurbishing the level design of all stages, I promise players who have played Ninja Gaiden 2 will find something new and fresh even in familiar stages.

I've personally played through the 360 game twice. What's new in Sigma 2 that would make me want to play through it again on PS3?

Hayashi: New playable characters, new modes, online co-op, new stages, new level design, new enemies, new cut scenes etc. There are too many new things to talk about.

Will you be toning down the violence aspect of the game? How do you think the fans will react to such a change?

Hayashi: Ninja Gaiden 2 was developed based on the concept of ultimate violence. We are a kind of egoistic team and get bored with the same continuous concept. For Sigma 2 we thought we would like to pursue Ninja Gaiden with sleek and sexy depiction and start evolving this game.

What can you tell us about the co-op mode? Is it true that two players won't be able to run through the entire single-player campaign together?

Hayashi: For multiplayer, we provide online co-op which allows two players to cooperate and complete each mission with voice chat. Various missions will be available, over 30 stages in fact. For players with no online connection, they can play same missions with an NPC character.

Sigma 2 has the first online compatible mode in the franchise and we won't let our users down. On the other hand, Story mode is designed for single player only. This is intentional because playing this alone, users can pursue the ultimate game system.

[Flawless]

Re: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

Demo is up on Japan PSN. It's not nearly as choatic and the speed is more like NG1 than NGII, which I think is a good thing. Framerate is better, but it's still not locked at 60fps and there's some tearing. I didn't notice any difference in the camera or graphics (except for the obvious lack of gore) over NGII. Using the bow is so much easier. Ayane is pretty cool, you unlock her after you complete Ryu's demo section. They changed the way Lives of a Thousand Gods works, it no longer heals you and it's automatically used when you pick them up. Obliteration Techniques now longer just hit the enemy your targeting, they can do damage to other enemies that are near too.

[Flawless]

Re: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

Videogamer Review - 9

Brand new to Sigma 2 are three extra playable female characters. Rachel from Ninja Gaiden, Ayane from Dead or Alive and Momiji from DS game Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword each offer a different gameplay experience during their brand new levels. Rachel is still as slow as she was in the original Sigma title on PS3, so is just as likely to divide opinion amongst fans, but the other two should go down quite well as their combat styles are fast and flowing like Ryu's. They each have brand new weapons to play with, too.

The standard combat in the 360 version was extremely brutal, with limbs flying and blood spilling all over the place, but this PS3 game has been quite significantly toned down -something that is likely to anger and disappoint fans hoping this would be the ultimate version of the game. Limb and head dismemberment doesn't leave bloody stumps but instead a glowing purple patch. On 360 all the carnage remained in place too, with body parts lying strewn across the floor and blood smeared over walls. This just doesn't happen to the same extent here and the combat loses some of its edge as a result.

Even better for PS3 owners is the fact that Sigma 2 includes a number of bosses not included in the original 360 game!

Completely new to the PS3 game is online cooperative play during a number of special challenge stages. It's a shame that there's no story mode to play through with a friend, but the inclusion of any multiplayer at all can only been seen as a good thing. It does make for a rather more chaotic experience, so be prepared for a screen full of carnage. Sadly there's no split-screen co-op, but you can play with an AI partner offline. With medals to go for and stages set across four difficulties there's plenty here to keep you playing once you're done with the campaign. You've also got online leaderboards, although given the game's hardcore following you're going to have to be pretty good to get anywhere near the top.

Some complaints could also be levelled at the save points, which on occasion are a little too spread out and the frame rate drops from time to time during particularly action packed moments just as it did in the 360 game.

Playing Ninja Gaiden 2 is a very different experience to playing the majority of games. Whether it's for simply beating a wave of blood-thirsty bats or for finally slaying a boss you've been tearing your hair out over for more than an hour, the sense of reward and gratification is practically unrivalled. For every level you beat you feel like you're becoming a better gamer and that's a feeling that very few games can claim to give. This is action gaming at its very best, although with the toned down carnage during combat there's a nagging sense that Sigma 2's not quite the ultimate edition of the game it could have been.

[Admiral50]

Re: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Revealed (PS3)

Got the demo from the Japan PSN store this morning