The 2025 Xbox Developer Direct brought many surprises, but the Ninja Gaiden revival stands out as one of the biggest. The franchise is getting multiple new games, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and a surprise shadow drop, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. This marks a significant return for the series, absent a proper entry since Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge in 2012 (excluding the Master Collection). This resurgence could also signal a pivotal moment for gaming: the comeback of classic 3D action games after years of Soulslike dominance.

Once, titles like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, and the original God of War defined action gaming. However, FromSoftware's Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring largely supplanted this style. While Soulslike games are excellent, the AAA market should accommodate both styles, and Ninja Gaiden's return could provide the much-needed balance.

### A Legacy of Dragons

The Ninja Gaiden series was once considered the apex of action games. The 2004 Xbox reboot, a departure from its 2D NES roots, instantly became iconic for its fluid gameplay, animation, and brutal difficulty. While other hack-and-slash games existed, Ninja Gaiden stood apart, challenging players from the very first level. The infamous Murai boss fight is legendary for its difficulty.

Despite its challenge, the difficulty is largely fair. Deaths stem from player error, demanding mastery of combat mechanics, movement, defense, and counter-attacks. The Izuna Drop, Ultimate Techniques, and diverse weapon combos provide ample tools to overcome challenges. This demanding gameplay, ironically, foreshadowed the Soulslike formula and its dedicated community. Ninja Gaiden's challenging gameplay fostered a mindset of overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds, a core element of the Soulslike genre. FromSoftware, however, may have perfected this formula to the detriment of other action game styles.

Following the Soulslike Trend

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, a widely criticized PS3 port considered a series low point, coincided with Demon's Souls (2009). Demon's Souls and its successor, Dark Souls (2011), a critically acclaimed landmark title (including by IGN), significantly impacted the action game landscape. While Ninja Gaiden 3 and Razor’s Edge faltered, Dark Souls thrived, spawning sequels and influencing titles like Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring.

This Soulslike influence spread to other franchises, including Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and its sequel, Team Ninja's Nioh, and Game Science's Black Myth: Wukong. While these games are popular, the Soulslike formula has saturated the AAA action space, leaving classic 3D action games scarce. Ninja Gaiden's return, after over a decade, is significant, as is the fact that the last proper Devil May Cry entry, DMC5, was released in 2019. God of War's 2018 revival, while successful, shifted away from its fast-paced hack-and-slash roots towards a more methodical, semi-open-world style. These newer games, while not strictly Soulslike, share similarities.

Soulslike hallmarks—challenging combat focused on timing, stamina management, character builds, open-ended levels, and save points—are recognizable. While fitting for FromSoftware, the widespread adoption has led to an oversaturation of this style. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black's release offers a chance for the strengths of character action games to shine.

The Master Ninja's Return

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black provides a refreshing change of pace. The fast-paced combat, diverse weapons, and restored gore (absent in Sigma 2) make it the best version on modern hardware. While some veterans might criticize difficulty adjustments and enemy counts, the original Ninja Gaiden II suffered from technical issues and unbalanced design. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black strikes a balance, retaining high difficulty, gore, and extra content (bonus characters and levels, excluding the unpopular statue boss fights).

Ninja Gaiden 4 Screenshots

19 ImagesThis remaster highlights what was lost when similar games became less prevalent. Games inspired by Ninja Gaiden and God of War (e.g., Bayonetta, Dante's Inferno, Darksiders, and even Ninja Blade) were common in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The formula—frenetic combo-based battles, numerous enemies, and giant bosses in a linear format—is effective, yet its decline with the rise of Soulslikes is surprising. While similar games exist (Hi-Fi Rush, for example), Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is a significant release from a major developer.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black showcases the unique qualities of these action games. There are no shortcuts; no build guides, experience points, or stamina bars to limit gameplay. It's a pure test of skill, demanding mastery of combat or facing repeated failure. While Soulslikes likely maintain popularity, Ninja Gaiden's return hopefully ushers in a new era for action games, offering a diverse gaming landscape for all players.

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