Ninja Gaiden 4

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a triumphant return for the series, with Team Ninja and PlatinumGames uniting to deliver the most intense and fluid combat the franchise has ever seen. Its dual-protagonist story between Yakumo and Ryu is beautifully told, with jaw-dropping dynamic gameplay sequences for both characters. A stellar score ties it all together, making Ninja Gaiden 4 one of 2025's best games and firmly cementing the franchise's grand return in the modern era.

Platinum and Team Ninja have joined forces to not only capture the spirit of the Ninja Gaiden franchise, but to bring it into the modern day with rare skill and style. An absolute action master piece that will have fans hooked for its entire blood-soaked runtime.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is the best action game ever.

NINJA GAIDEN 4 delivers an astonishing “high-risk, ultra-return” style of action. It goes far beyond simple parries or evasions — its system allows players to even toy with bosses by taking calculated risks, resulting in an incredibly satisfying gameplay experience. It truly opens up new possibilities for 3D action games and will undoubtedly stand as a significant milestone in the genre’s history. Whether everyone fully understands that right now, however, is another matter.

Ninja Gaiden 4 truly packs a ton of content and focuses on delivering a fast-paced experience, with a great variety of abilities and weapons, a solid storyline, gorgeous environments, and battles worthy of a true ninja. I have to admit, though, this franchise isn’t for everyone — the repetitive loop of cutting down waves of enemies until you reach your objective can feel exhausting to some players. Still, it’s an integral part of the series’ gameplay identity.

Ninja Gaiden 4 offers superbly choreographed action and is more beginner-friendly than any other game before it. The brilliant game design more than makes up for the weak story.

Ninja Gaiden 4 feels like a pivotal point between the old and the new eras. Much like its dual protagonists, it refuses to abandon the legacy of Ryu Hayabusa the heart of the series while introducing the more modern and versatile Yakumo to draw in new players. The result is a game that remains deeply engaging, offering a near-peak action combat system that rewards mastery and precision. Even its flaws and frustrations feel distinctly, unmistakably Ninja Gaiden.

Much like Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, Ninja Gaiden 4 takes the best elements of the series that players remember — a tough-but-fair challenge, outrageous enemy designs, and refusal to shy away from bloody, gore-soaked combat — and updates them just enough without completely trying to reinvent the wheel. It proves that the Ninja Gaiden franchise is primed for a new golden era with fresh perspectives steering the ship, and it has positioned itself as one of PlatinumGames' best titles and quite possibly the best action game of 2025.

2025 is a packed year, but Ninja Gaiden 4 is one of the best games on offer so far.

Although stylistically different from its predecessors, the fantastic combat system retains the core essence of the classics.

Ninja Gaiden 4 inherits and evolves the series' identity by blending PlatinumGames' fresh approach with Team Ninja's familiar style. However, it carries the double-edged sword risk of feeling disjointed.

A comeback that builds upon the already solidified Ninja Gaiden gameplay with complementary mechanics - and if it hadn’t done Ryu Hayabusa an injustice, it could’ve been hailed as a true classic.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is built on solid foundations and a clear vision. It was a bold gamble on a legendary legacy, but also an opportunity to redefine the boundaries of hardcore action combat on modern PCs and consoles. Yakumo doesn’t have Ryu’s charisma, and we hope the undisputed hero of the saga will take center stage again in the future. Still, PlatinumGames’ touch—despite the many departures—remains pure gold.

Ninja Gaiden 4 marks a successful revival of the series, signaling a strong new beginning. Despite divisive elements like a new protagonist and revamped combat system, everything comes together seamlessly. However, the narrative - while more serious in tone - falls short of its ambitious potential, leaving some lingering disappointment.

A noteworthy continuation of the series, with its fast-paced hack 'n' slash action making a nice impression.

Ninja Gaiden 4 definitely breathes new life into the iconic franchise, thanks in large part to a dream partnership with action game masters Platinum Games. The result is a game with truly frantic, exhilarating gameplay that's also very intuitive and offers just the right amount of challenge to appeal to both veterans and newcomers. However, the combat can at times be a little chaotic, the visuals are not groundbreaking, and the somewhat clumsy recycling of assets to justify Ryu Hayabusa's return is a bit of a letdown. Nevertheless, we can then reunite with the legendary hero in all his glory thanks to generous endgame content, after completing a relatively short but undeniably intense main story. Pure adrenaline for fans of challenges and ninjas, and one of the best pure action games of a year 2025 already brimming with excellent titles.

Despite a few technical shortcomings and rough edges, Ninja Gaiden 4 succeeds in something that once seemed nearly impossible – reviving one of the toughest and most demanding series in gaming history and making it relevant again.

Ninja Gaiden 4 continues the beloved series with glorious success, featuring explosive combat and action that only stops to make sure your heart won't explode.

Ninja Gaiden 4 revives a legacy that’s languished for far too long. Its technical achievements in camera and combat movement eclipse its limited enemy and level diversity. Sure, the story is a glorified stepping stone for the future, but I’m too busy reducing enemies to a shower of limbs and bloody pulp to care.

