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!

The past two months have been a logistical nightmare for gamers. Though a slew of the year’s best games dropped during this period, keeping track of what releases when is difficult with so many titles launching in such a short timeframe. Addressing the problem of “too many games, too little time,” Steam is experimenting with a new calendar feature that plots out recommended games into a calendar according to when they release.

Currently, the feature called Personal Calendar is still just a Steam Labs Experiment. Though it’s available to all now, the platform is still tweaking the feature.

The Personal Calendar page showcases game recommendations that were released in the past month and in the past week. Below those recommendations, the page has a calendar showing upcoming releases you might be interested in.

When I checked my page, I found games that I didn’t know existed. Even in its beta phase, the feature is already accomplishing its goal of getting me interested in new games.

The Personal Calendar adjusts recommendations based on playtime of other games. Steam says that the algorithm will constantly re-adjust to tailor to your preferences over time. It will also include games that are on your wishlist.

For control, the feature will allow you to change how many games are displayed on the page. It will also let users select a specific tag for recommendations.

SEE ALSO: Where did the adult games on Steam go?

We’ve spent enough time with the ROG Xbox Ally X to say this: it’s no longer just a novelty, it’s a handheld that finally knows what it wants to be.

The first Ally from 2023 was exciting — a bold step toward making PC gaming portable. But after a few sessions, it felt more like a prototype for what was coming next.

This one? It feels complete.
So, in this edition of Match Pulse, let’s talk about how the Ally X grips better, plays longer, and why it finally deserves the Xbox badge printed on it.

First look

The first touch felt awkward — the kind of feeling you get when you’re not sure how to hold something new. But the longer you hold it, the more it starts to make sense.

The redesigned grips, patterned after Xbox controllers, give it a natural curve that rests well in your palms. It still doesn’t dig in as much as I’d like to – the way it does on the Legion Go S – but it’s certainly an improvement.

It’s subtly heavier than the original, but the weight works in its favor. The balance feels right. The texture, more grounded. It feels made for long sessions, not quick demos.

This is where ASUS seems to have listened. What was once a bit slippery now feels like an extension of your hands. The matte finish stays clean, the edges no longer bite. It’s a small but significant shift — and one that makes a world of difference in how it’s used.

First date

We tested it the same way we tested the original Ally: unplugged, Turbo mode, 25W TDP, NBA 2K Quick Play.

Back then, we couldn’t finish more than a single game and a few minutes of freestyle practice before the battery flatlined.

This time, it’s double that.

Two full games before reaching for the charger — and that’s without dialing down the settings. The new 80Wh battery doesn’t just promise endurance; it delivers it.

The cooling system has also been reworked, quieter yet just as efficient. It’s the kind of update that doesn’t make headlines, but you hear it – or I guess In this case, not hear it as much.

Together, these tweaks make the Ally X something the original never quite managed to be — a handheld that lets you play longer unplugged.

First impressions

The Xbox influence is everywhere, and it’s not just branding. The Ally X now boots straight into the Xbox app, with the familiar button logo acting as your home key. Press it, and you’re instantly back in the Xbox ecosystem.

It feels less like a PC pretending to be a console, and more like a handheld that understands both worlds.

You can still jump into Steam or Game Pass with ease, but the default experience is unmistakably Xbox — intuitive, familiar, and cohesive.

All these refinements add up to something simple but powerful: this finally feels like a true successor.

The ROG Xbox Ally X doesn’t reinvent the idea of handheld gaming, but it refines it where it matters — in the way it feels in your hands, in how long it lasts, and in how effortlessly it connects to what you want to play.

If the original was a promise, this one is fulfillment – still with room for improvement, sure, but I trust you get the gist.

Learn more: https://ph.rog.gg/playALLYourgames2025
Where to buy: https://ph.rog.gg/wheretobuy2025