Shinobi Art of Vengeance Looks And Plays As Sharp As A Ninja Blade

All of a sudden, and all at once, the entire industry seems to have come to a realization: Ninjas are cool. There have been a smattering of recent games featuring ninjas who are also turtles, but this seems to be the year that old-school human ninjas are back, baby. We already received the combo shinobi-samurai fantasy in Assassin's Creed Shadows. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black was announced alongside an upcoming Ninja Gaiden 4. The retro-styled Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is coming from The Game Kitchen. And finally, Sega is bringing back one of its classic franchises with Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. It's a veritable buffet of ninja action this year, but having played an extended Shinobi demo, I recommend saving some room for it.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance comes from Lizardcube, developer of gorgeous hand-drawn 2D games Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap and Streets of Rage 4. Those games have a distinct visual style, separate from the 3D games or even the pixel art of Ragebound. Instead they look ripped from the pages of a comic book, with sharp inky lines and fluid animation. Shinobi is no different, and seeing it applied to the fast and versatile skills of Shinobi is a real treat.

That artwork feels additive to the flow of the game, which is quick and improvisational. Everything from the platforming to the combat feels tightly tuned to make you feel in control at all times--a capable ninja master who is more than a match for any single foe. The challenge comes from managing the space, presenting several enemy types at once and daring you to prioritize them. You need to close the gap between yourself and the ranged archers before taking on the melee swordsmen. Just when you've gotten a handle on that, suddenly there are mystics who heal your opponents, so they become a new priority target. This all takes place on a 2D plane but it carries the Streets of Rage DNA by presenting you with enemies to juggle. Reaching a boss feels appropriately dramatic, as you get a quick cinematic glance of the titular Shinobi from the back, facing off against the monstrous threat.