Ninja Gaiden 4

The year 2025 has certainly been eventful for everything related to Ninja Gaiden. Just the other day, the game series' innovator Tomonobu Itagaki sadly passed away after a period of illness, but fortunately, not everything has been so bleak in recent months. The game series in question had been dormant for a long time, but this year alone has seen the release of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound (a two-dimensional action game) and Ninja Gaiden 2 Black (a new version of the second instalment in the series). And the fun doesn't end there, because in just a few days, Team Ninja, in collaboration with PlatinumGames, will revisit the series with the release of Ninja Gaiden 4. The question is, however, whether you can get too much of a good thing, and whether the appetite for intense ninja action is as big today as it was when Tomonobu Itagaki was the king of action games.

As already mentioned, Team Ninja is not alone at the helm this time, but has enlisted the help of PlatinumGames, which has a long history in the action genre. Bayonetta, Vanquish, Nier: Automata, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance are just a handful of titles the developer has worked on, and even though the studio's heyday was probably around 10-15 years ago, there's no denying that the PlatinumGames' brand comes with high expectations. In the case of Ninja Gaiden 4, it partly lives up to those expectations, offering competent action gameplay with a focus on pace and drive. At the same time, however, it still feels like the calendar reads 2009 in some respects, and considering the price tag required to join in on the fun, consumers are able to expect more.

In terms of story, the developers have chosen to shift the focus away from the now well-known super ninja Ryu Hayabusa and instead, at least initially, follow the new character Yakumo. Yakumo is, just like Ryu, a skilled fighter who relies on quick reflexes and supernatural abilities, and the decision to change the main character doesn't add much more than the opportunity to play as a young and hip emo ninja. Sure, it feels different to play Ninja Gaiden 4 compared to, say, Ninja Gaiden 2, but that probably has more to do with PlatinumGames being at the helm than a conscious attempt to add something new. Ryu is still a component of Ninja Gaiden 4 (and is a playable character), but as I don't want to reveal any spoilers, I'll refrain from going into too much detail about his involvement.

In terms of gameplay, Ninja Gaiden 4 feels like a mix between the series' older titles and PlatinumGames' own signature action style. There are a lot of Bayonetta vibes at times, and the focus is usually more on making the player feel powerful than on offering real challenges. Unlike Itagaki's life's work, this is a much easier journey, and although there are some challenges at times, it's mostly a struggle to learn how to duck, parry, and use your assets wisely in order to succeed. This is not a negative thing in itself, and you can increase the difficulty to challenge yourself more, but I would still have expected a more difficult journey towards the end credits, given the history of the series.

Variation is otherwise a component that can be criticised, and quite harshly. There is not much that distinguishes the hours from each other, and apart from the environments changing marginally and the enemies rotating, it's easy for the experience to feel a bit monotonous and one-dimensional. The mission design remains more or less intact from start to finish, and you mostly move through fairly linear, empty, and repetitive corridors filled with enemies to finally come face-to-face with a terrifying boss. It's a proven concept that works, but at the same time, it feels like the game is taken from 2013 (for better or worse), so you shouldn't expect any innovative details in either the game mechanics or the technical aspects.

In terms of graphics, Ninja Gaiden 4 leaves something to be desired. Sure, the game isn't ugly, but everything from textures to overall design feels outdated, poor, and antiquated compared to new titles in the same genre. The fact that this is an adventure exclusive to the latest generation of consoles and PC feels strange, as the experience suggests a game that could just as easily have been played on Xbox One. It should be noted that the frame rate remains high and smooth most of the time, but it's a shame that they couldn't offer a more polished adventure, considering the spectacular sequences they're trying to portray.

Ninja Gaiden 4 ultimately feels like a somewhat outdated game, but that doesn't mean it fails to deliver good entertainment. Despite the weak graphics, the bland story, and the constant reuse of certain assets, the action sequences offer that patented "Platinum feel" where excessive ultra-violence meets equally excessive playfulness. It may be a little lacking in variety at times, but it's never boring to beat up robot ninjas and demons with various weapons. Being able to use Yakumo's various weapons against defenceless monsters one moment and then chopping off the heads of equally defenceless enemies as Ryu the next always made me smile, and despite their similarities, both characters offer enough attitude and cockiness in their appearance to compel the player to move forward. There is a visual spectacle that is easy to love, and with their high-octane ballet of violence, PlatinumGames and Team Ninja succeed in the most important thing in an action game; namely, offering good combat.

Ninja Gaiden 4 thus gives a rather mixed impression, but nevertheless one that leans positively. There is a familiar charm to the way the adventure is structured, and although I don't want to brush aside the criticism of substandard graphics and outdated design and defend it with rose-tinted nostalgia, the concept of simple action, built with equally simple game code, works surprisingly well. It's not a game that will go down in history in the same way as its predecessors, but it's still an adventure worth playing through if you're craving more frantic ninja action. Tomonobu Itagaki's greatness may be sorely missed following the tragic passing of this icon, but Ninja Gaiden lives on in a way that bodes well for the future.