Ninja Gaiden 4, a collaborative effort from Team Ninja and Platinum Games, arrived with much anticipation, promising to evolve the series’ signature combat. For many fans, including myself, it largely delivers on that front. The game’s action builds upon the excellent foundation of Ninja Gaiden 2, which I consider to have the series’ peak combat. It even incorporates thoughtful additions that make it more accessible without compromising the notoriously high difficulty veterans crave. While I believe this combat system is truly one of the finest ever crafted, Ninja Gaiden 4 unfortunately falters in other crucial aspects. A bland new protagonist, uninspired level design, and a predictable, unengaging story manage to chip away at what could have been a flawless return for the Master Ninja, though the sheer brilliance of the action deflects many of these narrative and environmental shortcomings.
True to the series’ history, story isn’t Ninja Gaiden 4’s strong suit. Its narrative introduces Yakumo, a new ninja from the Raven Clan, whose initial objective to eliminate a Dark Dragon priestess rapidly shifts into a quest to escort her, ostensibly to finally vanquish the Dark Dragon. This setup, however, quickly reveals itself as a weak link in the overall experience.
What unfolds is a remarkably predictable 10-hour campaign. Despite attempts at generating emotional impact, these moments fall flat because the game never invests enough in making players truly care about its characters. The interactions between Yakumo, his handler, and his Raven Clan squad members lack charm or genuine warmth, failing to establish any real sense of camaraderie. Yakumo himself is largely limited to grunts, growls, mission confirmations, and angry threats, often coming across as a generic, uninspired ‘edgelord’ character.
Later in the game, players are given a brief opportunity to control Ryu Hayabusa for a few chapters. While this offers a welcome change of pace, it ultimately feels like a squandered opportunity. Ryu’s sections simply retrace Yakumo’s path through identical environments, fighting largely the same enemies and bosses. Worse still, Ryu’s combat options are severely limited, with only one weapon, a less engaging ‘Gleam Form’ compared to Yakumo’s ‘Bloodraven Form,’ and a mere four returning Ninpo super attacks. It’s a bit like playing as Dante in a certain demon-slaying game, only to find he has no new weapons, a gameplay style almost identical to the other protagonist, and none of his iconic swagger.
Ninja Gaiden 4’s combat isn’t just good, it’s phenomenal.
Despite these narrative shortcomings, I’m often willing to overlook a lot in an action game if the core combat is exceptional, and thankfully, Ninja Gaiden 4’s combat isn’t just good—it’s phenomenal. The battles are incredibly fast-paced, demanding constant attention. Enemies are smart, adapting to your tactics rather than falling for repetitive strategies. The system offers immense flexibility, encouraging players to vary their approach in every encounter. Visually, the combat is slick and stylish, showcasing Team Ninja’s signature fluidity combined with Platinum Games’ renowned over-the-top flair. It truly hits all the right notes.
The true brilliance lies in the relentless enemy aggression. Opponents in Ninja Gaiden 4 are absolutely ruthless. They won’t wait their turn; they’ll attack from off-screen, launch unblockable assaults, grab you if you try to play defensively, shrug off regular attacks with armor, and constantly overwhelm you with sheer numbers. This unique combat style, characterized by suffocating pressure, transforms every encounter into a thrilling fight for survival.
While the enemy aggression sounds brutal, Yakumo’s arsenal is equally potent. Players wield iconic techniques like the Flying Swallow, allowing for swift, decapitating strikes, and the Izuna Drop, an aerial piledriver capable of instantly eliminating most foes. Each weapon also boasts a wealth of powerful unlockable attacks. Crucially, ultimate techniques can be charged by absorbing essence from fallen enemies, unleashing flashy, invulnerable combos that deal massive damage to multiple targets.
These core combat mechanics aren’t entirely new to Ninja Gaiden 4; they represent the foundational strengths the series has always been known for. My initial concern was that this iteration might lean too heavily into Platinum Games’ style and lose its Ninja Gaiden identity – a valid worry after a 13-year wait. Thankfully, those fears were unfounded. This is unequivocally a Ninja Gaiden game, enhanced by a subtle, welcome dash of Platinum’s unique flair.
This is Ninja Gaiden through and through with a light touch of Platinum flavor.
The “Platinum flavor” manifests primarily in Yakumo’s new Bloodraven Form. By simply holding a trigger, Yakumo’s weapon transforms into a visually spectacular, albeit slower, version with a fresh moveset. This form excels at breaking enemy guards and interrupting powerful super attacks. These transformations are incredibly stylish, reminiscent of Bayonetta’s Wicked Weave heavy attacks, such as a rapier morphing into a massive drill or a staff becoming a colossal hammer.
Beyond their visual appeal, these attacks introduce a crucial new layer of reactivity to combat. Mindlessly spamming light attacks will lead to enemies blocking and counter-attacking. However, observing enemies flash white as they shrug off your blows signals an opportunity to unleash a Bloodraven Form attack, dealing significant damage and breaking their guard for further punishment.
Bloodraven Form attacks consume a rapidly draining meter, adding an engaging element of resource management. These powerful, blood-infused strikes are often slow, making them risky to use against quicker armored enemy attacks. Players must constantly weigh their options: risk a preemptive blood attack to catch an armored foe mid-animation, endure damage while waiting for a slower, more telegraphed armored move, or conserve the meter for defensive perfect blocks against otherwise unblockable techniques. This wealth of tactical choices for overcoming challenging combat encounters is a vital strength, and Ninja Gaiden 4 provides plenty of ways to experiment.
