I got to check out SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance for an hour at Summer Game Fest in LA earlier this week. It is a stunningly good-looking game, matched with satisfying combat, and all I want to do is play more.
I got to play the first two levels of SHINOBI on a PlayStation 5 Pro. From footage, it’s obvious just how good-looking the game is. What delighted me was finding a deep, impactful combat system that more than matched its good looks. As the title implies, the game starts with your clan being attacked. Level 1 took place in your home base, as rival clans are killing all of your students.
Cutscenes were skipped, so the fate of Joe Musashi’s pregnant wife was unknown. Suffice it to say, as level 2 began, I was running down and chopping apart all in my path. Art of Vengeance is a 2D side-scrolling platformer with a focus on snappy combat, incredibly good looks, and devastating moves.
X is your basic attack, Y is a heavy, and as you damage enemies, a meter will fill under their health bar. Once that meter is full, they’re primed for an assassination, which you can chain together against groups of foes. Every swing has a heavy impact. Dodges and double jumps let you prance around the screen like a pogo-stick-wielding clown high on angel dust. It all feels and looks GOOD.
Every level has a mixture of currencies to find, which allows you to power up your ninja. As you damage enemies, you’ll fill up a bar that lets you use your magical attacks. I had a fire-breathing one to start with, and by holding a bumper and pressing the corresponding face button, you can use them mid-combo for devastating damage.
There are progression blockers in early stages that can only be traversed with later upgrades. The classic Metroidvania stylings being the main reason you would replay fights is a fan-favorite staple of the genre.
Joe has a super move when his rage meter fills. Pressing both triggers activates his Ninjitsu, letting you activate a screen-clearing fire attack that looked amazing and sounded just as good. The voice acting was fine for a game of this size and scope, with our demo using the English VO. The music set the mood well without being overly memorable.
SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance will release on August 29th, 2025, on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. The little taste I got of the game at SGF has me extremely excited to review it closer to launch.
