Shinobi Art of Vengeance Review: Sega’s Next Level

Welcome back, old friend(s).

Everyone’s favourite ninja, Joe Musashi, is back in Shinobi Art of Vengeance, the first of a series of projects that look to revitalise classic Sega franchises like Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, and Crazy Taxi. Equal parts nostalgic and modern, and priced at $48 AUD, Art of Vengeance isn’t one to be missed.

Of the franchises that Sega is looking to breathe new life into, I’ll have to confess that Shinobi is the one I’ve the least experience with. Ahead of playing, some quick research showed off an arcade, side-scrolling classic that later found a following on the Sega Genesis before heading into 3D environments on the likes of the PS2 and beyond.

Here, Art of Vengeance sticks to a 2D perspective and uses a refreshing, hand-drawn style of animation that is quite pleasing to the eye. While the original Shinobi titles were most dependent on hand-thrown kunai, they’re just one part of Musashi’s arsenal. Art of Vengeance is quite similar to Prince of Persia The Lost Crown, in that it’s reliant on several elements working in tandem: close quarters melee, projectiles, combos, and traversal.

Art of Vengeance also leans heavily, Metroidvania-style, into a series of unique skills that will let Musashi truly explore each level. There’s nothing stopping you from mainlining the story, moving forward and accessing the areas that you’re able to, though completionists will likely find themselves gaining new abilities and then hopping back into previous levels to get to areas once out of reach.

A world map makes the latter action quite easy — players are able to jump between in-stage checkpoints or simply head back to the larger map and into a different stage, also taking advantage of in-stage checkpoints they’ve already unlocked. Secrets are usually designated with purple or gold shading on its map, with players encouraged to use those hints to explore.

Level design can be hit and miss, with some stages’ gimmicks incredibly, and others falling flat quite quickly. Most maps are fairly intuitive — offering design-based hints on where you should explore — though some prioritise form over function.

I should also note that Art of Vengeance is very dependent on proper map usage, so I was quickly frustrated when my in-game map kept bugging out, showing my character off-map and not in the position I truly was. It’s hard to explore when that functionality is taken away from you; I found I needed to force close the game on PS5 and restart to get things back working as expected. (It should be noted that this issue seems to have occurred less after a patch was deployed late last week, though I’ve not sighted patch notes to properly confirm this.)

That same inconsistent feeling I encountered with level design and the in-game map is also true for traversal, with some actions — most notably, the hook — inconsistent in the way they’re performed. With the hook, which theoretically is based upon angles, you’ll find your character moving in ways that don’t make logical sense. As some stages require almost pixel-perfect movement to best their challenges, this is borderline unforgiveable.

Thankfully, combat is incredibly tight, offering light and heavy strikes, shield breakers, special powers, and flips to chain countless hits together in very enjoyable ways. These chains are especially important when taking on Elite Squads, combat challenges that will pit you against wave after wave of challenging foes.

While I ultimately enjoyed the likes of The Lost Crown more than Art of Vengeance, this comes in a close second. Issues with its map detract, but a stage-based design help to keep things contained and approachable, especially after some time apart. Couple that with a killer soundtrack from composers Tee Lopes and Yuzo Koshiro, and you’re on your way.

Shinobi Art of Vengeance is a fantastic start to Sega’s Next Level program, and one that’s easy to recommend. Priced at a budget-conscious $48 AUD and offering around 15 or so hours of gameplay, fans of the franchise or the likes of The Lost Crown will certainly dig this. 

Expect Shinobi Art of Vengeance on Windows PC via Steam, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, and Switch from 29 August.

Shinobi Art of Vengeance was reviewed using a promotional code on PS5, as provided by the publisher. Click here to learn more about Stevivor’s scoring scale.