NINJA GAIDEN 4

The way 2025 has unfolded, it seems to be the "year of the ninja." A few months ago, we had Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, followed immediately by the new Shinobi, and now Team Ninja is back with its new work, titled Ninja Gaiden 4, based on the 3D approach of this long-running series. We would add that it is also the most successful approach, as thanks to the hardcore ideas of the eccentric Tomonobu Itagaki (RIP), two hack 'n' slash games were born that are still remembered as among the best of their kind. Of course, the sequel was not as successful, as the Japanese creator's departure from Team Ninja was a huge blow to the quality of the franchise. The very mediocre Ninja Gaiden 3 and the unacceptable Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z led the company to set aside its masked heroes and turn its attention to different avenues (see Nioh).

So it came as no surprise when Team Ninja entrusted PlatinumGames with the bulk of the development work on Ninja Gaiden 4. A development team with an impressive track record in hack 'n' slash games, including titles such as Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and NieR: Automata. This decision, however, had consequences: while PlatinumGames' name is a guarantee of quality in the genre of action games, its approach is far from Itagaki's vision for the first two Ninja Gaiden games. But let's take things from the beginning.

Ninja Gaiden 4 picks up where its predecessor left off, with the renowned Ryu Hayabusa having slain the mighty Dark Dragon. However, as it turns out, this was not enough, as the dragon's soul was not completely destroyed, causing it to hover over the city of Tokyo and cause a strange rain that gives birth to... demons. This is where the new protagonist of the story, Yakumo, comes in. He belongs to a different clan than Ryu Hayabusa and intends to exterminate the Dark Dragon once and for all, restoring the city to its original form. This proves to be no easy task, as they must first break some seals and... you get the idea.

Sure, Ninja Gaiden never had a decent storyline, and the fourth installment is no exception to this "formula." Although the game attempts to establish a basic plot through cutscenes and encounters with various familiar characters (such as Hayabusa and Ayane), it ends up being uninteresting and serves merely as an excuse for the carnage that follows. Personally, after the second chapter, I stopped trying to follow the events and focused on the action, where Ninja Gaiden 4 excels.

If there was one word that could describe Ninja Gaiden 4, it would be "frantic." The game maintains a truly breakneck pace, while adopting all the appropriate mechanisms to support it. Yakumo is an incredibly fast and agile character, whose powers we can manage with precision, thanks to the flawless controls implemented by the folks at PlatinumGames. Of course, the use of a controller is recommended, although the game also supports keyboard/mouse.

There are two basic attack buttons (light and heavy attack), and switching between them creates impressive combos, which we can increase in variety and number by unlocking them from the corresponding shops we encounter during the adventure. Although button-mashing can be effective to a certain extent (and certainly if we play at a lower level than Hard), the true dimension of combat is revealed when we know what we are doing. Then the game takes on a frenzied pace, with blood literally flowing like a river and battles resembling a crimson choreography rather than conventional duels.

Moreover, blood is a key factor in Yakumo's combat, as the more bloodshed he causes, the more the bar for the coveted Bloodraven Form fills up. By holding down the relevant button, attacks with the current weapon are enhanced, and as a technique, it is essential both against armored enemies and in countering powerful enemy attacks. Ninja Gaiden 4 glorifies the offensive approach, so the player must master the strategic switching between normal and Bloodraven form, as well as the tactical use of parry, which creates openings for some very harsh punishments. Of course, we can rely, to a certain extent, on blocking and dodging (after all, they are located on the same button), but there are cases, such as with bosses for example, where timely parrying is almost imperative in order to cause significant damage.

Yakumo doesn't stop there: shortly afterwards, he gains access to other abilities (such as Berserk mode and Bloodbath kills), as well as three more weapons, which open up even more possibilities for more complex combos and new options in our arsenal, depending on the challenges we face. Challenges that are certainly not to be taken lightly. Ninja Gaiden 4 is clearly a demanding game, above the average of most modern hack 'n' slash games. The enemies are numerous, very aggressive, and don't give you any breaks. If we let them hit us, they will do so without the slightest hesitation, so it is advisable to keep moving and regularly apply the techniques we have learned (it is no coincidence that there is a detailed training mode and quite a few tutorials).

However, this frenetic pace is also what sets Ninja Gaiden 4 apart from the first two installments of the series, which were masterminded by Itagaki. The game's setup is more reminiscent of Bayonetta than Ninja Gaiden, and this becomes quite apparent when, later on, we control Ryu Hayabusa for a few levels, who is noticeably "heavier" than Yakumo. Without compromising on quality and depth (which is non-negotiable), the combat system is less methodical and definitely more forgiving than in previous titles. We wouldn't give the latter a negative rating, but this relentless slaughter can sometimes become tiresome.

The reason is that the level design is mainly linear, with some detours that usually lead to side battles (with the corresponding reward, of course, such as Purgatories or side missions), and when we are not dealing with traversal, they have the logic of an arena. Quite often, especially as we progress through the game, we will find ourselves in situations where we may be hitting the buttons for several minutes, with more and more enemies spawning over and over again. Combined with the relatively uninteresting (with a few exceptions) implementation of the environment, with its dark colors and neon lighting, the unnecessarily long duration of some chapters, and the dull idea of repeating some of them, this time controlling Ryu Hayabusa, they end up in inevitable "fatigue."

This, we would say, is the biggest issue facing Ninja Gaiden 4. Although it regularly enriches the gameplay with new moves and weapons, it shows that there was not enough inspiration to make the most of an interesting adventure from start to finish. Even the bosses fail to impress, despite their exuberant appearance and fancy repertoire of moves, and they also have the annoying habit of having at least two phases (alas!).

Of course, if Ninja Gaiden 4 had included these elements, then we would be talking about a landmark game. Since it doesn't, the game is rated as a very good action game. If we add to the equation the flawless technical aspect —PlatinumGames' engine is excellent and flexible (no stuttering!) — this is a game that will satisfy both fans of the series (for die-hard fans, I wouldn't bet on it) and those looking for a fast-paced action game.

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