Ninja Gaiden 4 game review – CNET

As 2025 draws to a close, so too does the “Year of the Ninja” for video games. What started off great with a surprisingly modified version of 2008 Ninja Gaiden 2 Black and Assassin’s Creed: ShadowsIt now ends with the release of Ninja Gaiden 4.

Developed in partnership with Team Ninja studio and action game specialists PlatinumGames, Ninja Gaiden 4 It is the first new 3D entry in the franchise since 2012, following the old 2D version of Ninja Gaiden: Rage In July. As expected from a series known for its fast-paced slasher action, Ninja Gaiden 4 offers plenty of stylish combat – but not much more.

Ninja Gaiden 4 introduces new protagonist Yakumo, who replaces old series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa. It’s a move similar to what publisher Tecmo Koei did with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. As part of the Raven Clan, the rival to Ryu’s Dragon Clan, Yakumo is not much different from the series’ previous main character. Don’t worry, Ryu fans: he appears in the game.

Yakumo’s mission in Ninja Gaiden 4 is to defeat the Dark Dragon, an evil god who was the primary villain of the series. Standing in Yakumo’s way is the Divine Dragon System, which defends the monster and controls the game’s futuristic Tokyo setting.

Does the story have a lot of meaning? Not really, except for fans who already know the ins and outs of Ninja Gaiden lore. Does this matter? Of course not, because all you need to know is where to go to chop up more enemies, which is what Yakumo excels at.

Go ninja go

To say that Ninja Gaiden 4’s action is fast is almost an understatement, and it’s to be expected. The series had already focused on fast-paced combat that required quick reflexes, even before PlatinumGames got involved. The developer took over Ninja Gaiden 4 after revolutionizing the slasher action genre with the Bayonetta series and games like Nier: Automata.

If you’ve played a lot of hack-and-slash games, Ninja Gaiden 4’s combat formula will be familiar to you. Yakumo has weak and heavy attacks, and chaining them together creates your standard combos. The more enemies he defeats, the more money and points he gets to unlock new moves and weapon skills. Some of the new moves extend Yakumo’s combos for longer sequences of attacks and against more enemies, while others are defensive, allowing him to unleash a powerful counter after blocking an enemy attack.

Yakumo begins his journey with his dual blades, but finds more weapons throughout the game. My favorite is the Magashuti Staff which has a long range to attack multiple enemies while Yakumo spins it around himself.

Where Yakumo differs greatly from Ryu is in his Bloodraven form. Released when attacking while holding the left trigger, it changes Yakumo’s weapon to deal greater damage. For example, Magashuti will take the form of a giant hammer when Yakumo uses his Bloodraven form. Some enemies and bosses have shields that can deflect or reduce Yakumo’s attack power, so you’ll need to switch to your Bloodraven form to break this shield.

All these mechanisms lead to unparalleled work. Players who spend enough time training will engage in beautiful weapon cutting dances. The truth is, there are times when events seem too fast, even for my seasoned gaming reflexes. Trying to maneuver in certain areas or talk to an NPC sometimes had me jumping off walls while barely touching the controller. It almost takes more work to keep Yakumo consistent, especially after unlocking so many of his skills. There was also a case where I made a finishing move towards an enemy, and the animation pushed me out of bounds, causing me to have to reload to the final checkpoint.

Arguably the biggest frustration for me was the lock button. It wasn’t intuitive at all, because he had no rhyme or reason to what he was holding on to. Even when I was just fighting the boss, the game didn’t feel quite as cohesive as every other action game does.

Also, what may be a bit frustrating for some Ninja Gaiden fans, is that this entry in the series is noticeably the easiest of the bunch. Thanks to the healing items and equippable accessories, I probably die once or twice per chapter. If a particular boss kills you multiple times, the game will give you free items and even an NPC to help. For those who want more of a challenge, there is a higher difficulty option available, but players with reasonable skills should be able to get ahead in the game otherwise.

A feast for the eyes of ninjas

Another mainstay of the Ninja Gaiden series is beautiful visuals. Since the game takes place in futuristic Japan, the development team really relied on the cyberpunk-like look of a city bathed in neon and glass.

This excels in moments when Yakumo has to traverse the most ninja ways, such as sliding on the train tracks high above the city or sliding on the gusty winds blowing through the mountain pass. These are the moments when you don’t have to worry about attacking enemies or creating the most amazing combos. You can just look around and enjoy these beautiful graphics.

Combine these visual elements with an excellent soundtrack and strong voice acting, and you have a presentation worthy of inclusion in the Ninja Gaiden series.

Despite these quality elements, Ninja Gaiden 4 is a good but not revolutionary reboot. PlatinumGames revived the series 13 years after the last mainline entry, but didn’t take it in any different direction that would give that mass appeal to a gaming audience. It’s an exciting 7-8 hour ride, but I didn’t feel like jumping back.

Ninja Gaiden 4 won’t be a nominee for Game of the Year, or perhaps even considered one of the best games in the series, but that doesn’t matter. This is a game for anyone who just wants to feel like a powerful ninja cutting down enemies in the blink of an eye, because sometimes that’s all you want.

Ninja Gaiden 4 will be released on October 21 for $70 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series It will be available to Xbox Game Pass On the first day.