Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Analysis Compares Xbox 360 Original To Unreal Engine 5 Remaster

This week, Digital Foundry has been back at it, testing out the recent Ninja Gaiden 2 Black remaster that shadow dropped onto Xbox Game Pass last month. In short, DF says that this new version of the Xbox 360 classic "isn't perfect - but it's the best version yet", which we'll absolutely take.

To come to that conclusion, the outlet compared the 360 OG to this new Unreal Engine 5 spruce-up, and of course, the visual gulf is pretty huge. That should come as no surprise given the time that's lapsed — and the tech that's progressed — since 2008. The remaster is gunning for a max 120FPS on Series X too; something we'll always champion new games at least offering in some form.

Having said that, Series S only offers 60FPS, which was probably a wise move considering the sacrifices needed to hit 120 frames on Series X. Here's how the analysis describes that high frame rate mode and the Series S version:

"The 120FPS mode and the Series S version has a reduction in terms of draw distance of non-Nanite geometry and things like shadows which draw in close to the camera. Can the game handle 120FPS? Well, in terms of image quality, just barely - the sacrifices required here are significant and image quality is rather poor on a large 4K display."

Ninja Gaiden is a fast-paced series, so those visual sacrifices may indeed be worth it - just know that 120FPS will be quite a graphical drop-off from 60FPS on Series X. Series S users are getting just the one 1080p/60 mode here, so there's no such choice to make for players on that console.

You can take a look at the full analysis in video form up above, which does a good job at showcasing all of the differences between each version of this classic slasher. If you want a quick summary in text form, here's how Digital Foundry concluded its findings:

"Right now, my overall feeling on Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is positive - but with a hint of disappointment. The visual upgrades are largely welcome and I prefer this to any version of Sigma 2 but there's still room for improvement both with game balance and technical performance. Still, I'm thrilled that Ninja Gaiden 2 has made a return and if you've not played it before, I highly recommend giving it a shot."