Review: ‘Ninja Gaiden 4’ Is The Bloodiest Game Ever

Ninja kheidaThe roots of SORS go all the way back to 1988, when the Action-Platformer title was released on the NES. Since then, it has become the epitome of an action game, with various 2D and 3D iterations. Developer Koei Tecmo called 2025 “the year of Ninja kheida“Because the series has seen a number of different releases this year. The Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Remanast was released in January. Developer Good Kitchen is working with Koei Tecmo to release the game Ninja Gaiden: BurningA new 2D entry in the franchise, in July.

To complement this year’s release, koei tecmo worked with Xbox Game Studios to present the next Mainline entry in the series, Ninja gaiden 4. Although developed under Microsoft, the game is available for PC, XBOX Series X | and the PS5. This shows Microsoft’s Shift away from exclusive Xbox releasesChoosing to make games available for multiplayer.

Ninja gaiden 4 is the first new mainline game since 2012 Ninja gaiden 3and is developed by platinumgames, best known for titles such as Nier and Bayonetta. In spite of some difficulties in entering the standards and standards of re-storing in Ninja gaiden 4its smooth and bloody gameplay, and beautiful aesthetic, make it one of the top action games of 2025.

Ninja gaiden 4 It follows a new protagonist in Yakumo, a young and edgy member of the raven clan – a group that includes the Hayabusa convention, home of the series protagonist ryu hayabusa. Yakumo is sent into the shadows to kill Seori, the dark dragon priest. After Seori reveals how to get rid of the black dragon once and for all, Yakumo reluctantly goes in to get to him, and they set out on a mission to take out the evil business.

There are 19 chapters in all, with some dedicated to playing as RYU. Unfortunately, RYU’s more focused chapters are a huge disappointment. They also look at Yakumo’s levels, and the same bosses. They could have been cut entirely to make the game shorter and more impactful.

While this story doesn’t really have the emotion or depth of other games like it A yotei ghostthat did not hinder my enjoyment in any way. The gameplay does the talking here.

A lot of blood

Credit: Xbox Game Studios

Ninja gaiden 4The real-time combo is full of blood and high-octane action. Yakumo can unlock four types of weapons as the story progresses: takeminakata twin blades, takeminakata twin, magatsuuhi staff, kage-hiruko, which is an assortment of mixed weapons consisting of wrists and shuriken. These options give him multiple ways to slice and dice enemies into gory bits, and switching between them feels as smooth as butter, making combat fluid. Yakumo has a chance to be attacked by enemies, which allows him to “finish” them, causing short cuts where he kills automatically no matter how much damage you do. This is satisfying to watch, as body parts fly on the screen.

However, the obstacles are not compatible. While larger enemies should take longer to break apart, sometimes barriers work on smaller enemies within two hits or what feels like ages. It’s frustrating when I hit a small enemy and they just pop my hits like a sponge while I’m waiting for the blocking cable to show up. At times it can ruin the flow of combat.

As Yakumo fights, he can build up his own blood gauge and use chunks of it to cover his weapons in his own blood, leveling them up in what is called the Floodraven Form. He can pierce the enemy’s defenses and seriously disrupt bosses in the footsteps as they charge their most powerful attacks. Choosing where to do it is a delicate balancing act. Do I want to deal more damage quickly, or save my blood gauge in case I need to break away from the shield? Making these decisions on the fly during frantic combat keeps the gameplay feeling fresh every time.

Yakumo also has a unique berserk gauge, which he can activate to temporarily enter a powerful state. This condition means that certain blood attacks of his blood become his automatic killing, which is called blood killing. They come with their own special cutscenes, with the screen rebelling red and Kanji stylishly. This makes for a very explosive fight and accomplishes when the entire tension of the Arena Dissate in the blood hole.

The development plan is straightforward. By killing enemies, you get ninja points and weapons to buy skills and items to increase Yakumo’s abilities. Of course, it’s not like stealing like finding treasures in the world like Assassin’s Creed: Shadows or A yotei ghostbut this simple method suits an action game like this very well.

Cyberpunk tokyo

Credit: Xbox Game Studios

While robots and machines have always been part of the Ninja kheida space, Ninja gaiden 4 It leans more towards cyberpunk aderhetic than previous games, giving it a unique identity that separates it from its predecessors. This is mainly reflected in the user interface and menus, which take the design of the installed technology, like looking at a computer screen.

Ninja gaiden 4 It even offers an in-game description of the ever-burning Tokyo, which is a popular take on the cyberpunk genre. Even though Ryu has killed many dark dragons, his awakened husk lives on and plagues Tokyo with eternal rain. The only direct descendant of the black dragon, Yakumo is that, he can actually kill it. It’s a clever way to combine existing suspense with cyberpunk influences, resulting in a believable and dark time in the world.

Ninja gaiden 4StraightForward Level Design still gives you plenty of room to explore. Sometimes you’ll find a diversion, and following it leads to things like a treasure chest full of useful healing items, side quests, or a purgatory shrine. Side quests often involve killing a specific group of enemies hidden elsewhere. It’s worth it to get rid of their rewards, which could be as simple as Ninjacoins or something that can increase Yakumo’s maximum HP. Clean up zones are challenge stages that players can enter to test their skills against waves of enemies. Similar to the side requirements, these should make their own rewards.

Credit: Xbox Game Studios

Between certain stages, you’ll jump over the rails or surf the board to the next part of the level, all the while dodging obstacles like oncoming trains and broken road signs. They are nice distractions to balance the constant fighting, but it can quickly become an annoyance since the accidental loss greets you with your accident to restart small paths back and lose a small part of HP. There are situations during these stages where you will have to fail a disease check, which can be difficult to judge the distance, and failing to hit him will result in a loss of HP. This leaves me ready to face the next combat encounter since my HP is lower than before.

Ninja gaiden 4 and has a surprisingly robust set of accessibility settings. Not only can you adjust the font below, but there are different features that make it easier to see parts of the game. Visual options include things like changing the color of enemies and interacting objects, making them more distinct. This functionality is maintained by accessible Suite tools found in first-party PlayStation games, and hopefully continues with Xbox-published period games.

After completing the main campaign once, you will open the Challenge Challenge mode, where you can play as RYU throughout, instead of his dedicated levels. This gives the game a bit more revenge, as RYU’s gameplay is very different from Yakumo’s – including the use of ninjutsu to attack magic like fireballs. In addition, there are trials you can take where you participate in unique bosses under special conditions. After you’ve mastered the gameplay, these are fun ways to apply what you’ve learned in one last bout.

Is ‘ninja gaaden 4’ worth it?

Credit: Xbox Game Studios

Ninja gaiden 4 The next entry in one of the most beloved action franchises in gaming. While it’s not without its faults, such as RYU’s poorly executed parts and frustrating train parts, its good parts more than make up for them. The fast paced and satisfying combat feels refreshing in an age where most games are looking a little slow paced. Dark Souls-Gameplay like. There are several rematches and trials and post-game post-game entries, too.

Ninja gaiden 4 and will be available on Xbox Game Pass, although Microsoft recently announced that Price Hike, with its first published titles now available only through The most expensive tier is $30-per-month. The game is short, taking about 10-15 hours to complete, depending on how good you are. So if you have a high subscription, Ninja gaiden 4 It’s eligible, along with the rest of the Game Pass Catalog.