Without giving away too many surprises from The Two Masters DLC, the trailer shows off some of the new enemies that protagonists Ryu Hayabusa and Yakumo can take on with the help of the new additions to their respective arsenals. Ryu can get his hand on a pair of Serpent Gauntlets called Jakotsumon, while Yakumo can get a massive new scythe, Solitaire, that allows him to pull off wide, sweeping attacks.

Much like base Ninja Gaiden 4, The Two Masters will be filled to the brim with enemies to take on in violent, blood-soaked combat, before our two heroes can take on the primary antagonist.

Along with a host of new levels and story content, The Two Masters also brings with it the new Abyssal Road mode, which becomes available after finishing the DLC’s story on any difficulty. The mode is essentially a massive gauntlet of enemies for either of the heroes to take on, with the fights getting more and more challenging as you get deeper into the Abyssal Road’s layers.

The Two Masters DLC was announced back in October 2025, shortly before the game’s release. At the time, PlatinumGames producer and director Yuji Nakao and Team Ninja director Masazaku Hirayama had described the new weapons as offering “distinct qualities” and a “plethora of mechanics” for both Ryu and Yakumo. The story itself is set after the events of the base game, and involves both of the protagonists working together.

Ninja Gaiden 4 was released across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. In our review, we gave the title a score of 8 out of 10, praising its combat system, responsive controls, and new mechanics. However, we also criticized the lack of excitement offered by Ryu’s levels, and the repetitive nature of a few encounters.

The game is our introduction to a brand new hero, Yakumo. The story is set a few years after the events of Ninja Gaiden 3, with Yakumo exploring a futuristic version of Tokyo that has been cursed by the Rain of Darkrot. However, before he can get rid of the curse, Yakumo first has to deal with the Divine Dragon Order. Things take a turn when Ryu is discovered to be working with the Order to protect the curse’s seal.

Leading up to the game’s release, Xbox Game Studios, Koei Tecmo, Team Ninja and PlatinumGames had released a video where they teamed up with master swordsmith Yuya Nakanishi and the Masahiro Tantoujou Sword Forge to forge real-life replicas of Ryu’s Dragon Sword and Yakumo’s Takeminakata. Along with the forging itself, we also get a history lesson on katanas, which first showed up around 900 years ago, in the later Heian period.

Yakumo gets a new scythe, Solitaire, and based on its appearance, you’ll be able to enhance it with Bloodbind Ninjutsu. On the other hand, Ryu has Jakotsumon, a pair of Serpent Gauntlets, which provide some much-needed variety to its limited arsenal. They’ll both take on new enemies, including a sick jetpack demon and Trials.

There’s also a new challenge mode, Abyssal Road, which should further push players’ skills to the limit. Based on the brief image at the end of the trailer, it’s seemingly set in Purgatory, but you might be in for more than just a higher difficulty setting to existing missions.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC alongside Game Pass. It’s the long-awaited mainline sequel in Team Ninja’s hack-and-slash series, co-developed with PlatinumGames. While its story is a bit iffy (don’t even get me started on Ryu’s stages), it’s still a pretty fun action game. Check out our review for more details.

Originally released in 2017 for PS4 and PC, NieR: Automata served as a sequel to the original Nier with new protagonists – 2B and 9S. As androids under YoRHa, who served the last surviving humans on the Moon, their mission was to battle the Machines, created by mysterious aliens who wreaked havoc on Earth. With time, however, it becomes clear that things aren’t what they seem at all.

After achieving critical acclaim at launch, it launched for Xbox One in 2018 and Nintendo Switch in 2022. There have been crossovers with numerous other IPs (including The First Descendant and Soulcalibur, of all things). However, outside of Nier Re[in]carnation, which shut down in April 2024, fans have yet to see a proper continuation.

A remaster of the original game, NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… was released in March 2021 and has sold over two million copies to date. It offered revamped visuals and even a new ending, although there’s been no word on a continuation for that either.

This Ninja Gaiden 4 guide lists the locations of all the items, including the Black Scales and Phantasmal Herbs, needed for health upgrades for Yakumo.

