Microsoft, Team Ninja, and PlatinumGames grabbed the headlines with the announcement ofNinja Gaiden 4at the recent Xbox Developer_Direct presentation, but it wasnt the onlyNinja Gaidengame to take the spotlight. No, Koei Tecmo also showcasedNinja Gaiden 2 Black,an enhanced remaster (or remake) of the classic 2008 action title. Here, were going to go over everything that you should know about it, starting with some core, basic details about theoriginalNinja Gaiden 2itself.STORY DETAILSNinja Gaiden 2is set one year after the events ofNinja Gaiden Black,and once again puts players in the shoes of series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa. As the game kicks off, the master ninja crosses paths with a CIA agent named Sonia, who informs him of an impending attack on Hayabusa Village by the Black Spider Ninja Clan, who wish to get their hands on the Demon Statue. Unsurprisingly, things escalate, and Ryu finds himself on a globe-trotting, brutal, action-packed journey.COMBAT DETAILSFans of character action games will emphatically tell you thatNinja Gaiden 2is one of the best and most spectacularly well-designed games in the genre- which, of course, means combat is priority number 1. The game places quite a bit of focus on dismemberment (which well speak more of in a bit), and is, of course, notoriously punishing, which means precise timing, clever combos, and blocks are key. Ryu can also absorb essence dropped by slain enemies and use it to heal himself.WEAPONSNinja Gaiden 2sweapon variety is among its biggest strengths. Ryus Dragon Sword serves as his primary weapon, but throughout the game, players also use dual katanas, giant hammers, scythes, claws, shurikens, tonfas, and more. Ranged weapons such as bows, canons, machine guns, and gatling guns are also included, while Ryu is also capable of unleashing a number of magical abilities.REMAKE OR REMASTER?Koei Tecmo has officially dubbedNinja Gaiden 2 Blacka remaster, though theres a case to be made that it might be more than that. At the very least, its a very comprehensive and thorough remaster, and also moves the game to an entirely different engine. Whether or not you could call it a remake is debatable, but then again, theres no shortage of remakes out there that are essentially one-to-one recreations (or close enough), from 2020s Demons Soulsto the upcomingMetal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.UNREAL ENGINE 5As we touched on,Ninja Gaiden 2 Blackmoves the game to a new engine. The originalNinja Gaiden 2was built on an internal, proprietary engine, but the remaster was developed using Unreal Engine 5. Koei Tecmo says the engine has been utilized to create stunning current-generation graphics, allowing players to immerse themselves more deeply in the storys world.ENHANCEMENTSSo exactly what sort of visual and technical enhancements can we expect from the game? Well, as its reveal trailer showed, its a significant graphical upgrade over the predecessor, with effectively the entire game and all of tis assets having been overhauled and redone. Meanwhile, as per the games official Xbox store page, it also features support for ray tracing, HDR10, and VRR.RESOLUTION AND FRAME RATEIn addition to its visual upgrade, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black 2also touting impressive visual targets. On Xbox Series X, for instance, the game is capable of running at up to 4K and 120 FPS, as per its aforementioned store page. Presumably, the same is also true on PS5. The games PlayStation Store page also confirms that it is PS5 Pro Enhanced.WHY NINJA GAIDEN 2?Why exactly are we getting aNinja Gaiden 2remake (or remaster) out of nowhere (not that were complaining)? According to Team Ninja head Fumihiko Yasuda,Ninja Gaiden 2was chosen in particular because it stands even now as one of the best action games around, and to reassure fans who might be concerned about the future of Ryu Hayabusa (who isnt the main protagonist in the upcomingNinja Gaiden 4). Speaking to Xbox Wire, Yasuda said, he biggest reason for developingNinja Gaiden 2 Black was to address the concerns of core fans who might be wondering, Whats going to happen to Ryu Hayabusa? We also wanted to give players something to enjoy as they wait for the release of Ninja Gaiden 4. We chose Ninja Gaiden 2because it stands as one of the most solid action games in the series. We added Black to the title to signal to fans that this is the definitive version, much likeNinja Gaiden Black was for the first game.INCLUDES SIGMA 2 CHARACTERSNinja Gaiden 2 Blackis based on the original 2008 title, but that doesnt mean it will be ignoring the 2009 re-releaseNinja Gaiden Sigma 2. Chief among theSigma 2elements and features included inNinja Gaiden 2 Blackare three of the formers additional playable characters in the form of Rachel, Momji, and Ayane.INCLUDES HERO PLAY STYLE MODEKoei Tecmo is billingNinja Gaiden 2 Blackas the definitive version ofNinja Gaiden 2, as evidenced by its aforementioned inclusion ofSigma 2characters. In addition,Sigma 2sHero Play Style Mode is also coming back. Effectively an easy mode, it enables higher damage output and easier dismemberment, while also enabling auto-blocking and auto-evade for a brief window anytime Ryus health drops too low.Ninja Gaiden 2can be a brutally difficult game, so Hero modes inclusion is definitely a nice option to have, for those who want a more relaxing experience.LENGTHAs a faithful recreation of the originalNinja Gaiden 2,you can expectNinja Gaiden 2 Blackto be roughly the same length- which means itll be substantial enough. As per HLTB, the action title can be anywhere between 15-25 hours long, depending on how you play it and how much you choose to engage with its optional offerings.ENHANCED DISMEMBERMENTDismemberment is a big part of the combat inNinja Gaiden 2,as weve touched on, and this remaster doubles down on that. According to Koei Tecmo,Ninja Gaiden 2 Blackfeatures enhanced and remastered dismemberment and gore elements in order to enhance the action experience. If that stuff makes you queasy, however, the game also features a toggle for dismemberment in the options menu, making for what Koei Tecmo describes as a more toned down experience.PC REQUIREMENTSWhat sort of a rig will you need to runNinja Gaiden 2 Blackon PC? As youd expect, the requirements are fairly reasonable, more or less. On minimum settings, to run the game at 720p and 60 FPS, youll need either an i5-8400 or a Ryzen 5 3400G, along with either a GeForce GTX 1060 or a Radeon RX 590, and 12 GB of RAM. Meanwhile, on recommended settings (1080p/60 FPS), youll need either an i7-8700 or a Ryzen 5 3600 XT, along with either a GeForce GTX1080 or a Radeon RX 5700XT, and 16 GB of RAM. On either setting, youll also need 85 GB of storage and an SSD.PRICENinja Gaiden 2 Blackis, of course, available now, with Koei Tecmo choosing to shadow drop the game on the day of its announcement itself. Available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, the remake is being sold at a price of $49.99.GAME PASSThose who wish to spend even less money on the remake have the option to do that as well.Ninja Gaiden 2 Blackis also available via Game Pass, which means those subscribed to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass PC, or the original base console tier (which is no longer offered) can download the game at no additional cost.