Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a near-perfect reintroduction to the classic Sega series, complete with an incredible art style, fast and stylish swordplay, and excellent platforming.
With publisher Tecmo Koei shadow-dropping Ninja Gaiden 2 Black in January, recently releasing Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, and scheduling Ninja Gaiden 4 to drop in October, 2025 is easily the year of the ninja. With that in mind, there’s no better time to reintroduce Sega’s classic assassin series, Shinobi. Developed by Lizardcube, the Parisian studio responsible for the eye-catching remake of Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap and the incredible Streets of Rage 4, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance ($29.99, reviewed on PlayStation 5 Pro but also available on Switch and Xbox) reinvents the long-dormant series with terrific hand-drawn visuals, fast-paced action, and razor-sharp platforming. In true ninja fashion, I didn’t see Shinobi: Art of Vengeance coming, but I’m glad it’s here because it’s one of the best action games of the year. Beautiful Graphics and Blood-Pumping Music
It’s been 14 years since the last entry in the Shinobi series, and good ol’ Joe Musashi is taking it easy. Naoko, the titular ninja’s pregnant wife, waves goodbye to Musashi as he heads down to the Oboro Clan village to train his students. Life is easy for the Oboro Clan—until it’s not. Forces from ENE Corp, led by Lord Ruse, decimate the village while Joe is distracted. With his village destroyed and his clan turned to stone, the vengeful shinobi sets out for revenge.
Right off the bat, you’ll notice Shinobi’s terrific graphics. Streets of Rage 4 was a gorgeous game, but Shinobi is even more beautiful. It just oozes style. Every animation flows like water, and the hand-painted art gives every action flourish. Musashi’s gi bounces as he runs, while elements pop out from the background and foreground, adding depth to the 2D stages. That goes for the music, too, which features tracks from Sonic Mania composer Tee Lopes. It also features works from the legendary Yuzo Koshiro, who scored countless video games over the decades, including all four Streets of Rage games.