Yakumo Health Upgrade Locations

Chapter 1

Phantasmal Herb #1

As a reward for completion of Mission 2.

Chapter 2

Black Scale #1

Go left from the monorail track after the battle with the drones and flying enemies.

Acquiring it will trigger the creation of your first Dragon Lord’s Grace through the automatic combination of the prior Phantasmal Herb and this Black Scale.

Chapter 3

Black Scale #2

As a reward for completion of Mission 4.

Phantasmal Herb #2

In a chest at the top of a stairway, after the Burabura Lantern Daemon fight.

Chapter 4

Black Scale #3

In a chest atop a wall that you will have to run up to reach. Find this location by taking the left route at the fork after the stealth portion at the start.

Black Scale #4

As a reward for completion of Mission 8.

Chapter 5

Phantasmal Herb #3

As a reward for completion of Mission 11.

Phantasmal Herb #4

As a reward for completion of Mission 12.

Chapter 6

Black Scale #5

After landing on the rope bridge, make an about face instead of proceeding to the objective. Find it in a chest to the left of this area.

Chapter 8

Black Scale #6

As a reward for completion of Mission 15.

Chapter 9

Black Scale #7

As soon as the surf sequence begins, bear left after ducking under the glowing gate. Remain on the left until you reach the combat area with the two chests, the right of which holds the Black Scale.

Phantasmal Herb #5

As a reward for completion of Mission 17.

Chapter 11

Phantasmal Herb #6

In one of four chests found at a station, post-completion of Mission 19.

Chapter 12

Phantasmal Herb #7

In a chest just off to the right at the top of the short stairway, prior to the red laser hallway section.

Black Scale #8

As a reward for completion of Mission 22.

Chapter 19

Phantasmal Herb #8

In a chest to the left of the shaft you will ascend, post-battle versus Ryu.

This marks the last of the eight Yakumo health upgrades that can be found in regular New Game. The remaining two health upgrades can only be found in New Game+ by loading a completed save and accepting the newly unlocked missions.

New Game Plus Chapter 2

Black Scale #9

As a reward for completion of Mission 26.

New Game Plus Chapter 6

Phantasmal Herb #9

As a reward for completion of Mission 30.

New Game Plus Chapter 8

Black Scale #10

As a reward for completion of Mission 31.

New Game Plus Chapter 11

Phantasmal Herb #10

As a reward for completion of Mission 33.

Those are the unlock locations for every item required for all the health upgrades possible for Yakumo in Ninja Gaiden 4.

This guide for Ninja Gaiden 4 is an explainer on how to unlock both Ryu Hayabusa and Yakumo as playable characters in their exclusive chapters, and what to expect.

Unlock Both Ryu And Yakumo For All Chapters

Aside from the flashback chapters where you play as him by design, the actual unlocking of Ryu Hayabusa requires you to wrap up the game’s storyline to completion with Chapter 19. Difficulty does not matter, and the playable options are plainly visible post-game.

Among the new modes unlocked will be ‘Chapter Select’ which functions as you expect it, letting you replay any random chapter of the game without having to progress towards it first. Right at the start, you will have the opportunity to choose between either the default character for that chapter or the non-canon alternate.

This effectively means that not only can you play the early Yakumo-centric chapters as Ryu, but also replay Ryu’s later flashback chapters as Yakumo instead.

The various other modes also allow for this switch up, but you absolutely cannot start a proper new game and expect to play as Ryu from the start for the full playthrough.

This character select option exists purely to test your abilities with a different set of weapons and skills at your disposal.

Item and NinjaCoin tallies are shared jointly between both characters, though weapon and skill progression is distinct.

That is everything there is to know about unlocking character selection to play as either Ryu Hayabusa or Yakumo in all chapters of Ninja Gaiden 4.

This guide for Ninja Gaiden 4 is an explainer on how to acquire more slots for accessories.

Upgrade Accessory Slots

Only in Chapter 4 will you first be offered the option to increase accessory slots. Interact with the merchant Tyran, who up until now only had combat skills on offer under the Learn Combat Skills menu.

