Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen

The controls suit the system, with a surprisingly smart option to touch on-screen icons to turn the camera toward potential threats. The stealth play and covert killing is fast and satisfying but when blades clash, things can get awkward. You're eventually given a reversal move can quickly end fights with weaker enemies, but there's no running away from certain fated confrontations, which are almost always prolonged and clumsy.

Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen is actually the only game for PlayStation Vita that delivers a stealth action based gameplay, but it also suffers from several problems: cumbersome controls, repetitive missions and poor combat.

It's only shortcomings are its dated design, repetitive nature and visuals that could pass for a re-mastered PS2 game, but if you're looking for a hardcore experience with solid shinobi substance, this ranks as a viable christening for your shiny new Vita.

If you're the type of gamer who only plays games with gigantic hype and multimillion-dollar budgets, Revenge of Zen might not be your thing, but those who do get into this title are in for a worthwhile experience.

Nice gameplay, clean graphics and a beautiful soundtrack make Shinobido 2 a little surprise for Vita's early adopter.

A fun stealth game with tons of depth, innovative use of Vita tech, and some very interesting systems.

Shinobido 2 is, at the end, a good stelth game. Playing it, however, gives you the sensation that the dev team could reach far better distances in terms of game design.

Doesn't do much in terms of story, little of what you learn or obtain in terms of skills and tools seems necessary, and the combat is seriously flawed. But beneath that beats the heart of a competent stealth adventure, which is difficult to find these days.

As a stealth game, Shinobido 2 is successful and rewarding. I could even confidently recommend it to Metal Gear fans looking to scratch a sneaky itch in the beginning of the Vita's life cycle. Outside of sneaking up behind people to perform kills however, the game feels unpolished and not entirely thought-out.

Feels like a PS2 game. It lacks that level of polish that the Vita deserves and the game blatantly recycles the same character models and maps over and over.

When a well-planned incursion comes to fruition, the game is rewarding; the rest of the time, it's plagued with camera weirdness, clipping errors and a clunky combat system. [April 2012, p75]

Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen stealthily slips its unique action into the starting line of Vita's launch titles. As the most powerful gaming handheld yet seen, low budget titles don't fully do Vita justice, though, and Shinobido 2 is no different.

Shinobido is a stealth game for Vita, damaged by a very low artificial intelligence and by high repetitiveness. At least the main story is interesting.

There will always be missions to do, but they can certainly get repetitive, while main story missions are few and far between.

Despite how lazy and pointless it is, its ability to provide cheap laughs and easily gratifying stealth missions can't be denied.

As potentially deep as it is, though, Shinobido 2 still feels weirdly antiquated next to the rest of the Vita's launch lineup – and while we didn't opt for much grinding, it only took us around seven hours to play it from start to finish.

Being a ninja will always be cool, but limited gameplay options, terrible AI, a hostile camera and a rather high degree of repetitiveness turns Shinobido 2 into a game that doesn't quite deliver on its promising premise.

Shinobido 2 is like a journey in a time long gone – also technically. But even if you can't shake off the feeling that the makers of Tenchu are somewhat stuck in the PSone-era, you'll find some morbid fascination lurking behind the next corner along with your victims.

A so-so "stab" at portable stealth. After all these years we should expect much more. [March 2012, p.75]

As expected, Shinobido 2 is no return to developer Acquire's former glory. A lot of gamers will be bothered by the unfinished look and feel of the game. Sometimes you even wonder if the developers remembered to program the AI. [March 2012, p.64]

Shinobido 2 starts out as a fun stealth-game but quickly becomes repetitive in both gameplay and environments. It tries to keep us interested by offering many possibilities and a decent atmosphere, but fails to keep the boredom away for to long.

Even those who love this type of game will acknowledge that this is an average and mediocre one, which might well have been a PSP title in terms of visual quality, and lack of innovation and content.

This style of game is too dated to survive this generation in its current form. The game might be worth a shot to others at a heavily discounted price, but everyone else will quickly tire of the repetitive action and clunky gameplay.

The stealth lacks Ezio's style. [Apr 2012, p.115]

It seems that this ninja should have stayed in the shadows.

Dimwitted enemies and bland looks also make for a subpar experience. [Apr 2012, p.56]

Shinobido 2 is a game with a few nice ideas. For instance: it has a decent pace for a stealth game with open levels that offer multiple paths. But before you'll be able to see the good that it has to offer, you'll most likely be scared off by the other awful aspects it has, like atrocious graphics, too many menus and load screens, a boring and cliché-filled story and constant repetition in gameplay.

Just a bunch of poorly controlled quests weaved together with a very thin story. If it was only a few bucks, it would be a decent distraction for people looking to be ninjas on the go, but as a full price PlayStation Vita, I can't recommend it.

Mediocre stealth action is the order of the day in this forgettable sequel.

Feels like it's been hiding in the bushes for years, growing old as it waits to spring out on stealth fans. [March 2012, p.92]

Exploitable enemy AI and finicky physics spoil Shinobido 2's stealthy aspirations.

I'm certainly not opposed to playing a great Tenchu-style stealth game, but Shinobido is a far cry from what I'd call great. It has a handful of decent ideas that are surrounded by lackluster presentation and gameplay. A bit more variety, in both level design and enemies, would have gone a long way towards making this a better experience. As it stands, I can't really suggest picking this title up, even if you're a fan of Acquire's previous work.