Using Ryu Hayabusa’s signature Flying Swallow attack, I leap into a crowd of enemies, slicing a daemon’s head off with a clean strike before turning to the rest. As rapid combos transition into powerful Izuna Drops, Guillotine Throws, and charged-up Ultimate Techniques, I deflect and counter incoming attacks, lop off numerous limbs, and spill gallons of blood in the most exhilarating and stylish way imaginable. Co-developed by Team Ninja and Platinum Games, Ninja Gaiden 4 revives the character-action staple by nailing the fundamentals of the series’ high-octane combat and then iterating on it in a number of interesting and exciting ways. It feels distinctly like Team Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden, but Platinum’s DNA is also undeniably present, making for a thrilling sequel that’s well worth the decade-long wait.
Set in a near-future Tokyo, the once bustling city now lies deserted, blanketed by a perpetual downpour of miasma caused by the skeletal husk of the Dark Dragon looming over it. Ryu might’ve defeated the Divine Dragon God before, but peace can’t be achieved until this cursed rain is stopped, kicking off a quest to resurrect the Dark Dragon and defeat it once and for all. For the majority of this adventure, you play as a new protagonist named Yakumo, a young ninja from the shadowy Raven Clan. He’s stoic and broody, and emotes far more than Ryu ever has, but like the rest of the series, Ninja Gaiden 4 struggles to tell a compelling story.
Yakumo has a team in his ear, adding some texture during moments of downtime as they chat about the state of the world and establish the stakes. This offers a new perspective on the world of ninja clans, but they’re a one-dimensional bunch, and the narrative is still relatively light. Yakumo and Ryu are at odds with one another, despite ostensibly sharing the same goal, but this thread is paper-thin, and Ryu’s section is disappointingly inconsequential. There are some pacing issues, too, including a stretch where the story grinds to a halt for three chapters as you chase after an interdimensional shark. It’s not unexpected, but Ninja Gaiden 4 tells the sort of tale you’ll likely forget about once the final credits have rolled.
Despite these shortcomings, the story does at least provide impetus for the game’s structure. In order to resurrect the Dark Dragon, Yakumo needs to slay a number of daemons and then break the seals they’re protecting. It’s a similar setup to Ninja Gaiden 2, which is also a clear starting point for the foundations of Ninja Gaiden 4’s kinetic combat. Whether you’re playing as Yakumo or Ryu, slicing through enemies is fluid, responsive, and rapidly paced; it feels like Ninja Gaiden, only with smoother movement and a camera that isn’t a hindrance. You’ve got light attacks, heavy attacks, and shurikens, and if you’ve played the series before, launching into combos and executing iconic moves like the Izuna Drop comes naturally. It’s a similar feeling to one I had earlier this year, when Ninja Gaiden 2 Black reawakened muscle memory I didn’t know I still had. Ninja Gaiden 4 takes this familiarity and uses it as a springboard to introduce a variety of new and retuned mechanics.
The most notable of these is a powered-up form for both Yakumo and Ryu, accessed by holding down the left trigger. This allows you to use slower but harder-hitting attacks, governed by a meter that fills up when you land regular attacks and use obliteration techniques on dismembered foes. You can use this form to break through an enemy’s guard if they’re blocking your standard strikes, or to interrupt one of the more formidable opponents when they’re gearing up to unleash a powerful, red glowing attack. The latter is particularly satisfying if you manage to nail the timing, as it results in a dramatic clash of steel before you erupt into a devastating combo.
Yakumo’s Bloodraven form transforms his weapons into more imposing armaments, such as a longsword or giant drill, and typically allows for wider, sweeping attacks. Ryu’s Gleam form, on the other hand, unleashes rapid-fire sword strikes similar to his Ultimate Technique (which you can also utilize with both characters). Each form can also be upgraded with new weapon skills, essentially giving you two unique movesets to pull from with a variety of spectacular combos that you can weave in and out of to maintain the advantage and keep limbs flying. Combine this with Platinum’s eye for stylish parries, perfect dodges, and a number of other small touches, and Ninja Gaiden 4 feels like a true evolution of the series’ combat.
