520°

Edge - Ninja Gaiden II Wastes Both DMC4 And God Of War

XBK writes: Yesterday, we reported that Ninja Gaiden II scored the highest review score in this months Edge magazine. Now that we've got our hands on the highly respected publication, the review not only claims that the fighting engine in Itagaki-san's game is without equal in the genre, but Edge states that basically, Ninja Gaiden II's gameplay mechanics, completely obliterates both DMC4 and the God Of War series.

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xboxkings.com
green5775d ago

Such truth.Ninja Gaiden 2 passes every game by a mile in the combat mechanics.God of War has better story, presentation and good combat mechanics which makes it a better game overall but in combat NG2 is king.

Glad to be a gamer5775d ago (Edited 5775d ago )

Nothing to add except i love both games for their strong points.

Im hoping that if itagaki does get his own studio we may get to see a game with the fighting mechanics of ng and a great story like GOW.

I can only wish/hope/pray.......

pharmd5775d ago (Edited 5775d ago )

i love the whole NG series, but to complete its mechanics to GOW, a last gen title? cmon... DMC? Sure, but leave it at that

titntin5775d ago

For once I have to agree with Green.

Anyone who's played all these games would agree that the fighting combat mechanics in NG2 are absolutely the best of breed, its difficult to see how anyone could dispute that claim if they had played the game.

This is one of the things that makes it so annoying that they didn't try so hard in other areas - as this could have been a 'definitive game', instead of a 'definitive mechanic'. Better graphics, a proper story, less pointless puzzles and a sorted camera, would have seen this become another nearly perfect title, instead of a flawed gem.

This actual article is weak, as I expected, but if you read the scans of the review, you'll see the usual great Edge analysis, and its not blind to the glaring issues with the game as a whole.
I might not always agree with their evaluations, but they are always well reasoned and written, and they are not swayed by the currents of fashion..

green5775d ago (Edited 5775d ago )

GOW is simply amazing and my number one pick if Hollywood wanted to make a game into a movie but the truth is that while it passes NG2 in every single aspect (i am sure 3 will eclipse NG2 graphically), but the combat in NG2 is still king.

My problem with NG2 is the production value and the lame story, which is shockingly bad for a 1st party game.It's metacritic score for me is right on the money between an 8.0 and 8.5.

it seems that Itagaki just wanted to rush the game out of the door as quickly as possible in order to rid himself from Tecmo.

ChampIDC5775d ago

Well, NG for the Xbox was the same way in story. It seems the game is made for the people that just want to kill stuff in beautifully smooth combat. Heck, that alone keeps me coming back. I can live without a good story in NG's case. I would have liked to see a compelling story, though. There's a lot of room for it in both games. With such a vast, relatively unknown world, all kinds of things could unravel.

mistertwoturbo5775d ago

Makes you wonder, they gave MGS4 an 8/10. Edge = Crap

ZeroBlitz5775d ago (Edited 5775d ago )

They're comparing it to a PS2 game that gets better with every game - with a PS3 version in the making - and DMC4, which most people agree isn't as good as it predecessor.

I'm going to get NG2 eventually and I'm sure I'll enjoy it. It's simply annoying that EDGE, who often downgrade games over the pickiest details, seem to have given it an 8/10 while stating that it's bad aspects shouldn't be paid much attention.

shotputking5775d ago

yeah, ninja gaiden for regular xbox completely crushed both god of war and dmc in the fighting mechanics area, ng just can't be touched there.

and to those saying, "comparing it to a last gen game"... how much do you think the core fighting mechanics will change for god of war 3? not much, or the fans would be in an uproar.

mistertwoturbo5775d ago

I did enjoy NG2's fighting mechanics though. It was pretty satisfying chopping off limb by limb with the Scythe.

However, they really need to just make the story have more substance.

TresTrendu5775d ago (Edited 5775d ago )

Dang, Edge gave MGS4 a 8!!! Seem's a little high doesn't it? Well the problem is that NG2 is for hardcore gamer's, it revolve's back in the old day's when it was gameplay not story and i prefer that a little more than story. NG2 is for people that like to play game's not watch them, so ya if you have no skill's you would want to watch most of the game. But if you have some gaming skill's and feel l33t then NG2 is for you.