Mixed in with the rest is the new Art of Adornment Lv. 1 Passive ability, which will increase the number of accessory slots to 2, in exchange for 8000 NinjaCoin.

Eventually, more of these Arts of Adornment will become available.

Art of Adornment Lv. 4 can be found in a chest in Chapter 15: Fanged Gate. Just before you slide under the large gate, deviate to the right instead through a tunnel. Back on solid ground should have you right in sight of the chest holding the item.

That is everything there is to know about expanding the number of accessory slots is Ninja Gaiden 4.

Of course, Black is known for taking everything about the first Ninja Gaiden and essentially enhancing it, adding new difficulty options (including the series’ staple Master Ninja), Mission Mode, new bosses, and even improvements to the camera. The difficulty also changed numerous encounters, resulting in different enemy layouts and thus more challenging scenarios.

So, how much better is Ninja Gaiden 4 over Ninja Gaiden Black? Does it set a new standard for the series, or does it fall behind? Let’s dive in and find out.

Combat

“Methodical” is a good way to describe Ninja Gaiden’s combat as a whole since you couldn’t interrupt your own attacks, and it often paid to observe and react to enemy attacks. Black also incorporates the two post-launch Hurricane Packs for the original, but it doesn’t include Intercept (which is essentially Perfect Blocking). This made it far more challenging than the original.

What’s interesting is how it balanced agility with more stationary defense at the time – numerous attacks can be blocked. However, enemies can grab you or break through with powerful enough strikes, which means you’re encouraged to move around and dodge, leveraging your environment and other techniques, rather than sitting still and waiting to attack all the time. Alongside the Dragon Sword, players can utilize the Kitetsu (a mid-game katana), Nunchucks, the Vigoorian Flail, the two-handed Dabilahro, the War Hammer, and more than a few hidden options with the Lunar Staff and Smoke Bombs exclusive to Black.

By comparison, Ninja Gaiden 4’s combat offers several more options for approaching fights and a faster pace overall. Perfect Block can be used to transition into a counter-attack; parrying allows for unleashing techniques like Fatal Flash; perfectly dodging attacks temporarily slows time and lets you attack enemies on follow-up. The fundamentals of blocking remain, but there’s a lot more freedom to chain together techniques and combos with the addition of weapon switching, not to mention the ease of executing Ultimate techniques (which still provide invulnerability to damage).

And that’s not even accounting for Bloodraven Form, which includes a whole other set of benefits, whether it’s techniques that can effectively knock back groups of enemies or allow for highly-damaging bombs and shurikens. Berserk Mode also rewards your aggression with Bloodbath Kills, which can insta-kill enemies, and if you have the right accessory equipped, obtain some healing in the process. All of this fundamentally changes things from a scoring perspective, reducing the need to rely on items and the risk of death. If you can master them, of course.

Yakumo has four weapons, but Bloodraven effectively doubles that, even if their usage is tied to the Bloodbind gauge. Kage-Hiruko feels an anomaly among the selection because it packs in bombs, shurikens, flails, and much more into one package. Since you can also play as Ryu Hayabusa, that means you get access to the Dragon Sword as well (which, despite the lack of other options, feels great to use).

It’s also worth noting Obliteration Techniques, which were only introduced in Ninja Gaiden 2. While you miss out on them in Ninja Gaiden Black, they’re meant as a way to slay dismembered enemies before they can grab you and deal heavy damage. With the lack of such enemies, Obliteration becomes superfluous. Of course, it’s a core mechanic of Ninja Gaiden 4, since they recharge your Bloodbind gauge and facilitate Bloodraven techniques. Different systems, overall, but you miss out on the awe-inspiring animations, especially when obliterating bosses (and Ninja Gaiden 4 has some of the best in the series).

Overall, the combat comes down to preference. If you prefer something more methodical and moderately-paced, then Ninja Gaiden Black is the winner, but in terms of flashiness, combo potential and skill ceiling, especially with all the options available, Ninja Gaiden 4 emerges victorious. I prefer the latter, since Team Ninja and PlatinumGames go beyond simply building on the series’ fundamentals, seamlessly integrating new mechanics and systems while retaining a strong level of challenge.

