Gaming

Ninja Gaiden 4 helped me get a much needed sanity break

All that hacking and slashing on a quest to free Tokyo

Published

October 22, 2025

Gab Orlina

Sometimes playing action games allow people to relieve their stress from their day-to-day. Whether it’s the type to shoot weapons or wield swords to slay enemies, it’s always good to just mindlessly press buttons to get through a game. That much is true for the games within the Ninja Gaiden series dating all the way back to 1988.

However, Team Ninja didn’t simply stick with just having gruesome hack-and-slash games and instead gave it some lore fans will adore. Throughout the first three canonical games of the remade series starting in 2004, the ninja protagonists go on missions to deal with world-ending threats to maintain order. Much would be the same for the latest installment in the franchise: Ninja Gaiden 4.

Is this game something both new and older fans of the series will enjoy? Will it just be another generic hack-and-slash title with little plot points to hold it together? Judging by my playthrough, there’s a lot to uncover that will surely make it an interesting play.

Freeing Tokyo from the rain

Ninja Gaiden 4 follows the events of the 2012 release of Ninja Gaiden 3, as Ryu Hayabusa was unable to fully rid Tokyo of the evil that surrounds it. Even with the defeat of the Dark Dragon, the city plunged into a state fit for the undead due to the husk emitting cursed rain. As the years went by, a new protagonist in Yakumo aims to rid the city of the curse while defying authorities in the process.

As Yakumo goes about his mission to rid Tokyo of the Dark Dragon’s curse, he encounters unexpected allies and enemies in bizzare twists till the end. Despite all the setbacks and even a crucial betrayal at the end (you’ll just have to play to find out), he remains steadfast in his mission for redemption of his clan and the release of Tokyo from the darkness.

At first, I felt that the story seemed a lot quicker to get through and finish without focusing on the details. Because you spend a ton of the game fighting through waves of enemies, it felt like that became the priority over revealing every little piece of lore leading up to the big fights. In my opinion, the plot felt a bit rushed in its development even though it made a lot of sense in reference to its predecessor.

Button-mashing combat at its best

For the entirety of the game, hack-and-slash combat served as both your primary offense and defense against all your enemies. Early on, the tutorial for first timers proved to be useful when balancing light and strong attacks with proper blocking, parrying and dodging. Also, you have the choice to simply auto-lock into enemies or precisely take them down on your own through a series of combos.

As you progress deeper into the game, enemies come in bigger hordes and also become a lot tougher, so levelling up your skills and weapons are essential. In between several parts of a main chapter or stage, you have chances to learn or improve on certain skills at the cost of NinjaCoins you earn through combat. These are put in place between crucial points in the level, so best to take advantage of them.

When you put these together, you end up in combat sequences that are oozing with action and blood, of course. Racking up combos and pressing specific buttons also grant access to some of the sickest dismemberment animations that rivals gruesome fighting games. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with incredible combat mechanics like that!

Open world-esque environment

What’s interesting about Ninja Gaiden games is how immensely dense the overwolds can be, that these often encourage exploration. In Ninja Gaiden 4‘s case, each stage feels larger than life with how you interact with certain elements, especially for the movement tools between stages that you can use even in combat. As you progress further, there is a greater purpose in doing so — especially as you prepare for all the challenges ahead.

Exploration feels like an integral part when you do it to retrieve valuable items for all the fighting to be done. There were a ton of item chests within each stage that would give you healing or combat-boosting items that you will need to stock up on. In some cases, you will find these chests in high-up or obscure places that your advanced movement mechanics can reach, so explore as much as you can.

Also, in some stages, you will find these temple-like entrances to a place called Purgatory. In this place, you will basically go through waves of enemies to test your combat mastery and enemy crowd control. However, these gates are often found tucked into branching pathways that, again you will need to explore in a more open-world setting.

Is Ninja Gaiden 4 your GameMatch?

As far as standalone hack-and-slash games go, Ninja Gaiden 4 truly ranks high up on the list. Its battle mechanics blended in with simple exploration keeps the action flowing as smoothly as possible. Not once did I feel the need to take a break mid-fight to look up combos when button-mashing and auto-locking helped immensely.

With regards to it being a proper sequel to Ninja Gaiden 3, it felt more like a shorter epilogue for the former protagonist in Ryu than retribution for Yakumo and his clan. Honestly, you can breeze through the whole game and its story elements quickly given the intense combat. However, your focus doesn’t drift into the plot so much, leading to think that this wasn’t as heavily prioritized.

Even with this in mind, Ninja Gaiden 4 is still a great enough of a title to sit through and enjoy for both new and old fans of the series. Overall mechanics feel satisfying to master and play through when you just need to unwind and slash your way through enemies to let the stress go!

Verdict: It’s a Swipe Right!

Related Topics:Ninja Gaiden 4 Team Ninja

Gaming

The Nintendo Switch is now Nintendo’s best-selling console ever

Meanwhile, the Switch 2 just crossed 17 million units sold.

