Ninja fans are eating good this year. There has been a huge revival for Koei Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden series following the releases of Ninja Gaiden II Black and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, and PlatinumGames’ upcoming Ninja Gaiden 4 is looking to ensure that the once dormant franchise stays alive for the foreseeable future. With Assassin’s Creed: Shadows and Ghost of Yotei, too, there is plenty in the 3D realm of ninja-styled games to keep any lover of flashy sword-based combat and rooftop acrobatics happy.
Joining Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound in bringing back the glory days of swift side-scrolling hacking and slashing action is Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, a brand-new entry in a fan-favourite Sega series relic whose last original release was around the time when Ninja Gaiden also happened to lose its way with Ninja Gaiden 3. The Nintendo 3DS’ Shinobi from 2011 was already a first attempt to reinvigorate the 2D series, but it proved unsuccessful, resulting in the Oboro clan being confined to the shadows once more.
With Lizardcube at the helm for Sega’s second go around at breathing new life into what was a firm Master System and Mega Drive cartridge slot-in for many ‘80s and ‘90s kids, the developer’s pedigree means the franchise has been placed in good hands. The French studio has experience in reviving old classics, with Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap and Streets of Rage 4 proving to be great examples of how to relight the 2D flame.
For Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Lizardcube has implemented a gorgeous handcrafted visual flair that presents striking artistic imagery, with superb parallax scrolling techniques delivering the illusion of incredible depth and verticality to returning protagonist Joe Musashi’s surroundings. Aesthetics never stop being mesmerising from first stage to last, and this is all backed up by sweet graphical effects for every swing of the blade and every Ninpo power used.
Following an attack by Lord Ruse – a twisted man that bested the Grim Reaper and is now using Death’s scythe to absorb souls for power – Musashi leaves his village to avenge his clan. Ruse’s minions have formed the corrupt ENE Corp, conducted abnormal human experiments and are taking over the world bit by bit. Across a combination of side-scrolling platforming and chase stages, Musashi encounters friendly faces equally hellbent on crushing Ruse that push the story forward, with throwbacks aplenty to classic Shinobi games.
It is rather amusing that despite whatever dialogue is going on, Musashi will remain his muted self throughout the quest, offering up only grunts. The focus on narrative in this Shinobi game sometimes feels like it doesn’t quite work when it may have been expected for Musashi to say something, but the writers use this to their advantage and craft up a few humorous exchanges.
Combat sequences are exhilarating and excel in part because of the cool painterly graphical effects that accompany each slice of Musashi’s blade, but it is the combination of crunchy feedback and satisfying audio that really accentuate the feeling of strength and power – particularly when chaining attacks and breaking the armour of tougher foes.
Deal enough damage to put an enemy on the brink of death, and they can be torn through with a slick finishing move. Get enough baddies on their knees at the same time, and this combo will become even more rewarding, with Musashi zigzagging into each one and reaping extra coinage and health as a result.
Many enemies can be bypassed, but oftentimes the stage will seal off progress until all spawning fiends are defeated. While fighting is an absolute highlight of this Shinobi adventure, it wouldn’t be as thrilling if Musashi was constantly forced into battles. That’s where breaking the adventure up with light exploration helps to add balance and make combat feel more worthwhile.
Where Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound went all in on fast-paced linear levels that encourage players to slice through fiends with momentum, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is almost the opposite. An emphasis on exploration is prevalent in a more open-ended format, with some stages requiring Musashi to pick the direction he wants to go before returning to the crossroads again. A helpful map highlights secret areas as they are travelled through, and checkpoints act as a means of fast travel, meaning players won’t get as frustrated due to backtracking. There are pros and cons to the process, though.
It is fun to run off the beaten path to look for collectibles and attempt challenging platforming segments, but this format doesn’t always result in the most enjoyable time. Block-pushing puzzle sequences come across out of place – even appearing during the urgency of the final stage – slowing things down a bit too much. Although the non-linear design that is present in certain levels isn’t particularly difficult or stressful, it does impact the action in a way that feels like this game would be better off without certain aspects of it.
There is plenty to unlock and master, with combos, special moves and badass rage attacks that can be equipped and unleashed after building up meters and energy. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance may not feel hard as nails, but regardless, there are assist options that can be customised to a personal preference, with the ability to finetune damage taken and damage inflicted, as well as where Musashi will end up if he dies. Very welcome additions that ensure all players can have a good time unleashing their inner ninja.
