Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 Review

The true fruit ninja always rhymes with “orange.”

It is said that a master can teach many things, but the most important lesson for a ninja to learn is oneself. It is also said that the second most important lesson for a fruit ninja to learn is to always wash one's hands before and after fruit ninja-ing. Such is the way of Fruit Ninja Kinect 2.

For those few who may not be familiar with the Fruit Ninja franchise and/or still have yet to obtain a smart device, the original game was played on tablets and smartphones by swiping one's finger across the touchscreen much like a kitana slicing and dicing fruits of all sorts from large watermelon to petite kiwi. Combos could be made to send the score skyhigh, but three misses and the game was over. Later on, bombs would be tossed into the veritable fruit salad for an added challenge. That game would eventually find its way to the Xbox 360 in Fruit Ninja Kinect, and now a sequel has been released for Xbox One.

In addition to the classic mode, Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 adds a multiplayer option for two ninjas at a time, and all modes can be played co-operatively. The game also features a ranking system as well as collectible stars that can be used to unlock new blades, backgrounds, and even additional game modes. The biggest change is Festival mode, where fruit ninjas can take on new challenges, such as slicing fruit while dodging shuriken, using throwing stars to pin fruit to targets, or taking out bamboo before it takes you out.

Let's face facts: If you're looking for something epic or thoroughly challenging, Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 is not what you're looking for. There are deep, super-serious games out there like Dragon Age: Inquisition or Grand Theft Auto V to get lost in and “hardcore” game to your heart's content. But what Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 can give you is a welcome, silly diversion.

While you wait for a multiplayer session of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare to load up, or take a break from Sunset Overdrive, Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 waits for you. The controls on the Kinect are solid, and the multitude of game modes turn this downloadable title into exactly what it was on your smart device: a fun, somewhat addictive time-waster. And frankly, there's not a darn thing wrong with just some good, old-fashioned pointless fun from time to time.

Code provided by publisher. Exclusively for Xbox One.