Shinobi: Art of Vengeance [Review]

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is one of those games that aces everything that it does. The combat is superb, with bombastic combos and rewarding experimentation; the exploration is great, never overwhelming or super punishing, following an arcade-like structure while having some small open areas to check. The art is excellent, with very well animated frames and movement, that gives great flow and character to everything on screen.

And all of this also is applied to the great enemy variety, including a whole gallery of bosses that are very different one from another, and extremely memorable. Paired with beautiful hand drawn portraits and a non-intrusive voice acted story that elevates the gameplay and combat instead of dragging it down: it just works.

Shinobi is a very old game franchise, but let's be honest, it is not famous in the slightest. The 3DS game was the first one I've played, and that one wasn't the biggest seller of the system, nor is accessible to play. On “Art of Vengeance”, while it has some of the iconic aesthetics that I expected from a Shinobi title, like the white garb and mechanical enemies, everything else is reimagined.

Instead of being a reimagining that follow trends and “applies modern standards” to the game – like giving some characteristics from other bigger games – Art of Vengeance seeks new gameplay perspectives and paradigms, mixing Arcade structures like stage selection, hidden bosses and hit counters with somewhat open sections that still follow a linear structure. Instead of having enemies scattered through the map, they often appear as segmented fights that impede progress, and that creates a gameplay loop through novel exploration and fun battles that made 11 hours fly by.

While it has some accessibility settings, I found that the “Shinobi” (Default) difficulty is challenging, but definitely not hard, and while the platforming can be difficult in the end, for the most part is very approachable. I've seen some arguments about a bit of a feature creep in this title – double jump, glide, executions, skills, ultimates, grappling hooks etc. – mostly when compared with older games in the franchise, but I haven't felt that way.

Actually, I've felt pretty powerful as every mechanic was unlocked, and the pace of their acquirements and the situational use made it very fun and, again, rewarding. I need to admit that not all boss fights are equally fun, and it is a fact that this game is too short for its price, even considering its replay value and hidden secrets (that I haven't done all). The soundtrack is not very good, too, with repeated tracks through some encounters and challenges.

The UI can be absurdly elegant while ingame, but navigating through the menus can be confusing when checking equipment or the map. Fast traveling is a chore because of the menus, and there's no “retry” stage when already inside of it. Also, the story, while being non-intrusive, is forgettable. Stylish, still, but forgettable.

Beyond these little flaws, it is a great game, remarkable and easy to recommend, fun, fast, and shorter than it should be. I will return to the boss rush.

9.5/10