Ninja Gaiden 4 review

What a year its been for Ninja Gaiden fans. The surprise release of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black would have perhaps been enough to keep most happy, but then there was the retro-styled Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound to further drive it home that the series still has some life in yet. And now Ninja Gaiden 4 is here to solidify that notion. While this fourth mainline entry in the series features a new protagonist that will likely prove to be divisive, its gameplay is more intense than ever before.

Taking place in a near-future Tokyo, which has become pretty much inhospitable thanks to a miasma created by the malevolent Dark Dragon, Ninja Gaiden 4 introduces players to Yakumo, a member of the Raven Clan. Aiming to fulfil a prophecy and restore Tokyo to its former glory, he originally plans to assassinate the Dark Dragon Priestess, Seori, until she informs him that the only way to truly defeat the Dark Dragon is to first unseal it. It sounds risky, and will undoubtedly result in him attracting the attention of the legendary Ryu Hayabusa, the one who sealed the Dark Dragon away in the first place. But its something he feels that he must do.

Its a brave move, introducing a new protagonist for a mainline entry, but I can understand why its been done. This is a new Ninja Gaiden for a new generation of gamers, after all. Unlike Ryu Hayabusa, Yakumo is young and spunky, and is supported by a team that provides chatter. The trouble is, being rather abrasive, its hard to warm to him, and the rest of his team arent particularly fun to listen to, either. Late into the game, when you finally get to control Ryu Hayabusa for a spell, youll be glad you can just get on with slicing and dicing demons without having your ears talked off.

Thats right, Ninja Gaiden 4 does what Id like to call a Devil May Cry 4, putting you in control of a new protagonist until it finally lets you go hands-on with the real star of the series late in the game. And just like Devil May Cry 4, when in control of Ryu Hayabusa youll be backtracking through the game, visiting the same areas and defeating the same bosses that youve already overcome as Yakumo. Though thankfully, its a distilled process thats not as repetitive. And, honestly, it could have done without it, as while some players will enjoy going hands-on with Ryu for a while, it takes the focus off Yakumo, who is ultimately more fun to play as.

Co-developed by PlatinumGames and Team Ninja, Ninja Gaiden 4 follows past entries in the series in the sense that it feels both fresh yet familiar. The levels here are mostly linear, but there are opportunities to explore and discover secrets such as challenging Purgatory Gates and optional encounters should you have a keen eye. The latter form part of the games Missions system, allowing Yakumo to earn a variety of rewards for completing certain tasks. You might have to defeat a number of enemies using a certain weapon, for example, or seek out a hidden collectible.

Yakumo gains a number of gadgets which aid with traversal, too, often providing a brief respite from the hack-and-slash action. A set of wings allows him to make use of air currents, soaring through the air like a bird, while what is essentially a surfboard allows him to traverse bodies of water. On top of being able to grind rails, with sections demanding that you switch between a number of them to avoid trains while also jumping over and ducking under obstacles and using a grappling hook to get walls involved when necessary, you have some high-octane moments that dont involve buckets of blood.

Of course, combat forms the brunt of the content in Ninja Gaiden 4, and its faster-paced and perhaps more intense than ever before. Yakumo moves like lightning, slashing away at enemies like his life depends on it – which it does, admittedly. Stand still here and youll quickly find your life bar depleted even on the games easiest difficulty if youre not playing with the myriad of assists available turned on. This is a game that demands you keep on the move and quickly assess the enemies youre up against while also watching out for any attacks that may come from those off-screen. And once youve nailed things down, its both exhilarating and rewarding.

Both standard and heavy attacks are available, with the latter capable of executing enemies that have found themselves dismembered in some way. Also familiar to Ninja Gaiden fans will be moves like the guillotine throw, the flying swallow, and the ability to charge up an Ultimate Technique, something which is hastened and made more formidable if there happens to be an essence lingering nearby. Throw in a wealth of additional techniques to unlock and master throughout the course of the game, as well as a number of weapons which can be switched between with the simple push of a button, and you have what genuinely feels like a Ninja Gaiden game.

Putting a unique spin on things is Yakumos Bloodbind Ninjutsu, which allows him to change the characteristics of a weapon to power up attacks. Your starting set of blades, for example, does a good enough job of taking enemies apart, but press and hold the left trigger while attacking and you can make them even more deadly. By pressing and holding the attack button, you can extend the length of the blades, too, making them more effective for crowd control. Each and every weapon is affected by Bloodbind Ninjutsu in some way, but youll need to land normal attacks to keep the Bloodbind gauge topped up. And with some enemy attacks only interruptible with Bloodbind attacks, its best not to use them willy-nilly.

Playing on PS5 Pro for review, Ninja Gaiden 4 both looks rather nice and has zero performance issues using the Prioritise Performance (Pro) mode. Modes are available for those who prefer to focus on more impressive visuals or a higher framerate, however. A wealth of accessibility features is available too, ranging from increased enemy visibility to high contrast. Along with the range of difficulty modes and assists, this truly is the most accessible Ninja Gaiden game yet.

A single playthrough of Ninja Gaiden 4 on normal difficulty is likely to take most players around 12-14 hours, depending on how skilled they are at combat and how thorough they are at exploring levels. Theres scope here for multiple playthroughs, however, with players able to replay chapters as Ryu. Additional modes become unlocked after completion of the main campaign, too, including trials. All in all, theres plenty to go at here.

Theres no doubt about it: in terms of gameplay, Ninja Gaiden 4 is the best in the series yet. Yakumo is a delight to take control of, being faster and more responsive than Ryu, and his Bloodbind Ninjustsu skills expanding his combat options to a rewarding degree. The trouble, hes not Ryu – and some long-time players of the series wont like that one jot. He comes across as cocky, and the dialogue between him and his friends may seem cringey to some. Give him a chance, and you might warm to him a little by the time the campaign is done. Though if he is the star of the series from now on, hopefully his personality gets more of a chance to shine through. Ultimately, the question is, what do you buy a Ninja Gaiden game for: its gameplay or the likability of its protagonist?