Preview — Shinobi: Art of Vengeance updates arcade action with slick new style

A video game series rooted in 1980s arcades is making a comeback.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance comes out August 29 on nearly every platform short of a phone: PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch 1 and 2. Produced by SEGA but developed by a French studio best known for Streets of Rage 4, another luminous revival of a classic game, the new Shinobi fuses old-school action with slick animation and metroidvania-inspired exploration.

We slashed and wall-jumped through a recent preview event as Joe Musashi, the franchise’s longtime protagonist. After cruising through a few levels over the course of two hours, here’s our assessment of the game’s 2D action rhythm.

Combat feels smooth and impactful. Musashi’s variety of moves widens as you progress, allowing you to easily chain together into powerful combos. Some of the sicker-looking attacks — like “Shinobi Execution,” where Joe darts around the screen, finishing multiple enemies off at once — provide extra resources like currency, health, and consumable throwing daggers (kunai). Damaging opponents gradually fills up their execution meter, but some abilities, like the kunai, can do so quickly, allowing you to near-instantly dispatch a screen’s worth of adversaries.

You’ll also learn and equip elemental spells called Ninpo that use special charges you regain by hurting enemies. Whenever you dish out or take damage, you’ll also get closer to an ultimate ability that can trounce basic enemies and help end bosses. But the game pushes you to play as flawlessly as possible; the more strikes you land without losing life, the higher your combo count goes. Eventually, you’ll find amulets that confer attack bonuses once you reach a certain combo threshold.

Early enemies usually only attack you on the ground. Later, they shoot from a distance, filling the screen with a hail of projectiles (one archer enemy is kind enough to announce her presence, so you can hear her attacks coming before you see her). You’ll have to master mobility options to stay ahead, including a double jump, air dash, and, naturally, a dodge-roll that grants a few frames of invincibility. The levels we played were huge and full of secrets to discover — including items that upgrade a shop that sells new skills and Ninpo. The game’s split into discrete stages like a classic arcade title, but fans of the metroidvania genre will want to revisit levels to explore paths you can only access through abilities you’ll acquire later in the game.

While focused on action, Shinobi features some platforming challenges. This is where the game’s gorgeous, dynamic backgrounds can occasionally confuse the eye, causing you to miss a ledge or enemy projectile. One challenge room stumped us, for example, more because of how hard it was to see the green grapple-points against a shifting green sky than because of the reflexes it demanded.

Ultimately, however, Shinobi’s visuals are more of an asset than a distraction — the game really puts the “art” into Art of Vengeance! With action that feels just as intricate as its aesthetic, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is one to watch as a busy gaming summer rolls into a busy gaming fall.