Exploration and Side Content

Ninja Gaiden, and Black by extension, stick closer to a more traditional action-adventure format. You have a hub, there are puzzles to solve and keys to locate, which helps the world to feel more like an environment that you explore. Ninja Gaiden 4, however, is a lot more linear. There are side areas to discover, targets to assassinate, Gourdies to capture and whatnot, but for the most part, you’re progressing on a single track towards your objective with no room for really dispelling the Dark Dragon seals in any order.

Which makes some sense given how the story plays out. The traversal is far more expanded as a result, as you wingsuit through ravines, grind on monorail tracks, grapple to avoid oncoming trains, and plummet down waterfalls. And when comparing side content, Ninja Gaiden 4 easily has the advantage. Even with Black’s Mission Mode offering a whopping 50 different scenarios to tackle, Ninja Gaiden 4 includes its own Boss Trials and Combat Missions, multiple ways to tackle its wave-based gates, and Chapter Select to run through the entire game as either Ryu or Yakumo on top of different difficulties.

Presentation

Another aspect that comes down to personal taste is the graphics and music. The visuals in Ninja Gaiden 4 definitely look sharper, especially when it comes to the textures, character models and quality of the animations. But for its time, Ninja Gaiden Black stood out well, offering a richer color palette. Comparatively, whether you’re battling through the Underworld or venturing through a windswept valley, Ninja Gaiden 4 feels more muted. The DDO’s facilities can also come across as sterile at times, with little to really make them stand out. It does have its fair share of moments, which showcase some impressive attention to detail and lighting, so there’s that.

The music is much harder to judge because Ninja Gaiden Black’s tracks are very much representative of their era. There’s an abundance of techno intermixed with classical instruments, and it all works to convey the atmosphere around each situation (see the battle with Doku for how well all these arrangements mix). Ninja Gaiden 4’s soundtrack is solid overall, but I’m struggling to really recount that many memorable tracks aside from Umi’s Shop theme. Definitely worth another listen, but for now, Ninja Gaiden Black gets the nod in terms of presentation.

Bonus: The Story

There’s no two ways about it – Ninja Gaiden Black is the winner. Its narrative may start simply enough – with Ryu on a mission to retrieve the Dark Dragon Blade – but it’s laden with lore, memorable characters (both heroes and villains) and unique moments. I wouldn’t say Ninja Gaiden 4’s story is outright terrible, but its characters aren’t nearly as fleshed out (the DDO is about as surface-level as it can get, and the Fiends are kind of just there). Yakumo’s tale to uplift the Raven Clan and Seori’s personal quest are nice and all, but I still enjoyed Ryu’s journey in Ninja Gaiden Black far more.

Conclusion

There’s a reason that Ninja Gaiden Black is considered the best in the series, and suffice to say that it still holds up after all these years. Ninja Gaiden 4 is second-best (at least in this comparison), but it’s worth checking out for the combat and the sheer roller coaster of a story, regardless.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

“But wasn’t it already slain in Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword?” you’ll probably ask, and you would be correct. However, Yakumo’s mission involves permanently destroying the dragon with the help of Seori, the Dark Dragon Priestess, by removing its seals and purifying it. Along with battling the Divine Dragon Order, Ryu Hayabusa returns to stop the Raven Clan ninja in this potentially world-ending quest.

Ninja Gaiden 4 retains many facets of previous titles, from Ultimate Attacks and Obliterations to classic moves like the Flying Swallow and Izuna Drop. However, it adds weapon switching and Bloodraven Form, allowing Yakumo to transform his weapons in devastating ways. For more details, check out our review – we gave it an eight out of ten, praising the combat among other things.

Of course, this isn’t the end of support. Team Ninja and PlatinumGames have already announced paid DLC, The Two Masters, for release in early 2026. It adds new weapons and story missions while further expanding on post-game challenges for hardcore players.

We’ll explore all this and provide some tips on surviving, excelling in combat and embarking on the road to mastery.