RecSpec5775d ago

Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of the NG series, but it definitely does have the best combat out there.

zypher5775d ago

while i agree that Ninja Gaiden's fighting system is the best in 3d action, in my opinion the game offers nothing else to compete with either DMC or God of War. in essence NG feels like a free-roaming fighter. the story in NG is so uninteresting that it may as well be non-existant, and the characterization is abysmal. given all this, why not just play a true fighter which obviously offers a much better fighting system?

Bubble Buddy5775d ago

Funny. MGS4 = 8/10. They praise Ninja Gaiden. Don't piss of Kratos, he'll put two of his blades up your a**.

CrazzyMan5775d ago

gow>dmc>ng
lets analyze that for a sec.

1. PS exclusive

2. Multiplatform

3. 360 exclusive...

hmm, bias?

Now it`s clear, why MGS4 got 8 from them, lol. =)

Yeah, NG2 is masterpiece in terms of fighting mechanics, BUT:
camera
weak graphics
sub-hd
frame rate problems
weak story

these cons overall make NG2 to be just a good game, nothing more.

Time_Is_On_My_Side5775d ago (Edited 5775d ago )

I know what you mean what's really strange they're bashing a PlayStation 2 game. To me the logic of the decision doesn't make any sense. I can easily say Forza Motor Sport 2 surpasses Gran Turismo 4 (before five) or say Fear Effect series (PlayStation 1) is nothing compared to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PlayStation 2). It's easier to bash a last generation game with a current generation game. Their comment doesn't hold because we all know God of War III is being made for the PlayStation 3.

gaffyh5775d ago

I have played Ninja Gaiden 2 and all the games in the DMC series and all the games in the GOW series and can safely say that ANY DMC/GOW game is better than a Ninja Gaiden game. Not to say that NG is bad, but it's just not as good.

I can't believe how biased Edge is to actually write this. Ninja Gaiden basically copied concepts from DMC and Onimusha, and then adds a very very bad story to the mix.

Oh yeah, and NO way is NG's gameplay mechanics better than God of War.

scoobysnacks5775d ago (Edited 5775d ago )

in respect to its fine balance of game play mechanics, and split second timing that’s required to unlock the best this series has always had to offer, but lets remember the website that this has come from, and its crystal clear its a title used to generate website hits.

It could of just been called

“Edge gives NG2 an 8/10”

or if it was to quote a line from the review, for positive effect,

“It is fast, it is vicious, it looks fantastic, and its very rewarding to master”.

But NO, the quote they have to use at “Xbox Kings”, a comment that is three paragraphs into the article, that compares a critically acclaimed Playstation exclusive of the last generation, as “an over bloated spectacle”. Why did they pick that comment out of numerous comments within the article, because they new it would generate website hits, and get all the fanboys fired up. They hit upon this line like a fox picking up the scent within the chicken pen.

If it was a Playstation biased site wanting to generate hits, they would’ve chosen the comment halfway into the review of “a lack of imagination - and an abundance of PS2 style textures”, but that was just describing one level.

For those fanboys on both sides, perhaps this paragraph from the Edge review should also be taken into consideration.

“The best fighting game ever, then? No, because the brilliantly realised combat is let down by poor implementation of basic features. The camera lamented in our last look at the game isn’t improved: it often loses sight of Ryu, gets stuck behind walls, obscures enemies and very occasionally goes into a frenzy of flicking back and forth. There are blind spots in the game, particularly on slopes and around poles, where the combat system seems to be unable to function tightly. There are pointless ‘puzzles’ involving door cards and stone tablets. There’s one boss moment involving an explosion that is unfathomable bad design. And, really, lets not get started on the narrative.”

But then that would sound negative, which would be the last thing Xbox Kings would want. So its a game that is flawed, and hence why Edge gave it an eight. In comparison to last months issue where MGS4 also gets an 8/10, well perhaps it should of got a 9, or this game, NG2, should of received a 7/10, as these two games don’t compare quality wise, so how can they share the same score? Perhaps because their two very different games, and shouldn’t be compared.

At the end of the day, its just a score. The text in the review is just as important as the end score, pointing out the pros and cons of the game. If the score was the only important part, perhaps they shouldn’t write anything and just have a picture of the game, the game title and in big 200 point type a number. But then, if that was the case sites like “xbox kings” wouldn’t have anything sensationalist to use to help gain site hits.

shine13965774d ago

@scoobysnacks: comment of the forever!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Ri0tSquad5775d ago (Edited 5775d ago )

When it's obviously lacking in some areas that those two games beat it in and make it the better game overall. I still think it comes down to personal preference. All 3 of these games play very, very different. And all fanboyism aside but you guys know some people will choose NG2 over DMC4 and GoW or DMC4 over NG2 and GoW or GoW over DMC4 and NG2. I was really hoping Ninja Gaiden 2 would do to 360 what Ninja Gaiden 1 did for Xbox 1.

