Utilizing Ryu Hayabusa’s signature Flying Swallow assault, I leap right into a crowd of enemies, slicing a daemon’s head off with a clear strike earlier than turning to the remainder. As fast combos transition into highly effective Izuna Drops, Guillotine Throws, and charged-up Final Strategies, I deflect and counter incoming assaults, lop off quite a few limbs, and spill gallons of blood in essentially the most exhilarating and trendy approach possible. Co-developed by Crew Ninja and Platinum Video games, Ninja Gaiden 4 revives the character-action staple by nailing the basics of the collection’ high-octane fight after which iterating on it in numerous fascinating and thrilling methods. It feels distinctly like Crew Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden, however Platinum’s DNA can also be undeniably current, making for an exciting sequel that is nicely definitely worth the decade-long wait.
Set in a near-future Tokyo, the as soon as bustling metropolis now lies abandoned, blanketed by a perpetual downpour of miasma attributable to the skeletal husk of the Darkish Dragon looming over it. Ryu may’ve defeated the Divine Dragon God earlier than, however peace cannot be achieved till this cursed rain is stopped, kicking off a quest to resurrect the Darkish Dragon and defeat it as soon as and for all. For almost all of this journey, you play as a brand new protagonist named Yakumo, a younger ninja from the shadowy Raven Clan. He is stoic and broody, and emotes way over Ryu ever has, however like the remainder of the collection, Ninja Gaiden 4 struggles to inform a compelling story.
Yakumo has a crew in his ear, including some texture throughout moments of downtime as they chat in regards to the state of the world and set up the stakes. This gives a brand new perspective on the world of ninja clans, however they seem to be a one-dimensional bunch, and the narrative continues to be comparatively mild. Yakumo and Ryu are at odds with each other, regardless of ostensibly sharing the identical objective, however this thread is paper-thin, and Ryu’s part is disappointingly inconsequential. There are some pacing points, too, together with a stretch the place the story grinds to a halt for 3 chapters as you chase after an interdimensional shark. It is not surprising, however Ninja Gaiden 4 tells the kind of story you will possible neglect about as soon as the ultimate credit have rolled.
Regardless of these shortcomings, the story does no less than present impetus for the sport’s construction. So as to resurrect the Darkish Dragon, Yakumo must slay numerous daemons after which break the seals they’re defending. It is a related setup to Ninja Gaiden 2, which can also be a transparent start line for the foundations of Ninja Gaiden 4’s kinetic fight. Whether or not you are taking part in as Yakumo or Ryu, slicing by enemies is fluid, responsive, and quickly paced; it appears like Ninja Gaiden, solely with smoother motion and a digicam that is not a hindrance. You have obtained mild assaults, heavy assaults, and shurikens, and for those who’ve performed the collection earlier than, launching into combos and executing iconic strikes just like the Izuna Drop comes naturally. It is a related feeling to at least one I had earlier this 12 months, when Ninja Gaiden 2 Black reawakened muscle reminiscence I did not know I nonetheless had. Ninja Gaiden 4 takes this familiarity and makes use of it as a springboard to introduce quite a lot of new and retuned mechanics.
Probably the most notable of those is a powered-up type for each Yakumo and Ryu, accessed by holding down the left set off. This lets you use slower however harder-hitting assaults, ruled by a meter that fills up while you land common assaults and use obliteration methods on dismembered foes. You need to use this type to interrupt by an enemy’s guard in the event that they’re blocking your commonplace strikes, or to interrupt one of many extra formidable opponents after they’re gearing as much as unleash a robust, crimson glowing assault. The latter is especially satisfying for those who handle to nail the timing, because it leads to a dramatic conflict of metal earlier than you erupt right into a devastating combo.
Yakumo’s Bloodraven type transforms his weapons into extra imposing armaments, akin to a longsword or large drill, and sometimes permits for wider, sweeping assaults. Ryu’s Gleam type, however, unleashes rapid-fire sword strikes much like his Final Approach (which you may as well make the most of with each characters). Every type can be upgraded with new weapon abilities, basically providing you with two distinctive movesets to tug from with quite a lot of spectacular combos which you can weave out and in of to take care of the benefit and preserve limbs flying. Mix this with Platinum’s eye for trendy parries, good dodges, and numerous different small touches, and Ninja Gaiden 4 appears like a real evolution of the collection’ fight.