Spin (and Sweep) to Win

You’ll earn more than enough weapon EXP to unlock a plethora of techniques, but two that come highly recommended and great to fall back on are Rising Stance: Spin and Vaulting Stance: Sweep for Takeminakata. The former sees Yakumo rising, perched on the blade, before delivering a spinning slash in a decent radius – this is great for knocking back multiple enemies at once if you’re overwhelmed (and avoiding damage while doing so). Vaulting Stance: Sweep is good for a damaging follow-up. Just mind the slight delay before the attack when vaulting forward, since enemies could get a few hits in.

Berserker Barrage

As you deal (and take) damage, the Berserk gauge begins to fill. Once activated, it allows for holding down light or heavy attacks in Bloodraven Form to initiate Bloodbath Kills for instantly eliminating foes. Pairing this with Rising Stance: Spin is great for taking out multiple enemies at once, especially the heavies. Just make sure to hit L3+R3 again before the gauge runs out for Bloodbath Slaughter, a massively damaging finishing move which also insta-kills all enemies within range.

Frugal Spender

When starting the game, Ninja Coins are obviously on the lower side, so avoid spending them on items. Simply exploring the environment will net chests full of healing items and those that temporarily buff defense and attack. The abundance of checkpoints throughout areas also ensures that you’re never far from a full heal, so keep that in mind before taking a swig to your health.

Easy Weapon Switching Opportunities

Switching between multiple weapons mid-combo can get daunting, especially when trying to figure out the best ways to transition between different techniques. If it’s presenting a challenge during combos, try switching during obliteration techniques or Ultimate attacks. The invulnerability window provides a nice breather for planning your next move and swapping accordingly.

Ultimate Power

Get used to abusing Ultimate attacks. Their invulnerability is extremely valuable against groups of enemies (even when dealing with those poisonous puddles) and boss fights, not to mention the damage. How do you charge it up without getting dived on by enemies? Unlock Ultimate Guidance, a combat skill which speeds up the charging when absorbing a Blood Essence orb (increased by two levels if it’s a large orb). You’ll want Final Charge for that second level for even more hits and Landing Ultimate Technique, which increases charge speed if you start immediately upon landing.

Block Party

Not everyone is going to become a parry master overnight, so it’s often a good idea to fall back on blocking whenever possible. One way to ease into parry opportunities, however, is to memorize enemy and boss patterns, block against their attacks and then attack just before the last hit (thus initiating a parry). Even if you miss the parry and take damage, keep blocking to avoid follow-up damage. If you can land at least one parry through this method, then a Fatal Flash can be initiated, which drops a Blood Essence Orb on dealing damage to absorb for an Ultimate Attack.

Illusive Steps

Of course, there are benefits to perfect dodging as well, especially if you unlock the right combat skills. Mirage, both the regular and Bloodraven variant, are mandatory in this regard, especially the latter since it deals more damage and even launches an enemy into the air. Just keep in mind which weapon you’re using to do so.

Other Useful Techniques

The Izuna Drop and Flying Swallow are a given, but if an enemy is proving too difficult, why not just throw them into the abyss? Get Guillotine Throw to accomplish this in areas with sharp drops. Even in more enclosed spaces, it’s great for knocking enemies off balance by throwing them into each other. You can even throw one at flying enemies to clip their wings.

Besides Takeminakata, Eagle Dive and Propulsion Impact are ideal skills for Yatousen. Tremorous Pummel and Sunset Breaker (even if its follow-up spin is hard to land) work well with Magatsuhi. For Kage-Hiruko, Tamahami for dashing through enemies multiple times, Nocturnal Flash for dropping bombs and Nocturnal Rain for bombs that can launch enemies high up are ideal.

Danger Sense

Pay attention to the motion indicators on your HUD – they’ll alert you to enemies, even if they’re not on-screen. It’s useful for judging your distance to threats before a battle begins, but downright invaluable when you think an area is safe after eliminating all visible threats.

