Ninja Gaiden 4 was undoubtedly the best demo I played during an Xbox hands-on preview event in August. Developed by Team Ninja and Platinum Games with their publishing partner, Xbox Game Studios, this preview build only covered the first stage, but left me impressed and convinced that the final product would deliver.
After completing the full game last week, I’m pleased to say that this action-packed, challenging sequel is outstanding and successfully moves the series forward in new and exciting ways. Here are more details about my experience and why this is worth your time, especially if you’re a fan of this iconic franchise.
An Intriguing Storyline
Ninja Gaiden 4 takes place within a constantly evolving near-future Tokyo several years after the events of Ninja Gaiden 3. The story revolves around Yakumo, a young and rebellious Raven Clan ninja who aims to annihilate the Dark Dragon by working alongside the Dark Dragon Priestess Seori.
His mission takes him across various locations, ultimately pitting him against several hostile creatures and enemies, including the Divine Dragon Order, an organization responsible for guarding the Seal of the Dark Dragon and maintaining order in the city. Ryu Hayabusa, the lead protagonist from previous Ninja Gaiden entries, also returns and plays a key role in the story.
The narrative as a whole is very gripping with cool sequences, memorable boss battles, and a few twists and turns to keep things interesting. I personally love how Yakumo and Ryu are presented as opposing characters with their own goals and motivations.
Yakumo has a cool, yet cocky personality and remains relentless in his approach to every task ahead of him. Ryu is the same legendary master ninja we kwow and with a lethal, clam and calculated demeanor at all times. Both heroes are certified badasses in their own right and incredibly fun to play as throughout the campaign.
Bloody Good Visuals and Performance
Ninja Gaiden 4 was built entirely on PlatinumGames proprietary in-house Platinum engine, resulting in an action-packed sequel that runs fast and is visually breathtaking from start to finish. This is different from the Unreal Engine 5 developed Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Remaster which was shadow dropped earlier this year.
In Ninja Gaiden 4, you’re constantly traversing through eye-catching environments, dissecting waves of enemies, and outmanuevering every obstacle that gets in your way. The nonstop action coupled with brutal ways in which you can rip through adversaries makes this beautifully gory entry an absolute must-play.
Ninja Gaiden 4 has three performance mode options on Xbox Series X including Framerate priority mode, Graphics priority mode, and 120 FPS mode. Framerate priority mode targets 60 FPS with 4K resolution support while Graphics priority mode targets 30 FPS with 4K resolution support. The 120 FPS mode targets 120 FPS but bumps the resolution down to 1080p.
I reviewed this game in Framerate priority mode on my Xbox Series X console and didn’t encounter any technical or performances issues. These same options are available on the PlayStation 5 version of the game. Regardless of which platform you choose to play on, I believe you’ll be satisfied with the smooth visuals and fast-paced gameplay.
Brutally Satisfying Gameplay
Speaking of gameplay and combat, this is one of the most polished and addictive aspects of the overall experience. Throughout the campaign, Yakumo gains access to several weapons that have base form and bloodraven form mechanics.
When a weapon is used in bloodraven form, it’s most powerful and deals an insane amount of damage to any enemy attacked by it. These weapons include Twin Blades with a bloodraven form of Tachi, Rapier with a bloodraven form of Lance, Staff with a bloodraven for of Hammer, and Assassin’s Tools with a bloodraven form of Mechanical arms.
Each weapon has unique skills that can be unlocked based on how much you use them. These skills can then be purchased with Ninjacoin currency earned in the game. In addition to this, every weapon has a unique finishing maneuvers that are equally cool to watch. I never got tired of seeing Yakumo and Ryu dismember one foe in gloriously brutal fashion and move on to the next one right away.
You constantly have to stay on your toes which presents an unprecedented level of challenge and fun factor. If you’re looking for even more challenges, then I definitely recommend finding the secret purgatory rooms as those experience are are guaranteed to raise your adrenaline every time.
When you aren’t facing waves of enemies, you’ll discover different locations raging from the dark futuristic setting of Tokyo to the deepest depths of a fiend-filled underworld and so much more. Team Ninja and PlatinumGames poured their hearts and souls into creating an unsettling world that is deeply engaging and an absolute blast to explore.
The ability to traverse by running on walls, grind on platforms, and surf through evil-infested currents felt like embarking on a rollercoaster ride I didn’t want to end. These moments serve as the perfect balance and work seamlessly when diving in and out of combat.
There are plenty of unlockable crates located throughout every stage that have collectibles and accessories that can be used when accessed. You’ll also encounter DarkNest Terminals which allow you to contact your comms specialist Umi to purchase items, accept new side missions, and submit completed side missions.
Your combat skills training master Tyran can also be summoned by choosing to interact with his red-eye crow near the DarkNest terminals. Tyran can help you learn new battle techniques and train to perfect your skills. As events continue to unfold in the story, you’ll also be able to speak to Tyran and Umi and get their perspectives on what’s happening.
With so many positives about gameplay, the one critique I have about the game is that our time with Ryu is a bit too short this time around. This story is mostly focused on Yakumo’s journey and the end result of his mission over the course of 19 blood-soaked chapters. This isn’t a bad thing because he is a great character worth highlighting, but Ryu is playable for only four of those chapters which might annoy some fans.
After you beat the game, there is an option to play through it again as Ryu. This may soften the blow a bit for those who care but overall this game would have been perfectly fine on it’s own if Ryu wasn’t a part of it. Team Ninja has announced that we will be getting a DLC expansion focused on both Yakumo and Ryu next year. I’m very curious to see what this adds to the game and if Ryu has an even bigger focus in that content.
A Killer Soundtrack
The final two points I want to make about Ninja Gaiden 4 are centered around the soundtrack and bonus features available after you complete the campaign. The musical score is fantastic and perfectly matches the emotional highs and lows that Yakumo encounters from start to finish.
Since this is a heavily focused action title that features some techno-stylized futuristic environments, it’s important to capture the vibe of each level and make the player feel like they are a part of this world. Ninja Gaiden composer Keiji Yamagishi does this effortlessly and sets the tone for not only this game but hopefully future enties to come in this series.
Ninja Gaiden 4 took me approximately 12 hours, 22 minutes, and 42 second to complete on the Normal difficulty mode. Master Ninja difficulty mode, and challenge mode trials and chapter select are unlocked after completing the game.
I didn’t see a New Game+ mode option and I’m curious to see if that happens in the future. Either way, there is a ton of replay value here especially if you decide to playthrough the game again as Ryu.
Final Verdict
Ninja Gaiden 4 is an incredible sequel that will kick your ass over and over again and leave you coming back for more. If you’re a hardcore action-adventure fan who loves badass ninjas and gory hack-and-slash combat, then this game was made for you.
This review was based on a review copy of Ninja Gaiden 4 for Xbox Series X provided by Team Ninja, PlatinumGames, and Xbox Game Studios.
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