Ninja Gaiden 4 has achieved an impressive milestone, becoming the highest-rated 3D installment in the long-running action series in more than twenty years. The title has received generally favorable reviews across all platforms, securing a position that many fans consider a true return to form for Team Ninja’s celebrated franchise. The last 3D entry to score higher was Ninja Gaiden Black in 2005, a game often regarded as the gold standard of the genre.
Released on October 21, 2025, Ninja Gaiden 4 has earned an average Metacritic score in the low 80s, with most platform versions scoring between 81 and 83 based on more than thirty critic reviews. These ratings place it well above recent entries such as Ninja Gaiden 3 (58) and Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z (43), both of which struggled critically for deviating from the series’ core identity. Even the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection from 2021, which compiled remastered versions of past titles, only managed a score of 73, further emphasizing the new release’s critical success.
The Ninja Gaiden series has experienced fluctuating reception throughout its modern history. After the universally acclaimed Ninja Gaiden Black in 2005, which earned a 94 Metascore, subsequent titles failed to recapture its acclaim. Ninja Gaiden II (2008) and Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 (2009) performed respectably with scores of 81 and 83, but later iterations saw diminishing returns, culminating in Ninja Gaiden 3’s disappointing reception.
Ninja Gaiden 4, however, appears to have successfully reversed that trend. The game introduces a fresh protagonist, Yakumo of the rival Raven clan, while still maintaining the legacy of Ryu Hayabusa, who remains a playable and central figure in the story. Set in a futuristic, cyberpunk-inspired Tokyo ravaged by the resurgence of the ancient Dark Dragon, the game blends fast-paced hack-and-slash combat with sleek visuals and modernized mechanics. Developed collaboratively by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, Ninja Gaiden 4 delivers the franchise’s trademark challenge while embracing contemporary design elements such as fluid 60fps performance and refined combo systems.
With Ninja Gaiden 4’s strong critical reception and renewed sense of identity, the franchise appears to be back on solid footing. If Team Ninja continues along this path, the future may once again hold the same level of excitement and prestige that the series enjoyed during its golden age on the original Xbox.
