Shinobido 2: Revenge Of Zen

The game sees titular hero Zen caught amidst an ongoing struggle for power in the Utakata-Province in ancient Japan six months after the events of the previous game. There are three concurring factions, lead by the Daimyos Ichijo, Lady Kihan and Kazama. Zen himself is on a personal quest for revenge, searching for Shu the Cypress, who not only killed his girlfriend but also threatens to open the gates of hell by assembling all of the Tenma Mirrors. Zen tries to find them before Shu and therefore also has to put up with the ongoing conflict. At some point, he gets help by Kaede, literally the living mirror picture of his girlfriend. From then on she is a playable character as well except for the main story missions.

The game consists largely of semi-random missions the player can carry out for either of the warlords to change the balance of power in the Utakata-Province. There are different types of missions, such as escorting ox-carts, attacking ox-carts, theft missions, abduction missions, rescue missions, bodyguard missions, and elimination. Successfully carrying out these missions can lead to weakening one warlord and helping another. The player's progress is made by completing story missions which usually unlock as the player completes missions for the warlords. Gameplay-wise, there is no real difference between the warlord-missions and the story missions other than the inclusion of boss-fights.

All missions take place on a set number of large, open maps that include palaces, cities, mountainous regions, and villages.

The game is mainly a stealth game, with Zen being weak in combat but able to move quickly and silently through levels using high jumps, gliding, and other abilities. There is also a crafting system that lets you produce different items, such as potions, trap items, and bombs. You can acquire items by buying them or picking them up within the levels. The game also has an RPG aspect with a stat-leveling system that increases Zen's health, strength, etc. when leveling up.