We are so back
It has been a long time coming. Ninja Gaiden is finally back. It was 13 years ago when the last numbered entry was first released, and to be fair, it didn’t quite live up to the excellence of the first two in that series. With the recent passing of Itagaki, tons of gamers are re-discovering just how awesome his take on the series was. Ninja Gaiden (Black) and Ninja Gaiden 2 are two of the best character action games ever made. Full stop. Now 13 years later, we are finally getting the fourth entry in what he started. The biggest change this time around is that Team Ninja is now teaming up with Platinum Games to bring the series forward. What we get is a mixture of the two styles and one heck of a return to the glory of the genre.
Ninja Gaiden 4 takes place after the third entry and focuses on a new character, Yakumo of the Raven Ninja Clan. We are once again in a futuristic Tokyo that has been enveloped in a heavy rain of miasma brought on by the return of the Dark Dragon. Platinum has done a good job of keeping with the over-the-top themes of the series with lots of serious dialogue that has just a hint of sarcasm. Yakumo is a decent, if not overly edgy character. He utters lines like “take that” in a dark, broody voice. New and returning characters are here and the story serves enough to keep it interesting, but without ever becoming overbearing. Cutscenes are light and the voice acting is not half bad.
MSRP: $69.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $69.99
Being developed by Platinum I could feel their fingerprints all over this. Anyone who played the original Itagaki games will remember they had a specific feel to them. They were challenging, relying a lot on waiting on openings. Single enemies could take players down, it was difficult and rewarding. Ninja Gaiden 4 feels a lot more offensive. It reminds me of titles like DMC and Bayonetta. Yakumo moves very fast and has a ton of mobility moves. The combos are quick and relentless, but familiar. Things such as the Flying Swallow and of course the Izuna Drop are here, but the game relies more on dodge and parry than previous titles.
Combat is very fast, the enemies are plentiful, and things can become chaotic very quickly. There were fights where I lost my character, but for the most part, the camera keeps up extremely well. Yakumo has what is called a Bloodraven form. Pulling the left trigger will drain a meter while also dealing unique attacks that do a ton more damage. Mixing these in with regular combos is vital to taking down bigger enemies.
Yakumo will gain access to new weapons throughout the game. Each one comes with a new play style and new combos to master. Upgrades come in two forms. There are move upgrades that can be acquired at a shop that shows up several times throughout each level. This also serves as a training ground to practice these new moves. Each weapon can also be upgraded. The more I used it, the more it levels up and thus unlocks new moves that I could spend currency on. It is a streamlined system and unlocking new moves really deepens the combat. Each new move opened up new possibilities.
There are also new traversal items in Ninja Gaiden 4. Yakumo gets a grappling hook and even a surfboard and there are sections dedicated to each one. He can also grind rails, which are fast and intense. The game feels fantastic across everything. Moves are intuitive and I rarely had issues. When I died in these portions, it was on me. This opens up the levels too creating alternate pathways.
The enemy variety is fantastic. I loved the visual language of each one, and after 2-3 encounters with them, I knew how to take them down. It continues to mix them together as well for more strategic encounters. All that being said, let’s talk about the difficulty. This game is punishing, but never unfair. There are multiple options for players of all skill levels. Master Ninja is locked away until you beat the game, which is probably good.
On normal I died a lot, but the best part, it has a ton of accessibility options to make the game more approachable. There are settings to auto block, auto interactions, you can tweak damage and health stuff. The game truly offers players of any skill to enjoy it. There are even auto combos to make less skilled players pull off the flashy moves. This is fantastic and for those that want a challenge that is still here as well. The game can be extremely challenging or ridiculously easy, so play however you want to play.
With all these highlights there are a few quibbles I have with this entry. The biggest thing to me is just how different it feels to its namesake. It has been a long time since the first two games dropped, and they were a more methodical action experience. Ninja Gaiden 4 feels more Platinum than Itagaki, and that is not all bad, but it does stand out at first. I am also not a huge fan of some of the modern stuff here. The radio buddy trope is frustrating. Having to hear them chime in on every action gets old after a while. I enjoy the upgrade system, but it does feel excessive and is also downplayed when owning the premium edition as it gives you a boatload of currency upfront to unlock a ton of stuff early on, which leads players to not experiment. These are minor issues though and do not hinder the overall experience.
Visually the game definitely has a vibe. The neon-soaked Tokyo looks fantastic. Industrial complexes interwoven with demons and underworld vibes really keep things interesting. As I mentioned, the enemy variety is great, and some of these boss designs are wild. The framerate is great. On performance you get a stable 60fps on Series X. I tried the graphic mode, and Ninja Gaiden at 30fps feels like a crime. Finally we have a 120fps mode that feels good, but the tradeoff graphically is just not worth it. The response time is great in 60fps, so that feels like the sweet spot. The music is good, but like most modern games forgettable and the voices are actually pretty good. Overall, the game does a solid job of presenting itself.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is a great return for the series. Sure, it deviates from the first two entries, but has its own appeal. This is a quality Platinum Games release, which I know is hit and miss at times. Team Ninja and Platinum is a good combo and it feels good to have the series back. This feels like its DMC 4 moment for reasons I will not get into here. Still fans of the action genre should not miss this. It is on Game Pass and every platform outside of Switch, so there is no excuse to skip this incredible action experience.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
