Ryu is back with a scythe in Ninja Gaiden 2's TGS Trailer (Update)

Yesterday, stealthy screenshots made their way around the 'net, showing us just enough to get us excited. It seems like the newly released Ninja Gaiden 2 trailer is out to do the same thing; sneak up on us, surprise us, and then disappear.

If nothing else, this video is solid confirmation that Ryu Hayabusa has added a new weapon to his arsenal. Aside from the regular katana and kunai, it looks like Ryu will be toting a huge scythe around. It also looks like fun to use. No complaints here!

[Update: The freshly launched Xbox.com Web page mentions the addition of water-based gameplay (on-water battles?) to mix up the action. They also talk about new "finishing blow" system, which is supposed to add more gore, hopefully involving the scythe. Finally, the auto-heal system is there to bring a bit of accessibility to newcomers -- it restores semi-permanent damage at save points.

Team Ninja promises a compelling story in this 30-hour quest, which will lead players from Tokyo to New York to the Netherworld. There's also Xbox Live leaderboards for Karma scores as well as a new Master Ninja Tournament.

If the name Ninja Gaiden 2 wasn't enough to sell you already, these screenshots and this video will do the trick nicely. 

We look forward to more scythe-to-limb action soon.]