{"id":355339,"date":"2025-10-20T19:03:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T23:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/primagames.com\/?p=355339"},"modified":"2025-10-21T06:10:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T10:10:06","slug":"ninja-gaiden-4-impressions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/primagames.com\/featured\/ninja-gaiden-4-impressions","title":{"rendered":"Ninja Gaiden 4 Impressions From a First-Time Ninja Gaiden Player"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If it isn\u2019t obvious by now, I love action games. Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, God Hand, Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising, I\u2019ve played them all. So when I confess the sin of never properly playing the mainline 3D Ninja Gaiden games (despite loving the 2D entries), I want it to be clear that it wasn\u2019t out of indifference or ignorance of their legacy, but more of an \u2018I\u2019ll get to it eventually.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since each game is practically self-contained, I didn\u2019t hesitate to jump into Ninja Gaiden 4, and wow, I was missing out on something special. These are my impressions of Ninja Gaiden 4 from someone who loves action games but skipped the main trilogy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instantly Brutal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First things first: Ninja Gaiden 4 is gory, brutal, and extremely violent. It\u2019s not realistic violence, but so absurdly over the top that you can\u2019t help but laugh at how high the insanity meter is cranked. Yakumo casually slices off limbs and decapitates enemies as finishers without any effort, but with plenty of style. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every swing paints the floor red, and once you\u2019re done carving through foes, you leave behind a scene that would keep a forensic team busy for weeks. It\u2019s similar to DOOM Eternal in how it presents that violence, more goofy and ridiculous than something meant to shock you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Ninja
Screenshot by Prima Games<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nothing gets in the way of the action either. Finishers are fast, flashy, and the camera work is superb. The controls are easy to understand, but there is so much depth in the combat that you’ll spend a good time labbing in the training room trying to figure out what every move does, where it should be used, and what utility it can provide against certain enemy types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Ninja
Image via Team Ninja<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of which, enemies are fast, aggressive, and don\u2019t wait their turn. It feels like the entire game is actually trying to kill you rather than entertain you or act as moving targets. Even if you chop off an enemy\u2019s legs, they\u2019ll crawl toward you and blow themselves up. They are completely committed to dragging you to the grave, and learning how to counter them is what really makes this game stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast and Precise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Both Yakumo and Ryu are a joy to control, and you can move around combat arenas with zero friction. Learning the intricacies of their traversal and combat tools will probably take me months, but I\u2019m ready to take on the challenge and study the blade, as the weebs say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My impression of the original Ninja Gaiden has always been that its combat demanded precision and deliberate play, and while Ninja Gaiden 4 still has that, it feels much closer to the sequels with its faster pacing and the absurd things Ryu can pull off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"NG4
Image via Team Ninja<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll die a lot, but that\u2019s part of the learning process. I\u2019ve played enough challenging action games to no longer be discouraged by death, and I really appreciate Ninja Gaiden 4\u2019s training mode for that reason. If a certain enemy type is giving you trouble or you want to practice a move, you can jump into training mode whenever you want (outside of combat, of course). You can even map the View button on your controller to open training instantly, it\u2019s that intuitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Training
Screenshot by Prima Games<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the thing: this is a hard game made for people who love this genre, but the developers make sure you\u2019re never left in the dark. The mechanics are clearly explained, controls are simple, the tools are there, and the game actively encourages you to improve. It\u2019s tough, but also surprisingly inviting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I Don\u2019t Like<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Look, I\u2019m well aware that story in Ninja Gaiden games is usually an afterthought and the characters aren\u2019t exactly memorable, but I still feel like the developers had an opportunity here. The main character, Yakumo, is your typical quiet anime protagonist who is always grimacing and saying edgy lines. To contrast him, his team is full of loud, over-the-top characters who swing too far in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Seori
Screenshot by Prima Games<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no balance, and that\u2019s something games like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta handle much better. I don\u2019t find the world, characters, or story here particularly engaging. It might sound silly to criticize the story in a pure action game, but there\u2019s a reason Dante and Vergil are still iconic today for their personalities and arcs, while Ryu is just the badass ninja with a fairly one-dimensional presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not a huge issue, but it does make cutscenes a bit annoying to sit through. That said, the moment you are back in control, the game fires on all cylinders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Talking about this game is tricky because, on one hand, it\u2019s an incredibly satisfying action game with polished, fun combat systems to explore. On the other hand, it\u2019s part of a legacy I haven\u2019t personally experienced, which is why I ultimately decided not to fully review it, despite that being my original plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, even though this isn’t really a review, if you’re a fan of challenging, fast-paced action games with incredible depth, Ninja Gaiden 4 does not disappoint, and I can recommend it. The game also doesn’t really require you to know much about the last few games, and from what I can tell, every major Ninja Gaiden entry is pretty self-contained anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d like to see more helpful guides, news, or features from Prima Games, please consider adding us to your preferred sources<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

