Ninja Gaiden 4 Review – Minority Mindset

Whenever I try to start writing my review for Ninja Gaiden 4, I end up playing the game for about an hour first. It’s a really engaging game!

Whoops.

I initially had mixed feelings about the game, but it’s been a fantastic year for Ninja Gaiden fans – we’d been waiting a long time for something new. The series had a great run in the 2000s with titles like Ninja Gaiden (2004) for Xbox, the improved Ninja Gaiden Black (2005), and the solid sequel, Ninja Gaiden 2 (2008) for Xbox 360. Unfortunately, Ninja Gaiden 2 was the last game Producer and Director Tomonobu Itagaki worked on, as he left Tecmo shortly after its release.

When the lead director left, fans worried the Ninja Gaiden series would decline, and the initial response to Ninja Gaiden 3 seemed to confirm those fears. Surprisingly, things improved in 2012 with Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge, a launch title for the Nintendo Wii U that brought the series back to its strengths. Despite this, the damage had already been done. Coupled with the growing popularity of games like those from FromSoftware and the ‘Souls-like’ genre, the Ninja Gaiden franchise and its hero, Ryu Hayabusa, eventually became less active.

Okay, so earlier this year, Microsoft totally blew my mind during an Xbox Developer Direct. It started with that classic Team Ninja intro, and then BAM! They revealed Ninja Gaiden 4! Now, nine months later, I’ve finally gotten my hands on it, and honestly, the wait was absolutely worth it.

Welcome Back, Old Friend

The main challenge for Ninja Gaiden 4 was living up to the high standards of past games. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black successfully revitalized the 3D action genre and redefined the franchise. While it’s relatively straightforward to improve an already excellent game, creating something entirely new within a well-established series is a significant gamble. Replacing a beloved character like Ryu Hayabusa with a new protagonist was an especially daring move.

Honestly, Ninja Gaiden 4 really surprised me – it’s actually really good! It feels like Team Ninja totally understood what makes Ninja Gaiden special, and then they teamed up with PlatinumGames to bring a fresh, modern feel to it. When I’m playing as Ryu, it just feels right, like it fits perfectly into the whole Ninja Gaiden story. It’s totally different from how I felt with Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 2 – I didn’t get that weird switched feeling at all. Yakumo feels like he’s been a core part of the series since the beginning, which is awesome.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is pure cinema.

Yakumo definitely has a more flamboyant, anime-inspired style than Ryu. Whether you like that depends on your preference for that aesthetic in games, but it’s not a dealbreaker. Playing as Yakumo actually feels like a fresh, modern take on the classic Ninja Gaiden gameplay, and Team Ninja previously highlighted the distinct ways each character moves and fights.

A major drawback is that Ryu is limited to using only the Dragon Blade, which is frustrating. I recently enjoyed experimenting with different weapons in Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, so this felt like a step back. However, the updated combat system in Ninja Gaiden 4 ended up being engaging enough that it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would.

Yakumo’s ability to use many different weapons is another strength. Together with his partner, this allows for diverse playstyles to suit different strategies and player skills, which is very useful.

No Matter How You Play It, Ninja Gaiden 4 Is A Blast

Let’s talk more about the skills needed for this game, as making it accessible has been a key focus for the developers, Team Ninja. The director, Masakuza Hirayama, has repeatedly emphasized the importance of players improving their abilities. Think about Hollow Knight: Silksong – many players found it very difficult, which caused a lot of discussion after it came out.

Instead of using the typical single difficulty setting found in many Soulslike games, Ninja Gaiden 4 lets players choose from a range of options. These go from a very easy mode where the game practically plays itself, to an incredibly challenging experience designed to test even skilled players.

I surprisingly had fun playing Ninja Gaiden 4 on all difficulty settings, even the easiest one! While it wasn’t as intense as the challenging Boss Trials on the hardest difficulty, the combat was still incredibly satisfying and visually impressive. Ultimately, that’s what Ninja Gaiden 4 is all about – it’s a stunning action experience.

I mean, just look at these screenshots.

I happily admit I spend a lot of time in photo mode – I usually don’t waste any time there, actually. But when I’m battling a cyborg demon shark on a futuristic, disco-themed stage, I definitely want to take a moment to capture the scene with photos.

The combat is incredibly stylish, and the game’s visuals are stunning. While the graphics aren’t perfectly sharp, it’s still a beautiful game throughout. Plus, it’s delightfully violent and over-the-top, reminiscent of a Quentin Tarantino movie.

