SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance Review

It’s weird to say, but ninja games are back in a big way in 2025. With recent Ninja Gaiden releases seeing success, another iconic personality in Joe Musashi is also joining in on the fun with SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance. Developed by the geniuses at Lizardcube, responsible for the utterly fantastic Streets of Rage 4, fans can rest easy that the beloved series is in good hands.

Extremely good hands, at that, because SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance is a bold, modern reimagining of the classic ninja formula, elevating the experience and executing it to perfection with fast-paced combat, responsive gameplay, and a reverence for its roots that makes it a must-play in this year filled with other spectacular titles.

Picture Perfect

Lizardcube’s Ben Fiquet is at it again, and after his stunning rendition of Streets of Rage 4, he takes his talents to SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance, pushing a hand-drawn art style that feels like a painting brought to life. Despite being a 2D platformer, each level is filled with enough detail and depth that it bursts with color and personality, ranging from a laboratory, a ravaged village, a neon-lit city, to even the insides of a gigantic monster.

The same can be said of the character designs, and despite Joe Musashi’s standard ninja garbs, the enemies and bosses are fantastic pieces of art as well. These are complemented well by the array of effects from attacks and executions that blend well with the overall art style, making the game a visual feast.

Unsurprisingly, the main draw of SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance is its gameplay, with a combat system that’s fast, fluid, and freaking addicting. While regular attacks suffice, the game’s heavily combo-based nature encourages players to string together a series of light and heavy attacks, which can then be chained with special moves for a beatdown. There are juggles and launchers reminiscent of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, emphasizing creativity and precision.

Regular attacks fill a gauge that allows for the use of Ninpo attacks, which are elemental-based techniques that have various use cases. Groups of enemies can be dealt with using the Fire Ninpo, while the Water Ninpo brings massive damage to an enemy foolish enough to attack during its counterstance.

On the other hand, collecting Rage Orbs can unleash Ninjutsu techniques, which are basically ultimate moves that can turn the tide of battle in a snap.

Combat in SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance feels good, thanks in large part to its intuitive control scheme. While there isn’t too much of a difference from other titles that have their attacks on the face buttons and dodging/specials on the shoulder buttons, the game is ultra-responsive to commands, making Joe jump or attack when you want him to, and moving out of the way in an instant just as an attack is about to hit. This alone makes it feel satisfying to play, when you know you’re in complete control of the character and you only have yourself to blame for botching that next hit.

Enemies in SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance have execution gauges, which are separate from their HP. Once filled, players can instantly execute them using the Shinobi Execution, which is basically an incredibly cinematic and stylish instant kill, which is satisfying if you somehow manage to place multiple enemies in this state and get even more rewards than usual.

Up, Down, and All Around

Instead of a fully seamless map, SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance is composed of levels that players can come back to should they need to find all of its secrets. Early levels will have blocked-off paths that are inaccessible because Joe Musashi doesn’t have the appropriate technique or device to overcome them.

Playing through the game will provide access to new Ningi techniques, such as the Cannon Punch that can break down armored walls, or the Ninja Claws that allow special walls and ceilings to be scaled. Players who choose to explore every inch of the map are incentivized, as there are multiple secrets to uncover apart from simple resources.

There are three Elite Squads to challenge in every level, and conquering all will reward players with a nice bonus. Those looking to be challenged can take on the Ankou Rifts, which are either extreme platforming or combat situations to test players to their limits. These are tough, but the reward is particularly worth it, so players who take time to master these challenges will be handsomely compensated.

There are also several Oboro Relics in each level, and collecting these is essential to unlocking more powerful techniques in the shop that will aid Joe Musashi in battle. There’s a lot to see and do in each level, and if that’s not enough, level runs are scored based on mastery, so players can certainly extend the replay value of the game as much as they see fit.

Unlike other similar titles, SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance isn’t particularly hard, and apart from a couple of difficulty spikes from certain bosses, the game never feels unfair. Oftentimes, players will find that they are just shy of a couple of hits from beating a boss, or maybe just a nicely executed air dash to reach the next platform. There’s almost nothing in the game that felt impossible to do, but as always, mileage will vary, and it’s certainly understandable that some platforming segments may be challenging, but those are mostly from inside the Ankou Rifts.

One thing SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance does well is make all of its levels feel fresh to play. Apart from the diverse enemy variety, levels will have their own gimmicks that will make players tackle each one differently. They also rarely overstay their welcome, and even with exploring every nook and cranny to find all its secrets, it feels just right and perfect for a quick session.

In terms of runtime, SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance clocks in at around 10 hours, but there’s enough replay value to double it easily. Between collectible hunts, combat challenges, and speedrun potential, players will find plenty of reasons to return.

PC Performance

Here’s the system we used to play SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance:

• Ryzen 5 5600x, 16 GB DDR4 3600 RAM, NVIDIA 4070 Super, 1TB NVMe SSD
• Steam Deck OLED 1TB

Playing on both systems proved to be flawless. On a PC at 1440p, our frame rates were steady at 120fps even during busy sections, without sacrificing graphical quality. The Steam Deck performed admirably as well, and even with setting a TDP limit to around 7 or 8, players can still achieve a rock-solid 60fps, which is perfect for a game that demands timing and precision.

The game was technically sound as well, with no bugs or issues encountered during our full playthrough.

Verdict: Buy it!

Any other year, and SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance could have easily been considered as a Game of the Year contender. It’s that good. From the stunning visuals to its fast-paced combo-based gameplay, the game is pure bliss and such an audiovisual treat from start to finish. It understands what makes action platformers great and executes its vision with style and precision.

Despite its short runtime of about 10 hours, there’s enough replayability to keep players coming back. From optional collectibles to combat and platforming challenges, all of these work toward improving Joe as he becomes a force to be reckoned with. The game can be tough, and while some challenges can be frustrating, they never seem so unfair that they feel out of reach.

Ninja games are so back, and just as Ninja Gaiden is working its way to the spotlight, SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance is worthy of a must-play status in a year filled with heavy hitters.

*SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance was reviewed on a PC/Steam Deck with a review code provided by the publisher.