Revived Ninja Gaiden Countering Soulslike Craze

The resurgence of Ninja Gaiden at the 2025 Xbox Developer Direct was a major highlight, announcing not one, but multiple new titles, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and the surprise release of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. This marks a significant comeback for the franchise, dormant since Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge in 2012 (excluding the Master Collection). More importantly, it signals a potential shift in the action game landscape, potentially rebalancing the dominance of Soulslike titles.

For years, the action genre, once ruled by titles like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, and the original God of War series, has been largely overshadowed by FromSoftware's Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. While Soulslike games have their merits, the return of Ninja Gaiden offers a much-needed counterpoint, providing diversity in the AAA market.

### A Legacy of Dragons

The original Ninja Gaiden (2004) redefined action games. Its departure from the 2D platformers of its NES predecessors established Ryu Hayabusa's adventures as iconic, renowned for fluid animation, precise controls, and brutal difficulty. While other hack-and-slash titles existed, Ninja Gaiden stood apart, pushing players to their limits from the very first encounter with the formidable Murai.

Despite its challenging nature, the difficulty is largely considered fair. Deaths stem from player error, demanding mastery of combat mechanics, movement, defense, and counter-attacks. The diverse arsenal, including the Izuna Drop and Ultimate Techniques, provides ample tools to overcome obstacles. This demanding gameplay, requiring deep mechanical understanding, foreshadowed the Soulslike ethos and its dedicated fanbase. Ninja Gaiden's influence on the desire to conquer seemingly insurmountable challenges is undeniable, a legacy FromSoftware capitalized on, inadvertently creating a genre that arguably overshadowed its predecessor.

A Genre Shift

The release of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 (2009), a widely criticized PS3 port, coincided with Demon's Souls, a title that garnered critical acclaim and paved the way for the monumental Dark Souls (2011). While Ninja Gaiden 3 and Razor's Edge struggled, Dark Souls solidified its place in the action market, spawning sequels and influencing subsequent FromSoftware titles like Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring.

This Soulslike influence spread to other franchises, including Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Nioh, and Black Myth: Wukong. While the Soulslike formula isn't inherently flawed, its widespread adoption has stifled innovation within the AAA action genre. The long absence of a true Ninja Gaiden successor, coupled with the 2019 release of DMC5 and the altered gameplay of the newer God of War titles, highlights this stagnation. The newer God of War games, while not strictly Soulslike, share similarities in pacing and combat. Hallmarks of the Soulslike model – timed dodges, stamina management, character builds, open-world design, and save points – have become ubiquitous.

If you had to choose between Soulslikes and traditional action games like Ninja Gaiden, which would you pick?

I'm a Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry kinda personSoulslikes, every single timeI don't really care for eitherAnswerSee Results

The Ninja's Return

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black provides a refreshing change of pace. The rapid-fire combat, diverse weaponry, and the return of the original game's gore (absent in Sigma 2) make it the definitive version for modern platforms. While some veterans might criticize the difficulty adjustments, the improvements outweigh the alterations. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black successfully balances difficulty, reinstates the visceral combat, and retains the extra content from Sigma 2, excluding the unpopular statue boss fights.

Ninja Gaiden 4 Screenshots

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This remaster serves as a reminder of the action genre's lost diversity. Games inspired by Ninja Gaiden and God of War were prevalent in the late 2000s and early 2010s (Bayonetta, Dante's Inferno, Darksiders, even FromSoftware's Ninja Blade). The fast-paced, combo-driven combat against numerous enemies and large bosses, presented in a linear structure, has been largely supplanted. While similar mechanics persist in games like Hi-Fi Rush, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is a significant return to form.

The pure, unadulterated action of Ninja Gaiden is unique. There are no shortcuts; no build optimization, experience grinding, or stamina limitations. It's a pure test of skill, demanding mastery of the provided tools. While Soulslike games maintain popularity, the return of Ninja Gaiden hopefully heralds a renaissance for traditional action games, offering a welcome alternative for players seeking a different kind of challenge.