Enter the Dragon Ninja

Have you got what it takes to wield the blade in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2?

Following on one year later from the events of Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Team Ninja's latest sword wielding opus picks up the action in Tokyo where hero Ryu quickly discovers a nefarious plan by the Black Ninja Spiders to attack his family village and steal the Demon Statue that they possess and guard. Much like Ninja Gaiden Sigma, this sequel has been given a sizeable makeover in the form of a large number of enhancements by the developers.

Sharper swords

Featuring an improved camera system and updated visuals, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 also includes a number of exclusive characters that players control throughout the course of the game. These new characters are Ayane, Momiji and returning character from Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Rachel. eu.playstation.com had the chance to play through a short demo of the game using Ryu, Ayane and Momiji during which Team Ninja were on hand to demonstrate its latest Ninja Gaiden opus.

While the story of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 centres on Ryu's quest to retrieve the Demon Statue and take down those who stand in his way, each of these characters will factor into the game's storyline as you progress throughout it. Ayane's fighting style is somewhat similar to that of Ryu's in that she wields dual blades and employs a number of the same techniques that Ryu does with his Dragon Sword, yet she moves in an entirely different way and is decidedly faster on her feet than the Dragon Ninja.

Players who had a firm grasp on Ryu's fighting style and battle techniques from Ninja Gaiden Sigma will be able to get to grips with Ayane's move set quickly, allowing them to take down some of the game's enemies with ease. Momiji is a hybrid mix of both Rachel and Ryu with an extremely powerful staff that can take enemies down quickly and deadly. The staff was just one of the weapons available during the demo for Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Momiji and the others will be able to wield a far greater arsenal of fighting tools when the game arrives in 2009.

Fight with a friend

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 not only features enhanced graphics, additional characters, bosses and levels, it's also Team Ninja's very first foray into co-operative play by enabling two players to battle it out in huge arenas to become the ultimate ninja warrior. The game looks set to provide both action fans and long time Ninja Gaiden followers with a unique and challenging experience.