Ninja Gaiden 4 marks an exhilarating return to one of the most iconic hack & slash sagas—one that has inspired countless successors. Despite retaining some of its old habits and featuring an explicitly linear level design, this new installment delivers a decisive katana strike straight onto the list of the best action games of 2025.

If combat design is all that matters to you, then Ninja Gaiden 4 is a fantastic entry into a legendary series, but the design of some enemies and areas become familiar far too quickly, and your hundredth time killing a haunted lantern or soldier isn’t going to get your blood pumping. The pacing might be slightly off, but the action is always on beat.

Ninja Gaiden 4 has its missteps, especially during the story and with Ryu's sections, but it's still a triumphant comeback for the franchise.

Ninja Gaiden 4, while not perfect, is a solid new entry in the series. It offers an amazing and satisfying combat experience, great boss fights, and a memorable visual experience.

When it comes to combat, there are few games I’d consider to even be in the same ballpark as Ninja Gaiden 4. It is quite simply the most fun I’ve had with a 3D action game since Devil May Cry 5. Its disappointing story, bland level design, and uneven boss battles certainly put a damper on the package as a whole, but they haven’t stopped me from continuously coming back for more all the same. Blemishes and all, this is the best pure action game since Hi-Fi Rush, and hopefully it doesn’t take another 13 years for the next one.

Ninja Gaiden 4 honors the series where it matters most: in the edge of the blade. The combat is fast, fluid, and deeply satisfying, featuring two protagonists that complement each other through distinct playstyles. The visual presentation and performance are solid, with excellent sound design, though the soundtrack and story fall short of greatness. Some level design repetition and minor bugs keep it from reaching classic status, but as a modern hack-and-slash, it’s a sharp and rewarding return for the franchise.

Team Ninja and PlatinumGames successfully delivers a fast-paced, bloody, and satisfying ninja action game in Ninja Gaiden 4.

Even after barreling through the campaign in a couple of days, I still couldn't stop myself from going back for more. Ninja Gaiden 4 is a brutal menagerie of excessive blood spray, gratifying weapons, and gloriously stylish action. It banishes the sour memories of Ninja Gaiden 3 and has me pining for more character-action games, serving as a wistful reminder that games like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, and Bayonetta ruled the roost before the recent proliferation of Souls-likes. Every change is meaningful, adding to the rock-solid foundations and evolving the formula to bring out the very best in its phenomenal combat. If Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance weren't enough, then Ninja Gaiden 4 solidifies 2025 as the year of the ninja.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Ninja Gaiden 4 and played the game with great interest. The touches and innovations brought to the gameplay are like a breath of fresh air for a genre and series that had lost its former popularity. Ninja Gaiden 4 doesn't claim to reinvent the wheel, and it's fair to say there are no particularly risky innovations in the game. However, the $70 price tag does raise some questions, especially considering it only takes about 15 hours to reach the credits.

This is the evolution of the Ninja Gaiden franchise. Platinum's frenetic style fits surprisingly well with the difficulty that we've come to expect from Team Ninja. It's not a perfect game, with the main issues being the small roster of enemies and the simplified plot, but it's still very fun and respectful of its origins.

Ninja Gaiden 4 delivers blisteringly fast combat, tight controls, and a brutal yet fair challenge. Yakumo’s debut impresses, though limited Ryu sections and average visuals hold it back.

Brutal yet technical, Ninja Gaiden 4 ticks the boxes of what we'd expect from a good 3D beat 'em up like a ninja stringing life beads from the Gods. Driven almost exclusively by its rich combat gameplay, the baby of the Team Ninja/PlatinumGames couple delivers the essentials without being as sharp as we would have liked. The environments lack soul in addition to being repetitive, progression is marred by a flashback that makes us repeat the same levels/bosses, the weapons are few and far between, and various choices are questionable. Sometimes "wow", sometimes "meh", Ninja Gaiden 4 suffers from an irregularity that could be scorned by shinobi masters. Nevertheless, the heart of the game - the action - beats so strongly that we willingly return to it to lose our heads... by splitting those of others.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a hard-hitting action game that's sure to satisfy genre enthusiasts, but it exchanges the franchise's complex combat mechanics for a simpler, more arcade-like experience.

Bloody good combat carries Ninja Gaiden 4 through its more granular and extraneous "modern" additions.

Is Ninja Gaiden 4 bad ? No. Yakumo advances the saga's gameplay in a modern fashion, but the new gameplay mechanics introduce a few means to easily cheese through encounters, partially undercutting the fighting game roots brought by the late Tomonobu Itagaki. And the level design is not good either, with recycled environments galore. But PlatinumGames' new, inexperienced team still brings in action game goodness with instant lightning-fast battles, gory executions and a few great bosses to make you try a new run in Master Ninja mode or complete the post-game trials. Ninja Gaiden 4 also probably is a good onboarding experience for series newcomers.