N4g_null5775d ago

Very true people like different things. Reminds me how some people like either virtual fighter, tekken or street fighter and the list goes on. I hated the other NGs due to the camera. If I can't see it then it's based on luck. 3d broken this game a little but it's nothing that can't be fixed.

jkhan5775d ago

Did they mention the cheap enemies, and the worst camera in the history of Action/Adventure/Hack-n-Slash Genre?, and forgettable story?

They say "NG2 makes God Of War an over-bloated spectacle". Well just to mention a few, it had the best graphics on the ps2, user friendly combat, that can be as deep as you want or as button masher as you want. One of the best soundtracks in gaming and an epic story. Yeap God of War is an over bloated spectacle.

tordavis5775d ago

Heavenly Sword takes the title for best soundtrack.

Closing5775d ago

Dude, DMC camera is wayyyy worse. At least you can control the NG camera, and after awhile not notice it.

ChampIDC5775d ago

I can't say I agree with the whole article, but they're definitley right about the combat at least. The camera leaves much to be desired, and I think it would probably do wonders if it simply kept a more zoomed out, higher perspective view. The offscreen cheapshots are the only real issue with the camera, but man do they happen a lot. A wider view could easily fix that if you ask me.

Silogon5775d ago

Man this couldn't be further from the truth. Wanna hear an unbiased opinion on 4 games that are very similar?

Ninja Gaiden 2 - A rehash, all though pretty good, of a 5 year old game. It does nothing new and offers up very little in graphic detail over the original. The gameplay isn't as accessible as others in the same genre.

Devil May cry 4 - The worst of the bunch I'm about to talk about. It is without a doubt the most shallow and also the least fun. It doesn't offer up nothing the previous ones couldn't do or haven't done.

God of War 2 - A challenging game with a lot of heart. It's the 2nd most accessible and easily the most fun to play thru. The story is killer here. The gameplay is 90% spot on 90% of the time and the amount of things at your disposal is very comparable to ninja Gaiden, only in a much easier package to wrap your head around.

Conan - Laugh all you want. Conan is easily the most accessible to get into. It's fun, it's easy to learn and it's a no B.S. game. You get it to beat it in one sitting and see what it has to offer. It's not going to satisfy you as much as those other 3 big budget games would but for what it is and what it does Conan is the best secondary game to have if you only were going to get 2 on this list. The moves are all very intuitive and the controls never fail you. You never see yourself saying that was B.S. when playing the game. The graphics are putrid and the animations, save the gore and killing sprees, are minimal but after besting one of the above, Conan is easily the next best choice.

Those are my honest takes on the series.

Scarfy5775d ago

Ninja Gaiden 2 - Haven't played it, but have heard very mixed reports. Mostly that's a flawed masterpiece.

Devil May cry 4 - Agree. I thought after playing it that I had played the worst game I was going to this year. Then I played Half Life 2...

God of War 2 - Agree. It's just fine to play.

Conan - Haven't played it, but I wasn't impressed by the demo.

titntin5775d ago

Welcome to a very small group! The Conan appreciaters group!

Its not utterly brilliant, or technically amazing, but its thouroughly enjoyable with a rewarding mechanic and its seriuosly fun!
Not at all fashionable to like that title though... :)

Bolts5775d ago (Edited 5775d ago )

Agreed. I actually enjoyed Conan. Yes the voice acting sucks and I can't even remenber what storyline was about but it's a game where you hack people to death. Nothing was great or awesome but overall the game was decent.

thereapersson5775d ago

That's a well-thought out and honest analysis, methinks...

dachiefsman5775d ago

Nice comment Silogon!

Agree on all your comments especially on Conan. Although the game is a rent, it should be a must rent. Of the next gen games, I had a blast playing that game <probably cause the combat and gore was awesome>.

My list for combat:
1. NGII
2. God of War I/II
3. Conan
4. DMC1

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clintos595775d ago

As for god of war, that is kind of a crappy comparison since god of war 3 aint out yet. How bout wait until it comes out. :P

Besides that this is the same game site that gave MGS4 an 8. So much for there credability.

