A Sharp Sword in a Dull Room: Why Ninja Gaiden 4 is a Glorious, Gritty Mess
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
The combat is a masterpiece of magical mayhem that revives the series' glory, but the story and level design feel like they were conjured by a wizard who fell asleep mid-spell.
Right, so after thirteen years of waiting—which is roughly how long it takes to learn a proper Level 5 Fireball or wait for a decent cup of tea—Ryu Hayabusa’s world is back. But there’s a twist. Ninja Gaiden 4 isn’t just a solo act; it’s a collaborative conjuring between Team Ninja and Platinum Games. On paper, that’s like mixing two volatile potions and hoping you don't blow up the laboratory. According to a brilliant deep-dive by Mitchell Saltzman over at IGN South Africa, the result is a game that’s both a masterclass in combat and a bit of a head-scratcher everywhere else.
I’ve been tinkering with the details of this release all morning, and bloody hell, it’s a wilder ride than I first anticipated. Imagine, if you will, a sword so sharp it can cut through reality itself, but the person holding it is standing in a very beige, very boring hallway. That’s the vibe here. Let’s dig into the digital tea leaves and see what the Master Ninja has been up to.
First off, let’s talk about the 'meat' of the experience: the combat. If you’re like me and you reckon the action in Ninja Gaiden 2 was the pinnacle of the series, you’re in for a treat. The combat in Ninja Gaiden 4 isn’t just good; it’s phenomenal. It’s got that signature Team Ninja fluidity—where every frame feels like it’s been polished by a precision engineer—mixed with the over-the-top, ‘how-is-this-even-possible’ craziness that Platinum Games is famous for.
The secret sauce? Enemy aggression. These aren't your typical RPG fodder that wait in a polite queue to get their heads chopped off. No, these blokes are ruthless. They’ll grab you if you try to hide behind your block, hit you with unblockable attacks from off-screen, and generally make your life a misery if you aren't paying attention. It’s a suffocating, thrilling pressure that makes every fight feel like a genuine struggle for survival. It’s brilliant, honestly.
To counter this, our new protagonist, Yakumo, has a toolset that’s frankly a bit overpowered in the right hands. You’ve got the iconic Flying Swallow and the Izuna Drop, but the real star of the show is the 'Bloodraven Form.' By holding down the left trigger, Yakumo transforms his weapon into something more extravagant—like a rapier that turns into a giant drill or a staff that becomes a massive hammer. It feels a bit like Bayonetta’s Wicked Weaves, which makes sense given the Platinum involvement. It adds a layer of resource management that I actually quite like; you have to decide when to risk your meter to break an enemy's guard or use it defensively. It’s clever, tactical, and looks slick as hell.
But—and there’s always a 'but' when wizards start messing with reality—the story and the lead character are a bit of a damp squib. Yakumo is, to put it bluntly, a bit of a lame edgelord. He communicates mostly in grunts, growls, and threats. There’s an attempt at an emotional narrative involving a priestess and magic seals (sound familiar?), but the game doesn’t do the legwork to make you actually care. It’s a 10-hour campaign that feels predictable. Even when Ryu Hayabusa shows up as a playable character toward the end, it feels like a missed opportunity. He’s just retracing Yakumo’s steps with a limited moveset. It’s like being promised a legendary dragon and being given a very grumpy lizard instead.
Now, let’s look at the 'brutal economy' Mitchell pointed out, because this is where my skeptical wizard ears started twitching. Ninja Gaiden 4 has moved away from individual weapon upgrades. Instead, you buy everything a la carte using 'Ninja Coins' (earned from side missions and challenges) and 'Weapon EXP' (earned from fighting). Here’s the rub: if you didn’t spring for the Deluxe Edition, which gifts you a whopping 50,000 Ninja Coins, the early game is a proper slog. You even have to buy basic moves like the Flying Swallow. It feels a bit stingy, mate. It’s almost as if they’ve built a system that encourages you to pay for convenience, which is a trend in modern gaming that I’m always going to view with a healthy dose of side-eye. It makes me wonder—if this were a Web3 title, would those Ninja Coins be tradeable? Would that Deluxe Edition boost be an NFT? For now, it’s just a standard corporate 'pay-to-skip-the-grind' mechanic, but it's worth keeping an eye on how these economies are evolving.
Then there’s the level design. While the combat arenas are great, the bits in between are... well, they’re uninspired. We’re talking bland rooftops, identical corridors, and boring city streets. Even when you leave the futuristic Tokyo setting, you’re just swapping grey streets for grey sewers or grey military bases. There’s some 'filler' traversal—rail grinding and sewer surfing—that repeats without much variation. It’s a shame, because when the combat is this expressive, you want the world to feel just as alive.
That said, there’s a silver lining. The bosses are a mixed bag, but when they’re good, they’re Metal Gear Rising levels of good. Adrenaline-pumping soundtracks, high-stakes duels—the works. And once you finish the campaign, there’s a heap of end-game content like combat trials with unique modifiers that actually sound like a right laugh.
So, what’s the verdict? Ninja Gaiden 4 is a bit like a powerful spell that’s been cast slightly off-center. The core—the combat—is a masterpiece. It’s the most fun I’ve had with a 3D action game since Devil May Cry 5. But everything surrounding that core—the story, the protagonist, the levels—feels like it’s lacking that same magic. It’s a glorious return for the series, even if it’s a bit rough around the edges. If you’re here for the pure, unadulterated joy of limb-liberating swordplay, you’ll love it. Just don’t expect the story to change your life.
Fair dinkum, it’s just good to have the Master Ninja back, even if he’s brought a slightly grumpy, edgelord apprentice along for the ride.
Tags: Ninja Gaiden 4, Team Ninja, Platinum Games, Action Gaming, Game Reviews
Original article: IGN South Africa