Today I have the honor to do a Ninja Gaiden 4 Review, the game has surprised me in more ways than one primarily thanks to its bold direction. After 13 years of not having an entry, Team Ninja does a surprise alliance with Platinum Games and this is where the differences start popping up. Much to the like of how the series changed for the NES era veterans back when the original reboot launched in 2004, a restructuring has happened in these 13 years for people who have been awaiting for a 4th part. While the ideas and soul still remain, things are done in a different way that feels fresh yet simplified.
We can first aim at the obvious, our main protagonist has been swapped with Yakumo, a ninja of the Raven Clan, a clan who always works in the shadows of the Hayabusa clan. His mission being that of killing the priestess who has unleashed the Dark Dragon upon Tokyo to finally remove the curse from the now futuristic city. An intense rain has affected the area, mutating it into the darkest version available, that rain being the blood of the remaining carcass of the Dark Dragon which is still there. The Raven’s tend to finish whatever the Hayabusa’s were unable to complete.
Alas, things take a surprising turn when Yakumo decides to help the priestess flee, since she holds the secret to finally purge Tokyo from the Dark Dragon curse and killing her wouldn’t suffice. While Yakumo still doubts the priestess, Seori, she convinces him that this is the only way to do things right. It won’t be easy, as they will need to unseal the Dark Dragon to be able to purify it, which sounds like a huge treat to the Divine Dragon Order, an organization who opposes such a thing, casting the Raven Clan as heretics amongst Ninjas.
Like always, since the inception of the Ninja Gaiden series, twists and turns are a big part of what makes this games so special. This has been a long standing tradition since the NES days, back when Tecmo invented the concept of “Tecmo Theater”, and there’s some twists in this entry that may leave some avid fans with their mouths agape. Being action driven cinematic experiences, it truly feels as if you were playing a movie, but not to the point where you feel bombarded with cutscenes everywhere, it has a balance.
While the canon of the NES games is different compared to that of the Xbox games, there’s still many similarities that fans of the original will appreciate and will help them understand that the Xbox series is mostly a reboot. However, Ninja Gaiden 4 is a big departure of the usual Ryu centered days since we are playing as this never before seen character. Some may take it different than others but since I’m a Ryu fan it took a while to get accustomed to Yakumo but he eventually grew on me. For Ryu fans however, there’s an special surprise for those who are able to complete the game which I won’t spoil.
Gameplay wise, Ninja Gaiden 4 remains similar to Ninja Gaiden 3, but it has that particular Platinum Games touch that makes it flow more quickly, you can even customize if you wanna see hit stops or not. Attacks are telegraphed, sometimes even color coded, which are a needed visual queue in such a dark environment like the one in the futuristic Tokyo we are standing for example. Do not let this make you think the game is easy by any means, the series remains as punishing as ever and there’s tons of planning to do when executing your combos if you really wish to stay alive.
It is important to get acquainted with the systems of Ninja Gaiden 4 if you really wish to succeed at it, there really is not many but you need to execute them precisely like a true Ninja master. Knowing when to use your items, how many times you can block, all of this is crucial to avoid being made into a pile of mincemeat. In certain difficulties you do get some support to make things a bit easier, mainly with item drops if you lose too frequently, but the more you keep fighting and advance further, the more knowledge you end up building.
The execution system is as gory as ever, and I would dare to say that the spectacle provided by it has improved, thanks to the variety of weapons one can use to do them. The Yatousen definitely has the best execution animations in my opinion, and this game really wants you to go heavy on them to be able to switch stances more often. Your Bloodbind skills are very important, and to use them you really need to know how to juggle your enemies and when to execute them strategically, Ninja Gaiden 4 truly tests your mettle when it comes to dealing with enemy hordes, and bosses might be a huge roadblock even for veterans.
Ninja Gaiden 4 has an amazing soundtrack that feels reminiscent to that of Metal Gear Rising, important bosses will even have lyrical songs to accompany them, making the moments more epic and tense. Ninja Gaiden always had some amazing soundtracks to accompany the action, even since the early NES days, and Ninja Gaiden 4 might be the best soundtrack in rebooted Xbox series by far, mainly heightened by the lyrical songs that accompany the best moments of the game. Masahiro Miyauchi really outdid himself when it comes to creating some adrenaline pumping soundtrack.
It all merges together very well, the futuristic vibes of this new Tokyo go perfect with the synthesized music that blares each time you drop into action. All of the neon filled rooftops are gorgeously illuminated by artificial light that sometimes even reflects on the water surface. However, running this game in max settings can be complicated because it is an Unreal Engine 5 game, you should expect running into some micro stutters in systems that aren’t the end of the line. If Ninja Gaiden 4 took some more time to be polished in the performance aspect it would be the best in this new generation of the Ninja Gaiden series.
Ninja Gaiden 4, despite its general change in setting and feelings, still remains a Team Ninja experience. One can truly call it a 4th entry that keeps building upon the ideas provided by the previous games, and you in fact need to have played the other games to have a full grasp of what’s going on. The change of character was made to appeal to a new generation of gamers that didn’t experience the original trilogy on previous Xbox systems, but this is a long running tale one must admire, even those who are still stuck in the NES era.
Ninja Gaiden 4 Review – Verdict
Ninja Gaiden 4: Ninja Gaiden 4 is a strong step towards the future in many ways, both in aesthetics and some ideas. Despite that, the game remains loyal to the formula that defined the rebooted series, so it can be enjoyed both by veterans and newcomers. The story has some interesting twists and turns and the gameplay remains as tough as ever, this is definitely a game you must get, especially if you are a fan of the Ninja Gaiden franchise. – Hiro
[Editor’s Note: Ninja Gaiden 4 was reviewed on PC and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.]