3D*<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":355345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_article_tier":null,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[8919,10183],"internal-label":[9322],"invoiceable_action":[9032],"article_type":[8352],"class_list":["post-355339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-featured-well","tag-ninja-gaiden-4","article_type-feature"],"yoast_head":"\nNinja 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When he isn't spending an unhealthy amount of time in Slay the Spire, he's probably trying out yet another retro-shooter or playing Dark Souls for the 50th time.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ali-hashmi-34866a126\/","https:\/\/x.com\/gitrektali"],"url":"https:\/\/primagames.com\/author\/ali-hashmi"}]}},"apple_news_notices":[],"coauthors":[{"id":140,"display_name":"Ali Hashmi","user_login":"ali.hashmi","user_nicename":"ali-hashmi"}],"raw_content":"If it isn\u2019t obvious by now, I love action games. Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, God Hand, Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising, I\u2019ve played them all. So when I confess the sin of never properly playing the mainline 3D Ninja Gaiden games (despite loving the 2D entries), I want it to be clear that it wasn\u2019t out of indifference or ignorance of their legacy, but more of an \u2018I\u2019ll get to it eventually.\u2019 Since each game is practically self-contained, I didn\u2019t hesitate to jump into Ninja Gaiden 4, and wow, I was missing out on something special. These are my impressions of Ninja Gaiden 4 from someone who loves action games but skipped the main trilogy. Instantly Brutal First things first: Ninja Gaiden 4 is gory, brutal, and extremely violent. It\u2019s not realistic violence, but so absurdly over the top that you can\u2019t help but laugh at how high the insanity meter is cranked. Yakumo casually slices off limbs and decapitates enemies as finishers without any effort, but with plenty of style. Every swing paints the floor red, and once you\u2019re done carving through foes, you leave behind a scene that would keep a forensic team busy for weeks. It\u2019s similar to DOOM Eternal in how it presents that violence, more goofy and ridiculous than something meant to shock you. Nothing gets in the way of the action either. Finishers are fast, flashy, and the camera work is superb. The controls are easy to understand, but there is so much depth in the combat that you'll spend a good time labbing in the training room trying to figure out what every move does, where it should be used, and what utility it can provide against certain enemy types. Speaking of which, enemies are fast, aggressive, and don\u2019t wait their turn. It feels like the entire game is actually trying to kill you rather than entertain you or act as moving targets. Even if you chop off an enemy\u2019s legs, they\u2019ll crawl toward you and blow themselves up. They are completely committed to dragging you to the grave, and learning how to counter them is what really makes this game stand out. Fast and Precise Both Yakumo and Ryu are a joy to control, and you can move around combat arenas with zero friction. Learning the intricacies of their traversal and combat tools will probably take me months, but I\u2019m ready to take on the challenge and study the blade, as the weebs say. My impression of the original Ninja Gaiden has always been that its combat demanded precision and deliberate play, and while Ninja Gaiden 4 still has that, it feels much closer to the sequels with its faster pacing and the absurd things Ryu can pull off. You\u2019ll die a lot, but that\u2019s part of the learning process. I\u2019ve played enough challenging action games to no longer be discouraged by death, and I really appreciate Ninja Gaiden 4\u2019s training mode for that reason. If a certain enemy type is giving you trouble or you want to practice a move, you can jump into training mode whenever you want (outside of combat, of course). You can even map the View button on your controller to open training instantly, it\u2019s that intuitive. Here\u2019s the thing: this is a hard game made for people who love this genre, but the developers make sure you\u2019re never left in the dark. The mechanics are clearly explained, controls are simple, the tools are there, and the game actively encourages you to improve. It\u2019s tough, but also surprisingly inviting. What I Don\u2019t Like Look, I\u2019m well aware that story in Ninja Gaiden games is usually an afterthought and the characters aren\u2019t exactly memorable, but I still feel like the developers had an opportunity here. The main character, Yakumo, is your typical quiet anime protagonist who is always grimacing and saying edgy lines. To contrast him, his team is full of loud, over-the-top characters who swing too far in the opposite direction. There\u2019s no balance, and that\u2019s something games like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta handle much better. I don\u2019t find the world, characters, or story here particularly engaging. It might sound silly to criticize the story in a pure action game, but there\u2019s a reason Dante and Vergil are still iconic today for their personalities and arcs, while Ryu is just the badass ninja with a fairly one-dimensional presence. It\u2019s not a huge issue, but it does make cutscenes a bit annoying to sit through. That said, the moment you are back in control, the game fires on all cylinders. Final Thoughts Talking about this game is tricky because, on one hand, it\u2019s an incredibly satisfying action game with polished, fun combat systems to explore. On the other hand, it\u2019s part of a legacy I haven\u2019t personally experienced, which is why I ultimately decided not to fully review it, despite that being my original plan. So, even though this isn't really a review, if you're a fan of challenging, fast-paced action games with incredible depth, Ninja Gaiden 4 does not disappoint, and I can recommend it. The game also doesn't really require you to know much about the last few games, and from what I can tell, every major Ninja Gaiden entry is pretty self-contained anyway. 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