What is Ninja Gaiden 4?
The Year of the Ninja continues with the long-awaited launch of Ninja Gaiden 4, arriving nearly a decade after the series’s last major installment. Earlier in the year, fans revisited the franchise through the remaster of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, still praised as one of the greatest action games ever created. This was followed by Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a side-scrolling adventure that returned to the series’ classic roots and offered a fresh, modern take on its original gameplay.
These releases set a high bar, leaving many fans wondering whether Ninja Gaiden 4 could maintain the franchise’s momentum. Developed through a partnership between Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, the project initially sounded like a dream collaboration. PlatinumGames has delivered some of the most iconic action titles of all time—such as the Bayonetta series and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance—but recent years have brought a few stumbles, raising concerns about whether the studio could still deliver a true standout experience.
Thankfully, Ninja Gaiden 4 exceeds expectations. While its story and level design occasionally fall short, the game’s exceptional combat system is strong enough to carry the entire experience. The result is a fast, intense, and highly polished action title that marks a worthy return for the legendary Ninja Gaiden franchise.
Developer & Publisher // PlatinumGames | Team Ninja | Xbox Game Studios
Platforms // PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S (Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
MSRP & Release Date // $69.99, October 21st, 2025
Reviewed On // PS5 Pro/PS5
The Story of Ninja Gaiden 4
- The narrative of Ninja Gaiden 4 is a traditional one for the franchise, with the biggest change being that players play the role of newcomer Yakumo.
- He is from a rival ninja clan to the series mainstay Ryu Hayabusa, who is also playable. His role feels secondary, reflected in his chapters revisiting locations Yakumo visited.
- While aspects of the narrative spark intrigue, it drives the game’s set pieces and action-combat sequences.
The Ninja Gaiden series has never excelled at storytelling. Its plots tend to feel serviceable, predictable, and easy to forget. Ninja Gaiden 4 continues that pattern. Although the game introduces a new narrative direction, it leans heavily on familiar genre tropes.
Players take on the role of Yakumo, a young ninja from the rival Raven Clan. The clan exists as a long-standing counter to the Hayabusa legacy. Built to rival Ryu Hayabusa, Yakumo steps in and is the main protagonist. Ryu becomes playable later, but his presence feels secondary rather than essential. This is the case because Ryu’s chapters are often exactly what the player treaded through as Yakumo. Also, Ryu has a much more limited gameplay kit, such as only his dragon sword instead of various weapons.
Yakumo’s objective is simple. He must infiltrate a corrupted, dystopian Tokyo and assassinate Seori, the Dark Dragon Priestess. The mission fulfills an ancient Raven Clan prophecy. The story shifts when Seori proposes another path—one that requires breaking the very seal Yakumo was sent to protect.
Yakumo and Seori form an uneasy alliance. Together, they face the Divine Dragon Order and fight endless Fiends overrunning the city. The premise shows brief sparks of intrigue, but the narrative never takes center stage. Instead, it functions mainly as a vehicle for the game’s relentless, high-speed combat.
The Game Earns Its Praise through Play
- As a collaboration between Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, the best aspects of each studio shine through strong combat design, the return of familiar Ninja Gaiden mechanics, and more.
- Yakumo’s BloodRaven form defines the combat system, with weapons transforming and adding variety to the game’s combat encounters.
- Distractions from the combat, such as lengthy rail-grinding sequences, pull away focus from where the game excels.
For better or worse, Ninja Gaiden 4 stands as a clear collaboration between Team Ninja and PlatinumGames. At its core, the game delivers everything fans expect from a modern Ninja Gaiden title built by these studios: fast, fluid combat, relentlessly aggressive enemies, and iconic techniques longtime players recognize instantly. Signature moves like the Flying Swallow let players slice through enemies, while the legendary Izuna Drop lands devastating, fight-ending blows.
When it comes to weapon and skill unlocks, those are purchased via a merchant with either Ninja coin or Weapon XP. You’ll acquire these naturally as you play and have additional chances for a high payout if you wish to track down the optional and difficult purgatory gates within the levels.
