Ninja Gaiden 4 review – the revengeance of PlatinumGames

Xbox engineer a comeback for both Ninja Gaiden and Bayonetta creators PlatinumGames, in this stylish new action sequel.

It’s sad timing that the death of Tomonobu Itagaki should come just days before the release of a new entry in the series for which he is arguably best remembered. The Ninja Gaiden franchise stretches back to the late 80s, but the modern era of the series began with Itagaki’s 2004 reboot. To this day, it remains one of the most significant Japanese-made games to be associated with Xbox, even if it, like so many Microsoft’s exclusives, eventually made its way to other formats.

Itagaki worked on the first sequel, and a DS spin-off, but he’d left developer Team Ninja by the time the poorly received third game was released, and after the dire Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z in 2014 the series appeared to have breathed its last. Except, of course, no IP ever really dies.

Although Team Ninja is involved with this new entry (which follows hot on the heels of 2D title Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound) it’s in more of an advisory role, with the main developer being Bayonetta creators PlatinumGames. They’ve had a very rough few years, in which almost every one of their most talented directors has left, but this is not just a welcome return for Ninja Gaiden, but also for Platinum’s mojo.

If you’re not familiar with the Ninja Gaiden series then the setting may come as a surprise, as it involves both a futuristic, cyberpunk version of Tokyo and a demonic takeover, spawned from the husk of a giant dragon, that is all that’s left from the boss of a previous game. The plot is absolute nonsense, which has always been Platinum’s speciality, but at least the voice actors are aware of that, as they ham it up with the ludicrous dialogue and plot points.

The only important thing to note is that you do not play as series regular Ryu Hayabusa but as new character Yakumo, from a rival clan. Ryu is in the game a lot, and you can play as him eventually, but starting off with someone new only emphasises the fact that this isn’t really that similar to the original games, except in the broad strokes of being an ultra violent third person melee combat game, that is also punishingly difficult.

Years before Dark Souls, Ninja Gaiden was one of the first titles of the modern era to popularise the idea of punishingly difficult games, even if it didn’t always feel very fair about it. Ninja Gaiden 4 is more forgiving on normal mode, but it is still very tough. However, not only will the game offer you extra help and items if it notices you getting stuck but there’s a lower difficulty level that’s a lot easier on your reflexes.

If you can push yourself to play it on normal though the combat is the star of the show here. Although some of Ryu’s old moves are still present, you can definitely see a Bayonetta influence, with a dizzying array of different combos, gauges, and concepts to get your head around. A lot of them aren’t very important at first – when you can just get by with some light/heavy attack button mashing – but soon enough you have to get to grip with the nuances of launchers, perfect dodges, parries, charge moves, rage mode, and more.

Although we were a little unconvinced at the preview stage, the fluidity and versatility of the expansive moveset soon becomes clear, with the game allowing for a virtual ballet of violence, where skilful play can see you slicing through armies of enemies without taking so much as a scratch. Like the best Platinum games, it’s hugely satisfying when you’re in the zone, as you’re popping off obscure combos and artful dodges that you don’t even consciously trigger.

The game has an excellent tutorial mode too, although it’s ruined by the fact that, at least on Xbox Series X, it has painfully slow loading, with the length of time it takes between practicing one move and another being prohibitively long.

The only problem with the combat is that the game doesn’t really have a core gimmick to latch onto. The closest is the ability to enter Bloodraven mode, via a quickly refilling meter, which transforms your current weapon into a different form and allow you to break enemy guards. You gradually collect a wide arsenal but it never really makes that much difference, which in turn highlights the fact that that game isn’t really doing anything very new.

Ryu is characterised as stronger but slower than Yakumo, and while his basic moveset isn’t that different his magic abilities, selected via the D-pad, are unique. Unfortunately, though, his sections are mostly in the same areas as you’ve already seen, and involve the same boss battles, which is disappointing. Although, in general, the boss battles are a lot more entertaining, and less patently unfair, than the original games.

Ninja Gaiden 4 may not reinvent the wheel but what it does it does very well, with an extensive campaign that includes a decent range of extraneous gameplay, including platforming sections, swinging about on a grappling hook, using a wingsuit, and even making use of a surfboard. There are hidden chests everywhere but also side missions that are often connected to difficult-to-reach areas that house extra strong enemies.

Although, amusingly, both Yakumo and Ryu are terrible ninjas, with virtually no dedicated stealth moves and enemies that easily spot him from miles away.

If long-term Ninja Gaiden fans are unhappy that this isn’t closer to the original games we can understand that. But as Platinum fans, we’d also say that this isn’t as good as the Bayonetta trilogy or Metal Gear Rising, which this game often resembles, but the fact that it comes anywhere close is much more than we ever expected.

We honestly thought Platinum were done, but this is impressively close to their best work and proves the studio still has plenty of talent within its walls. Ninja Gaiden has never been a massive seller, so we don’t know what Microsoft is expecting from this, but Ninja Gaiden 4 is one of the best titles to be published by Xbox Game Studios and one of our favourites of the year so far.

Formats: Xbox Series X/S (reviewed), PlayStation 5, and PC
Price: £59.99*
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Developer: PlatinumGames and Team Ninja
Release Date: 21st October 2025
Age Rating: 18

*available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass from day one

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