Lord Cheese5775d ago

thats nonsense. Just because someone doesnt treat mgs4 as the pinnacle of gaming prowess does no harm to their credibility accept in the eyes of delierious fanboys.

tordavis5775d ago

"Besides that this is the same game site that gave MGS4 an 8. So much for there credability. "

I don't like their score of MGS4 so they must lack credibility!!! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Testo5775d ago (Edited 5775d ago )

I agree, to me personally their score of MGS4 was low, IMO.

But I also think that their score of NG2 was high, again IMO.

But then I think what type of game I prefer, (Hack and slash or Stealth action)

I take from this, that from now on, if Edge gives any game I might like a 7 rating. That I will take their review with a douse of salt.

Same goes for a genre that I don't like.

clintos595775d ago (Edited 5775d ago )

Wake up to reality man. Just because u guys dont enjoy a damn masterpiece isnt our problem u guys dont like great story telling games and rather play shoot em up games like halo and gears which are great games when it comes to gameplay but both lack in the story department. I mean why even have a single player in a game if it doesnt even make sense or has a mediocre story? U mightest well just forget the single player and stick to online.

Also I wanted to point out these reviewers who gave MGS4 a low score say the cut scenes are too long but fail to tell the consumers who listen to reviews that there is more the 15-20+ gameplay in the campaign alone. I bring this up because it didnt seem to bother any reviewers when gears of war came out and the campaign was only 5 to 6 hours long. WTF kind of crap is that but yet alot of these game sites looked passed it and didnt say anything about it being short. I am not looking down on these titles but im using them as examples of why I take the reviews from edge and eurogamer and a few others who gave it a low score and didnt have a strong enough arguement to prove why they did so. Remember the 90 minute cut scenes eurogamer and edge were saying were in MGS4? Well guess what they were full of it and made that up which gamepro debunked that story and shut edge and eurogamer up. All I am saying is atleast be fair when u review a game, dont be such a damn fanboy.

Eurogamer and Edge gave halo 3 a higher score then MGS4 and halo 3 was overrated and didnt even live up to its hype. MGS4 had just as much hype and not only lived up to its hype it smashed its hype. Nuff said.

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20°

Ranking the Devil May Cry Series

VGChartz's Mark Nielsen: "Upon finally finishing Devil May Cry 5 recently - after it spent several years on my “I’ll play that soon” list - I considered giving it a fittingly-named Late Look article. However, considering that this was indeed the final piece I was missing in the DMC puzzle, I decided to instead take this opportunity to take a look back at the entirety of this genre-defining series and rank the entries. What also made this a particularly tempting notion was that while most high-profile series have developed fairly evenly over time, with a few bumps on the road, the history of Devil May Cry has, at least in my eyes, been an absolute roller coaster, with everything from total disasters to action game gold."

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vgchartz.com
120°

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Has Appeared On The Xbox Store

Activision and Raven Software's 2006 action role-playing game, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, has found its way to the Xbox Store.

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twistedvoxel.com
LG_Fox_Brazil4h ago

Used to love this one, but X-Men Legends 1 and 2 will always be my favorites, especially Rise of Apocalypse. Would pay some good money to play it today with online multiplayer, back then I had no way to get a modem

ZeekQuattro3h ago

I remember buying them dirt cheap on the PS4 and then a few days later I read they were delisted. I was wondering why the bundle was price so low and got my answer when that happened.

Knightofelemia1h ago(Edited 1h ago)

Sad to say this is one game franchise next to the Xmen that needs a sequel. I use to play the hell out of Xmen Legends and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Was great when my cousin had the OG Xbox play with four other people and then playing online. Great games glad to see it reappear even though I own the discs love the mechanics of this game.

Terry_B1h ago

It got a sequel..but for dumbass #reasons as a switch exclusive.

shinoff21831h ago

It looked so horrible to. They should've kept it similar to the first two.

Asplundh1h ago

Because Nintendo funded it, they did the same for Bayonetta.

Knightofelemia45m ago

I totally forgot about the Switch sequel.

jukins1h ago

Misleading. This page is whats available for people who owned the game prior to delisting.

Abnor_Mal35m ago

The first game was the best imo.

90°

10 Weirdest Video Games of All Time

Plenty of unforgettable games have completely messed up their players throughout the years, all the way back from the PS1 days to the dark recesses of the modern internet.

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culturedvultures.com
JonTheGod1d 4h ago

Why are the Katamari games not on the list??