Ninja Gaiden 4 Review – Ninja Master

Using Ryu Hayabusa's signature Swallow attack, I jumped into a group of enemies and neatly decapitated a demon before turning on the rest. As quick combos turned into powerful Izuna throws, guillotine throws, and charged ultimate techniques, I would deflect and counter incoming attacks, chop off countless limbs, and spill copious amounts of blood in the most exciting and stylish way possible. Developed by Team Ninja and Platinum Games, Ninja Gaiden 4 reinvigorates the core of character action by nailing down the fundamentals of the series' high-octane combat and then iterating on it in a variety of fun and exciting ways. It definitely feels a lot like Team Ninja's Ninja Gaiden, but there's no denying that Platinum's DNA is also there, making it an exciting sequel well worth the decade-long wait.

The story takes place in Tokyo in the near future, a once bustling city now desolate and covered in a miasma caused by the dark dragon skeleton that hangs over it. The Dragon may have defeated the Dragon God before, but only when this rain of curses stops can peace be achieved and the task of resurrecting the Dark Dragon begin and defeat it once and for all. For much of this adventure, you play as a new protagonist named Yakumo, a young ninja from the shadowy Crow Clan. He's stoic, brooding, and emotionally rich, 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 breaks as they talk about the state of the world and set the stakes. This provides a new perspective on the world of the ninja clan, but they're a one-dimensional group and the narrative remains relatively lighthearted. Yakumo and Ryu are at odds with each other, and despite ostensibly having the same goals, the thread is thin and Ryu's part disappointingly irrelevant. There are also some pacing issues, including the story grinding to a halt over three chapters as you chase an interdimensional shark. It's not unexpected, but Ninja Gaiden 4 tells a story you might forget after the final credits roll.

Despite these shortcomings, the story at least provides motivation for the game's structure. In order to resurrect the Dark Dragon, Yakumo needs to kill some demons and then break the seal they protect. It's a similar setup to Ninja Gaiden 2, and it's a clear starting point for the foundation of Ninja Gaiden 4's dynamic combat. Whether you're playing as Yakumo or Ryuu, you'll be able to slay enemies with fluid, responsive, and fast-paced gameplay; it feels like Ninja Gaiden, only with smoother movements and no camera getting in the way. You have light attacks, heavy attacks, and shurikens, and if you've played the series before, it feels natural to launch combos and perform signature moves like Izuna's airdrop. It's similar to how I felt earlier this year, when Ninja Gaiden 2 Black reawakened muscle memory I didn't know I had. Ninja Gaiden 4 builds on this familiarity by introducing a variety of new and repurposed mechanics.

The most notable of these are Yakumo and Ryuu's enhanced forms, which can be accessed by holding down the left trigger. This gives you access to slower but harder-hitting attacks, controlled by a meter that fills up when you perform regular attacks and use takedown techniques on dismembered enemies. If an enemy blocks your standard attack, you can use this form to break through their defense, or interrupt a stronger opponent when they're about to launch a powerful red light attack. The latter is particularly satisfying if you time it right, as it sets off a dramatic clash of steel before you unleash a devastating combo.

Yakumo's Blood Raven form transforms his weapons into more powerful weapons, such as a long sword or a giant drill, and generally allows for a wider, all-out attack. Ryu's flash form, on the other hand, unleashes rapid sword strikes similar to his ultimate technique (which you can also use on both characters). Each form can also be upgraded with new weapon skills, essentially giving you two unique movesets that can be combined into a variety of spectacular combinations that you can weave in and out to maintain your advantage and keep your limbs flying. Combine this with Platinum's stylish blocking, perfect dodges, and many other little touches, and Ninja Gaiden 4 feels like a true evolution of the series' combat.

(Ninja Gaiden 4) feels very similar to Team Ninja's Ninja Gaiden, but there's no denying that Platinum's DNA is there too, making it an exciting sequel well worth the decade-long wait.

On defense again, it feels familiar. You hold down the right trigger to block, then move the left stick to transition to dodge, but parrying and flawlessly dodging are accomplished so seamlessly that it feels like they should have been part of Ninja Gaiden's core combat loop from the start. Dodging at the last second triggers a brief slowdown, allowing you to counterattack. Parrying is harder to pull off, especially when you're facing a group of enemies, but it's functionally the same. Blocking within a precise time window will throw your opponent off balance, giving them the opportunity to mount an effective counterattack.

Enemies in Ninja Gaiden 4 are very aggressive – save for an overly passive outlier that absorbs damage and isn't particularly fun to fight – so being able to avoid damage while dealing a lot of damage to yourself is a delicate balancing act that makes combat very rewarding once you get the hang of it. Hitting buttons can only get you so far. While you don't need to memorize every combo, it's worth knowing how to react when faced with certain types of enemies and how many enemies are facing off against you. You can then start pulling off other little moves, like using a guillotine throw to knock other enemies out of the sky, using the landing of an Izuna drop to quickly recharge your ultimate technique, performing a more powerful flying swallow by launching from a wall, and assassinating enemies before they know you're there.

Ninja Gaiden 4's boss battles have also been significantly improved. The series isn't known for particularly powerful boss encounters (my 14-year-old self was still angrily trying to defeat Alma from the first Ninja Gaiden), so it's a pleasant surprise that the challenges here are an engaging test of your skills. Whether you're fighting cybernetic warriors, umbrella-wielding demonic prostitutes or giant winged wolves, the battles are intense and reactive as you're forced to face parries, counterattacks, and unstoppable attacks that make it feel like both sides are on a level playing field. The only downside is that Ryu's section involves fighting several of the same bosses a second time, as well as revisiting previous areas. The bosses don't get more powerful, and I didn't notice any changes to their moves, so they just gave Ryu's parts a copy-paste feel.

Outside of combat, Platinum's influence is evident in how you navigate Tokyo's rain-soaked streets. With grappling hooks, wingsuits, surfboards, and other tools at your disposal, navigating each chapter involves some light platforming. From jumping between tracks to avoid incoming trains, to using gusts of wind to soar into the air, to surfing the rough waters of city sewers, to scrabbling between rooftops, moving around is fun, even if it's never particularly challenging. There are also optional paths found throughout most linear levels that lead to consumables, customizable battle rooms, and sub-tasks (such as defeating X enemies or finding a hidden gourd) that can earn you extra money to spend on new combat skills.

Speaking of the battle room, you can go back and repeat any of these challenges after completing the campaign, or you can replay specific chapters and take on various trials as either Yakumo or Ryu in the game's four difficulty levels. If you just want to keep fighting, there's plenty of replayability here, and leaderboards add extra incentives to boost your and others' scores.

Even after quickly completing the campaign in a few days, I couldn't stop myself from going back for more. Ninja Gaiden 4 is a brutal menagerie filled with plenty of blood, satisfying weaponry, and flashy, stylish action. It erased the sour memory of Ninja Gaiden 3 and left me hungry for more character-based action games, reminding me that before the recent Souls-style boom, games like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, and Bayonetta dominated. Every change makes sense, adding to the rock-solid foundation and evolving the formula to bring out the best in its extraordinary combat. If Ninja Gaiden: Fury and Ninja: The Art of Vengeance weren't enough, Ninja Gaiden 4 makes 2025 the year of the ninja.