In the original Jurassic Park, scientists at InGen had to work with incomplete DNA sequences of dinosaurs extracted from mosquitoes trapped in amber. Missing portions of the dino DNA sequence were filled in with data from frogs, Dr. Henry Wu explained. The latest Ninja Gaiden game feels similarly constructed: Most of what has made Ninja Gaiden so distinct and awesome since its 2004 3D revival is present in Ninja Gaiden 4, but some of its genetic makeup is clearly extracted from the blood of developer PlatinumGames, the team behind action fare like Bayonetta and Vanquish.
The upside of this character-action-game genetic modification is a great-playing, highly challenging, and viscerally intoxicating new Ninja Gaiden game — and quite possibly the closest thing that we’ll ever get to a Metal Gear Rising Revengeance sequel. And, honestly, after 2012’s Ninja Gaiden 3, anything is a step up for Team Ninja’s franchise.
One of Ninja Gaiden 4’s bigger diversions from past games is its protagonist. Series star Ryu Hayabusa is sidelined, but present, in favor of newcomer Yakumo, a member of the rival Raven ninja clan who has been tasked with putting an end to the evil Dark Dragon’s curse (and for good this time, really!). Yakumo is younger, lighter, and faster than Ryu, bouncing around combat encounters with blistering speed. Yakumo has all of Ryu’s moves and more, thanks to a deeply layered, sometimes overstuffed combat system.
The core of 3D Ninja Gaiden combat hasn’t changed much to accommodate its new ninja hero. Yakumo has light and heavy attacks that chain together, can throw infinite shuriken, and can learn iconic series moves like the Izuna Drop and Flying Swallow to slice up and behead foes. But his Raven clan ninjutsu training adds an extra layer of depth; he can power up basic moves with so-called Bloodraven techniques that do extra damage or break an enemy’s stance. And like Ryu, he can learn new moves out in the field, spending an in-game currency to acquire expanded combos, advanced versions of certain techniques, and weapon-specific attacks.
Suffice it to say, Ninja Gaiden 4’s combat is as deep as any entry in the franchise — sometimes to an overwhelming degree. Simply in terms of how Yakumo can avoid attacks — he can block, parry with his own attack, dodge, perfect block, perfect dodge, Bloodraven block, and evade via grappling hook — there’s an abundance of methods for playing defense. Offense is an order of magnitude more complex.
I learned early on during my playthrough that I wasn’t really grasping the sheer number of techniques being thrown at me. When I faced my first boss, I was struggling to properly parry and block, unsure when I should risk a Bloodraven attack to break guard and retaliate, or charge up a powerful, unblockable attack. For too long, I prayed that Yakumo’s Berzerk State meter would quickly fill so I could unleash a devastating and cinematic Bloodbath Slaughter attack.
But after too many failed attempts, I learned I simply needed to lean into Yakumo’s dodging ability, which has notes of Bayonetta’s Witch Time. This small revelation opened my eyes to a new approach to Ninja Gaiden 4: Refine what I was capable of, and change my approach often, rather than rely on my aging reflexes and idealistic notions of parrying to overcome challenges.
Thankfully, Team Ninja and Platinum dispense new combat techniques and the opportunity to learn them in a low-stakes environment throughout the roughly 15-hour game. Whenever I was presented with some new combat or weapon technique, I could quickly jump into a training area to grasp this new skill, as opposed to foolishly learning it in a live combat scenario.
Team Ninja and Platinum offer numerous concessions like this. In addition to frequent training and tutorial sessions, Ninja Gaiden 4 offers an easy mode — kindly named Hero Mode — that auto blocks and auto evades, allowing me to study combat context clues, understand the game’s camera quirks, and focus on enemy placement while I learn more complex combat skills. After a while, I switched from Hero to Normal difficulty, having potentially avoided hours of frustration.
Image: PlatinumGames, Team Ninja/Xbox Game Studios
Ninja Gaiden purists can turn all of this in-game help off — including the soft-lock-on option that makes it easier to target a particular enemy. And they can eventually graduate to Master Ninja difficulty if they find the game too easy. I don’t think many players will, but just as the combat depth is present in Ninja Gaiden 4, so is the depth of challenge.
Even on Normal difficulty, Ninja Gaiden’s legendary level of challenge is on display. Team Ninja and Platinum have even evolved combat encounters to adapt to how many players approached previous games, notably by letting certain enemies block mid-air. To counter, players will have to lean into the Bloodraven techniques to break their guard, or find new ground-based techniques, ensuring that even veterans of the series will have to rethink their approach to combat.
Yakumo has a deep toolbox when it comes to weapons, as well as their associated techniques. The Raven clan ninja starts with a pair of blades, the Takeminakata, but over time expands his weapon set with a rapier (that transforms into an absurd drill-lance when imbued with Bloodraven powers), a staff that also becomes a hammer, and a set of assassin’s tools (bombs, big throwing stars) that includes a blood-fueled pair of mechanical arms. So while Yakumo may not have the effortless cool or venerability of Ryu, he’s absolutely winning on gear alone.
Image: PlatinumGames, Team Ninja/Xbox Game Studios
For Ninja Gaiden fans who really want to spend time with Ryu, Ninja Gaiden 4 offers limited options. There are a handful of recycled story missions that feature a playable Ryu, and chapters can be replayed as the Hayabusa clan’s master ninja, but if you’re expecting a lot of Ryu facetime, you should replay Ninja Gaiden 2 Black.
With its new characters, harsh challenges, and a deep well of techniques to perfect, Ninja Gaiden 4 is a fascinating side-step that helps modernize the 3D ninja action formula (and just a few months after the refreshing 2D entry, Ninja Gaiden Ragebound) while also giving fans of Platinum fare like Astral Chain, Nier: Automata, and Vanquish something new to chew on. It may not be the Ninja Gaiden you remember, but it’s got good blood running through its veins.
Ninja Gaiden 4 will be released Oct. 21 on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. The game was reviewed on PS5 using a prerelease download code provided by Microsoft. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.
