NINJA GAIDEN 4 Review – Platinum‑Speed Ninja Action with Teeth
A brutal, fast character‑action that marries PlatinumGames flash with Team Ninja roots. Combat is addictive and violent, the music slaps, but janky inputs, repetitive levels and some PC quirks keep it from being flawless.
I jumped into NINJA GAIDEN 4 expecting a Platinum spin on classic NG brutality — and that’s roughly what I got. If you love Devil May Cry or Metal Gear Rising’s manic combat, this title will scratch that itch, even if it sometimes feels like two dev philosophies wrestling on the screen.
Core loop is old‑school hack‑and‑slash amped up with modern Platinum polish: fast weapon switching mid‑combo, gratifying dismemberment, and the Bloodbind Ninjutsu that temporarily transforms your gear into something nastier. Yakumo is the main playable lead (edgelord vibes included) with Ryu Hayabusa popping in for a handful of levels and unlockable runs after you finish the story. Combat rewards timing — parries, perfect dodges and counters feel meaningful — and bosses lean on pattern reading rather than pure button mashing. There’s a nice variety of weapons with distinct roles, a scoring/upgrade loop that encourages using your full kit, and an OST (shoutout to Victor Borba) that absolutely slaps during boss encounters. That said, the game isn’t shy about its faults: some players report inconsistent inputs, lock‑on oddities and hit detection moments that feel unfair, and levels reuse grey, rainy Tokyo tropes and on‑rails traversal a bit too often. PC players should be ready for a fiddly startup flow (graphics locked until a New Game in some builds), occasional controller quirks and DLSS/UI annoyances. Deluxe Edition sweeteners (skins, Weapon sets, 50k NinjaCoin and the “Two Masters” future content) are welcome if you like cosmetic and convenience extras.
NINJA GAIDEN 4 is a thrilling, blood‑soaked character‑action that earns its place mostly on the strength of its combat and soundtrack. Buy it if you crave frantic combos and metallic boss bangers — or wait for a sale if you’re worried about price and PC polish.
Pros
- Combat hits hard — fast, juicy, and deeply satisfying to master.
- Weapon switching + Bloodbind transforms add real combo variety.
- Soundtrack and boss themes (Victor Borba) are absolute bangers.
Cons
- Occasional input/lock‑on/hit‑registration jank that can feel unfair.
- Repetitive levels, some on‑rails padding and odd autosave/PC quirks — pricey at full tag.
Player Opinion
Players mostly gush about the combat, weapon variety and killer soundtrack; comparisons to Devil May Cry and Metal Gear Rising pop up a lot. Common gripes are Yakumo being less beloved than Ryu, short Ryu segments, reused environments, and technical/UX problems on PC (autosave, controller quirks, DLSS UI). If you live for high‑tempo action and score‑chasing, this is right up your alley; if you want a flawless, classic‑pure Ninja Gaiden experience, expect mixed feelings.