There are a few character-driven action games, such as Ninja Gaiden, renowned for their difficulty, extensive gore, and deep combat, that are also underappreciated. Blame 2012’s Ninja Gaiden 3, which took everything beloved about superninja Ryu Hayabusa and distilled it into an utter mess. Serving as the best-kept secret of Team Ninja (and PlatinumGames) for years, a new title is finally upon us, promising a redemption, an improvement, and, above all else, a bloody good time.
And it succeeds, for the most part. Between the myriad of new tools and delightful ways to obliterate enemies, Ninja Gaiden 4 impresses so thoroughly that it’s almost enough to make you forgive when it runs out of steam.
For the first time on this side of the series, the protagonist isn’t Ryu Hayabusa but Yakumo of the Raven Clan. Initially tasked with assassinating Seori, the Dark Dragon Priestess, he ends up helping her break the seals on the infamous foe to purify it, which would help Tokyo’s real estate value since its husk has been plaguing the city.
“But the main appeal of Ninja Gaiden 4 is the action, and there’s plenty to go around. Initially armed with dual katanas, Yakumo can acquire a rapier, quarterstaff, and the “box of death,” a set of ninja tools that includes kunai, shuriken, bombs, and more (and yes, it is as cool to see in motion).”
The Dark Dragon will be familiar to fans of the first game and Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword – its blade and Dark Dragonstones were the catalyst for major world-threatening events. Apparently, only a Raven Clan ninja can accomplish this, and to do so, Yakumo needs Seori alive. However, breaking those seals means inviting calamity, presenting an interesting stalemate, especially when the DDO, an organization protecting the Dark Dragon’s remains, and Hayabusa get involved.
It’s an interesting stalemate, at least initially, and the narrative steadily unfolds to reveal that things, surprise surprise, aren’t what they seem. Regardless, this isn’t simply a case of Yakumo and his crew being the baddies. The Raven Clan is known for taking on all kinds of tasks, and for Yakumo, the mission is all that matters, and destroying the Dark Dragon is priority one. He can come across as dour and uninterested, but cares for his team, namely Umi, who provides support and navigation over comms; Misaki, the technical expert; Tyran, the grizzled instructor; and yes, eventually Seori, whose sassiness pairs well with Yakumo’s attitude, even if the shift from cohorts to friends isn’t the smoothest.
But the main appeal of Ninja Gaiden 4 is the action, and there’s plenty to go around. Initially armed with dual katanas, Yakumo can acquire a rapier, quarterstaff, and the “box of death,” a set of ninja tools that includes kunai, shuriken, bombs, and more (and yes, it is as cool to see in motion). However, there’s also Bloodbind ninjutsu, allowing him to imbue his weapons with blood, transforming them in the process (referred to as Bloodraven form). Instead of dual katanas, you wield a single massive blade; the quarterstaff turns into a rocket hammer; the rapier a drill that can dash around; and so on.
It’s a simple yet ingenious system – the quarterstaff is ideal for dealing with groups of enemies, but as a hammer, it hits incredibly hard. The dual katanas can dish out some great single-target combos, even juggling enemies up into the air for the famed Izuna Drop. However, Bloodraven form gives it extensive reach for dealing with groups of enemies.
Of course, you can’t keep it permanently enabled – Bloodraven feeds off kills, particularly obliterations. This encourages decimating your enemies as quickly and thoroughly as possible, though that’s easier said than done depending on who you’re up against. There are the usual grunts, both on the ground and in the air, that fall easily. However, elite DDO soldiers, for example, can prove more relentless, unleashing area-of-effect electric attacks or fast, aggressive strikes. Bloodraven attacks are necessary to break through their guard, staggering them and creating an opening.
“Surrounded by numerous enemies? Perch atop your blade and bring it down in a massive sweeping motion, or vault with the rocket hammer into the sky and transition into a spinning strike.”
Of course, you also have various techniques, and this is where the combat really takes off. Surrounded by numerous enemies? Perch atop your blade and bring it down in a massive sweeping motion, or vault with the rocket hammer into the sky and transition into a spinning strike. With the introduction of weapon switching, you could launch enemies into the air with the box of death’s bombs, switch to the drill to pierce through a single target while airborne, and finish with a hammer slam. The usual back-forward and full-circle inputs also exist, corresponding to different Bloodraven and regular attacks; the sheer number of ways to loop these into combos is pretty nuts.
It’s also to Ninja Gaiden 4’s credit that all of this plays as much into defense as well. You could block most blows, reacting to red glint attacks with a Bloodraven strike to stagger a foe, or parry and unleash a Fatal Flash, slicing through an opponent. You could then unlock Perfect Final Flash to slice through foes with Bloodraven attacks. There’s also Perfect Dodging, which can easily dismember an opponent with the follow-up attack (depending on the weapon).
A mix of different defensive tactics is advised, especially when enemies insist on dog-piling you (more so on Hard, less so on Normal, but still). However, your inherent mobility and spacing will also prove useful, even if it’s obliterating a weaker enemy at range first to charge up an Ultimate attack and unleash a flurry of strikes – useful for when the blood reserves run dry against blocking enemies. Get aggressive, and the Berserk gauge builds. Upon activation, it allows your Bloodraven attacks to insta-kill foes, and even unleashes a coup de grace to annihilate multiple enemies in your vicinity. And yes, it pairs with your Bloodraven techniques as well.