Like the often-misunderstood film Death Proof, Ninja Gaiden 4 has some sections that feel a bit slow. Specifically, the rail-grinding parts, which blend platforming and quicktime events, weren’t my favorite at first – they disrupted the fast-paced action. However, on a second playthrough, I found I didn’t dislike them as much.

Knowing my destination definitely makes things feel more dramatic, and that’s a welcome change of pace. It also gives me a chance to pause and prepare before the next battle. But honestly, even with that, navigating still isn’t my favorite part of playing – at least when it comes to the actual gameplay.

Dead Or Alive

Above all else, my least favorite aspect of Ninja Gaiden 4 is its story, which technically exists.

I usually play action games to feel powerful, not to get invested in the story. But I have to give credit to the developers of Ninja Gaiden – Team Ninja and PlatinumGames – for creating a plot that’s actually easy to understand, even if some of the big moments don’t feel fully justified.

I say this as a compliment, but the over-the-top action in Ninja Gaiden 4 feels very similar to a Quentin Tarantino movie.

Sometimes the game leans a bit too heavily into anime tropes, particularly with certain character designs. However, the overall presentation is fantastic, especially the music. The boss battle soundtrack is incredibly motivating – it will push you to keep playing, even when you’re frustrated and want to give up.

This game pushes you to your limits, revealing reserves of strength you never knew you possessed. Even when you’re depleted and on the verge of defeat, you’ll find the resolve to fight on, relying on your skills and the support of your allies to deliver a final, decisive blow and win. But even victory isn’t complete satisfaction, as the game’s scoring system loves to bring you back down to earth. Go ahead, Ninja Gaiden 4, try to make me feel bad with that low score – it doesn’t bother me.

Despite Its Imperfections, I Love Ninja Gaiden 4

It says a lot about how good Ninja Gaiden 4 is that I can’t stop thinking about it. I usually try to keep my reviews short and to the point, but I find myself happily continuing to talk about this game. It’s funny, because all I really want to do is put down the controller and play it again.

Maybe just one quick Trial…

So, I ended up completing five difficult Boss Trials and a few Challenges. That’s a bit unexpected, given how frustrating some aspects of the game can be.

Just to be clear, the camera in Ninja Gaiden 4 is a huge improvement over the one in Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, though it’s not flawless. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of your character, and the targeting isn’t always precise, which can lead to getting stuck in a loop of being stunned, particularly on harder levels.

Honestly, the issues don’t ruin the fun. Once I’m really playing, I usually don’t even think about the targeting. Sure, it can be frustrating sometimes, but it never makes me want to stop playing altogether. If anything, it actually makes me more focused, especially with the exciting music during battles.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to wrap this up and jump back into the action.

A Note About PC Performance

I really appreciate being able to play Ninja Gaiden 4 on both my Xbox and PC. This allowed me to easily switch between platforms while I was reviewing the game.

Honestly, the decision to bring the game to consoles started as a fix for some performance issues we were seeing on PC. It wasn’t about the game looking too good, though. I don’t want to brag, but my PC runs most things fine – I played Expedition 33 without a hitch. But let’s be real, my setup is getting a little older now – I’ve got a 3070 and most of the parts are around five years old, so it was starting to struggle a bit.

I initially tried reducing the graphics quality, but the game still felt slow, almost like it was still downloading in the background – I could see a loading icon on my screen. After updating my graphics drivers and completing the game on my console, I went back to my PC to see how well Ninja Gaiden 4 would run.

Everything ran smoothly, almost like a small issue that was quickly fixed. The game looks just as good as it does on my Xbox Series X, so don’t expect top-of-the-line graphics. More importantly, the frame rate is solid. I consistently got over 100 frames per second, even though it didn’t quite reach the advertised 120. I was worried about how it would perform on PC compared to consoles, but those concerns were unfounded.

Closing Comments:

I approached Ninja Gaiden 4 with some hesitation, worried it couldn’t possibly live up to the hype. But the more I played, the more I enjoyed it. The combat system is a fantastic improvement – it keeps everything great about the original Ninja Gaiden games while also making it more user-friendly and modern. The camera and targeting can be frustrating occasionally, but once you get into the flow of battle, it’s easy to lose yourself in the fast-paced action and satisfying combat. It truly sets the standard for thrilling, 3D action games, and I’m hoping we won’t have to wait another decade for a sequel.

2025-10-21 02:14