Ninja Gaiden II is fast. I’m not talking about Genesis-era Sonic fast, nor am I talking about Olympic track meet fast. Ninja Gaiden II is so fast that your eyes, fingers and Ryu’s own movements all have to become one. Ninja Gaiden II is fast, and while it may not be as fast as Space Balls’ “Ludicrous Speed” it’s still really, really fast.

The combat in Ninja Gaiden II is so brutally satisfying that it puts every other action game released this console-generation to shame. But a game this fast isn’t for the faint of heart. Many will give up on Ninja Gaiden II early on, but those who stay to fight and truly master the mechanics of each and every weapon will find themselves ripping through scores of enemies with the grace allowed only by a ninja. Launching up with an enemy in the air and cutting away at him, only to land again and cut through more enemies, blocking and then counterattacking. Once you become overwhelmed, a well-timed Ninpo (ninja magic) attack will cause major damage allowing you to single out another enemy and take him into the air to end his life.

But if you aren’t playing with a mixture of offense and defense, expect no mercy at the hands of Ninja Gaiden II’s enemies. Leave yourself open and enemy claws, fangs, swords, exploding shuriken and more will find themselves lodged into your flesh. These aren’t the kind of enemies to stand around and wait to be killed. Since its release, Ninja Gaiden has always been well-known for providing cut-throat enemies that will kill you, making every single encounter a life or death situation. Cut off an enemies limb if you must, but don’t think he’s down for the count. When you’re least expecting it, that enemy will crawl behind you, grab you and suicide bomb the entire area. But that’s where the new Obliteration Techniques come in, allowing you to flashily kill any wounded enemy with some of the slickest swordplay shown in the game.

However, while Ninja Gaiden II may be the best playing action title released on the current consoles, not everything is as beautifully done as the game’s incomparably cool swordplay. The biggest issue is the story in the game, or rather, the lack of a story in the game. Technically, yes Elizebet, the game’s main villainess, stole the Demon Statue and plans to resurrect the Archfiend. That’s all you need to know before running around the world and killing everything in sight (you’ll definitely want to kill everyone if you’re going to move up those leaderboards). Nothing is elaborated on in Ninja Gaiden II’s story; there isn’t even any proper story continuity. For instance, why is the first level set in a futuristic Tokyo, the second level in an ancient ninja village and then followed by a modern New York, and wait for it, we’re then taken to Greece, which seems modern enough, but we then see a gladiator (skirt and all) get killed in combat. Furthermore, the game never even tells you why you’re going to these various locales.

Situations like that are absolutely unacceptable for a series like Ninja Gaiden and a game of this caliber. The combat may be the best around, but that doesn’t mean a poor story is OK, especially in this day and age where genuinely good writing in games (take BioShock, Lost Odyssey and Portal as examples) are almost a must.

However, Ninja Gaiden II makes clear what it is, and what it strives to be — an old-school action game that’s more about fighting on to get a higher score rather than a game with a deep, emotional and involving story. That action-packed gameplay however cannot be fully enjoyed without a functional camera, and thankfully, Ninja Gaiden II has one.

Many other reviews have gone on record stating that Ninja Gaiden II has an awful camera, some even claiming that it’s the worst camera ever. But all of this is absolutely untrue. Ninja Gaiden II has a functional camera, it follows Ryu, it makes the game playable and keeps up with the action. The problem is ultimately that the camera tries to show off more of the poetic swordplay rather than the actual action. But it’s a problem that’s easily solved by quickly tapping the right trigger and having the camera center on Ryu. Should your back be to a wall, quickly move the camera and you’ll be fine.

The question needs to be asked: Could Ninja Gaiden II have used a better camera? The answer, plain and simply is yes, but that hardly means that the overly exaggerated faults with the camera that many have claimed are true. It may be a somewhat lazy camera, but it does its job. To help make my point, I never once died by an enemy I didn’t know of, and I died two hundred and forty-seven times in this game.

The graphics in Ninja Gaiden II definitely give off the Team Ninja vibe, but these visuals aren’t jaw-droppers like the original Ninja Gaiden’s graphics back in 2004. The levels are beautiful for the most part, with exception of one dull underground area, and the character models look great, with a slight anime-look to them. The music and sound effects are also rather well-done, the game has great tunes for the levels, and they add to the game quite a bit. But the sound effects are truly great. At one instance, while running through a tunnel, I heard footsteps but saw no enemies, only to turn around and find two ninja hot on my tail. Instances like that are truly great, it’s just a shame that the voice-acting isn’t that well done. Ryu and Sonia sound fine, but everyone else is kind of drab.

Ninja Gaiden II has the best combat in town, with each of the weapons providing a different playstyle and making every fight unique. And while a poor story holds it back from its full potential, and some minor camera complaints, there’s no denying that Itagaki’s final game with Team Ninja is on a completely different level from other action games. So if you want to play the most hardcore, the fastest and most brutal action title on the block, look no further than Ninja Gaiden II.