PS4 PS5 Xbox Series X

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

PlatformHack and slash/Beat 'em up

Time to beat: about 14 hours
Plays offline: Yes

Overview

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a 2025 action platform game developed by Lizardcube and published by Sega. It is a revival of Sega's Shinobi series, and the first new entry since Shinobi (2011). It was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is set to be released on September 24, 2026.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a 2D action platformer. The player controls ninja Joe Musashi through various levels where the goal is to defeat the bosses at the end of them. Musashi is equipped with a sword and kunai but can also use magical powers called "Ninpo" to defeat his enemies. Enemies can be staggered and tagged, allowing Musashi to unleash "Shinobi Execution", killing all tagged enemies at once. Amulets can also be equipped, granting the player character additional combat bonuses.

The world is under siege by ENE Corporation, a powerful paramilitary organization led by a man named Lord Ruse. The only force left that can oppose them is the Oboro clan, a clan of mystical shinobi that has been protecting mankind for centuries, currently led by Joe Musashi. ENE attacks Oboro Village, killing most of the clan. Musashi confronts Ruse and his lieutenants, and while he drives them back, his wife Naoko and student Tomoe are the only survivors, prompting Musashi to embark on a quest for revenge.

Art of Vengeance was part of Sega's initiative to revive some of their dormant franchises. Sega approached Lizardcube, a studio based in Paris, and recruited them as its development partner, after being impressed by their work on Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (2017) and Streets of Rage 4 (2020), both of which were developed under its license. The publisher, however, took a more involved role in Art of Vengeance's development, with the game's producer, Toru Ohara, leading a team to collaborate with Lizardcube and encouraging them to create a more striking art style than what was initially planned.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, on review aggregator Metacritic.