Shinobi: Art of Vengeance [PC] | REVIEW

After more than a decade in the shadows, Shinobi returns with a new mainline entry that proves that Joe Musashi hasn’t lost a step since his last outing in 2011. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a slick, challenging, and beautiful action-platformer that revives the series in style, with it setting the standard high for future SEGA revivals.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Admittedly, the plot doesn’t break new ground, but it gives the action the right amount of weight to keep players invested in the narrative. Joe Musashi is living peacefully, until Lord Ruse and his ENE Corp forces lay waste to his village and strike at the Oboro Clan. With his home destroyed and allies turned to stone, Musashi sets out across the globe to dismantle Ruse’s forces and claim vengeance. There’s not a whole lot of depth to the tale and it rarely surprises, but hey, it gives a decent framework that complements the outstanding gameplay.

The true star of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is its combat. At its core, you have light and heavy strikes, throwable kunai, and a growing library of combos that expand as you progress, ensuring players are continually experimenting with their skill set even into the later hours of the game. It all feels deceptively simple at first and reminiscent of earlier entries in the series, but soon reveals a surprising sense of depth that shows there’s a LOT more going on than it might initially seem. Cancel attacks, juggling enemies in combos, and the switching between abilities almost make it reminiscent of a stylish 3D brawler, and believe me, it translates to 2D beautifully.

The variety of enemies (and how you handle them) complements this, with players continually tasked with repositioning themselves and prioritising threats carefully in order to survive each encounter. Furthermore, as each attack hits, you build an Execution Gauge, which allows for flashy finishers that offer other small rewards outside of killing foes alone. Balancing the choice between taking enemies out quickly or lining up one of these executions adds a strategic wrinkle that keeps combat engaging, with the timing and setup adding tactical nuance to your flow through levels. It’s a cool mechanic that makes every enemy feel pivotal to your approach to set pieces.

“Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is everything a series revival should be: faithful to its roots, but unafraid to evolve in absolute style.”

On top of this are powerful tools in the form of Ninpo and Ninjutsu. The former grants elemental powers like fire attacks or protective shields, while the latter offers screen-clearing strikes or lifesaving heals when your rage meter is full. Complementing these are talismans that offer varying buffs that can play into your approach to gameplay, ensuring specific playstyles are catered to and rewarded. Together, these systems make for a combat framework that remains exciting and rewarding from start to finish, with each mechanic and fresh idea introduced ensuring that you can’t rely on button-mashing alone to make the most of the game (or survive each challenging encounter). Honestly, it feels wonderful in-game and keeps the tension high throughout.

The bosses of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance also deserve special mention, with each one memorable, both visually and mechanically, and constantly testing the varying skills you’ve learned along your journey in satisfying ways. Some demand clever use of newly unlocked abilities like grappling hooks or shield-breaking strikes to conquer, while others overwhelm you through sheer size or tricky attack patterns that rely on skill alone – there’s a balance there, but Shinobi: Art of Vengeance absolutely nails it. And sure, these encounters are often punishing (sometimes frustratingly so), but mastering each one and turning the tide with your expanded skill set feels immensely satisfying.

Outside of combat, the platforming is precise and fluid, with your traversal abilities expanding over time… double jumps, wall runs, air dashes, grappling hooks, and gliders all allow for sequences that test both timing and skill, and with levels intricate in design and playing into the need for precise platforming, simply navigating levels always feels fun. Again, like the combat, there can be some frustratingly challenging moments in levels, but never to the point where you’ll ever feel like giving up.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Levels are self-contained but sprawl with branching paths and hidden secrets, so it’s always worth re-visiting them when you expand your capabilities. Optional routes lead to relics, shop expansions, new weapons, and some of the toughest combat and platforming challenges in the game, so yeah, those who seek to discover everything will reap the rewards.

It’ll probably take most players around ten-hours or so to beat Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, but there’s extra content to keep you coming back for more. Arcade mode grades your performance in each stage for score-chasing runs in a more traditional and old-school manner, while Boss Rush pits you against every major foe in succession (a challenge that admittedly scares me). Combined with the many collectibles and optional challenges scattered across levels, there’s plenty of reason to return to the game. And if you’re a bit scared of the challenge? Don’t worry, there are plenty of accessibility settings to tinker with to make life easier too. Whilst it feels like the game is built for veterans, it offers something that’ll appeal to newbies to the genre.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance absolutely nails the gameplay then, but it also looks absolutely gorgeous. Every stage bursts with detail and personality, with the stunningly stylish backgrounds, hard-edged character designs, and fluid animations giving the game a vivid comic-book quality that matches the tone of the game perfectly. It was something that I was admittedly a little torn on during the game’s initial reveal, but in-game? It’s simply sublime. Man… I really, really love this game.

Developer: Lizardcube
Publisher: SEGA
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2361770/SHINOBI_Art_of_Vengeance/