Shinobi Returns: Lizardcube’s Art of Vengeance Is a Gorgeous, Ruthless Ninja Revival
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a new entry in Sega’s long-running Shinobi series, developed by Lizardcube and released on Aug. 29 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. The game blends arcade-style action with Metroidvania-lite exploration and follows series protagonist Joe Musashi on a revenge mission against the paramilitary group ENE Corp and its leader, Lord Ruse.
About the game
Lizardcube, the studio behind Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap and Streets of Rage 4, developed Shinobi: Art of Vengeance for Sega. This title is the first release tied to Sega’s initiative to reimagine older IP for modern audiences. The story begins after an attack on Joe Musashi’s village; Joe leaves his home and his pregnant bride behind to track down ENE Corp and Lord Ruse.
Combat and progression
Combat centers on Joe’s katana and a small, limited stock of throwing daggers. Basic actions include light and heavy sword attacks, and these can be chained into combos. In addition, Joe has traversal moves such as jumps, dashes, and wall climbs.
Over time, Joe gains new abilities in multiple ways: he finds skills in levels, buys abilities from a magical shop, and learns special moves like ninpo (examples include a fire-breathing attack) and ninjutsu (screen-clearing super moves). Upgrades mentioned in the game include a charged punch that can break armor and a dive kick that can be upgraded into a spinning, high-damage move.
Moreover, the game uses a combo-based amulet system. For example, one amulet triggers extra damage after 15 uninterrupted hits, while another drops gold when the combo reaches 25. As a result, players are encouraged to manage combos and time their moves rather than rely on reckless attacks.
Levels and exploration
Early stages play as left-to-right arcade action where Joe pursues the main antagonist and fights standard foes such as enemy ninja, archers, and yokai. Later stages shift toward maze-like layouts that require platforming and newly acquired skills to reach hidden areas.
These maze levels contain minibosses and collectibles, and they are designed to encourage revisiting areas with an expanded move set. However, the in-game map can be tricky to navigate, which affects how easy it is to track down every collectible.
Presentation and music
The game uses a hand-drawn visual style for characters, enemies, and environments. Environments listed include mechanized underground layers, neon-lit cityscapes, ancient Japanese villages, and a modern lantern festival.
On the audio side, composers Yuzo Koshiro and Tee Lopes contributed to the soundtrack. The music includes motifs that reference the 16-bit era of earlier Shinobi games.
Length and difficulty
The main campaign runs to about eight hours on typical playthroughs. The game presents a challenge that scales with optional encounters and higher-difficulty rooms. Completing the game to 100% can be more time-consuming because of navigation issues and the effort required to locate remaining power-ups and collectibles.
Release info
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance released on Aug. 29. Platforms at launch are Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
