The rules are quite simple. Basically it's beach volleyball rules (two players in the field) in different settings. The fact that it is played by ninjas works really well not just beause ninjas are simply cool, but also because they appear and dissapear as needed making the game clear and the ball easier to follow. There are also RPG elements in the game. You need to gain experience to make your team stronger and make money to buy them better equipment.
So how does it work exactly? First, you have to create your team. Your team also represents a country of your choice and a long list of countries is available. The team has two members and each member has four basic stats. The obvious three are power, accuracy and stamina and there's also magic.
The character creation offers a lot of customization and as you can see from the screenshot manga style graphics are used. The attributes can be improved each time your team members level-ups. If you have enough Lirae (the in-game currency) you can also purchase special equipment to boost your team's performance.
You can play a training game or compete in a single-player tournament. As you progress tournaments with higher level opponents are unlocked. There's multiplayer available too, both local and global.
The game itself is a combination of a reaction based game and a "slashing" game. To react to opponents play, you have to tap the ball quickly and accurately. To play the ball over the net, a slashing finger gesture is used. If you make a mistake, you lose stamina and without stamina, it's almost impossible to win.
Ouch, that must have hurt...
Magic is used to further strengthen the moves and hits or to trigger useful defenses. There's plenty of magic spells to choose from and different play styles require different spells.
The graphics in the game are quite simple, but because the game is played in a really fast pace, it doesn't matter. Simplicity is actually an advantage here, especially on higher levels, because tracking the ball and the opponents moves can get difficult. Sound effects are kept to a necessary minimum and same as with the graphics, it's better that way. There's music in the game, but I found myself turning it off to reduce distraction.
Summary
Ninja Volley 2 one of the most enjoyable sports games I played. It's easy to learn the basic moves but the game is hard and it takes skill to beat the better opponents. Thanks to the RPG elements you feel a connection with your volleyball team. There's also multiplayer available and the only thing the game needs right now is more players to fully use the multiplayer potential.The game is free with in-app purchases available to unlock special features. It's definitely worth a shot!
Google Play store
