There's a lot of anticipation for the long-awaited return of Ninja Gaiden. Maybe not out of this world, but personally speaking, this is my favorite character action series of all time, and it's set the bar incredibly high since Ninja Gaiden 4 was announced.
Ryu Hayabusa's outing may not be as well-rounded as genre superstars like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, but Ninja Gaiden is second to none when it comes to game feel. There's no other title that matches Izuna's ability to take down impossibly powerful enemies, master unique weapons, and drop everything in sight.
The rush has been incredibly difficult over the past few years. As Soulslikes took over the market, entire character action games faded into the background. Meanwhile, Ninja Gaiden itself has been languishing in obscurity for over a decade, following the disappointment of its hipster-jumping-the-shark third installment. Now, 13 years later, the series is finally back in the spotlight and ready to reclaim its throne with Ninja Gaiden 4.
I was excited, but also a little worried, to finally see Ryu Hayabusa's return and see what path newcomer Yakumo would chart for the series. PlatinumGames has a huge legacy and years of expectations to live up to, but there's no telling if the feel of its classic games can actually be replicated. Don't worry, Master Ninjas. Ninja Gaiden 4 successfully takes brutal combat to a new level and achieves just about everything you could hope for from a long-forgotten series.
The first 3D Ninja Gaiden story you might be interested in
Somewhat controversially, Ninja Gaiden 4 features a new “hero”, Yakumo, a ninja from the sinister Raven Clan, a group that has long lived in the shadow of Ryu Hayabusa and is known for doing dirty work that more respected heroes can't touch. Yakumo aims to change his clan's fate by purifying the Dark Dragon, and the Dark Dragon sends him on a rescue mission of sorts, where he crosses swords with Ryu Hayabusa.
Ninja Gaiden 4's story is simple and fairly predictable, but it still stands out as one of the few plot points of interest in the series. The sharpness and brooding of Yakumo's Shadow the Hedgehog brand makes him seem bland at first (even though Ryu is more interesting than ever). He develops into a more likeable hero as the game progresses, thanks to his relationships with Priestess Seori and his fellow Raven Clan members.
We'll get to the big Ryu in the room later, but his status as a legendary super ninja and Yakumo's rival is arguably the most interesting thing he's ever seen.
Along with flashier, more futuristic visuals reminiscent of Revengeance, PlatinumGames' influence is most felt in the story, especially in the characters, who are far more human, talkative, and interesting than anything we've seen before in Ninja Gaiden. In many ways, it feels like Ninja Gaiden 3 was trying to deal with Ryu personally, but it actually did a good job of telling a story worth caring about.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is the best game I've played in this series
Platinum took Ninja Gaiden in a new direction with its story and world-building, but thankfully they stuck to the script when it came to how Ninja Gaiden 4 plays. The series' particular brand of fast-paced, bloody combat is replicated and built upon perfectly here. Combo-heavy action, exciting obliteration kills, and Flying Swallow decapitations feel as brutal and satisfying as ever.
Platinum rightes the wrongs of Ninja Gaiden 3 by offering some great set-piece moments, from rail grinding while dodging an incoming train to jumping between dimensions on a surfboard while chasing a giant shark. Yes, really. Combining the Ninja Gaiden Black style of platforming with Ninja Gaiden 2's focus on basic combat makes NG4 often feel like the best compilation of the series to date.
Ninja Gaiden 4 isn't just about playing the Ninja Gaiden hit. Even though it offers brutal boss fights, massive skill trees to face off against waves of enemies, and unique weapons to master. Yakumo is more than a clone of Ryu. His unique Bloodraven abilities add a new flavor to the series, elevating it to new heights and making it feel like an evolution rather than just a retelling.
The only negative thing Platinum brings back from past games is the camera, which really struggles in tight spaces. It's not as bad as it used to be, but it's still not great.
Although the combat will generally feel familiar to anyone who's played Ninja Gaiden before, Yakumo's ability set focuses more on perfect dodging, parrying, and countering to slow down time than in previous games. Combine this with the Bloodraven transformation, which makes it two full movesets per weapon, and the Bloodbath kill, which allows you to eliminate enemies in one hit, and Yakumo manages to feel distinct while borrowing several of Ryu's skills.
At first, I was a little wary of how many mechanics Ninja Gaiden 4 introduces for Yakumo. Because it seemed like things would become too easy. But that's not the case at all. I still think OG Ninja Gaiden 2 is the hardest game in the series, but NG4 comes in a close second thanks to incredibly tough boss battles, hordes of enemies that can tear through your health bar, and tricky timing that makes parries more masterable than overused. I'm not yet proficient on Hard or Master Ninja, so everything is on Normal difficulty. At least not if you want to see everything intact with your thumbs before getting banned from reviewing.
Let’s talk about Ryu Hayabusa.
For most of my time playing Ninja Gaiden 4, I thought it would surpass Ninja Gaiden 2 as my favorite game in the series. But the whole time I was looking for an answer to my biggest worry: how would Platinum deal with Ryu? His single-weapon arsenal seemed to imply that he wasn't as present as Yakumo, which felt like a mistake considering how long the series had been on ice.
Unfortunately, Ryu only gets four chapters of his own in Ninja Gaiden 4, compared to Yakumo's whopping 15 chapters, and all but one of them revisit areas and bosses we've already played. I like Yakumo and think he's the more interesting hero, but it's a shame that the star of the series ends up feeling like a cameo. I wish Platinum and Team Ninja had hit balls against the wall and focused purely on Yakumo instead of forcing Ryu for nostalgia points.
The worst part about Ryu's handling is that he's actually incredibly fun to play as he is in the shorter sections, and he carries some of the best moments in the story thanks to his almost god-like status. Platinum made Ryu's moveset suitably overpowering and evolved his gameplay into the unique Gleam form on par with Bloodraven, but the lack of weapons and unique stages still made it feel a little undercooked. Very similar to Dante from Devil May Cry 4, but a little less unpleasant.
Even if the moveset issue isn't resolved, at least Chapter Replay will allow you to play as Ryu more.
Even though Ryu hasn't been getting the attention he deserves for a long time, that hasn't been enough to stop me from completely falling in love with Ninja Gaiden 4 and jumping straight into another playthrough. Platinum clearly understands what makes the series special and has done an incredible job building on the sharp formula we've all been missing for nearly a decade. It's nice to see Ninja Gaiden again. I pray this is just the beginning.