[Ninja Gaiden 4] feels distinctly like Team Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden, but Platinum’s DNA is also undeniably present, making for a thrilling sequel that’s well worth the decade-long wait
Defending, once again, feels familiar. You hold down the right trigger to block and can then move the left stick to transition into a dodge, but the implementation of parries and perfect dodges is so seamless that it feels like they should’ve been part of Ninja Gaiden’s core combat loop from the very beginning. Dodging at the very last second triggers a brief moment of slowdown, allowing you to follow up with a counterattack. Parrying is harder to pull off, especially when you’re facing a crowd of enemies, but is functionally the same. Blocking within the precise timing window will knock your opponent off balance, leaving them wide open for a potent counter.
Enemies in Ninja Gaiden 4 are aggressive–aside from one overly passive outlier that soaks up damage and isn’t particularly interesting to fight–so being able to avoid damage while inflicting plenty of your own is a delicate balancing act that makes combat incredibly rewarding once you get the hang of it. Button-mashing will only take you so far. And while you don’t need to memorize every single combo, it pays to understand how to react when faced with specific enemy types and how many of them are squaring you up. Then you can start implementing other small touches, like using Guillotine Throws to knock other enemies out of the sky, using the landing from an Izuna Drop to quick charge your Ultimate Technique, executing a more powerful Flying Swallow by launching into it from a wall run, and assassinating unaware enemies before they even know you’re there.
Ninja Gaiden 4’s boss battles are also a marked improvement. The series isn’t known for having particularly strong boss encounters (my 14-year-old self is still raging trying to beat Alma from the first Ninja Gaiden), so it’s pleasantly surprising that the ones here are an engaging test of your skills. Whether you’re fighting a cybernetic samurai, a daemon courtesan wielding an umbrella, or a giant wolf with wings, these battles are intense and reactive, as you’re forced to confront parries, counters, and unblockable attacks that make it feel like you’re both on an even playing field. The only downside is that Ryu’s section involves fighting a few of the same bosses for a second time–as well as revisiting previous areas. These bosses aren’t any more powerful, and I didn’t notice any changes to their movesets, so they just give Ryu’s section a copy-and-paste feel.
Outside of combat, Platinum’s influence is apparent in how you traverse the rain-soaked streets of Tokyo. With a grappling hook, wing suit, surfboard, and other tools at your disposal, there’s some light platforming involved in navigating each chapter. From hopping between rails to avoid incoming trains and using gusts of wind to soar into the air, to surfing the raging waters of the city’s sewers and grappling between rooftops, getting around is engaging even if it’s never particularly challenging. There are also some optional paths to find throughout the mostly linear levels, leading to consumables, customizable combat rooms, and sub-missions–such as defeating X number of enemies or finding a hidden gourd–that earn you extra money to be spent on new combat skills.
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Speaking of combat rooms, you can go back and repeat any of these challenges after finishing the campaign, as well as replay specific chapters and take on various trials as either Yakumo or Ryu on any of the game’s four difficulty levels. There’s a ton of replayability here if you just want to continue fighting, and leaderboards add an extra incentive to improve and better yours and other people’s scores.
Even after barreling through the campaign in a couple of days, I still couldn’t stop myself from going back for more. Ninja Gaiden 4 is a brutal menagerie of excessive blood spray, gratifying weapons, and gloriously stylish action. It banishes the sour memories of Ninja Gaiden 3 and has me pining for more character-action games, serving as a wistful reminder that games like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, and Bayonetta ruled the roost before the recent proliferation of Souls-likes. Every change is meaningful, adding to the rock-solid foundations and evolving the formula to bring out the very best in its phenomenal combat. If Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance weren’t enough, then Ninja Gaiden 4 solidifies 2025 as the year of the ninja.
