Ryu perched above a modern city with Japanese architectural influences in the trailer for Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. Koei Tecmo has gone all-in on its Ninja Gaiden revival, announcing multiple games in the series at the Xbox Developer Direct today. Beginning as an arcade-NES game in 1988, Ninja Gaiden is one of the longest-running series in video game history. It’s undergone several changes over the years, progressing from 2D side-scrolling to 3D hack-and-slash action. Koei and Team Ninja have officially declared 2025 the “Year of the Ninja,” bringing back the series in just about every conceivable way, including the reveal of Ninja Gaiden 4, which it’s currently developing for a 2025 release with the help of Platinum Games.

And that’s not the only project Team Ninja has in the works: it also shadow dropped a total remake of Ninja Gaiden 2, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, available today on Game Pass. This is a full remake of the original Ninja Gaiden 2 in modern graphics engine Unreal Engine 5. Like most Game Pass games, it’ll be available on Xbox Series X/S, PC, and any and all devices capable of Game Pass streaming.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Is A Hack-And Slash Classic Worthy Of A Remake

What To Expect From Ninja Gaiden 2 Black

Ryu strikes a dramatic ninja pose in a screenshot from Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. Ryu slides down a hill amid volcanic ruins in Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. Ryu runs through a dark forest in a screenshot from Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. Ryu strikes a dramatic ninja pose in a screenshot from Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. Ryu slides down a hill amid volcanic ruins in Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. Ryu runs through a dark forest in a screenshot from Ninja Gaiden 2 Black.

While Ninja Gaiden‘s 3D revival has often been compared to Dark Souls in terms of difficulty, the two couldn’t be more different when it comes to actual gameplay. Where Dark Souls focuses on well-thought-out builds and strategic positioning, Ninja Gaiden is all about lightning-fast combos. It’s a delightfully bloody, urban fantasy series with an identity all its own.

First released in 2008, the 3D version of Ninja Gaiden 2 is totally separate from the 2D game of the same name. It follows series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa as he attempts to retrieve a holy statue stolen from his home and stop a group of fiends from plunging the world into chaos. It all unfolds in a series of fast-paced battles, featuring a complex system of combos and special skills. Action is over-the-top, bordering on cartoonish, with a ridiculously satisfying dismemberment mechanic for particularly powerful kills.

Players can collect a variety of different weapon types that change Ryu’s fighting style. Obliteration Techniques add a time crunch to certain battles, forcing the player to eliminate enemies before they sacrifice themselves to perform deadly strikes of their own. They can also absorb essence from defeated enemies to use powerful Ultimate Techniques. They’ll fight regular enemies and massive bosses throughout a globe-trotting, linear adventure.

Ninja Gaiden Has Never Looked Better

Why You Need To Check Out Ninja Gaiden 2 Black

A boss holds a sword in front of his face in a screenshot from Ninja Gaiden 2 Black.

The unexpected announcement has been met with a massive outpouring of excitement from longtime series fans and first-timers. Simply put, it’s never been a better time to get into the Ninja Gaiden series. If it’s your first time, you can start with the Ninja Gaiden Master Collection to catch up on the first three mainline 3D games with enhanced remakes. If you’re a longtime fan, you can see how far the series has come with the brand-new remake.

And the real old-school Ninja Gaiden fans have something to look forward to this year, too: Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a brand-new sidescrolling game in the classic Ninja Gaiden style. It seems like 2025 has something for every kind of Ninja Gaiden fan, and so far, you can’t go wrong with any of these projects.