After a decade of no new releases, the Ninja Gaiden franchise appears to be back in full force, with developer Team Ninja having just dubbed 2025 as the "Year of the Ninja." The announcement of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound back in December was enough to breathe some life back into the fan-base, but it seems that was just the tip of the iceberg, as during today's Xbox Developer Direct, Team Ninja announced two major Ninja Gaiden projects.
The first announcement was the long-awaited reveal of Ninja Gaiden 4, the first mainline installment in the series since 2012. Ninja Gaiden 4's reveal is an incredibly big deal for fans, and it kicked off Xbox's Developer Direct with a bang. But that was just half of a powerful one-two punch. Team Ninja's second announcement was that Ninja Gaiden 2 is getting an Unreal Engine 5 remaster, and the real kicker is that it's available today, a strategy that has two obvious benefits right off the bat.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black's Shadow Drop Has Two Major Benefits
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Acts as a Great Entry Point for New Fans Ahead of Ninja Gaiden 4
Despite being one of gaming's oldest franchises (Ninja Gaiden debuted in 1988, just a few years after Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Final Fantasy), not too many people have played Ninja Gaiden, likely due to the franchise's lengthy hiatus. Though 2021's Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection was a solid effort to get newcomers into the series, it simply ported the original games to modern consoles.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, on the other hand, is a pretty major overhaul of the 2008 original, giving the entire game an Unreal Engine 5 makeover, including its dismemberment and gore systems. Now technically the newest and shiniest Ninja Gaiden game available, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black acts as the perfect entry point for newcomers to the series, especially as it includes the "Hero Play Style" mode that gives new players a bit of automatic support during tougher fights.
The announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4 is a pretty huge one for the gaming industry, and shadow-dropping Ninja Gaiden 2 Black has allowed Team Ninja to capitalize on that hype right away. And if Ninja Gaiden 2 Black can bring in some new fans, there's a strong possibility they'll return for Ninja Gaiden 4 later in the year.
Xbox Game Pass Subscribers Can Jump Into Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Right Away
Going hand in hand with that notion is Team Ninja's decision to launch Ninja Gaiden 2 Black on Xbox Game Pass right away. Those currently subscribed to Xbox Game Pass can play Ninja Gaiden 2 Black right now for no extra charge. That means that they can see what all the fuss is about first-hand without needing to put down any hard-earned cash.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black's release on Xbox Game Pass could introduce the franchise to a much wider audience, and again, those new fans are more likely to buy Ninja Gaiden 4 than they would have been prior to playing Ninja Gaiden 2 Black.
- Released
- June 3, 2008
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Team Ninja
- Publisher(s)
- Microsoft Game Studios
- Engine
- DOA4
WHERE TO PLAY
The fine line between honor and vengeance will be crossed by one.
Killer Gaming - Built from the ground up by Team Ninja for Xbox 360, this is the very best in breathtaking, realistic visuals, responsive control and thrilling combat.
Fast and Fluid - Featuring a new auto-healing and save-point system and an extensive story with multiple difficulty levels. Ideal for casual players and challenging enough for the most demanding, serious gamers.
Agile, Acrobatic and Deadly - Experience an all-new combat system requiring skill and mastery of a full arsenal of weapons and moves including brutal new primary weapons as well as enhanced versions of previous favorites.
- Franchise
- Ninja Gaiden
- Platform(s)
- Xbox 360
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Hack and Slash
- How Long To Beat
- 30 hours
