Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance

Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch

It’s been a long time since players last experienced the shuriken-slinging excitement of Sega’s classic Shinobi series – 2011’s Shinobi 3D on the 3DS, to be precise – and longer still since the glory days of Shinobi III on the Mega Drive. Bringing the series back after so long could have ended up being little more than an exercise in nostalgia, but with this modern update, it’s safe to say master ninja Joe Musashi is back with, well, a vengeance.

That should come as no surprise with developer Lizardcube at the helm, the same studio that masterfully resurrected Sega's Streets Of Rage and Wonder Boy franchises. Familiarity with prior Shinobi games isn’t required though. All you need to know here is that the nefarious ENE Corporation, under the command of the mysterious Lord Ruse, has gathered gun-toting mercenaries, evil ninjas, and a cadre of literal demons into an unstoppable force that’s conquered the world. Unstoppable, that is, until they come to Musashi’s quiet home of Oboro Village, razing it to the ground – and earning them a righteous kicking in return.

If you were there for the originals, Lizardcube’s outing will likely unlock sense-memories of the Mega Drive era. Musashi’s host of super-ninja skills see him double-jumping, air-dashing, and sword-slicing through waves of enemies as if the series never left. Indeed, the first level here feels very much a recreation of those ‘90s masterpieces, a constant run to the right of the screen occasionally interrupted by cartoonish villains popping up to taste your blade, or the odd crate to smash for power-ups.

Each stage is carefully designed to put players’ platforming skills to the test.

Age Of Vengeance is far more than a tribute act though. Each stage is carefully designed to put players’ platforming skills to the test, and the action-focused gameplay is meticulously crafted. Every beautifully animated movement feels incredibly precise – the slightest mistimed leap can be turned against you, but learning to read, dodge, and counter enemy attacks will see you racking up massive combos, in turn charging even more impressive abilities.

‘Ninpo’ skills charge up with the more damage you deal to enemies, and allow you to unleash the likes of fire breath, lightning strikes, or aerial bombs. ‘Ninjutsu’, meanwhile, are Musashi's ultimate attacks, requiring a separate ‘rage’ meter to be filled first but capable of turning the tide of battle when tactically deployed. Best of all though is ‘Shinobi Execution’, where weakened enemies can be tagged and then taken out en masse. Only four ninpo can be equipped at once, which – alongside amulets that can be equipped to tweak Musashi's attributes – allows for considerable versatility in how you build the hero and tailor him to your preferred play style.

Despite the array of eye-popping powers available, Age Of Vengeance remains as demanding as the series has ever been, particularly when it comes to boss fights at the end of each stop on Musashi's globe-trotting hunt for Ruse. While some of these can get just a shade too frustrating, even after working out each boss’ unique attack patterns, these signature battles not only put everything you’ve learned to the test but stand as some of the most impressive in Shinobi history.

Art Of Vengeance takes a notable departure from that history though in adopting more of a Metroidvania approach to its level design. Where the original Shinobi games were pure action platformers, players hacking and slashing their way through linear stages, this gives you reason to revisit areas once Musashi has acquired new abilities. His ninja claws, cannon punch, sword dive, and sundry other ningi skills help unlock new areas that are otherwise inaccessible, often hiding other power-ups making them worth the trek.

However, Lizardcube doesn’t fully commit to the Metroidvania format. Where the likes of Metroid Dreador Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown have their entire game spread out over one massive, interconnected world, this opts for a halfway house by retaining the standalone stages of Shinobi’s yesteryear glory, making tracking exactly where you need to return to, and which skill you need to have unlocked to get there, trickier. Finally accessing one of those previously unreachable areas still serves up the little serotonin bursts that the genre at its best offers, but this is a less than elegant way to deliver them.

Still,this is a welcome return for a gaming icon, one that manages the tricky balancing act of remaining true to its roots while evolving things for modern players. Shinobi: Age Of Vengeance immediately cements itself as one of the best in the series – and hopefully it won’t be another decade before we get more.