Ninja Gaiden 4 is a hack n’ slash symphony, showcasing that this legendary franchise still has legs — as well as lots of severed legs

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Ninja Gaiden has something of a storied history with Xbox.

The series first appeared in the 1980s, but it was revived in 2004 for the original Xbox. Since then, it’s grown into a large franchise, with many remakes, spin-off games, and updated versions.

With Xbox celebrating its 25th anniversary, the classic action game Ninja Gaiden is now part of the same family of iconic franchises as Gears of War, Halo, Forza, Flight Simulator, Age of Empires, and Fable. This collaboration brings together Xbox Game Studios, Koei Tecmo, Team Ninja, and the renowned Platinum Games to continue the Xbox legacy.

PlatinumGames created Metal Gear Rising, a 3D action game widely considered to be one of the best ever (and I definitely agree!), so I was really looking forward to seeing what they would do with the new Ninja Gaiden game.

I’ll be honest, I don’t have a lot of experience with these games – I barely remember playing the first one when it came out. I’ve been playing the recently released remasters as part of the Master Collection, so this review is really from the perspective of someone new to the series, which I imagine many of you will share.

Ninja Gaiden is famous for its challenging and intricate combat, and its stories aren’t usually the main focus. The games prioritize fast-paced action, impressive swordplay, and over-the-top violence—and Ninja Gaiden 4 continues that tradition with plenty of intense, bloody action.

Ninja Gaiden 4 Review: Performance and Graphics

I played about half of Ninja Gaiden 4 on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and it ran really well – that says a lot about how well-optimized the game is.

Ninja Gaiden 4 definitely delivers on intense, action-packed combat, but the game’s world itself is also quite striking. It blends traditional Japanese mythology with futuristic, cyberpunk settings, and the developers really went all-out creating this unique and detailed environment.

Ninja Gaiden 4 puts you in the role of Yakumo, a young ninja from the Raven clan, who are rivals to Ryu Hayabusa’s famous Hayabusa clan. Because of his lineage, Yakumo has unique and visually impressive powers that are fun to use in battle – we’ll cover those details later when we discuss the gameplay.

Ninja Gaiden 4 doesn’t really change how the series tells its story. Like before, the plot is minimal, mostly just a simple reason to keep fighting lots and lots of enemies. I feel the game would have benefited from a more ambitious narrative.

This game doesn’t need to be an amazing cinematic experience, but the characters and plot points are easily forgettable. Compared to *Metal Gear Rising*, which created lasting internet memes, I don’t expect the characters in this game to have the same impact. Honestly, though, most players probably aren’t focusing on the story anyway.

Ninja Gaiden 4 really shines when it comes to its unique visuals. The game is set in a future Tokyo plagued by an ancient curse that’s spreading, and Yakumo’s mission to stop it pits him against groups who actually *want* the curse to continue, as well as the terrifying demons it brings forth. This leads to incredibly varied fights against everything from futuristic cyborg ninjas to creatures from Japanese folklore. The boss designs are particularly striking, resembling those found in games like Dark Souls, and they perfectly complement the game’s overall artistic style.

This game runs exceptionally well and looks great. It performs best on Xbox Series X|S, consistently hitting 60 frames per second with clear graphics. It also runs smoothly on the Xbox Ally and Ally X. To get the best visual quality, I recommend using TSR scaling and turning off both FSR and dynamic resolution scaling, as those features can sometimes make the image look too blurry. While a high frame rate is good, the fast-paced action and lots of on-screen effects mean you might prefer prioritizing visual clarity, even if it means slightly fewer frames. Even on the standard Xbox Ally, the game offers a very enjoyable experience with some minor graphics adjustments. Overall, it’s very impressive.

Ninja Gaiden 4 Review: Gameplay and Story

Ninja Gaiden 4 doesn’t hold back with its intense and constant action, and we love it!

Ninja Gaiden 4 lets you unleash a brutal and bloody combat experience. With a huge arsenal of weapons – from traditional katanas to futuristic, claw-like devices – the game encourages over-the-top action and plenty of dismemberment.

Platinum Games’ signature action-packed combat is on full display in this fourth installment, demonstrating the studio’s continued skill – as seen in games like Nier Automata and Metal Gear Rising. It builds on the fighting styles established in earlier titles, adding new elements inspired by games such as Devil May Cry.

Constantly attacking enemies, combined with well-timed blocks and dodges, increases your chance of chopping off a limb, creating an opening for a quick and impressive finishing move inspired by DOOM. These finishing animations are always satisfying and differ greatly depending on the weapon you’re using.

Each weapon has a lot of different moves and combat abilities to master, which can be overwhelming if you don’t usually enjoy games with complex combat systems.

To succeed on harder difficulties, you’ll really need to learn the combat system like a fighting game. If you’re playing on easier levels, you can often win just by pressing buttons quickly. However, even on the normal difficulty, Ninja Gaiden 4 can be quite challenging.

Yakumo’s most recognizable move is transforming into his Raven form, activated by holding down the left trigger. While in this form, his attacks gain the strength of the Raven clan, boosting his damage, range, and defense, but it uses up a special combat meter. It’s important to use these enhanced attacks strategically, because enemies can be stunned by them, creating openings for attack.

Figuring out how enemies attack and mastering the Raven form made me feel surprisingly skilled – a key trait of a truly great action game. It perfectly captures the feeling of being a ninja, and the over-the-top combat and special moves reminded me of the exciting action in *Metal Gear Rising*.

I have a few small complaints about the map design and side quests. Getting upgrades usually involves doing repetitive tasks like killing enemies or finding specific items. The lack of a proper map also makes it frustrating to locate these quests, and I think that feature would have been better left out. However, these issues don’t really detract from the main 10-12 hour story, unless you’re trying to complete everything.

Ninja Gaiden 4 Review: Conclusion

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a standout ninja game, especially considering the number of excellent titles released this year like Shinobi and Ghost of Yotei, as well as Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. It doesn’t try to radically change what makes the series great, but instead builds on the strengths of previous games with a touch of polish inspired by PlatinumGames.

While the characters and story could have been a bit more ambitious – and I’m not suggesting lengthy cutscenes – games like Devil May Cry 5, Nier Automata, and Metal Gear Rising prove that action games can be more unique and memorable. However, I suspect most players weren’t looking for that kind of depth in this game.

If you wanted a fast-paced, action-packed game with over-the-top combat, Ninja Gaiden 4 absolutely delivers. It’s a promising beginning for a potential resurgence of this classic hack-and-slash series.

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2025-10-21 02:41