Yakumo’s BloodRaven form defines much of the game’s new identity. This ability allows players to shatter enemy guards, execute brutal Bloodbath Kills, and transform weapons on the fly. Yatousen stands out as a prime example. The Rapier weapon shifts into a massive drill when BloodRaven activates, adding weight and impact to combat. These transformations inject real variety into the gameplay and keep encounters engaging across a wide range of enemy types and combat scenarios.
Thankfully, the strength of the core gameplay carries the experience, because some transitional sections expose where the PlatinumGames influence falters. Several sizable portions of levels place Yakumo on grinding rails while players dodge incoming trains. These sequences never outright fail, but they pull the focus away from where Ninja Gaiden 4 excels most: precise, moment-to-moment combat that rewards mastery and aggression.
Graphics, Performance, And Accessibility
- Ninja Gaiden 4 runs flawlessly on PlayStation 5 Pro, with it hitting either 120 FPS or 60 FPS depending on the mode selected.
- Using the 120 FPS mode, however, lowers the game’s internal resolution (720p-1080p), resulting in lesser visual clarity.
- Despite the series being down for its intense difficulty, Ninja Gaiden 4 offers various accessibility options, inviting more players to the series.
Ninja Gaiden 4 includes multiple performance and quality modes across its supported platforms, giving players flexibility based on their display setup and hardware. For a fast-paced action game, fluidity and responsiveness remain critical. Playing on a TV that supports 120 frames per second allows players to use the high-performance mode on the PlayStation 5 Pro.
This results in exceptionally smooth and responsive combat. Throughout my playtime, the game ran flawlessly, with no stutter, screen tearing, or noticeable frame rate drops. However, the primary drawback of the 120 FPS mode is a clear reduction in image clarity. While some loss in visual fidelity is expected at higher frame rates, the downgrade feels more significant than usual.
According to testing shared by multiple players, the high frame rate mode appears to use a dynamic resolution, ranging between 720p and 1080p. For players who prioritize visual sharpness over maximum frame rate—especially on PlayStation 5 Pro—the Prioritize Framerate (Pro) mode offers a compelling alternative. This setting targets a sharper 1440p to 4K resolution while maintaining a near-locked 60 frames per second.
The Ninja Gaiden series has long been known for its extreme difficulty and historically limited accessibility options. It is encouraging to see Ninja Gaiden 4 introduce new accessibility features that allow players to tailor the experience to their preferences. Options such as auto-evade and auto-attack provide added flexibility without compromising the game’s core challenge. While there is still room for improvement in this area, these additions represent a meaningful step forward for the franchise.
Final Verdict
Ninja Gaiden 4 is a triumphant return for a franchise that has long defined high-intensity action gaming. While its narrative and level design occasionally falter, these shortcomings are far outweighed by a combat system that is fluid, fast, and deeply satisfying. The collaboration between Team Ninja and PlatinumGames pays off in spades, bringing new mechanics like Yakumo’s BloodRaven form and weapon transformations that inject variety and excitement into every encounter.
Performance is solid across platforms, and the addition of accessibility options makes the notoriously challenging series more approachable without diluting its signature intensity. Minor frustrations, such as certain on-rails sequences or compromises in visual fidelity at high frame rates, do little to dampen the overall experience.
Ultimately, Ninja Gaiden 4 delivers exactly what fans have been hoping for: relentless, skill-based action that honors the series’ legacy while introducing fresh gameplay innovations. It may not redefine storytelling in action games, however, when it comes to pure, exhilarating combat, Ninja Gaiden 4 firmly stakes its claim as a standout entry and a worthy continuation of the legendary franchise.
Final Score – 8/10
Pros
- Top Tier Action Combat
- Variety of Weapons and skills (Depends on the playable character)
- Additional Challenge content after completing the game
- great performance
- Accessibility options
Cons
- Certain performance modes may provide muddy visuals
- The story is serviceable at best.
- Level design can pull away from what makes the game great
