NINJA GAIDEN 4: THE BLADE IS BACK, SHARPER THAN THE STORY
8.0 of 10 bananas. Team Ninja and PlatinumGames bring the series back with fast, brutal combat and a new hero, Yakumo. The fighting is among the best in action games; the story, levels, and new lead are weaker.
By the Alpha. PS5 disc listing. Updated Nov 5 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, published by Xbox Game Studios, released October 21 2025). The Amazon button is a PS5 disc. At my Nov 5 2026 check it was sold by a third-party seller, PereZz Family, shipped by Amazon, at 45.83 dollars. The listing photo shows a European PEGI box, so this may be an import; PS5 discs are not region locked. Sellers and prices change, so look at the seller before you pay.
Get Ninja Gaiden 4 for PS5 on AmazonSit with me a moment. Some games teach you patience. Ninja Gaiden teaches you humility, then patience, then how to cut a demon in half mid air. It has been more than a decade since a new numbered one. The blade came back sharp.
What It Wants To Be
Ninja Gaiden 4 is a third person character action game. You play Yakumo, a young ninja, in a ruined Tokyo, with series hero Ryu Hayabusa in a supporting role. You chain combos, dodge, and use a Bloodbind power that changes how your weapons hit.
What Works
It sits at 79 on Metacritic for PS5, and GamesRadar called it a genre triumph. Critics agree the combat is the star: fast, heavy, and deep, with difficulty options and assists that let newcomers in without softening the top end.
What Breaks
Listen well. Yakumo is less likable than Ryu, and some fans wanted more of the old hero. Reviewers called some levels repetitive and visually flat, and the story forgettable. If you do not love combat for its own sake, there is little else here.
Who Should Play
Play it if Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, or old Ninja Gaiden are your games. Skip it if you want story or exploration.
STRENGTHS
- Top tier combat
- Bloodbind adds depth
- Difficulty options and assists
- PS5 disc under 50 dollars at my check
HONEST COSTS
- Weak new lead
- Repetitive levels
- Forgettable story
- European box from a third-party seller
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