Ninja Gaiden 4 is about as pure action as a game can get, and it’s a delicious and sometimes exhausting gauntlet of increasingly brutal bouts that test your reflexes, dexterity, endurance, and creativity in exciting ways. It’s a welcome return to form for a franchise whose last mainline entry was well over a decade ago, and its trademark tight controls have never been tuned finer. Platinum Games, which serves as the primary developer behind this entry, nails the distinct feel of Ninja Gaiden’s action to the point that fans would never notice a new developer is at the reins. But the studio behind Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising does bring some fun new ideas, chiefly a new ninja at the helm whose battle prowess exceeds longtime hero Ryu Hayabusa.
The story centers on Yakumo, a member of the Raven Clan, the secretive and morally flexible branch of the righteous Hayabusa Clan. This young, prodigious ninja is on a mission to prevent yet another resurrection of recurring nemesis, the Dark Dragon, by killing a beautiful priestess, the vessel of the dragon’s dormant soul. But when the priestess convinces Yakumo that the only way to permanently end the Dark Dragon is by releasing it, they embark on a quest that puts Yakumo and his small team at odds with the man decidedly against the dragon’s return: Ryu Hayabusa. Despite a cool premise, the story is nothing to write home about, with predictable melodramatic beats and a hilariously unearned hint of a romance. Thankfully, I don’t play Ninja Gaiden expecting a powerful narrative; the action is the star of this show.
What Yakumo lacks in compelling character traits – he’s a one-dimensional, gruff edgelord of an almost comical degree – he makes up for in sheer brutality and finesse on the battlefield. Creating absurd combo chains by swapping through his four distinct weapons creates a frenetic flurry of flashy offense that never ceases to be a treat to execute, no matter how many limbs I lopped off. Each weapon sports a unique playstyle, and good pacing allows players to acclimate to their tools before another is introduced. I love how each weapon fills a crucial hole in Yakumo’s game. His twin swords are a great mid-range option, but a staff is better at ranged crowd control. One delightfully silly projectile weapon excels at zoning and extends combos better than the standard shuriken attacks.
Powering up Yakumo’s offense using the new Bloodraven form transforms weapons into more powerful variants that shatter robust defenses and interrupt unblockable assaults. I enjoy strategically incorporating this formidable augment into my offensive strings, and stunning adversaries with a well-timed Bloodraven assault is always satisfying. Ninja Gaiden 4 loves overwhelming players with scores of foes, but filling a meter solves this problem by unleashing a satisfying finisher that instantly kills multiple targets. I can’t think of a better reward for dishing out tons of offense.
Make no mistake: Ninja Gaiden 4 is Yakumo’s game. But Ryu Hayabusa is playable, albeit for a handful of underwhelming missions retracing Yakumo’s steps through old levels, including re-fighting the same bosses. Ryu offers a more precision-based style, mixing razor-sharp sword attacks with Ninpo magic and his own variation of the Bloodraven mechanic. Though fun in his own way, I much preferred using Yakumo and am glad Ryu takes a backseat. Regardless of which ninja you control, taking down grunts or creatively designed demonic bosses is such a blast that the half-baked stealth gameplay is incredibly ill-suited. Stealth amounts to nothing more than slowly (and tediously) stepping forward and stabbing easily alerted targets; at least let me crouch if you want me to bother with sneaking.
There’s not much to do outside of slicing and dicing, but high-speed rail grind sequences and fast-paced grapple hook-focused parkour segments can be almost as fun as the combat. Although the often lengthy battles can wear out their welcome and need wider enemy variety, and the simple side quests and challenge rooms are uninspired, Ninja Gaiden 4 gives fans what they want: a pure, often arduous test of their ninja skills. This comeback finally washes away the bad taste left by the reviled Ninja Gaiden 3, and I hope to see Yakumo’s legend grow over a new series of stylish action adventures.
