Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen

Overview

Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen (known in Japan as Shinobido 2: Sange) is a PlayStation Vita game developed by Acquire and published by Spike in Japan and Asia and Namco Bandai Games in North America and Europe. It is the direct sequel to Shinobido: Tales of the Ninja.

Plot

Six months after the end of the original PSP game, the game shows the region of Utakata in the midst of a bloody civil war. The player takes control of Zen who is betrayed by his own ninja clan (hence the game's subtitle "Revenge of Zen").

Characters

• Zen
• San
• Zaji
• Kaede
• Shu
• Nagi

Factions and Daimyo

There are three main factions at war in the game, each with a leader or "Daimyo":

• Ichijo
• Lady Kihan
• Kazama

Missions are setup by each faction and completing missions for a faction increases your reputation with that Daimyo. Daimyos will also reward the player with various items or money on finishing a mission.

To end the war and enter the final battle, the player must side with one of the factions. A different cutscene event is played at the end of the game depending on which faction is strongest on completion of the game.

Progression and Mission Types

The player is based in Asuka Village and presented with a mission choice at the beginning of the game and after the end of a mission.

Story missions advance the main plot of the game as the player helps his allies and works in opposition to the game's antagonist, Shu. These missions usually result in open ended fighting with major characters.

In addition to the story missions, the player has a choice to embark on several other types of missions:

• Assassination - locate and kill a single person or wild bear.
• Assault - destroy an enemy oxcart before it reaches it's destination.
• Escort - escort an oxcart through an enemy ambush.
• Duel - defeat a single opponent in a one-on-one battle.
• Guard - protect an ally from enemy attacks.
• Kidnapping - capture a target by knocking them out first and bring them back to the exit.
• Obliteration - kill all enemy targets in an area.
• Rescue - free a captured target and bring them back to the exit.
• Reconnaissance - reach a specific exit in an area.
• Robbery - seize an item from an enemy and bring it back to the exit.
• Thievery - steal an item from an area or building and bring it back to the exit.
• Transport - deliver an item to an informant.

At certain points in the game, story missions are not available for the player to take and they should progress by taking on faction missions. Conversely, there are points in the game where a reduced set of missions is available due to plot elements.

Ninja Clans

As the Daimyos gain influence in the region, ninja clans will lend their power to each of the world's factions. These clans are separate from the factions own forces and their allegiances determine which enemies the player will encounter during a mission. The clans are:

• Kenobi led by Uzumushi
• Taraba
• Mosu led by Usuba
• Yojimbo

New Game Plus

A completion save is generated after finishing the game. The story can be started again from the beginning on a new "Deadly" difficulty in addition to the standard "Easy", "Normal" or "Hard" difficulties.

Money, experience and items are carried over from the previous playthrough of the game. Furthermore, all player abilities and story specific unlocks are available from the start.