Third-person stealth action where you play as teenage ninja Rikimaru or Ayame serving feudal lord Gohda. This prequel shows their final training missions spiraling into a civil war—Gohda's uncle stages a coup, kidnaps the lord's daughter, then gets killed by his own ally. That ally also dies, murdered by his assassin Lady Kagami, who leads the Burning Dawn, a rebel ninja faction trying to reignite nationwide conflict. Your mentor Tatsumaru vanishes and resurfaces fighting for the enemy. Scoring now tracks stealth kills and efficient routing, not just quiet movement. Taking direct paths without wasted steps unlocks better gear, so you can't circle back or improvise much. Missions involve infiltration, assassination, and dismantling the Burning Dawn's smuggling operations before their warship reaches Gohda's coast. Suits players who want stricter stealth puzzles than the first game offered.
