Brutal, bloody and brilliantly tough: Ninja Gaiden 4 review

Domagoj Belancic

21/10/2025

Translation: Elicia Payne

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a relentlessly difficult game. It forces me to master its gameplay mechanics perfectly. Still, my efforts are rewarded with one of the best action games of the year.

Beads of sweat, cramped hands, fits of rage and cries of joy – my first trip into a Ninja Gaiden game was a rollercoaster of emotions.

Just when I think I’ve mastered the lightning-fast combat system, the game slaps me in the face and punches me in the gut at the same time. «Git gud, you weakling,» I hear Ninja Gaiden 4 whisper to me as I start a new attempt from the «Game Over» screen. Over and over again.

What have I got myself into here?

A sensationally staged rollercoaster ride without a break

Before testing Ninja Gaiden 4, I’d never played a game in the series – I should be ashamed. But because I have a lot of experience with comparable action series such as Bayonetta, Stellar Blade or God of War, I assumed I’d be well equipped for the ninja adventure.

Oh, how naive I was. Nothing could’ve prepared me for what I experienced during the 17-hour battle orgy.

I play the role of superhuman ninja Yakumo, trying to send a legendary evil dragon to the afterlife once and for all. Seori, a priest with magical abilities, helps me. Later in the game, I also take control of Ryu Hayabusa, the iconic protagonist from previous Ninja Gaiden games.

Even though I may not be able to put everything into its proper context due to a lack of prior knowledge, I’m immediately touched by the overdrawn characters. I particularly like the dynamic between Seori and Yakumo.

I don’t have much time to think about whether I understand everything correctly. The game is like a rollercoaster ride with a nitro boost, taking me from one incredibly cool highlight to the next at supersonic speed.

One moment I’m fighting cybernetic soldiers in a futuristic, cyberpunk version of Tokyo, the next I’m carving my way through hordes of Yokai in an ancient shrine.

The bloody action is repeatedly broken up with new gameplay mechanics in fast-paced passages. I race along the tracks of a monorail and dodge oncoming trains or chase a bloodthirsty shark on a surfboard in the sewers.

A fever dream. But a damn good one.

The level design is linear. This makes sense, as large, expansive game areas wouldn’t suit the ultra-fast pacing of the game.

Nevertheless, you can always find hidden corners in the tube levels where there’s something to discover. Stupidly difficult optional challenges, side missions and collectable items provide that extra adrenaline kick and dopamine boost in between.

Git Gud

At the core of the game, you have an ultra-fast, bloody and merciless combat system.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a hack’n’slash game in which you slaughter lots of enemies in a short space of time. But mindlessly hitting buttons won’t get you anywhere. Even on difficulty level «normal», the game mercilessly kicks my ass if I make a mistake or don’t concentrate.

But I never feel unfairly treated. At the end of the day, I’m responsible for my virtual deaths, not the controls or unfair enemies. I understand why I died and what I need to do better next time. The fact that the camera sometimes goes crazy when there are too many enemies and doesn’t show me exactly what I want is annoying, but luckily doesn’t happen all that often.

All those blows to the face the game delivers again and again make me stronger and motivate me. And compared to other difficult games, I can start a new attempt immediately after a game over. There’s no need for me to do minutes of backtracking that feel like a waste of time. Yes, I’m looking at you, «Silksong».

Yakumo – and later Ryu Hayabusa – fight primarily with sharp blades, which they wield in close combat. My options for attacking enemies are fast or strong attacks. I also have Shuriken at my disposal, which I throw at faraway enemies. This basic set of moves results in dozens of combos I can practise to perfection in a virtual training ground.

Once I’ve dealt enough damage to an enemy, I maim them. Then it’s time for a devastating and often overly brutal special attack. Heads are severed, limbs fly through the air and blood spurts as if Tarantino had directed the movie on speed.

When you’re in a fight, two separate special bars gradually fill up. I unleash Yakumo’s true power in short stints with the «Bloodraven Form» fighting technique, attacking with ultra-powerful strikes. And with the «Berserk» state, I make my ninja virtually invincible for a short time. This way, I can kill many enemies at the same time – it reminds me of the «Spartan Rage» from «God of War». Love, love, love.

But you also need to be cautious when using these special abilities. I always have to think strategically and stay on top of everything, especially with large hordes of opponents; otherwise I’ll be overwhelmed. Battles often feel like fast-paced puzzles – I only have a chance of surviving if I eliminate the right enemies in the right order.

Even if I slaughter hundreds of opponents by the end of the game, I never get bored. Extremely well-done enemy designs are to thank, among other things, but also the weapons, which always bring a breath of fresh air to the brutal action.

Ninja Gaiden 4 gives me enough time to get to grips with the unique abilities of my killing tools. Before I get too comfortable with a weapon, the game presents me with a new toy to experiment with. The abrupt change from Yakumo to Ryu Hayabusa halfway through the game provides even more variety – including new controls, attacks and special abilities.

This means I’m still unlocking new moves and combos right up to the very last boss fight. The temptation to start a «New Game Plus» run with all the skills I learned after the end credits is great.

Between «whoa, how cool» and «is this really necessary?»

Graphically, Ninja Gaiden 4 is a double-edged sword.

The various locations that I visit with Yakumo and Ryu captivate with their successful art design, which effortlessly combines futuristic and traditional Japanese elements. I was particularly impressed by Tokyo, which creates a cyberpunk-inspired atmosphere in a veil of dense rain and neon-coloured signs.

The soundtrack also works well – a mixture of electronic synth sounds and hard guitar riffs adequately accompany the bloody action. Sometimes, it also takes you by surprise – like the chilled jazz sounds that await me at save points.

The only issue is, Ninja Gaiden 4 can’t maintain the high level of its audio-visual presentation throughout. Some areas lack detail and seem tirelessly empty, which is disappointing and an extreme contrast to the more successful sections of the game.

Again and again, I also notice textures that, with their low resolution, permanently spoil the otherwise harmonious overall picture. It’s almost like the game hadn’t finished loading the textures. I’m not a graphics fetishist and can live with all kinds of visual rough edges in games. However, the visual inconsistencies in Ninja Gaiden 4 are so noticeable that I’m constantly pulled out of the moment and experience.

At least it performs correctly. On my PS5 Pro, the frame rate’s usually between 50 and 80 FPS. Thanks to VRR, these fluctuations aren’t noticeable.

Only in a few, extremely hectic situations with countless enemies and particle effects do I notice any stuttering. This is because the frame rate drops to 40 FPS, which is outside the VRR capabilities of the PS5 (48 to 120).

Ninja Gaiden 4 is available now for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Game Pass. I tested the PS5 Pro version that was provided to me by Microsoft.

Domagoj Belancic

Senior Editor

Domagoj.Belancic@digitecgalaxus.ch

My love of video games was unleashed at the tender age of five by the original Gameboy. Over the years, it's grown in leaps and bounds.

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