Ninja Gaiden 4 Review: A Bloody Symphony
Ninja Gaiden 4 is a hack n' slash symphony that delivers on its promise of relentless, restless violence. Built in partnership between Koei, Microsoft, Team Ninja, and Platinum Games, this game takes things back to basics to some degree, but fans who have been awaiting the return of the franchise may prefer this first re-entry for its coherence and confidence.
The game's stunning visuals complemented by well-optimized performance make it a treat for the eyes. The canvas upon which you can carve your bloody art is impressive in its own right, with neo Japanese mysticism and cyberpunk vistas blending together seamlessly. However, the story delivery falls flat, providing only the most thread-bare excuses to go headlong into slicing hundreds of enemies into tiny pieces.
The gameplay shines through with gusto, proving that Platinum Games' combat design still has it. The studio behind titles like Nier Automata and Metal Gear Rising delivers a truly huge array of combos and combat skills to learn for each weapon, making mastering them necessary to conquer the game's higher difficulty modes.
Performance and Graphics
Ninja Gaiden 4 is a hack n' slash showcase with impressive visuals that complement well-optimized performance. The game delivers on its promise of a bloody path through endless enemies, and we're absolutely here for it.
The developers spared no quarter expressing themselves in their visuals, creating a world where you'll face off against sci-fi ninja cyborgs and ancient folkloric demons in equal measure. Some of the boss designs look sooner ripped from a soulsborne title, and fit flawlessly into the visual universe being curated here. The game is incredibly performant with crisp visuals.
Gameplay and Story
Ninja Gaiden 4 doesn't pull punches when it comes to relentless, restless violence. Armed with a range of deadly weapons, you'll have a blank canvas begging to be sprayed with severed limbs and splattered blood. The combat design shines through with gusto, proving that the studio behind titles like Nier Automata and Metal Gear Rising still has it.
Continuously slashing enemies and weaving in parries and dodges raises your chances of severing an enemy's limb, leaving them open for an instant and stylish DOOM-like glory kill. These execution animations never get old, and are hugely varied across the game's different weapon types.
The game's signature combat move is Yakumo's Raven form, which can be triggered at will by holding down the left trigger. In this mode, Yakumo's attacks are augmented with the power of the Raven clan, increasing his damage, reach, and blocking power, while draining out its associated combat meter.
Verdict
Ninja Gaiden 4 is a stylish and spectacular slasher that fans of the franchise will adore. This confident revival hopefully bodes well for the future of the franchise, as well as the legends that remain at Platinum Games. While it may not reinvent the formula, it respects the franchise's strongest entries with a sprinkling of Platinum on top for good measure.
This is a great start to what is hopefully a strong revival for one of the industry's most iconic hack n' slash traditions. If you're looking for wanton limb-slashing spectacle and style, Ninja Gaiden 4 delivers that in buckets. This game is a must-play for fans of the franchise, and for anyone who loves a good hack n' slash.
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