Ninja Gaiden 4

Ninja Gaiden 4 delivers on its promise to be the high-quality action game fans have been waiting for, setting a new benchmark for the series. With its impressive visuals, fast-paced and intense combat, and the addition of a new playable protagonist, it stands out as one of the best modern hack-and-slash experiences.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a true return to form for Team Ninja’s signature series. Featuring the best action you’ll find in a game this year and a great new character in Yakumo, this is a worthy successor to Ninja Gaiden II and avoids the many missteps that plagued 3. Placed well among Team Ninja and PlatinumGames’ best efforts, Ninja Gaiden 4 fully lives up to the hype and is a total blast.

Even if Ryu doesn’t quite get the attention he deserves after so long, that was nowhere near enough to stop me from falling head over heels with Ninja Gaiden 4 and jumping straight into another playthrough. Platinum clearly understands what makes the series so special and has done an incredible job building on the razor-sharp formula that we’ve all been missing for nearly a decade. It’s good to have you back, Ninja Gaiden, and I pray that this is just the start.

A new Ninja Gaiden for a new generation, Ninja Gaiden 4 features combat that's faster-paced and more intense than ever before. It's the most accessible, too, thanks to a range of difficulty levels and assists. It's just a shame that its new protagonist isn't a little more likeable.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a bold new beginning for the series that brings a new dynamic to combat while still living up to the series' legacy. It may not be the Ninja Gaiden longtime fans were hoping for, but it's an excellent game and one of the best action titles of the generation.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a return to form for this series. Featuring the new hero Yakumo and the legendary ninja Ryu, the game delivers a brutal hack-and-slash experience, epic combat filled with action like a high-quality anime, challenging bosses and enemies, and fast-paced storylines that will keep you hooked until the end. A balance between beauty and violence befitting the Ninja Gaiden name.

Some of PlatinumGames' best character action to date is muddled with a bloated first half and an otherwise uninteresting protagonist. However, as the narrative picks up, this ninja doesn't stop until long after the credits roll.

Ninja Gaiden 4 doubles down on uncensored gore and a difficulty curve that punishes without pushing players away. Its campaign picks up where the previous entries left off, bringing back familiar faces while introducing new ones. PlatinumGames delivers a visceral hack-and-slash experience that works both for newcomers and for veterans who already understand the franchise’s punishing pace.

NINJA GAIDEN 4 is a sharp comeback of a series that was overdue for over a decade. One that brandishes its unique brand of violence with style and proper function. With a gameplay loop that leaves you hooked and a multitude of content to replay, it's clear-cut proof that the beloved hack-and-slash franchise is here to stay. If you approach it not expecting a deep or even particularly well-crafted narrative, you'll have an amazing time.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is an action spectacle with one of the best combat systems in recent years. But apart from that, it serves up rather standard fare.

The fast-paced, explosive combat sets Ninja Gaiden 4 apart from the more measured swordplay of the 3D trilogy. In exchange for this shift, players are rewarded with immense satisfaction through crisp slashing mechanics, well-paced weapon progression, and a solid combo system. PlatinumGames clearly tried to elevate the boss fights to the level of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. On the other hand, exploration often feels underdeveloped, only partially redeemed by more dynamic segments involving rail-sliding or airflow gliding.

A highly competent return to the era when action games were fast, precise, and demanding without constantly reminding how hard they were. More importantly, it recalls a time when such games were still plentiful. Ninja Gaiden 4 is an excellent title for fans of the genre, though a few shortcomings may keep others at bay.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a successful return to the 3D offshoot of the long-running ninja action adventure series. As is staple with the series, players are delivered challenging, tight and tense combat that requires serious strategy and skill to come out on top as you’re clashing against samurai, ninja and otherworldly beasts. Within are delightful and electric setpieces that feel hallmark for the series. Though the campaign could’ve been a bit more memorable by including a few more high-calibre moments and a better inclusion of their main hero Ryu, what’s within is still a bloody great time with high replayability as you slice, dice and rip apart your foes, bathing in their blood. Ninjas are friggin’ cool.

Ninja Gaiden 4 acts like a kind of gameplay, setting and structural time capsule brought up to today's standards by Platinum's craft. The sharpness of another time honed by a brand new grindstone.

