<s>
Nightshade	B-Application
,	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
as	O
and	O
stylized	O
in	O
all	O
regions	O
with	O
the	O
kanji	O
忍	O
behind	O
the	O
title	O
,	O
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
(	O
PS2	B-Device
)	O
,	O
developed	O
by	O
Overworks	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sega	O
in	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
eleventh	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Shinobi	B-Application
series	O
and	O
follows	O
the	O
exploits	O
of	O
a	O
female	B-Application
ninja	I-Application
named	O
Hibana	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
2002	O
PS2	B-Device
game	O
Shinobi	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Nightshade	B-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
plays	O
as	O
Hibana	O
,	O
a	O
female	O
counterpart	O
to	O
Shinobis	B-Application
Hotsuma	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
is	O
also	O
ordered	O
to	O
recover	O
the	O
shards	O
of	O
"	O
Akujiki	O
"	O
,	O
the	O
legendary	O
cursed	O
sword	O
that	O
Hotsuma	B-Application
used	O
to	O
seal	O
the	O
hellspawn	O
the	O
last	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
government	O
modeled	O
her	O
sword	O
and	O
outfit	O
after	O
Hotsuma	B-Application
's	O
,	O
the	O
main	O
character	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hibana	O
also	O
appears	O
in	O
the	O
3DS	O
crossover	O
role-playing	O
game	O
Project	B-Application
X	I-Application
Zone	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Shinobi	B-Application
of	O
Earth	O
and	O
Hibana	O
's	O
former	O
master	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Shinobi	B-Application
of	O
Wind	O
and	O
the	O
first	O
Shinobi	B-Application
who	O
confronts	O
Hibana	O
in	O
Jimushi	O
's	O
gang	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Shinobi	B-Application
of	O
Fire	O
and	O
the	O
second	O
Shinobi	B-Application
who	O
confronts	O
Hibana	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Shinobi	B-Application
of	O
Water	O
and	O
the	O
third	O
Shinobi	B-Application
who	O
confronts	O
Hibana	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nightshade	B-Application
's	O
missions	O
are	O
linear	O
,	O
and	O
each	O
one	O
culminates	O
in	O
a	O
battle	O
against	O
a	O
challenging	O
boss	O
opponent	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
core	O
of	O
Nightshade	B-Application
's	O
gameplay	O
is	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
,	O
with	O
accumulating	O
combos	O
on	O
spawning	O
enemies	O
about	O
the	O
level	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
Hibana	O
's	O
arsenal	O
of	O
a	O
katana	B-Operating_System
(	O
the	O
primary	O
weapon	O
)	O
,	O
short	O
daggers	O
(	O
achieve	O
less	O
damage	O
,	O
but	O
score	O
a	O
higher	O
combo	O
multiplier	O
)	O
,	O
shuriken	O
(	O
long	O
range	O
projectiles	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
various	O
ninjutsu	O
spells	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
challenges	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
achieve	O
as	O
high	O
a	O
score	O
as	O
possible	O
while	O
eliminating	O
the	O
opposing	O
threat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nightshade	B-Application
also	O
includes	O
aspects	O
of	O
platforming	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
player	O
has	O
a	O
completed	O
save	O
file	O
from	O
Shinobi	B-Application
then	O
Hotsuma	B-Application
,	O
the	O
protagonist	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
game	O
,	O
is	O
available	O
as	O
an	O
optional	O
playable	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hotsuma	B-Application
plays	O
exactly	O
as	O
before	O
with	O
the	O
same	O
arsenal	O
of	O
moves	O
and	O
operates	O
under	O
the	O
same	O
mechanics	O
as	O
he	O
did	O
in	O
the	O
previous	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Nightshade	B-Application
soundtrack	O
is	O
based	O
upon	O
the	O
Japanese	O
techno	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
iteration	O
,	O
Shinobi	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nightshade	B-Application
did	O
not	O
see	O
an	O
official	O
soundtrack	O
release	O
until	O
July	O
2014	O
,	O
where	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
digitally	O
on	O
Amazon	B-Application
Music	I-Application
and	O
iTunes	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nightshade	B-Application
received	O
"	O
average	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
