Streets of Rage 4 is one of the best beat ’em up games ever made. So, when I learned that Sega enlisted one the brawler’s development teams, Lizardcube, to reinvent the classic Shinobi, my interest was piqued. I didn’t wait long before getting my hands on it. At Summer Game Fest, I played a demo of the upcoming Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, a title that’s shaping up to be a transformative ninja-focused action game.
Story: A Classic Ninja Narrative
If you’re unfamiliar with the property, Shinobi is one of the oldest IPs on Sega’s roster. It was also one of the company’s flagship titles when the game hit arcades in 1987. Plenty has changed within Sega and the gaming industry as a whole since then, but the spirit of the original arcade machine—and its sequels—lives on in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance.
The demo opened with ninja protagonist Joe Musashi enjoying a tender moment with his pregnant wife. However, Joe’s village was soon attacked by the evil Oboro clan, led by a villain named Lord Ruse and the military organization ENE-CORP.
(Credit: Sega)
Graphics: Terrific Art Style and Animation
Joe’s a shinobi of few words, but he moves with purpose. What I loved so much about Streets of Rage 4, besides the hard-hitting combat and excellent music, was its beautiful, hand-drawn visuals. So, it’s no surprise that developer Lizardcube brought that same care to Shinobi: Art of Vengeance.
Simply put, the game has jaw-dropping artwork and animation. Just look at the cloth flaps as he runs! Joe jumps and slashes as you’d expect, but the combos that come from stringing together well-timed dashes are what really make Shinobi: Art of Vengeance stand out from similar titles.
Movement is another highlight. You can climb and wall-jump across stages, but I enjoyed the parkour hops over small obstacles that conveyed an excellent sense of speed and flow. As I navigated the world, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance revealed strong Metroidvania elements. For example, I found emerald walls that could only be broken with a special move unlocked later in the game.
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(Credit: Sega)
Gameplay: Exciting Ninja Action
To call Shinobi: Art of Vengeance a simple platformer would do it a disservice, because there’s a lot more going on than just pushing forward and mashing buttons. Even in the demo’s early moments, Joe unleashed slick finishing moves to devastate enemies. My favorite? The Shinobi Execution.
Once you’ve done enough damage to an enemy, the foe’s tagged with a symbol. When it appears, you make a beeline for the enemy, killing them instantly with your sword. So, if you tag multiple enemies with that symbol, Joe bounces across the screen with bloody purpose. The more kills you string together, the greater the rewards.
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Joe can also tap into magic called Ninpo. Once you fill a small meter by defeating enemies, you can pull off a magic attack. In my demo session, I cast a short, fireball attack and a water attack that countered enemies. The real showstopper was the Ninjutsu, a huge, screen-clearing maneuver that activated once Joe built up enough rage by taking damage.
(Credit: Sega)
Those are just the starting techniques; there are many moves to buy in the Yokai-run store that lets you cash in collected coins and relics for attacks. There are also equippable amulets that offer passive and combo-specific bonuses. The combo amulet was the most appealing one I demoed, as it rewarded high-risk, high-skill gameplay. My demo ended with a huge boss battle that was decidedly challenging, but I never felt overwhelmed.
Platforms and Release Date
Sometimes, you discover a game that includes everything you want: Fast-paced, challenging combat; excellent music; and an art style that oozes cool. Samurai might be all the rage this year with Assassin’s Creed: Shadows and Ghost of Yōtei dominating video game discourse, but Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a reminder of what a good ninja game could be. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance hits the Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One on Aug. 29.
About Zackery Cuevas
Analyst, Hardware
