Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus

When I reviewed Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus last year, I listed off the PS Vita port's notable problems, including the flaky controls and the rubbish camera.

Unfortunately, this review of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus is going to feel a lot like deja vu, as the very same problems pop up all over again, with some new ones thrown in for good measure.

Take two

A CIA agent named Sonia has been kidnapped, and Ryu the ninja is back to rescue her, cutting a load of dudes into pieces along the way.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus is a hack 'n' slasher through and through, and it's really very easy to make the gameplay look good thanks to the flurry of OTT animations and slick visuals.

Bash some buttons and Ryu will climb atop an enemy and take his head clean off, while the camera zooms in to make it look as gruesome as possible. This is a game that looks great in motion, and as you accumulate various weapons throughout play you'll come to appreciate just how many ways there are for a ninja to cut a man to shreds.

The levels looks grand, too, with backdrops that give a real sense of scale, and epic boss battles that bring your PS Vita screen to life.

All of this visual glory cannot hide the fact, however, that Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus plays like a dog.

You only want me for my body

You'll become bored of the combat animations around about the same time that you realise the best way to beat enemies is to block and then mash the same 'attack' button over and over.

Then you'll notice how repetitive and linear the game is. Enemies run at you, you kill them all, you follow the designated (and only) pathway, and you repeat. It's very dull.

The controls aren't great to begin with, but this is emphasised by the infuriating camera that attempts to hide the action at every available moment.

And, to top it all off, there's a weird visual issue where the game will look ugly and pixellated for a few seconds whenever you leave a menu or a cut-scene ends. It's a clear sign that too little effort was put into this port.

Do yourself a favour and grab this game on PS3 instead - this PS Vita port isn't worth your time.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus

A weak port of a reasonable port of a good game. Compared to the original, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus is just too flawed to recommend
Score
Mike Rose
Mike Rose
An expert in the indie games scene, Mike comes to Pocket Gamer as our handheld gaming correspondent. He is the author of 250 Indie Games You Must Play.