Inven Global

A vast array of games greeted visitors at TGS 2026. From titles announced well in advance to games shrouded in mystery right up until the show floor opened, a wide variety of titles made an appearance. Among them, one game was particularly intriguing: GungHo's 'Ninjala 2'.

It is the official sequel to 'Ninjala,' GungHo's PvP action game released on June 24, 2020. With virtually no news regarding a sequel over four years, the sudden appearance of 'Ninjala 2' caught attention in many ways. While the original game was relatively lesser-known in Korea, the fact that a game silent about a sequel for four years suddenly returned in a brand-new form raised even more curiosity.

Returning after four years, 'Ninjala 2' showcases major changes. Visually, there was no drastic departure from its predecessor. While closer inspection would likely reveal more refined details, the fundamental character design and overall visual tone directly carry over from the first game. Anyone looking at it could instantly tell it is an official sequel.

The core combat concept also mostly carries over. To briefly recall the original 'Ninjala,' it was a PvP game where players subdued opponents by combining bat-swinging melee attacks, long-range Gum Shoots, and Gum Ninjutsu packed with various skills. Despite its cute visuals, it was a game requiring quite intense tactical mind games—spacing against opponents to look for strike windows, blocking or dodging the moment an opponent attacks, and counterattacking with Gum Ninjutsu.

'Ninjala 2' brings over this combat system almost intact. Players can still utilize various gum-based techniques like melee attacks, blocking, dodging, and Gum Ninjutsu. However, that was about as far as the inheritance went. Many other aspects have undergone significant changes.

First, there is a change to playable characters. While the original game had players select from characters with predetermined appearances and traits to battle, 'Ninjala 2' allows players to create their own custom avatar to play the game—though the character creation process itself could not be tested in this demo build.

This does not mean the playable characters from the previous game have vanished, however. As you wander around the hub town, the World Ninja Association (WNA), you can encounter the playable characters from the first game. Rather than appearing merely as NPCs, players can summon them like ultimate moves to gain battle support. Though the protagonist role has passed to the new avatar, the previous characters still maintain a strong presence in their own way.

If there is one change that stands out as the biggest, it would be the introduction of an open world. This is closely connected to how the game's focus shifted toward PvE. In the original, which centered on PvP battles between matched players, the fields were naturally limited in scope—if the map were too large, engaging encounters would become difficult to trigger.

But 'Ninjala 2' is different. While the full story and overall progression structure could not be confirmed in this demo, it offered a glimpse of gameplay where players defeat monsters and defeat bosses occupying each biome to liberate the region. For a PvE game, it is a standard and familiar structure, and the field has expanded into an open world to align with this direction.

With the shift to an open world, traversal mechanics play a much larger role. Elements such as attaching Ninja-Gum to trees to swing through the air like Spider-Man's web-slinging or riding minecarts make an appearance. The wall-running action from the original game remains intact as well.

One disappointing point, however, was that with a time limit of around 20 minutes, it was difficult to gauge side content, such as what activities are available in the region. As soon as the demo began, an objective was displayed to defeat a boss deep inside the mine, forcing players to quickly survey the surroundings before taking on the boss before time expired. Consequently, it was hard to see what content fills the expanded open world, leaving a bit of regret.

The PvE-based combat system felt quite well-crafted. Enemies feature a stun gauge alongside their health bar. Attacking enemies fills up this gauge, and once it reaches maximum, the enemy enters a Gum Bind status. This provides the ideal window to unleash a concentrated barrage of attacks.

Attacking enemies in Gum Bind launches them far away, allowing you to rapidly pursue and maintain a combo. Furthermore, defeating an enemy in this state triggers "IPPON!", the iconic mechanic from the first game that knocked out opposing players in a single blow, sending the enemy flying into the distance.

In the previous game, IPPON! was a mechanic that triggered deterministically when winning the rock-paper-scissors clash mechanics when weapons collided, or when defeating an opponent while in Gum Bind status. Because it awarded far more points than a standard K.O., landing an IPPON! whenever possible was key.

In 'Ninjala 2', however, it was hard to find a compelling reason to actively aim for IPPON! With the transition to PvE, accumulating higher scores is no longer as critical as it was in the original. Of course, in the full release, additional incentives might be added—such as granting extra EXP upon a successful IPPON! or dropping more materials from monsters.

The boss battle was truly the highlight of combat in 'Ninjala 2'. Players must read attack patterns while parrying or dodging boss strikes, and boss moves include unblockable attacks requiring players to create distance or unavoidable patterns, delivering a satisfying combat experience.

On top of that, certain attack patterns trigger cinematic flourishes immediately after a successful parry, enhancing the tactile thrill of battle. Rather than simply porting over the original combat system, it offers a nice variation tailored to PvE boss fights.

That said, "satisfying" comes with a caveat: parrying and dodging are remarkably strong. During the first few attempts, I initiated counterattacks immediately after parrying or dodging, unaware that the boss continued its attack combos, which left me open to counterhits. Once accustomed to the patterns after a few tries, however, I rarely fell for the same attacks again. In fact, on the show floor, visitors could be seen defeating the boss without much difficulty.

Naturally, it is difficult to judge overall difficulty solely from this demo build. However, if the full release adds deeper tactical mechanics that require studying boss patterns more thoroughly, the combat will likely feel even more engaging.

In summary, 'Ninjala 2' takes the characteristic systems of its predecessor and expands them into an open-world PvE game. From that perspective, the inheritance of visual tone and core combat mechanics is clear. The cute character designs and gum-based combat unique to the original still showcase 'Ninjala's distinct color. Anyone looking at it could tell without a doubt that this is 'Ninjala 2'.

The question, then, is what comes next: how effectively these elements are woven into the new framework of an open-world PvE game. In this demo, it was difficult to fully evaluate that aspect. An open-world game ought to allow players to enjoy a variety of activities using the expanded space, but due to the limited demo time, exploring the field to see what content is available was hard to assess.

The PvE elements felt similar. While the basic flow of clearing enemies leading up to the boss was observable, progression and challenging elements did not stand out strongly. From common mobs to tougher foes and the boss itself, there was a lack of distinct contrast in battle difficulty or tactical approach.

Ultimately, what 'Ninjala 2' needs to demonstrate going forward is clear. The core will be what narrative it tells as an open-world PvE game and what content populates its expanded world. Furthermore, if boss battles move beyond a structure that can be cleared by simply repeating parries and dodges—adding the joy of discovering unique strategies for each boss—combat depth will be heightened significantly.

Returning after four long years, 'Ninjala 2' inherits the personality of its predecessor while donning the new attire of an open world and PvE. How this transformation is realized in the final game will be key. It remains to be seen upon official release whether 'Ninjala 2' can successfully expand the appeal of the original into a new form.