Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Reviews

What a time it is to be a ninja fan, with the fantastic Ninja Gaiden 2 Black earlier this year and the resurrection of 2D Ninja Gaiden with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. There is also the fantastic looking Ninja Gaiden 4 in a month, but in between that just launched one of the best games this year, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. If you’re feeling like you’re burnt out on the 2D style, don’t worry, Shinobi does enough different than Ragebound to stay fresh. It’s time to step back into the...

In reinventing the retro wheel, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance leads the way: a demonstration of how modern tools, accompanied by thought and talent, can be expanded upon to not just reboot franchises, but actually rebuild them in new and incredible ways. It’s one thing to revisit an arcade action game with new graphics, moves, and weapons, cherry picking familiar set-pieces and nostalgic visuals; it’s another entirely to create a new experience, utilising craftsmanship and a belief that the hardware can offer more. Art of Vengeance, its cadence and flow, its violence and exhilaration — and the fact it makes you feel like an absolute badass from one slain enemy to the next — is a trendsetter. Fix that frame rate, and it’s pure ninja gold.

Art of Almost-Perfection

A successful relaunch of the Shinobi franchise that doesn’t attempt to do anything startlingly new but instead makes do with being a very well-constructed action adventure.

At the end of 2023, Sega announced its intention to revive a handful of dormant franchises from its heyday. Some of them came from the Sega Genesis era, including the action-focused ninja franchise Shinobi. I grew up as a Super Nintendo kid, so I didn't have any particular attachment to Shinobi or Joe Musashi, so I walked into Shinobi: Art of Vengeance fairly cold, not really knowing what to expect. Fortunately, one doesn't have to be seasoned in the world of Shinobi to understand what an incredible masterpiece Art of Vengeance is.

Everyone’s favourite ninja, Joe Musashi, is back in Shinobi Art of Vengeance, the first of a series of projects that look to revitalise classic Sega franchises like Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, and Crazy Taxi. Equal parts nostalgic and modern, and priced at $48 AUD, Art of Vengeance isn’t one to be missed.

After waiting for decades, Shinobi and Joe Musashi have not just made a proper return, but are a shining example of what SEGA can do with its older titles, should it want to. It’s simply flawless, full of enjoyable combat, tricky sections, and plenty to keep ninja gaming fans happy from start to finish. Welcome back, Joe. We’ve missed you.

2025 is an amazing year to be a fan of samurai and ninjas, with games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Ninja Gaiden leading the pack of their sudden resurgence with releases earlier this year, and soon, Ghost of Yotei and Ninja Gaiden 4. But what I wasn’t counting on was perhaps one of the biggest surprises for me this year, and that was the announcement of SEGA’s Shinobi franchise returning for yet another classic 2D entry.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a wonderful return for the classic franchise, featuring fluid combat with tons of variety, as well as exciting boss encounters. While combat is definitely the highlight, its art design is a sight to behold and is undeniably one of the most stylish games of 2025. While its platforming needs a bit of fine-tuning, it isn't enough to hinder how much fun it is to combo the heck out of foes.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a genuinely engaging 2D action platformer that’s beautiful to behold and even better to play.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance once again puts us in control of the legendary Joe Musashi, and it's a genuine treat. Fast and fluid combat meets slick platforming and traversal, and when you add in the game's stunning art and excellent soundtrack, you're looking at game of the year material.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance triumphs at what it sets out to achieve. A side-scrolling action game, it brings intense, fast-flowing combat and some very light metroidvania elements for brief bouts of exploration. If you’ve played developer Lizardcube’s previous game, Streets of Rage 4, expect a similarly stunning hand-drawn art style here, as well as an excellent soundtrack that keeps the action feeling suitably engaging. Make no mistake, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a game of the year contender and essential play for action game fans.

Channeling everything that made the classics great while enhancing with new mechanics, stunning visuals, and sublime controls, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is an incredible revival and stellar action side-scroller in its own right.

Art of Vengeance is the new benchmark for bringing back a dormant IP and making it better than ever.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance doesn’t settle for redoing the past. Instead, it brings the series forward with a distinct art style and bold new ideas. Art of Vengeance captures the spirit of Sega with a well-designed game that as an overly concerned Shinobi fanatic, I can muster only minor gripes about. It's good, it's fresh, and it's fun.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance features exceptional combat, compelling exploration and gorgeous visuals, and I couldn't recommend it more.

SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance takes the almost 40-year-old Shinobi series and completely revitalizes it into the search action genre due to its silky fighting game combos, gratifying maneuvers, sensational tricks, with exemplary and satisfying results abound. Lizardcube, the developers of Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap and Streets of Rage 4, have reinvigorated yet another prolific franchise, and Art of Vengeance has undoubtedly become one of my favourite 2D action-platformers of all time.

A long-dormant franchise often faces the challenge of either appealing to existing fans or trying to capture a new audience. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance masterfully walks the revival tightrope of creating an experience that appeals to fans old and new, delivering a precision-driven action/platformer that deserves to be mentioned among the best of the last several years.

Ninja Gaiden, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—it’s been a great year for ninja-based games, and the train keeps rolling with Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. Serving as the first title in 14 years following the last foray with Shinobi 3D on the Nintendo 3DS, Lizardcube, developers of Streets of Rage 4, bring this new fix to fans. Featuring the DNA and pedigree of that studio’s talents while being a fitting and true next step for the series, it’s a 2D action game resurgence that is not to b...

Like a ninja, Shinobi: Act of Vengeance sneakily delivers one of this year's best 2D action games. It smartly and stealthily showcases its brutal and spectacular mechanics that consistently up the stakes. While the story is the weakest aspect, the stylish action shows how promising 2D action games can be today.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance revitalizes a classic by combining excellent combat and platforming with a gorgeous art style, reaching new heights for the long-dormant series.

SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance looks to revive the long-dormant Shinobi series after an almost fifteen-year hiatus. Developer Lizardcube brings Joe Musashi back into the limelight in one of the most stunning-looking games of the year, which is sure to make longtime fans of the series happy. Although there are a few stumbles along the way and design choices that I wish had been ironed out more, SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance is a great game that will hopefully kickstart this series back to life and work...

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is an excellent 2D action platformer, and is a must play for fans of ninjas, action titles, or fans that want a great game for half price.

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 expands the iconic ninja franchise with a brand new formula and combat that really packs a punch so here we go.

I can’t remember the last time I had as much fun with this sort of game as I did with Shinobi Art of Vengeance, and for fans of 2D action games, it is a must-play. Fans of ninjas continue to feast.

From start to finish, the resurrection of the Shinobi franchise is one well deserved – with gorgeous visuals and a stellar ninja power fantasy that confidently (and silently) stands on its own two feet.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a beautiful-looking game that feels like a great addition to the series. It is challenging and full of non-stop ninja action.

SEGA's fan favourite Shinobi series is one that casts a long shadow, dating all the way back to the late eighties. Despite several beloved entries in the franchise, it's been sitting dormant since 2011, but that's all changed with the arrival of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is nothing short of incredible. Its layered combat system lets you stylishly cut down foes, while clever level design delivers platforming challenges that make full use of your abilities. The difficulty is demanding yet fair, rewarding you for learning and responding to enemy attacks. More than just a worthy reboot, it feels like the ideal starting point for Sega’s wider revival.

Despite its occasional flaws and inconsistencies, as well as a story that isn’t all too deep, SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance by far remains one of the best action-packed experiences I’ve played this year, as well as one of the better side-scrollers.

Lizardcube has perfected its craft of elevating retro games for the modern era. The gorgeous 2D graphics feel fresh yet oddly nostalgic, which is mirrored by the fast, fluid movement that feels like the natural progression for 2D platformers. Not everything is polished. Some parts of the level design, menus and UI don’t live up to the heights of other aspects of the game, but this doesn’t wholly retract from an experience that will delight 2D platforming fans new and old.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a remarkable 2D action game. For $30, it provides substance and fun, and Lizardcube escalates difficulty just enough to make finishing a level satisfying. If you're rebooting a 2D action franchise to appeal to fans of its older games, Art of Vengeance is a perfect example of how to do it.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is the ultimate 2D ninja experience and one of the best action platformer experiences of recent memory due to its impactful combat with ample customization options and an unforgettable art style.

With its gorgeous hand drawn art and kinetic combat, Shinobi Art Of Vengeance is one of my favorite games of 2025, and one of the best 2D action-platformers in years.

It’s been far too long, but Shinobi is back! After fourteen years in the wilderness, Joe Musashi has a new main series entry to showcase what he does best; running and jumping from left to right and killing mechanised ninjas with unstoppable style and grace. At this point, I could tease whether Lizardcube has been successful in rebooting one of Sega’s finest, but when a game is this good, it should be shouted about from the opening paragraph. And Shinobi: Art of Vengeance isn’t just good; it’s a masterclass in 2D platforming.