[Ninja Gaiden 4] feels distinctly like Crew Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden, however Platinum’s DNA can also be undeniably current, making for an exciting sequel that is nicely definitely worth the decade-long wait
Defending, as soon as once more, feels acquainted. You maintain down the appropriate set off to dam and might then transfer the left follow transition right into a dodge, however the implementation of parries and ideal dodges is so seamless that it appears like they need to’ve been a part of Ninja Gaiden’s core fight loop from the very starting. Dodging on the final second triggers a short second of slowdown, permitting you to comply with up with a counterattack. Parrying is tougher to tug off, particularly while you’re dealing with a crowd of enemies, however is functionally the identical. Blocking inside the exact timing window will knock your opponent off stability, leaving them huge open for a potent counter.
Enemies in Ninja Gaiden 4 are aggressive–aside from one overly passive outlier that soaks up injury and is not significantly fascinating to fight–so with the ability to keep away from injury whereas inflicting loads of your personal is a fragile balancing act that makes fight extremely rewarding when you get the grasp of it. Button-mashing will solely take you up to now. And whilst you need not memorize each single combo, it pays to know how you can react when confronted with particular enemy varieties and what number of of them are squaring you up. Then you can begin implementing different small touches, like utilizing Guillotine Throws to knock different enemies out of the sky, utilizing the touchdown from an Izuna Drop to fast cost your Final Approach, executing a extra highly effective Flying Swallow by launching into it from a wall run, and assassinating unaware enemies earlier than they even know you are there.
Ninja Gaiden 4’s boss battles are additionally a marked enchancment. The collection is not identified for having significantly sturdy boss encounters (my 14-year-old self continues to be raging making an attempt to beat Alma from the primary Ninja Gaiden), so it is pleasantly shocking that those listed here are an interesting take a look at of your abilities. Whether or not you are combating a cybernetic samurai, a daemon courtesan wielding an umbrella, or an enormous wolf with wings, these battles are intense and reactive, as you are compelled to confront parries, counters, and unblockable assaults that make it really feel such as you’re each on a fair taking part in area. The one draw back is that Ryu’s part includes combating just a few of the identical bosses for a second time–as nicely as revisiting earlier areas. These bosses are no extra highly effective, and I did not discover any adjustments to their movesets, so they simply give Ryu’s part a copy-and-paste really feel.
Exterior of fight, Platinum’s affect is clear in the way you traverse the rain-soaked streets of Tokyo. With a grappling hook, wing swimsuit, surfboard, and different instruments at your disposal, there’s some mild platforming concerned in navigating every chapter. From hopping between rails to keep away from incoming trains and utilizing gusts of wind to soar into the air, to browsing the raging waters of the town’s sewers and grappling between rooftops, getting round is partaking even when it is by no means significantly difficult. There are additionally some non-compulsory paths to seek out all through the largely linear ranges, resulting in consumables, customizable fight rooms, and sub-missions–such as defeating X variety of enemies or discovering a hidden gourd–that earn you extra cash to be spent on new fight abilities.
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Talking of fight rooms, you may return and repeat any of those challenges after ending the marketing campaign, in addition to replay particular chapters and tackle numerous trials as both Yakumo or Ryu on any of the sport’s 4 issue ranges. There is a ton of replayability right here for those who simply wish to proceed combating, and leaderboards add an additional incentive to enhance and higher yours and different individuals’s scores.
Even after barreling by the marketing campaign in a few days, I nonetheless could not cease myself from going again for extra. Ninja Gaiden 4 is a brutal menagerie of extreme blood spray, gratifying weapons, and gloriously trendy motion. It banishes the bitter recollections of Ninja Gaiden 3 and has me pining for extra character-action video games, serving as a wistful reminder that video games like Ninja Gaiden, Satan Might Cry, and Bayonetta dominated the roost earlier than the latest proliferation of Souls-likes. Each change is significant, including to the rock-solid foundations and evolving the components to convey out the easiest in its phenomenal fight. If Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance weren’t sufficient, then Ninja Gaiden 4 solidifies 2025 because the 12 months of the ninja.