Many of Sega’s classic IPs have been dormant for over a decade, but the company is making a concerted effort to bring them back. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is part of this effort, with developer Lizardcube tasked with rebooting the classic 2D action-platformer franchise for modern audiences. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance marks the franchise’s return after a 14-year absence and, while it has its flaws, longtime fans will be happy to know that it’s a mostly successful revival.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance stars franchise mainstay Joe Musashi as he goes to war with the villainous ENE Corporation. Joe’s quest for revenge takes him to a variety of interesting locales and sees him square off with an intriguing lineup of villains, but the story itself is barebones and largely uninteresting. Joe’s rough grunts in response to anyone that talks to him are amusing, but otherwise the conversations are bland and the presentation leaves a lot to be desired. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance scenes typically consist of still images with voiceovers, which are not fun to watch and make it difficult to care about the revenge plot or anything else that happens in the game.
It’s a shame that Shinobi: Art of Vengeance didn’t invest more in its cutscenes because its strikingly gorgeous art style would have elevated the story if it were in motion. It’s a missed opportunity, but at least Shinobi: Art of Vengeance looks fantastic during gameplay. The vivid backgrounds are incredible and help give the game a sense of scope that some other 2D side-scrollers lack. The character animations are like an anime come to life, with Joe’s movements looking especially impressive.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Expands Joe’s Arsenal
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance gives Joe what is likely his largest moveset to date, with fresh new abilities added as the game goes on. The basic combat system is a mix of light and heavy attacks typical of the genre, but players can mix things up using Joe’s magical Ninpo attacks that can inflict a great deal of damage when used at the right time against the right enemy. Enemies all have stagger meters that, when full, can trigger an instant kill from wherever they’re at on the screen. Art of Vengeance has a nice amount of enemy variety to keep combat interesting as players slaughter ENE Corp members from one screen to the next. Some might find Shinobi‘s combat a little too basic even with Joe’s expanded moveset, but there’s enough there that it doesn’t get boring.
Players can greatly expand Joe’s arsenal of moves in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance at the shop, but they also gain tools that are more for exploration and platforming. For instance, Joe gains a glider that can be used to ride airstreams to higher locations, and he also obtains a grappling hook that allows him to cross gaps that would otherwise be impossible. Some of Art of Vengeance‘s most thrilling moments come from the platforming challenges, so it’s a bummer that there aren’t more of them.
After players slice and dice and air dash their way through each level, they are treated to a boss fight. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance boss fights are fun and where most of the game’s challenge lies, but they also don’t quite reach the level of exhilaration one would hope for. The fights are too simple, so while players may die a time or two, they’ll figure out the attack patterns and be able to kill the bosses with little additional effort. The general lack of challenge is Shinobi: Art of Vengeance‘s biggest drawback and, while the game is still plenty entertaining from start to finish, its simplicity is what ultimately holds it back from reaching its full potential.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Features Only the Best Elements of Metroidvania Games
While I wish Shinobi: Art of Vengeance was tougher, it’s still a solid 2D action-platformer. It looks great, controls great, and has some spectacular set-pieces. It also has a rather unique structure that I wouldn’t mind seeing other games copy in the future. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is not a Metroidvania, but it does still retain Metroidvania elements. Like a Metroidvania, there are areas players can’t reach until they get a tool later on, but these are always optional and do not prevent players from progressing the main story. Each level has its own map large enough to need fast travel, but not so big that exploration becomes overwhelming.
Making the stages standalone allows Shinobi: Art of Vengeance to retain the best elements of Metroidvania games while dropping annoying things like excessive backtracking and the tendency for players to get lost. This helps Shinobi: Art of Vengeance keep the focus on the action and does wonders for the game’s pacing, but there is that Metroidvania-style exploration for those who want it. Each stage is packed with secrets and collectibles for those willing to go off the beaten path.
It took me about 7 hours to roll credits on Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, but the game has a lot of collectibles to find and unlockable modes to master.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance‘s secrets and collectibles give the game significant replay value, which is good, because the game is otherwise fairly short. It wouldn’t be unreasonable for someone to beat Shinobi: Art of Vengeance in about five hours if they focus on the main story, but those who want to get 100% are looking at spending 2-3 times that amount. Hunting down Shinobi: Art of Vengeance‘s collectibles is a rewarding, relatively stress-free experience thanks to the generous fast-travel system and helpful maps, and it gives players an excuse to continue enjoying the game’s fast-paced combat after the credits roll.
If Shinobi: Art of Vengeance was more challenging and had more depth to it, it would potentially be the best game in the franchise to date. As it stands, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is still a mostly triumphant return that will keep genre fans thoroughly entertained while it lasts, and it would be great to see a follow-up that builds on its foundation to create something even bigger and better.
Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance
Reviewed on PS5
7/10
- Released
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August 29, 2025
- Developer(s)
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Lizardcube, Sega
- Number of Players
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1
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Unknown
- Gorgeous anime-style visuals
- Satisfying combat and platforming
- Takes the best parts of Metroidvania games while dumping the worst
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance launches August 29 for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant was provided with a PS5 code for this review.
