Ninjagaiden as a series may have been around since the NES days, but I first experienced it in 2004 on the original Xbox. In fact, it was one of the first Xbox games I played. While that revival was great, it might have been a little too demanding for my 10-year-old at the time, but over time I grew to love this revival series for its smooth combat and brutal difficulty.
But when Ninjagaiden 3 was released in 2012, I think most people’s reaction was “meh.” Although this work set the series back in some ways, it’s really nice to see it return with the release of Ninjagaiden 4. In many ways, developer PlatinumGames hit all the right notes and delivered a solid culmination of everything the series has done well thus far.
It’s not perfect, with a story that doesn’t make much sense and a quirky level design, but the smooth movement and the ever-growing list of upgradeable abilities, combined with epic boss fights and an all-new protagonist, make the top-notch combat feel better than ever.
New era, new ninja
I’m not sure if anyone appreciated the story over the combat in the Ninja Gaiden series, but Ninja Gaiden 4’s story feels like an afterthought. That said, while it ultimately serves its purpose as a way to drive through futuristic Tokyo, its lore takes most of its place rather than building a legitimately engaging story throughout the game’s 10-or-so hour campaign.
Set many years after the events of Ninjagaiden 3, players take control of Yakumo, a new ninja of the Raven Clan. Interestingly, they are rival clans of the Hayabusa clan, which the main character Ryu Hayabusa belonged to in the previous game. After the Dark Dragon was defeated by Ryu, the city of Tokyo was hit by continuous rain called the Dark Lot Rain. The story of Ninja Gaiden 4 begins after the dark dragon’s shrine maiden Theory and the dark dragon itself are found to be still alive.
Credit: Xbox Game Studios
Yakumo’s mission is simple. The goal is to assassinate the Dark Dragon Priestess Theory and stop the rain of Dark Lot. However, we learn early on that the Dark Dragon’s shrine maiden, Theory, has information about certain remaining seals that can be destroyed to end Dark Dragon’s control over Tokyo once and for all.
Meanwhile, Ryu Hayabusa lurks in the shadows with agendas of his own, and the two ninjas finally move toward a showdown of sorts. Players will take control of Ryu later in the story, but this journey is short and fun, so we don’t want to spoil it.
Ninjagaiden 4 feels incredibly predictable and odd at times, but thanks to its short runtime, it never really overstays its welcome. Players gain control of Ryu later in the story, which I’ll admit is a bit of a drag on the game’s pacing and varied combat mechanics, but it doesn’t solve the problem. I’d love to say this story is a huge setback for Ninjagaiden 4, but we all know why we’re here. So let’s talk about it.
battle crown
Ninjagaiden 4 may have some of the best combat mechanics I’ve ever experienced in a game. So I said, It builds strongly on the mechanics of previous titles, but everything feels so smooth and interconnected that every encounter feels incredibly satisfying.
Players can activate Yakumo’s Bloodraven form by holding down L2 or the left trigger and combining light and heavy attacks. This transforms your weapon into a giant blood sword, allowing you to unleash more powerful attacks than normal and break through stronger enemy defenses. Players can also block up to four normal attacks at once using R2 or the right trigger, and evade by pressing the left stick in any direction while blocking. A perfectly timed dodge allows you to pounce on an enemy, and parrying works by simply attacking at the same time as the enemy. It sounds easy, but without a dedicated parry button it’s a bit difficult to master. Players can also throw shurikens to attack enemies from a distance.
Credit: Xbox Game Studios
Combat is fast and frenetic and never lets up. Players can usually attack enemies until they fall apart, which then allows for finishing moves known as Obliations, which are triggered by heavy attacks. This is usually essential, as finishing off an enemy builds up Bloodraven’s meter over time, requiring you to enter and exit Bloodraven form to gain the upper hand.
You’ll also have access to multiple weapons throughout the story, but let’s start with the Takeminakata, or standard dual-wielding weapon. Yatosen acts as a spear that turns into a giant drill, Magatsuhi acts as a giant hammer, and Kage Ebisu gives these giant mechanical arms. Each weapon can be switched on the fly using the directional arrows and has its own movement and obliteration.
Each level has a fair amount of movement, allowing Yakumo to climb walls, run on walls, swing between points, fly through wind tunnels, and even use his grappling hook to attack enemies with a bit of stealth. It’s not necessarily deep, but it helps break up the combat pretty well.
Along the way, Yakumo is able to chat with his mentor, Tyran, and gain access to a DarkNet terminal. Both can be called at specific checkpoints in each level. Here you can spend your saved ninja coins, obtained by defeating enemies, on both consumable items and combat skills. These combat skills apply throughout the battle, regardless of the weapon you’re using. Yakumo can take on small task-based combat missions and also earn Ninja Coins. Finally, coins can also be used to purchase certain elixirs for health promotion and recovery, which can also be found in each level.
Credit: Xbox Game Studios
Yakumo can also spend weapon XP to purchase certain weapon skills. This can be done by simply pausing the game. Weapon skills apply only to each weapon and can also be enabled or disabled after purchase if you do not want to use them in battle. I’ve come to appreciate the depth and versatility of this level and hope more games implement this. The list is truly endless, but everything is done in a way that never feels intimidating. However, I’m sure it looks incredibly chaotic to other people watching you play.
Finally, Ninjagaiden 4 has most chapters broken up by final boss fights, and they’re all great. They’re usually a combination of attack-based patterns of dodging and attacking at the right time, but they’re all incredibly tough and never feel unfair. That being said, all skills are equally needed, so be prepared to bring them all to bear here.
look at the part
I’d be lying if I said Ninjagaiden 4 wasn’t great. The rain-soaked rendition of futuristic Tokyo looks as detailed as it is shiny, even if the linear level design makes no sense for the actual city.
Credit: Xbox Game Studios
It also works relatively well on Xbox Series X. There’s a graphics mode that locks the action to 30 FPS while increasing overall resolution and sharpness. There’s also a performance mode that targets 60 FPS, but you may experience a slight frame rate drop. Still, the action can be so quick and confusing that it’s hard to notice. The fact that you can reduce the frame rate and still have a smoother experience than in graphics mode already feels like it’s worth the slight sacrifice.
The sound design is also great, with a perfect mix of heavy metal riffs and electronic undertones. The fact that all of this is balanced and clearly audible amidst the multiple slashes, groans, and blood splatters during combat is incredibly impressive.
final thoughts
Ninjagaiden 4 has its flaws, whether it’s the predictable story or the weird level design, but they don’t lock the experience down in any meaningful way. But the combat is still at the heart of the experience, and it’s simply better than ever, learning from the best parts of previous entries and taking what’s best.
As a result, it’s one of the best action games you can play right now, and makes a strong case for being the best game in this long-running series so far.
4 1/2 stars (out of 5 stars)
Highlights: Combat is great. Boss battles are epic. A wide variety of upgrades and moves
Cons: The story feels like an afterthought. The level design is a bit strange. Frame rate drops in performance mode
Developer: Team Ninja, Platinum Games Co., Ltd., Koei Tecmo Games Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC
Available: Currently
Review was conducted on Xbox Series X using code provided by the publisher.
A featured header image is also provided by the publisher.
