The reemergence of the Shinobi franchise proved extraordinarily successful as Streets of Rage 4 developer Lizardcube brought its signature hand-drawn aesthetic and tight gameplay to the fast-paced action-platforming genre. The collaboration with Sega proved fruitful, delivering one of the best ninja games of all time. Taking on hordes of formidable foes and beastly bosses feels incredible thanks to an outstanding rollout of powerful ninja abilities and customizable loadouts that let you equip the powers you find most effective.
Those loadouts aren’t just for show, as Shinobi: Art of Vengeance will push your skills to the limit. Thanks to superb mobility and a sophisticated combo-driven combat system, even the most white-knuckled encounters avoid feeling insurmountable. That is especially true for the sometimes absurd boss battles, which often challenge your pattern recognition skills and reaction times in memorable ways. Every hard-fought victory feels like a personal triumph, while every bitter defeat – of which there will be many – is a personal failing you can learn from and immediately apply to your next attempt.
En route to those encounters and boss fights, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance’s elevated level design perfectly balances the core linearity with meaningful exploration that constantly pulls you off the beaten path in pursuit of skill-enhancing collectibles, upgrades, and challenge rooms. No matter what reward awaits you at the end, the platforming challenges, exciting encounters, and absolutely gorgeous visuals make the journey worth it.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance brings series protagonist Joe Musashi back with, well, a vengeance, thanks to eye-popping visuals, adrenaline-pumping music, rewarding exploration, brilliantly designed stages, and some of the best 2D combat in recent memory. The series has been dormant for over a decade, but this long-awaited revival doesn’t miss a single beat. In a year full of both ninja games and 2D action titles, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance stands out in the crowd and easily earns a spot alongside the other best games of 2025.
Dev Perspective
“Creating Shinobi: Art of Vengeance was an incredibly hands-on, craft-driven journey for our team—layering mechanics, shaping atmosphere, tuning movement and combat until every moment felt right. It’s a project built with deep love, craft and respect for the world of Joe Musashi. Seeing players and press recognize and celebrate that care has been deeply meaningful to us. We’re sincerely grateful to SEGA for trusting us with such an iconic legacy, and to the community whose passion reminds us why we pour so much heart into making games; and to everyone who’s embraced our vision, thank you for making this journey unforgettable.”
– Ben Fiquet CEO and Creative Director, Lizardcube