In a departure from earlier titles, weapon upgrades in Ninja Gaiden 4 are purchased individually rather than tied to weapon progression. Universal upgrades, affecting all weapons, are bought with ‘Ninja Coins,’ acquired through side missions, optional Purgatory challenges, and chapter completion rewards. Weapon-specific techniques, conversely, demand ‘Weapon EXP,’ earned by skillfully defeating enemies. I appreciated the constant stream of new unlocks, although the initial availability of core upgrades felt a bit stingy.
Crucially, even fundamental abilities like absorbing essence for instant ultimate technique charges, quick mid-air charges, or even reaching level two ultimate charges are locked behind purchases. Essential moves like the Flying Swallow and Izuna Drop also require unlocking. This upgrade system, coupled with the need to buy consumable items with the same currency, creates a brutal early-game economy. Players without the Deluxe Edition’s generous 50,000 Ninja Coin bonus will find the initial hours particularly challenging as they slowly accumulate the vital techniques that truly unleash Ninja Gaiden 4’s combat potential.
The final, exciting addition to the combat system is the Berserk Meter. This meter fills as you inflict or receive damage, and more rapidly when you dispatch dismembered enemies with Obliteration Techniques. Once full, charged Bloodraven Form attacks can trigger ‘Bloodbath Kills’ – cinematic one-hit finishers. This adds another enjoyable layer of resource management, providing a satisfying way to quickly clear out hordes of tough enemies, provided you can survive long enough to build it up.
The Berserk Meter adds another fun element of resource management.
Platinum Games also infuses combat with impressive style and creative expression through Yakumo’s instant weapon-swapping ability. This allows for seamless, dynamic combos: launch an enemy with dual swords, follow up with aerial strikes, switch to another weapon for more hits, then to a third to maximize the air combo before finishing with an Izuna Drop. While not quite reaching the dizzying heights of combo creativity found in a certain demon-hunting series, there’s ample room for flashy and optimized combat, supported by a dedicated training mode. This continuous variety ensures the combat remains fresh and exhilarating throughout the entire campaign.
My initial playthrough of Ninja Gaiden 4 was on Hard, which struck the perfect balance of challenge for me. However, a welcome feature is the ability to adjust the difficulty at any time (outside of Master Ninja mode), providing flexibility for players finding its demands too high. The new ‘Hero mode’ further broadens accessibility, offering auto-block and auto-dodge at low health, alongside an auto-assist for executing powerful combos with simplified inputs. While personally not my preference, this inclusion is commendable for allowing a wider audience to experience the thrilling spectacle of the Ninja Gaiden series.
While the combat itself is pristine and the arenas often feature engaging interactive elements that encourage agile traversal and enemy dispatch, the overall level design is notably uninspired. Glimmers of interesting architecture appear within the futuristic Tokyo, warped by the Dark Dragon’s influence, but these are rare. More often, players will find themselves navigating bland rooftops, generic corridors, and monotonous city streets. This lack of inspiration continues outside Tokyo, as drab streets are merely swapped for foggy cliffsides, unsightly sewers, and repetitive military bases.
To break up the constant sword-slashing, the game includes a few ‘fun’ travel sequences – think Sonic-like rail grinding, gliding on wind currents over mountains, and even sewer surfing. However, these diversions are repeated throughout the campaign with minimal variation or evolution, ultimately feeling more like filler than genuine additions.
While the action is pristine, the actual level design is pretty uninspired.
A new sidequest system offers additional currency for optional tasks, such as locating and defeating secret minibosses, capturing hidden ‘Gourdies,’ or clearing specific areas of enemies. While a welcome incentive for thoroughness, the linear and uninspired level design unfortunately doesn’t make exploration particularly engaging.
Among the more enjoyable hidden elements are the Purgatory Gates – optional challenge rooms that introduce a unique twist: players can choose their starting health handicap. A greater handicap yields greater rewards. These encounters offer the most intense and thrilling challenges in the game, and I thoroughly enjoyed pushing my limits to conquer the hardest difficulties and reap the substantial rewards.
Historically, bosses haven’t been a strong point for the Ninja Gaiden series, whereas they are a recognized strength of Platinum Games. The fusion of these two philosophies in Ninja Gaiden 4 results in a wildly inconsistent boss experience. Some encounters are truly outstanding, offering intense battles against formidable foes with adrenaline-pumping soundtracks, reminiscent of Metal Gear Rising’s finest moments. Others, however, devolve into underwhelming slogs against overly tanky giant monsters with frustrating gimmicks, such as teleporting evasively around large arenas or summoning annoying fodder enemies to distract from their own predictable yet dangerous attacks.
Completing the campaign unlocks several compelling post-game options: the grueling Master Ninja difficulty, the ability to replay any stage, boss, or Purgatory Gate as either Yakumo or Ryu, and a substantial set of 18 combat trials. These trials introduce unique modifiers and even some enemies not encountered in the main game. Challenges range from clearing enemy waves without the Bloodraven Form to managing continuously ticking health, forcing a careful balance between using ultimate techniques and collecting life-restoring orbs. While I haven’t conquered them all, I’m thoroughly enjoying these trials and eagerly anticipate challenging friends for top leaderboard scores.
Verdict
When it comes to pure combat, Ninja Gaiden 4 stands in a league of its own; few games even come close. It has provided the most exhilarating experience I’ve had with a 3D action game since the masterpiece that was Devil May Cry 5. Though its lackluster story, uninspired level design, and inconsistent boss encounters undeniably detract from the overall experience, they haven’t diminished my desire to keep returning for more. Despite its flaws, this is the finest pure action game released since Hi-Fi Rush, and I sincerely hope we won’t have to wait another thirteen years for the next installment in this incredible series.