If it wasn’t obvious enough, all of this feels exceptionally good to control, from the fluidity of movement to the feedback from hits. The sense of danger, as any collection of foes could potentially take you down, gives way to disbelief that you’re actually pulling off some of these moves. It won’t be long before you’re scoffing at every little mistake and item used in chasing higher scores.
Which is great because, for all the variety in combat mechanics, encounters can sometimes become repetitive. When you’re on a windswept bridge and capable of throwing enemies into each other or the ravine, maybe crossing gaps to destroy a ranged unit before dealing with the Tengu in pursuit, it’s all well and good. When the flatter, open kill spaces prevail, or you’re venturing through a simple hallway to kill fools one too many times, it can wear on you.
“For much of its playtime, Ninja Gaiden 4 is a rollercoaster…until you gain control of Ryu Hayabusa. Despite only having one weapon, he’s a blast to play – Dragon Gleam also allows for follow-up attacks, and his combos are distinct enough from Yakumo. Without delving into spoilers, however, his stages aren’t the best…”
Enemy variety isn’t necessarily to blame in this regard – heck, a new batch of tougher DDO soldiers becomes available later in the game, and it even makes sense narratively. However, there are also numerous chapters in a row where you’ll face the same Fiendish threats back to back to back, to the point where I nearly cried upon seeing the DDO show up for variety’s sake.
Team Ninja and PlatinumGames mix up the pacing in other ways. Yakumo grinds on rails, leaps over obstacles and to other tracks to avoid oncoming trains; transitions between wall-running and grappling; glides through windswept areas; and even hops on a ninja surfboard. Some environments feature all of these to great effect, with excellent responsiveness, even if these sections don’t really feel all that challenging (with maybe one exception in a late-game level).
That being said, their implementation in some boss fights leaves a bit to be desired. The fights themselves are pretty good, as Yakumo shifts from slayer of mobs to a proficient duelist, but when told to fly during a boss, expecting something cool to happen from meeting them in mid-air, only for the dull reality to set in, it’s a huge buzz-kill. Such instances are few and far between, though, and whether you’re taking on Fiends or going up against other proficient fighters, the adrenaline is pumping throughout.
For much of its playtime, Ninja Gaiden 4 is a rollercoaster…until you gain control of Ryu Hayabusa. Despite only having one weapon, he’s a blast to play – Dragon Gleam also allows for follow-up attacks, and his combos are distinct enough from Yakumo. Without delving into spoilers, however, his stages aren’t the best, retreading old ground and lacking much of the high-octane platforming. It’s bad enough that there aren’t many, but they’re also relatively short. One feels like the developers wanted to spare you the trouble, resulting in an insultingly brief chapter.
Such discrepancies mean not wanting to revisit those chapters with Yakumo once Chapter Select becomes available. There is some incentive to do so, as you can obtain Tally items to unlock new missions, usually to kill a certain number of enemies using a specific weapon or rack up a larger body count overall. I also appreciated the addition of late-game accessories that convert Ninja Coin to Weapon EXP and vice versa, in case you’re lacking in either. Otherwise, you’ll be revisiting Chapters to mop up any requests, whether it’s capturing Gourdys, clearing horde-like trials, assassinating targets, or collecting materials.
“Team Ninja and PlatinumGames have sought to move forward, above all else, and this mix of new mechanics and fast-paced platforming delivers an engaging experience, even if Ryu’s levels could have been better.”
There are also separate Boss and Combat Trials to partake in, the former providing rematches against all bosses in the story as either Ryu or Yakumo. You can opt for different difficulties or enable Death Wish, stripping both characters of all upgrades. The Combat Trials mix and match enemies from different levels while imposing other notable conditions, like only using Yakumo’s base form with no Bloodraven, presenting an interesting challenge when breaking through enemy guards or red glint attacks. Suffice it to say that if you love the combat, there’s more than enough to keep you busy.
Presentation-wise, Ninja Gaiden 4 looks good – character designs, both for the core cast and enemies, are on point, and they animate exceedingly well. But if you’re not a fan of cyberpunk-esque facilities, dark settings or dingy rainfall, the art direction can sometimes feel drab. There are other unique environments to explore, thankfully, like dance clubs full of Fiends, and the overall sense of scale can impress. When it comes to the details, you’ll be admiring the obliterations and sheer bloodshed more than anything, and on my set-up (an Intel Core i5-11400, 32 GB of RAM and an RTX 4060), it all ran quite well at 1440p with the rarest of frame drops at 1440p.
Of course, that’s with DLSS enabled and most settings on either High or Medium. Strangely enough, you don’t have different DLSS modes, unlike with FSR, though at least there’s an option for DLAA. As for the music, it’s a solid mix of traditional percussion and rock tracks, with a few vocal numbers emerging in key fights, which can be either extremely hype or slightly mismatched. Almost like the team wasn’t sure whether to unleash that signature PlatinumGames touch or keep things reined in.
If you’re someone who wants to go back to the glory days of the franchise, then Ninja Gaiden 4 may leave you mostly satisfied but still slightly wanting. Team Ninja and PlatinumGames have sought to move forward, above all else, and this mix of new mechanics and fast-paced platforming delivers an engaging experience, even if Ryu’s levels could have been better. It’ll have to settle for being a pretty good addition to the series, but with so much room for combat experimentation, whether you’re jumping into the franchise for the first time or seeking the path of mastery.
This game was reviewed on PC.