Ninja Gaiden 4 lives up to the fame of the series and offers an experience that is as bloody as it is enjoyable. Despite falling into visual and plot monotony at times, the incredible combat takes the lead providing an unforgettable experience for everyone who loves a good action game.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a full-blooded action game that delivers plenty of adrenaline from overcoming tough challenges. Even in light of a few missteps, it cannot be denied that PlatinumGames has created a strong representative of a heavily neglected genre.

Ninja Gaiden 4 answers the call for a Ninja Gaiden successor. The gameplay offers plenty to enjoy for series veterans and newcomers alike, although the elements surrounding the combat don't put up as good of a fight.

Despite repetitive environments, long loading times, and a clunky narrative, Ninja Gaiden 4 is a worthy homage to the late Tomonobu Itagaki. It offers perhaps the most refined combat mechanics the series has ever seen. And it’s undeniably the bloodiest entry — a true ninja gore-fest.

The series prides itself on reinventing itself with each installment, and this is its biggest one so far. This has resulted in a faster, bloodier and more cinematic action game that sometimes feels more MGR Revengeance than Ninja Gaiden, especially in its boss fights, which honestly is a net improvement. There's still enough Ninja Gaiden DNA though, if you look close enough.

It’s not a perfect game, but Ninja Gaiden 4 hits a lot of the notes that count and ties a fine ribbon on the whole thing by the end. I wouldn’t mind playing Yakumo in more games, but if this is the curtain call on this arc of Ninja Gaiden, it’s a good one.

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.

The launch of a brand new Ninja Gaiden game after more than a decade has created great expectations in me, even more so, because this time it was a Platinum Games production. But such a long break could have created an image that is simply unrealistic. The finished product has a great combat system, but making Ryu a guest in his own game is a big problem.

Ninja Gaiden 4 cannot be called a return to the roots of Tomonobu Itagaki. However, PlatinumGames has created a bloody slasher with complex and interesting bosses in memorable settings.

An exercise in turning the volume up to maximum and keeping it there. The sound it emits is powerful, but with its constant presence can become mere noise. PlatinumGames has mastered the way of the ninja as a furious mass-death machine, yet somehow Ninja Gaiden 4 isn't a true killer. [Issue#417, p.100]

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a rock solid action game that delivers on what's most important — the combat. While some of the surrounding aspects are a little less successful, such as repeated environments and a forgettable story, the intense battles and myriad challenges are where the game shines, whether playing as Yakumo or Ryu. It doesn't hit every mark, but the simplistic structure, emphasis on technical combat, and even the cheesy performances combine for an action game that feels like it's from a bygone era, in the best way possible.

The emphasis on added complexity—in variable upgrade paths, multi-button inputs, and formidably expansive movesets demanding reflexive memorization—gives the game layers of depth and player expression that will delight aficionados of Bayonetta and other more modern character-action brawlers.

Ultimately, Ninja Gaiden 4 is fun, but not memorable -- something that extends into its general narrative. You're not there for witty banter though, nor for its plot twists and turns -- but instead to decapitate enemies as a bad-ass ninja. In that sense, Ninja Gaiden 4 does exactly what it says on the tin.

In a straightforward and objective way, Ninja Gaiden 4 is on par with the original trilogy — the problem is that the last game was released over ten years ago. Even though it's competent, the lack of variability during the campaign noticeably hurts the final product. Everything the game delivers, it does so violently. And violence, when overdone, loses its intended shock value.

Without question, Ninja Gaiden 4 has amazing combat. Yakamo journey will send you head first like a blood-soaked death tornado. Those seeking old school gory action will love it, and its challenge will satisfy long time fans of the series. If you can turn your brain off and enjoy its forgettable story, there is a fun game here. But its lacking in depth for those looking for the next great ninja revenge tale.

Maybe Ninja Gaiden 4 could be the weird transition game that helps the franchise find a new path in future entries. Like I said before, there is a good combat loop here. It just lacks the refinement and potency that fans have come to expect from this franchise. The Ninja Gaiden stories have never been complicated or over-the-top, but this one offers very little substantive content or drama to get its hooks in you. It's not perfect by any stretch of the word, but the right person can find a good time here.