Shinobi: Art of Vengeance shines with its graceful platforming

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Becoming a formidable ninja warrior demands numerous attributes, such as relentless concentration, unyielding dedication, substantial power, and agility that surpasses even the swiftest animals. Since its initial announcement, Sega and developer Lizardcube have demonstrated the skill of combat in the style of a ninja. Recently at Summer Game Fest 2022, Shacknews aimed to move with similar grace.

In the game “Shinobi: Art of Vengeance,” the protagonist Joe Musashi, a renowned ninja sensei, finds himself embroiled in a vengeful quest. The Oboro Clan he once commanded is brutally annihilated by a malevolent military organization named ENE Corp. This ruthless group is controlled by an enigmatic extraterrestrial entity referred to as Lord Ruse. Musashi embarks on a journey, battling through numerous side-scrolling levels, to defeat both terrestrial and otherworldly forces of ENE Corp. His ultimate goal is to confront Lord Ruse and thwart his wicked schemes.

In Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, the combat flows smoothly, with a focus on combining light and heavy strikes to overpower different adversaries. When enemies are close to being defeated, you’ll notice a Kanji symbol appearing above their heads, signaling an opportunity for execution. Achieving a successful Shinobi Execution will promptly eliminate those opponents and restore Musashi’s assorted resources such as kunai (which serves as one of the player’s only long-range attacks), health, and additional resources.

In addition to standard combat, Musashi is proficient in wielding Ninjutsu, or ninja magical abilities. These abilities manifest in various shapes, such as a protective water shield around him or an explosive fire blast ahead of him. As the game progresses, more potent Ninjutsu become available, though we didn’t encounter them during our brief playtime. Furthermore, Amulets can augment Musashi’s attacks by boosting stats, providing passive benefits, and offering other advantageous traits. These amulets are hidden within treasure chests scattered across each level, as well as through a temporary shop run by yokai at various locations.

In Shinobi’s levels, each stage follows independently and can be completed individually, yet navigating through them involves both exploration and revisiting previous areas. There are certain barriers that can only be removed by activating distant switches, which challenges players to use Musashi’s jumping skills effectively, including his double jump, wall jump, and air dash. This calls for a careful balance of these abilities. A unique stage set amidst a lantern festival introduced unexpected twists, such as an automatic dash point mid-flight, making the platforming experience feel more like Celeste than anticipated. The platforming sections that emerged when the stage began collapsing behind Musashi, leading to a time-sensitive race, were thrilling and hint at what the remainder of the game might offer.

It might seem logical that with numerous skills at his disposal, Musashi would be too powerful. Indeed, against lesser opponents, he often is. However, when it comes to bosses, they present a unique challenge. Many bosses launch unblockable attacks and possess their own set of abilities and behavior patterns. Ranging from a formidable ninja ape to a missile-wielding mech, players must strategically employ different skills and closely observe enemy tactics to emerge victorious. In this demo, it was the tactical use of Musashi’s heavy attack to frequently break the boss’ armor that elevated certain battles into formidable challenges.

In just an hour spent in Sega’s cabana, it felt like a brief sample of the gaming experience that Shinobi: Art of Vengeance provides. The visually stunning stages make this game a spectacle to behold. We eagerly anticipate engaging in battle with Lord Ruse when the game is released on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and regular Nintendo Switch platforms (not Nintendo Switch 2) on August 29.

We got this sneak peek from playing the game during Summer Game Fest: Play Days, but remember, the finished product may still undergo changes.

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2025-06-09 18:28