In the NES era, Ninja Gaiden helped set the bar for 8-bit action games. In the early 2000s, it did more of the same, with influential hits on the original Xbox and later generations. Unfortunately, it was practically dead for over a decade, until now. Ninja Gaiden 4 is the unexpected return of this long-hailed icon of the hack ‘n slash genre. Co-developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, it offers more of that familiar bloody action, but with a fresh element of momentum and mayhem. Is Ninja Gaiden 4 a true return to form? No. Is it the fantastic resurrection that the franchise deserves? Let’s find out with our Ninja Gaiden 4 review.
Bye Bye Ryu
Ninja Gaiden 4 is a direct sequel to Ninja Gaiden 3 and brings players to a rain-soaked Tokyo, which has been overrun by demons, fiends, and all manner of monsters to slay. Compared to the aesthetic of the previous games, Ninja Gaiden 4 feels a lot more flashy, punk, and futuristic, which falls in line with PlatinumGames’ general vibe. Due to the return of the Dark Dragon, Tokyo is a festering wasteland of hellish beasts, and it’s up to one ninja to complete a deadly ritual and banish the Dark Dragon once and for all. That ninja? Yakumo.
Disregarding the narrative, setting, or any stylistic changes, this is by far the biggest change that Ninja Gaiden 4 brings. This is not Ryu Hyabusa’s story; it’s all about Yakumo. A descendant of the Raven Clan, Yakumo is fierce, unafraid, and faster than you could ever imagine. This is a change that might piss off series fans quite a bit: a sort of bait-and-switch reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty‘s infamous protagonist swap. But even with his somewhat anime-inspired, moody and emo vibe, Yakumo is actually a good fit for the adventure.
Across the story, you run into a few more characters, namely Seori (the best rope waifu around), and together, you aim to save Tokyo and finally seal the Dark Dragon. Honestly, the story is pretty bland. Apart from some fan service moments and especially epic boss finishes, the cutscenes, characters, and general narrative are all pretty forgettable.
Instead, Ninja Gaiden 4 is a game that’s primarily focused on you slashing through monsters in a gory blaze, pushing you from moment to moment at roller coaster pace. In this, it fully succeeds. The graphics are crisp, the presentation is stylish, and everything feels highly polished. The cool factor is enough to forgive the snoozy story, and at least there are still a few cutscenes worthy of popping off.
Izuna Drop into a New Era
Any disappointment that comes from the lack of Ryu and the by-the-numbers story is all immediately forgotten as soon as swords start clashing. Above all else, Ninja Gaiden 4 has remarkably fun combat that stays exciting throughout the game’s 19 chapters. Like Ryu before him, Yakumo is proficient with several different weapons, most of which are unlocked as you work through the story. Combat offers the expected light and heavy attacks, along with special unlockable combos, as you battle enemies that are more than simple cannon fodder.
Unless played on the lowest difficulty setting, this is not a game where you can simply button mash your way to success. You’ll have to manage many targets at once, keep tabs on your health bar and use items accordingly (no regen here), and choose when to sit back and block or go on the offensive.
Thankfully, Ninja Gaiden 4 feels familiar to play, but with enough accessibility and tutorialization that newcomers will be able to pick it up just as quickly as franchise veterans. You can still pull off classic moves like the Flying Swallow and Izuna Drop, but Yakumo also possesses a Bloodraven Form, which can break through enemy defenses and much more.
As you parry attacks, swap between weapons on the fly, execute ultimate attacks, and wipe the floor with demon scum, it’s hard not to crack a smile. The only major downside to this action is the standard level design, which rarely deviates from linear hallways leading to enemy encounters, especially in early chapters.
At its most extravagant, Ninja Gaiden 4 can feel a lot like Bayonetta, with over-the-top set-piece moments, massive bosses, and a tongue-in-cheek tone that passes through occasionally. This is most evident in some breakneck movement sequences, which have Yakumo using a grapple hook, flying through the air, and surfing through the sewers like a blood-soaked Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. A few other extra features like side missions, unlockable combat skills, and wave-based challenge arenas keep things fresh, but otherwise, the game never strays too far from the established formula. And that’s a good thing.
The Bottom Line on Ninja Gaiden 4
Ryu Hayabusa takes a back seat in Ninja Gaiden 4, but thanks to a fresh protagonist, extremely fun combat, and lots of replayability, this is still a stellar action title. If you yearn for the years where Izuna dropping fifteen fiends in a row was peak, you’ll be happy to know that this sequel doesn’t abandon that formula, but rather enhances it with meaningful new features and gameplay tweaks.
Yakumo is an excellent stand-in as the new lead ninja, even if the story itself is forgettable, and I wouldn’t mind if Ninja Gaiden 5 puts him back in the spot of protagonist. It takes a few chapters to pick up steam, the level design can be somewhat lackluster, and it sloppily reuses a few gameplay sections and bosses, but as long as you’re okay with that, Ninja Gaiden 4 is an easy game to recommend to action fans. It’s gory as all hell, completely badass, and whisks us back to an era of hack ‘n slash action that has been sorely missed.
