Ninja Gaiden Revival: A Fresh Counter to Soulslike Games

The 2025 Xbox Developer Direct brought a thrilling announcement for fans of classic action games: the revival of the Ninja Gaiden franchise. With the introduction of Ninja Gaiden 4 and the immediate release of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, the series is making a bold comeback. This resurgence marks a significant shift, especially since the last major entry, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge, was released in 2012. The return of Ninja Gaiden could signal a renaissance for old-school 3D action games, a genre that has been overshadowed by the rise of Soulslike titles in recent years.

Historically, action games like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, and the original God of War dominated the scene. However, the landscape has shifted, with Soulslike games from FromSoftware, such as Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring, taking the spotlight. While these games have their merits, the action genre needs a balance, and Ninja Gaiden's return might just be the catalyst needed to restore equilibrium in the AAA marketplace.

The Ninja Gaiden series has long been widely considered the pinnacle of action gaming. The 2004 reboot on the original Xbox transformed the series from its 2D roots into a 3D masterpiece, renowned for its smooth gameplay, fluid animations, and challenging difficulty. While other hack-and-slash games like Devil May Cry were known for their difficulty, Ninja Gaiden set itself apart with its unforgiving nature, challenging players from the outset with formidable foes like the nunchaku-wielding Murai.

Despite its steep learning curve, Ninja Gaiden's difficulty is fair, rooted in the player's ability to master the game's combat rhythm. The game rewards players with a variety of tools, from the iconic Izuna Drop to powerful Ultimate Techniques and a range of combos for different weapons. This mastery-oriented gameplay has influenced the Soulslike community, where players seek the thrill of overcoming seemingly impossible challenges. Ninja Gaiden, in many ways, laid the groundwork for this phenomenon, yet its absence has been felt as Soulslike games have dominated the action genre.

Follow the Leader

The release of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 in 2009, the same year as Demon's Souls, marked a turning point. Demon's Souls received strong reviews and paved the way for Dark Souls in 2011, which has since been hailed as one of the greatest games ever made, including by IGN. As Ninja Gaiden 3 and its rerelease Razor’s Edge struggled, Dark Souls and its sequels captured the market, influencing titles like Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring. The Soulslike formula spread to other franchises, including Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars Jedi series, Team Ninja’s Nioh, and Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong, leading to an oversaturation of this style in the AAA action space.

This dominance has left little room for traditional 3D action games, with Ninja Gaiden returning after a long hiatus and the last Devil May Cry game, DMC5, released in 2019. Even the revamped God of War series has shifted away from its fast-paced roots to a more methodical, semi-open world approach, echoing elements of the Soulslike genre.

The Master Ninja Returns

The release of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black brings a refreshing revival to the action genre. Its fast-paced combat, diverse weaponry, and restored gore from the original version make it the definitive edition of Ninja Gaiden 2 on modern platforms. While some purists might miss the original's unadjusted difficulty, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black strikes a balance, maintaining challenging gameplay while enhancing the overall experience with additional content from the Sigma version, minus the unpopular elements like statue boss fights.

Ninja Gaiden 4 Screenshots

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This remaster serves as a reminder of the unique experience that classic action games like Ninja Gaiden offer. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, games inspired by Ninja Gaiden and God of War were plentiful, including titles like PlatinumGames’ Bayonetta and Vigil Games’ Darksiders. The return of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black highlights the genre's potential, showcasing frenetic, combo-based battles and curated, linear gameplay that has been largely absent in recent years.

Playing Ninja Gaiden 2 Black underscores the purity of its action gameplay, where success hinges solely on the player's skill and mastery of the game's mechanics. Unlike Soulslike games, there are no shortcuts or builds to exploit; it's just the player versus the game. While Soulslike games will likely continue to thrive, the resurgence of Ninja Gaiden offers hope for a new golden age of action gaming, where both styles can coexist and cater to different audiences.