SHINOBI Art of Vengeance marks the long-awaited return of SEGA’s ninja Joe Musashi, absent from modern gaming since 2003. After years of rest, Musashi draws his katana once more as SEGA and Lizardcube, the team behind Streets of Rage 4, deliver a stunning, fast-paced ninja action experience on Switch. With thrilling combat, breathtaking hand-drawn visuals, and nods to classic SHINOBI games, this is a must-play for fans and newcomers alike.
The Story: Revenge of a Ninja
Sadly, it takes evil and tragedy to bring Musashi back to the world when an evil, megalomaniacal maniac destroys the Oburo clan and village. Musashi does what any good action hero would: he sets out for revenge. Thus begins an epic journey across the world in which Joe Musashi, a ninja of few words, grunts and slices and dices his way towards revenge.
A Rebirth and Reinvention of a Classic
SHINOBI Art of Vengeance isn’t just a new title in the series; it’s both a rebirth and a reinvention of SEGA’s classic game. One that pushes the game forward to new heights while also revelling in its storied past with wonderful throwbacks to the original games. Whether it’s the return of one of the first game’s most frustrating bosses, to the tied-up kids that need to be rescued or Ryo Hazuki driving a forklift at breakneck speed in the background, there are numerous Easter Eggs for the eagle-eyed, or those that have simply played the previous games, to grin at.
80’s Action Movie Storytelling
Story-wise, the game is par for the course with its 80’s action movie sensibility. A major bad guy steals power not belong to him and uses it to dominate the world. Gruff, unflappable action hero whom he’s wronged sets out on a course of vengeance. It’s pretty typical Saturday Morning stuff and just an excuse for you to get Joe’s slashy on.
Thrilling Combat and Moves
And let’s be honest here, that’s what you’re here for. Joe’s quest may be as legitimate – and simple – as they come, but ultimately it’s mere set dressing for the action to take place against.
And what thrilling, blistering, high-octane action it is. Once the tutorial section is over, SHINOBI Art of Vengeance hits the ground running and jumping and doesn’t stop. Lizardcube have developed a truly thrilling, fast-paced combat system that is both easy to use while providing an in-depth system to master. Joe has a treasure trove of moves for you to unlock, but it’s the manner in which Lizardcube have implemented those almost context-sensitive moves that makes it feel like second-nature when fighting and thus opens up plenty of offensive options for you.
For instance, pressing the attack button while rolling will launch you into a knee strike, while pressing the button as you come out of the roll will launch you into a double, whirling strike.
There are variations of this type of button combo between your light strikes, heavy strikes, projectile attacks, double jumps, dodges and air dashes, leaving you with a bewildering array of moves at your disposal. Now, to be fair, it’s nowhere near as many moves as you’d get in a fighting game, but there are enough skills and abilities to unlock here to make you feel like a versatile engine of death.
Return of Iconic Ninpo
SHINOBI’s iconic ninpo also makes a return with a variety of attacks, from fire-breathing to launching giant shurikens at the enemy. These can also be upgraded to deal even more damage if you can find the upgrades hidden in the levels. Speaking of which, SHINOBI Art of Vengeance ’s levels have tons for you to do if you want to 100% them. There are upgrades to find, special enemy units to kill, tough platforming sections to complete, and you won’t be able to complete each level completely, either on your first run through it.
Metroidvania-Style Level Design
The levels themselves, which are large with multiple save and teleportation points spread across them, all have a very Metroidvania style of structure between them, with areas that can only be accessed later in the game with new abilities and sections that loop back on themselves. The levels have been excellently designed so that you never feel like you’re following the same layout and therefore engaging in the same platforming sequences over and over.
Stunning Visuals and Art Style
If you’ve seen any of the trailers or screenshots, then you know SHINOBI Art of Vengeance doesn’t skip on the visual excellence either. Coming from the team behind the gorgeous Streets of Rage 4, you know SHINOBI Art of Vengeance is going to be a looker. And it is just as gorgeous as Streets of Rage 4 if not more so. Shinobi’s visuals are all of the hand-drawn and animated variety, featuring sumptuous 2D characters, animations and backdrops.
Fans of 2D art rejoice, for SHINOBI Art of Vengeance is a visual spectacle in action as well as in still frames. I could go on and on about just what a breathtakingly beautiful and animated game this is, but it really is one of those games best experienced to really appreciate the work SEGA and Lizardcube have brought to fruition. However, on Switch at least, that beauty did come with some slowdown in some areas.
Soundtrack and Audio
The package is rounded out with some wonderful sound effects and a fantastic soundtrack to accompany your sword swings.
Difficulty and Accessibility
The final item to touch on is the game’s difficulty, which, on its default setting, strikes a nice balance between user-friendly and escalating difficulty that requires you to put all your skills to use as you get further into the game. The game is also incredibly accessible on the playable front by providing multiple difficulty settings and one in which you can customise the difficulty to your liking by changing damage output ratios and frequency of enemy attacks, among other things.
For my money, the default setting is just about perfectly calibrated – the hardcore platforming and elite enemy fights aside – but for those looking for an easier challenge, Art of Vengeance has you covered.
Final Verdict
SHINOBI Art of Vengeance is a mouth-wateringly gorgeous, high-octane game that fires on all cylinders. It’s a breathtaking reinvention of SEGA’s classic franchise that easily hits the mark as one of the best action platformer games ever made.
SHINOBI Art of Vengeance Trailer
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Game code was provided to us for the express purpose of reviewing.