Ninja Gaiden’s Revival is the Perfect Antidote to the Soulslike Phenomenon

The 2025 Xbox Developer Direct brought many surprises, but the Ninja Gaiden revival stands out as one of the biggest. The classic action franchise is getting a resurgence with multiple new titles, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and a surprise shadow drop, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. This marks a significant return for the series, absent from the spotlight since Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge in 2012 (excluding the Master Collection compilation). This revival could also signal a crucial shift in 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 trilogy defined the action genre. However, FromSoftware's Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring have largely supplanted this style. While Soulslikes are enjoyable, the AAA market should accommodate both styles. Ninja Gaiden's return could be the much-needed balance for the action genre.

### A Legendary Lineage

The Ninja Gaiden series was once considered the apex of action games. The 2004 Xbox reboot, a departure from its 2D NES origins, instantly became iconic for its smooth gameplay, fluid animation, and brutal difficulty. While other hack-and-slash titles existed, Ninja Gaiden stood apart, challenging players from the very first level. Many remember the infamous Murai encounter, the game's first boss.

Despite its difficulty, the challenge is generally fair. Deaths result from player mistakes, demanding mastery of combat rhythm—a delicate balance of movement, defense, and counterattacks. The iconic Izuna Drop, Ultimate Techniques, and diverse weapon combos provide ample tools to overcome obstacles.

This demanding gameplay, ironically, foreshadowed the Soulslike phenomenon. Ninja Gaiden's hardcore fans, striving for mastery on the highest difficulty, mirrored the mindset of later Soulslike communities—the satisfaction of conquering seemingly insurmountable odds. Few action games demand such mechanical proficiency. FromSoftware and its contemporaries took this concept and created an entire subgenre. However, their success might have been too successful, as Soulslikes have dominated action games for over a decade.

A Shift in the Landscape

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, a widely criticized PS3 port considered a series low point, coincided with Demon's Souls (2009). Demon's Souls' strong reception paved the way for Dark Souls (2011), a landmark title often cited as one of the greatest games ever made, including by IGN. While Ninja Gaiden 3 and Razor's Edge struggled, Dark Souls solidified its place in the action market, spawning sequels and influencing Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring.

This influence extended to other franchises: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and its sequel, Team Ninja's Nioh, and Game Science's Black Myth: Wukong. While these Soulslike-inspired games are popular, the style's dominance has stifled the AAA action space, leaving classic 3D action games scarce. Ninja Gaiden's return after a long absence, along with DMC5 (2019), and the evolution of God of War (2018) – which, while revived, adopted a more methodical combat system – demonstrate this shift. The new God of War games, while not strictly Soulslikes, share similarities.

Soulslikes feature recognizable hallmarks: precise combat emphasizing dodges and parries, stamina management, character builds, open-ended level design, and save points that heal the player and respawn enemies. While this formula works for FromSoftware, its widespread adoption has led to an oversaturation. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black's release offers character action games a renewed opportunity to shine.

The Master Ninja's Return

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black provides a refreshing change of pace. Its lightning-fast combat, diverse weapons, and the return of the original's gore (absent in Sigma 2) make it the best version on modern hardware, ideal for newcomers. While 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, restoring gore, and including extra content like bonus characters and levels (excluding the unpopular statue boss fights).

This remaster highlights what was lost when similar games became less prevalent. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Ninja Gaiden and God of War-inspired games were common (Bayonetta, Dante's Inferno, Darksiders, and even FromSoftware's Ninja Blade). Frenetic combo battles against numerous enemies and giant bosses in a linear format were a successful formula, surprisingly overshadowed by the Soulslike model. While similar mechanics persist (like in Hi-Fi Rush), Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is a significant example from a major developer.

Replaying Ninja Gaiden 2 Black emphasizes the unique qualities of these action games. There are no shortcuts: no build guides, experience points, or stamina bars limiting abilities. It's a pure test of skill, demanding mastery of the combat system. While Soulslikes remain popular, Ninja Gaiden's return hopefully ushers in a new era for action games, providing enough space for both styles to thrive.

Ninja Gaiden 4 Screenshots

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