Review | Ninja Gaiden 4

A short review

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a 2025 action game co-developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, and published by Xbox Game Studios for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on October 21, 2025. It is the seventh mainline game in Koei Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden series and the direct sequel to Ninja Gaiden 3 that came out in 2012 (and the worst Ninja Gaiden game there is). The game primarily follows a new character named Yakumo, though the series' protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is also playable and has a significant role in the story.

I loved Ninja Gaiden 2 Black remaster edition; it reminded me how good the combat can be. It also shows how some older games stand on their own. I also hated Ninja Gaiden 3 and never finished it; I think it's a bad, uninspired game. Can I say that about this one? Almost, but we'll get to it. The good news is, you can play in 120 FPS without any hiccups or bugs (almost), so that's a good sign. If you hope for something a bit more innovative and different than the rest of the series, you've bought the wrong game.

Yakumo, or Ryu? Or the rest of the story? I don't really know what to say other than Ryu.

Story and the characters

I can't really decide whether this is the worst segment of the game, or the platforming is, or the level design is. You get to play as Yakumo, a young ninja with the power to wield his "Bloodraven Form," a technique that manipulates his blood and the blood of enemies to create powerful weapons that strike down many foes at once. Who is he? I have no idea. The game doesn't really explain all of that, and it's again about the resurrection of evil and dragons and whatnot... I'm really tired of something like this; it's bad, bad storytelling, and they did not sell it very well.

Ryu is... where? Oh, he is here, and he is a major part of the plot, but good luck caring about it. I don't really mind bad stories in games when everything else shines, but here, man, it's so bad I was constantly just waiting for it to be over. The scenes, I mean. I don't like Yakumo; I don't know who he is; I have no idea about so many events, plus I really don't care. The game made me not care.

It's a very linear experience (which is fine), with some story in between missions (chapters), with some possible bits in between level segments. I have no idea what else to say. Just skip the story.

In terms of graphics and level design, it stands on its own but with many reused assets and archaic level design.

Game design, exploration

Remember 20 years ago? If you don't, don't worry about it — Ninja Gaiden 4 has you covered. It's a linear action experience through chapters, with usually three being in some area, and then you move on and get a new weapon. Yakumo wields like crazy, but the level design doesn't. I hated the first three levels; they lack variety in every sense possible, the platforming was not that great, and fighting three of the same enemy type (almost the same) didn't help. The rest is better, but even when they introduce prettier scenery, the levels drag, and everything starts to feel the same and reused. It mostly serves as an arena to fight and fight and fight again. And yeah, you get to play as Ryu! It feels pushed, but it feels good. Although the backtracking is tedious in these chapters.

So, basically, you have a mission, you fight, jump/fly/surf, fight a boss, next chapter. Sure, there are missions inside chapters if you want extra challenge, you can collect some weird hidden creatures, and you can find Purgatory Gates, which are really uninspired. That is it. The rest of the game is combat. That is not a bad thing, though, because the combat is really great. If you ask me, everything else is underwhelming, to say the least, and even with awesome combat, that is just not enough to form a good package. I'm not the type to just close my eyes to many flaws. Sure, I had my share of fun, but after completing the game, I just want to delete it, and I will never, ever go back to it. There is nothing that can bring me back.

I also need to mention the colors — bright blue and red cyber-like sceneries. What is up with that? My eyes hurt, the level design is terrible, what were they thinking...

The worst aspect is also the railroads; I forgot to mention them. What's up with that and flying?

Combat

For sure, the star of the evening. Combat is flashy, fast, precise. It's like Ninja Gaiden 2 (and possibly 3) but refined with some new tricks and weapons. I was playing with all weapons during chapters, and my favorites are the dual blades and Kage-Hiruko (the last main weapon). The ones in the middle are not that great, although still a lot of fun.

My problem with the combat, in general, is that you always fight mostly the same enemies again and again. The enemy variety is bad, but at least it's flashy. The moments of decapitation are awesome, the moveset and the responsiveness are over the top and feel in control, but often the problem with such a fast combat pace is that you can't control the camera and the situation at times. I hated fighting near ledges — most of the time, I comboed enemies and myself down there. The camera is so much better than in Ninja Gaiden 2, but I really had issues while trying to control characters through platforming bits, especially when flying.

That being said — if you're in for the combat and the challenge, you will probably enjoy your time. If you need more to get that "click," you might have the same experience as I did. You can, of course, upgrade movesets for weapons and in general. Not much to say, it's as simple as it can get. I might add shooting and exploding enemies, they are cheap as hell, and even more frustrating. And they appear way too often.

Lastly, the boss fights are good, but not great. I dislike big boss fights; I was enjoying human/soldier boss fights so much more than having to fly or chase big ones across the arena. The finale is the prime example of that.

Praise the combat in dull games. Such a beauty in a world of... boring everything else.

Side Content

There is not much to say. Every level offers some hidden chests and optional paths. You can find items or upgrades (for health) and find optional gates. These gates are like small arena fights of waves of enemies where you can earn more points if you choose to start with less health. It was fun at first, but 19 of them? They are all the same, just with different enemies. Really boring after a couple.

Then there are missions that you accept at checkpoints/terminals/shops. They are usually "kill the general" or "kill 50 enemies"... I was bored even writing that. If you need to practice, beside the shop/checkpoint there is a guy (forgot his name) who can teach you moves and gives you a place to practice these. During tutorials, the enemies like to circle around you while you wait for them to attack. It was very annoying.

If you really love the game, you can play on higher difficulties and enjoy mastering the combat, which this game is all about. You can even choose Ryu after completing the game, and I love Ryu. The combat and everything feels so much better with him. I'm really sad they've introduced someone new to play as when we have such a badass.

You just see Ryu and feel Ryu. He is a badass; he doesn't have to say anything. And he mostly doesn't.

Conclusion

f you want to play Ninja Gaiden 4, you're probably a fan already. As such, there is a high chance you will enjoy the game. If you're looking for something new and mind-blowing, that is not inside. It's a new Gaiden game that perfected the combat and lacks in every other aspect. With that being said, I'm off to something else — I'm done with ninjas for a while.