Ninja Mercenary

You’ll want to constantly take on requests whenever they become available, but pay special attention to those which grant Phantasmal Fragments, since those are used in items that provide permanent health upgrades. Others will award accessories which can offer unique benefits if you have the required slots. The rewards for each request are visible before taking them and in the Missions tab.

Tyran’s Tactics

Tyran, the Raven Clan instructor, is the man when it comes to unlocking new combat skills, but he offers other benefits. As you progress through the story, he’ll provide higher levels of the Art of Defense, which increases the number of consecutive blocks and the number of accessory slots, respectively, both invaluable in their own ways.

Wave-Based Challenge Missions

Sooner or later, you’ll discover a gate with blue flames, emanating nothing but trouble. Before venturing inside for its wave-based challenge, you can select how much of your max health to reduce, which increases the amount of weapon EXP and Ninja Coins earned. Just remember that if you give up or back out after entering, it won’t be accessible again in that chapter.

Easy Access

Thankfully, upon completing the story, you get the option to select between each of these missions without having to replay the entire chapter. The catch is that you need to discover them to unlock them in this menu. Even if you fail, at least it’s unlocked for retrying later and tackling higher difficulties with more skills.

Tallying Up

After finishing the story, dive back in via Chapter Select to purchase Tallies. These can unlock additional missions for more Ninja Coins and items like Incense of Rebirth, which can revive you upon death. As a way to earn additional currency while revisiting the campaign as, say, Ryu Hayabusa, they’re a nice extra, especially since their progress isn’t chapter-specific.

Non-Berserk Bloodbath Kills

At the shop during Chapter Select, you can also discover items like the Ashen Pipe, which makes it so that every weapon’s signature attack has a chance to trigger a Bloodbath kill (at the risk of disabling Berserk gauge build-up). Not only is this useful when replaying at higher difficulties, but it also comes in handy for the post-game Trials, where you can customize your loadout, even if it costs a whopping 85,000 Ninja Coins.

And it succeeds, for the most part. Between the myriad of new tools and delightful ways to obliterate enemies, Ninja Gaiden 4 impresses so thoroughly that it’s almost enough to make you forgive when it runs out of steam.

For the first time on this side of the series, the protagonist isn’t Ryu Hayabusa but Yakumo of the Raven Clan. Initially tasked with assassinating Seori, the Dark Dragon Priestess, he ends up helping her break the seals on the infamous foe to purify it, which would help Tokyo’s real estate value since its husk has been plaguing the city.

"But the main appeal of Ninja Gaiden 4 is the action, and there’s plenty to go around. Initially armed with dual katanas, Yakumo can acquire a rapier, quarterstaff, and the “box of death,” a set of ninja tools that includes kunai, shuriken, bombs, and more (and yes, it is as cool to see in motion)."

The Dark Dragon will be familiar to fans of the first game and Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword – its blade and Dark Dragonstones were the catalyst for major world-threatening events. Apparently, only a Raven Clan ninja can accomplish this, and to do so, Yakumo needs Seori alive. However, breaking those seals means inviting calamity, presenting an interesting stalemate, especially when the DDO, an organization protecting the Dark Dragon’s remains, and Hayabusa get involved.

It’s an interesting stalemate, at least initially, and the narrative steadily unfolds to reveal that things, surprise surprise, aren’t what they seem. Regardless, this isn’t simply a case of Yakumo and his crew being the baddies. The Raven Clan is known for taking on all kinds of tasks, and for Yakumo, the mission is all that matters, and destroying the Dark Dragon is priority one. He can come across as dour and uninterested, but cares for his team, namely Umi, who provides support and navigation over comms; Misaki, the technical expert; Tyran, the grizzled instructor; and yes, eventually Seori, whose sassiness pairs well with Yakumo’s attitude, even if the shift from cohorts to friends isn’t the smoothest.

But the main appeal of Ninja Gaiden 4 is the action, and there’s plenty to go around. Initially armed with dual katanas, Yakumo can acquire a rapier, quarterstaff, and the “box of death,” a set of ninja tools that includes kunai, shuriken, bombs, and more (and yes, it is as cool to see in motion). However, there’s also Bloodbind ninjutsu, allowing him to imbue his weapons with blood, transforming them in the process (referred to as Bloodraven form). Instead of dual katanas, you wield a single massive blade; the quarterstaff turns into a rocket hammer; the rapier a drill that can dash around; and so on.

