Artwork of Vengeance’ Is Stylistically In A Class All By Itself

Supply: Lizardcube / Sega / Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance

Ninjas are as soon as once more dominating the online game house. However all of them by no means seemed nearly as good as Joe Musashi does pulling off all these superior ninjutsu strikes in Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance.

For many who have been taking part in video video games for the reason that 80s (I simply aged the hell out of myself), Shinobi has been a fixture within the gaming house since 1987, first slicing his means into arcades earlier than heading to dwelling consoles.

Zapping to the current day, Sega has handed the keys of the traditional franchise to Lizardcube (Streets of Rage 4, Surprise Boy: The Dragon’s Lure), they usually have delivered what could possibly be some of the visually spectacular video games of 2025 with Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance.

Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance instantly shot to the highest of my listing when it was first teased in 2023 throughout a supercut trailer launched by Sega, highlighting all of the traditional IPs it was bringing again.

At Summer season Recreation Fest Play Days, I used to be lucky to get hands-on with Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance, and I can say with out an inch of doubt in my soul, it was considered one of my favourite experiences at Play Days.

Being A Ninja By no means Felt This Good

Supply: Lizardcube / Sega / Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance

I bought to expertise half-hour of the yet-to-be-released title in a two-stage demo. For full disclosure, I didn’t play the second stage, which many different individuals who did play it describe as a mix of the sport’s fight and platforming mechanics, as a result of one other appointment.

Nonetheless, I managed to collect as a lot data as I wanted about this recreation within the first stage of the demo, which takes place at Oboro Village, the house of Joe and his clan, and serves as a reintroduction to Joe and his ability set.

You get a short tease of the story, which options your typical villain, on this case, Lord Ruse—an excellent villain in all senses—who has taken management of the planet. It’s as much as the legendary ninja to take him down.

Issues go left, and a peaceable second between Joe and his spouse is interrupted when Lord Ruse’s ENE Company burns down Joe’s village, sending him on his quest for revenge.

Within the preliminary stage, Joe is simply armed together with his legendary katana, Oborozuki, and kunai, however he does purchase a number of new abilities as I breezed by the stage.

Joe Musashi Has A Highly effective Ability Set

Supply: Lizardcube / Sega / Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance

Controlling Joe is clean as hell, pulling off strikes feels rewarding each time, and the combo system permits gamers to chain assaults, permitting you to really feel like a ninja like by no means earlier than.

Additionally, the sport is beautiful, I caught myself saying rattling throughout a number of moments of the demo, particularly when utilizing Joe’s Ninja and Ninjutsu stances which providing you with entry to highly effective skills.

Holding the shoulder button places Joe into totally different stances, permitting him to execute extra signature strikes. You possibly can stylishly take out staggered foes with the Shinobi Execution, which is able to bless you with extra rewards.

Joe can even blast a strong fireball at enemies with a ability referred to as Hearth Ninpo. The Water Nimpo is a capability that’s extra defensive in nature, which places a water protect round him, permitting him to parry incoming assaults.

Supply: Lizardcube / Sega / Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance

Lastly, when Joe hits the Ninjitsu stance, he can carry out the Karyu, which is a devastating screen-clearing assault that engulfs all close by enemies.

General Impressions

Supply: Lizardcube / Sega / Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance

Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance isn’t a triple-A recreation, and gained’t value as a lot as one both, however it has the potential to be among the finest video games of the yr.

It’s a wonderful, hand-drawn expertise that’s buttery clean and breathes new life right into a long-dormant franchise, and we’ve solely skilled only a style of this recreation.

In a world the place video games like Murderer’s Creed: Shadows, the forthcoming Ninja Gaiden 4, and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound exist, Sega’s Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance can stand out from the bunch as a result of it has one thing these video games don’t: STYLE.

Shinobi: Artwork of Vengeance slashes its means onto PS5, Xbox Collection X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Swap, and PC on August 29.