Published

February 4, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The Nintendo Switch 2’s success was bound to happen. After enormous success with the original Switch, Nintendo is practically destined to also put up impressive numbers for the console’s recently released sequel. Today, the company has whipped out some proof. The Nintendo Switch 2 officially sold 17.37 million units, as of December last year.

Nintendo shared the console’s numbers through an investor’s report. Despite coming out only eight months ago, the Switch 2 is already putting up impressive numbers. With those numbers, the console is already Nintendo’s fastest selling platform to date.

For comparison, the original Switch sold less than half of what Switch 2 has sold in the former’s first eight months. Though the second console is still miles away from its predecessor’s total numbers, it’s already well on its way. In fact, Nintendo already expects the Switch 2 to break 19 million units by the end of the quarter.

The second Switch isn’t the only console reaping the rewards of its hard work. The original Switch has also crossed a major milestone. As of last year, the console has sold 155.37 million units, making it Nintendo’s bestselling console ever. It just overtook the Nintendo DS, which sold 154.02 million units.

With that, the Switch 2 has a mountain to climb, just to reach the same heights that its predecessor already attained. For sure, the console’s ongoing success is buoyed by the goodwill established by the original. Now, the question is whether the Switch 2 can sustain its growth on its own.

To help, the console is expecting significant first-party titles including Pokémon Pokopia and Meetup in Bellabel Park, a Super Mario Bros. Wonder DLC.

Gaming

New Civilization VII update will address everyone’s biggest issue

Soon, everyone can play as a single Civ.

Published

February 3, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Despite being enjoyable in its current state, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is a work in progress. Firaxis Games is still working on improvements, especially as suggested by the franchise’s fans. Now, approaching the new game’s first anniversary, Civilization VII is getting a massive patch, called the Test of Time update, later this spring.

Playing as a single Civ

Test of Time will address the biggest problem that players had with the base game: the inability to play as a single Civ. Currently, players are forced to evolve into Age-appropriate Civs at the end of the previous Age. The system leads to odd histories, such as Maurya somehow evolving into modern-day America.

Starting with the update, players can now take a single Civ across the test of time. And it’s not a shoehorned feature, too. Civs will now have an Apex Age, meaning the Age they were historically associated with. Playing Civs outside of their Apex Age will introduce a new kit that corresponds to the other Ages.

Plus, this also introduces a new system called Syncretism. Playing a Civ outside of their Age allows players to choose a unique military unit or infrastructure from other Civs to help bolster their strategy.

The new system works in reverse too. Players can start a game in the Modern Age using an Antiquity Age Civ. Finally, if players decide to use this system, the AI will follow suit, ensuring an equal playing field.

Reworked victory conditions

Besides the playability of Civs, Civilization VII will rework Victories. Instead of a clear path to victory via Legacy Paths (which players have complained as being too rigid), the new Triumph system will introduce new optional objectives to prod players further down the line of victory.

Plus, getting extraordinary progress in one victory condition can help players earn victory even before the Modern Age. Victory can be earned as early as the Exploration Age, but Firaxis has not explained how this can happen.

Firaxis says that the new system should help the game feel more dynamic and exciting after the Antiquity Age.

Now, to celebrate the actual anniversary, players will get access to a new leader, Gilgamesh, a fan favorite from the previous game. He will be free for all players with update 1.3.2.

Gaming

CM Punk graces cover of WWE 2K26

The game will feature over 400 playable characters, the largest to date.

Published

February 3, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Compared to the gigantic NBA 2K, WWE 2K is a relatively small series. Well, with thirty teams and a healthy roster of hall of famers, that’s no surprise. This year, however, WWE 2K26 wants to catch up, featuring the biggest roster that the franchise has ever had and a plethora of new features.

WWE 2K26 will feature over 400 playable characters, which includes current Superstars from RAW, SmackDown, and NXT. As always, Legends and Hall of Famers will be playable wrestlers.

This year, however, the roster of classics are much healthier. Specifically, there are three different editions dedicated to past wrestlers. The first, called The King of Kings Edition, centers the spotlight on Hall of Famer and Chief Content Officer, Triple H (or Paul Levesque). The Attitude Era Edition features Superstars from that era, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, and The Rock. Finally, the Monday Night Wars Edition includes Superstars from WCW such as the nWo’s Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall.

Meanwhile, the Standard Edition features a Superstar that’s been no less decorated over the years. CM Punk, who will also grace the cover, will have his entire career featured in the annual 2K Showcase.

For gameplay, WWE 2K26 has four new match types: I Quit, Inferno, Three Stages of Hell, and Dumpster. Intergender matches are also available now. The environment is now more interactable with more usable weapons. Plus, the Stamina and Reversal systems have been reworked.

The Standard Edition (US$ 69.99) launches on March 13 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

The King of Kings Edition (US$ 99.99), the Attitude Era Edition (US$ 129.99), and the Monday Night War Edition (US$ 149.99) will all launch a week prior, on March 6.