It’s a simple yet ingenious system – the quarterstaff is ideal for dealing with groups of enemies, but as a hammer, it hits incredibly hard. The dual katanas can dish out some great single-target combos, even juggling enemies up into the air for the famed Izuna Drop. However, Bloodraven form gives it extensive reach for dealing with groups of enemies.

Of course, you can’t keep it permanently enabled – Bloodraven feeds off kills, particularly obliterations. This encourages decimating your enemies as quickly and thoroughly as possible, though that’s easier said than done depending on who you’re up against. There are the usual grunts, both on the ground and in the air, that fall easily. However, elite DDO soldiers, for example, can prove more relentless, unleashing area-of-effect electric attacks or fast, aggressive strikes. Bloodraven attacks are necessary to break through their guard, staggering them and creating an opening.

"Surrounded by numerous enemies? Perch atop your blade and bring it down in a massive sweeping motion, or vault with the rocket hammer into the sky and transition into a spinning strike."

Of course, you also have various techniques, and this is where the combat really takes off. Surrounded by numerous enemies? Perch atop your blade and bring it down in a massive sweeping motion, or vault with the rocket hammer into the sky and transition into a spinning strike. With the introduction of weapon switching, you could launch enemies into the air with the box of death’s bombs, switch to the drill to pierce through a single target while airborne, and finish with a hammer slam. The usual back-forward and full-circle inputs also exist, corresponding to different Bloodraven and regular attacks; the sheer number of ways to loop these into combos is pretty nuts.

It’s also to Ninja Gaiden 4’s credit that all of this plays as much into defense as well. You could block most blows, reacting to red glint attacks with a Bloodraven strike to stagger a foe, or parry and unleash a Fatal Flash, slicing through an opponent. You could then unlock Perfect Final Flash to slice through foes with Bloodraven attacks. There’s also Perfect Dodging, which can easily dismember an opponent with the follow-up attack (depending on the weapon).

A mix of different defensive tactics is advised, especially when enemies insist on dog-piling you (more so on Hard, less so on Normal, but still). However, your inherent mobility and spacing will also prove useful, even if it’s obliterating a weaker enemy at range first to charge up an Ultimate attack and unleash a flurry of strikes – useful for when the blood reserves run dry against blocking enemies. Get aggressive, and the Berserk gauge builds. Upon activation, it allows your Bloodraven attacks to insta-kill foes, and even unleashes a coup de grace to annihilate multiple enemies in your vicinity. And yes, it pairs with your Bloodraven techniques as well.

If it wasn’t obvious enough, all of this feels exceptionally good to control, from the fluidity of movement to the feedback from hits. The sense of danger, as any collection of foes could potentially take you down, gives way to disbelief that you’re actually pulling off some of these moves. It won’t be long before you’re scoffing at every little mistake and item used in chasing higher scores.

Which is great because, for all the variety in combat mechanics, encounters can sometimes become repetitive. When you’re on a windswept bridge and capable of throwing enemies into each other or the ravine, maybe crossing gaps to destroy a ranged unit before dealing with the Tengu in pursuit, it’s all well and good. When the flatter, open kill spaces prevail, or you’re venturing through a simple hallway to kill fools one too many times, it can wear on you.

"For much of its playtime, Ninja Gaiden 4 is a rollercoaster…until you gain control of Ryu Hayabusa. Despite only having one weapon, he’s a blast to play – Dragon Gleam also allows for follow-up attacks, and his combos are distinct enough from Yakumo. Without delving into spoilers, however, his stages aren’t the best…"

Enemy variety isn’t necessarily to blame in this regard – heck, a new batch of tougher DDO soldiers becomes available later in the game, and it even makes sense narratively. However, there are also numerous chapters in a row where you’ll face the same Fiendish threats back to back to back, to the point where I nearly cried upon seeing the DDO show up for variety’s sake.

Team Ninja and PlatinumGames mix up the pacing in other ways. Yakumo grinds on rails, leaps over obstacles and to other tracks to avoid oncoming trains; transitions between wall-running and grappling; glides through windswept areas; and even hops on a ninja surfboard. Some environments feature all of these to great effect, with excellent responsiveness, even if these sections don’t really feel all that challenging (with maybe one exception in a late-game level).

That being said, their implementation in some boss fights leaves a bit to be desired. The fights themselves are pretty good, as Yakumo shifts from slayer of mobs to a proficient duelist, but when told to fly during a boss, expecting something cool to happen from meeting them in mid-air, only for the dull reality to set in, it’s a huge buzz-kill. Such instances are few and far between, though, and whether you’re taking on Fiends or going up against other proficient fighters, the adrenaline is pumping throughout.

For much of its playtime, Ninja Gaiden 4 is a rollercoaster…until you gain control of Ryu Hayabusa. Despite only having one weapon, he’s a blast to play – Dragon Gleam also allows for follow-up attacks, and his combos are distinct enough from Yakumo. Without delving into spoilers, however, his stages aren’t the best, retreading old ground and lacking much of the high-octane platforming. It’s bad enough that there aren’t many, but they’re also relatively short. One feels like the developers wanted to spare you the trouble, resulting in an insultingly brief chapter.

Such discrepancies mean not wanting to revisit those chapters with Yakumo once Chapter Select becomes available. There is some incentive to do so, as you can obtain Tally items to unlock new missions, usually to kill a certain number of enemies using a specific weapon or rack up a larger body count overall. I also appreciated the addition of late-game accessories that convert Ninja Coin to Weapon EXP and vice versa, in case you’re lacking in either. Otherwise, you’ll be revisiting Chapters to mop up any requests, whether it’s capturing Gourdys, clearing horde-like trials, assassinating targets, or collecting materials.

"Team Ninja and PlatinumGames have sought to move forward, above all else, and this mix of new mechanics and fast-paced platforming delivers an engaging experience, even if Ryu’s levels could have been better."

There are also separate Boss and Combat Trials to partake in, the former providing rematches against all bosses in the story as either Ryu or Yakumo. You can opt for different difficulties or enable Death Wish, stripping both characters of all upgrades. The Combat Trials mix and match enemies from different levels while imposing other notable conditions, like only using Yakumo’s base form with no Bloodraven, presenting an interesting challenge when breaking through enemy guards or red glint attacks. Suffice it to say that if you love the combat, there’s more than enough to keep you busy.

Presentation-wise, Ninja Gaiden 4 looks good – character designs, both for the core cast and enemies, are on point, and they animate exceedingly well. But if you’re not a fan of cyberpunk-esque facilities, dark settings or dingy rainfall, the art direction can sometimes feel drab. There are other unique environments to explore, thankfully, and the overall sense of scale can impress. When it comes to the details, you’ll be admiring the obliterations and sheer bloodshed more than anything, and on my set-up (an Intel Core i5-11400, 32 GB of RAM and an RTX 4060), it all ran quite well with the rarest of frame drops at 1440p.

Of course, that’s with DLSS enabled and most settings on either High or Medium. Strangely enough, you don’t have different DLSS modes, unlike with FSR, though at least there’s an option for DLAA. As for the music, it’s a solid mix of traditional percussion and rock tracks, with a few vocal numbers emerging in key fights, which can be either extremely hype or slightly mismatched. Almost like the team wasn’t sure whether to unleash that signature PlatinumGames touch or keep things reined in.

If you’re someone who wants to go back to the glory days of the franchise, then Ninja Gaiden 4 may leave you mostly satisfied but still slightly wanting. Team Ninja and PlatinumGames have sought to move forward, above all else, and this mix of new mechanics and fast-paced platforming delivers an engaging experience, even if Ryu’s levels could have been better. It’ll have to settle for being a pretty good addition to the series, but with so much room for combat experimentation, whether you’re jumping into the franchise for the first time or seeking the path of mastery.

This game was reviewed on PC.