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 games, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and the surprise release of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. This marks a significant return for the series, absent from the scene since Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge in 2012 (excluding the Master Collection). 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 defined action gaming. However, FromSoftware's Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring largely supplanted this style. While Soulslikes have their merits, the AAA market should accommodate both styles. Ninja Gaiden's return could be the much-needed balance for the action genre.

### A Legacy of Dragons

The Ninja Gaiden series was once considered the apex of action games. The 2004 Xbox reboot, a departure from its 2D NES roots, established Ryu Hayabusa's adventures as iconic, praised for its smooth gameplay, fluid animation, and brutal difficulty. While other hack-and-slash games existed, Ninja Gaiden stood apart, its difficulty a defining feature. Many remember the challenging first boss, Murai.

Despite its difficulty, the challenge is generally fair. Deaths stem from player error, demanding mastery of combat rhythm, movement, defense, and counter-attacks. The Izuna Drop, Ultimate Techniques, and diverse weapon combos provide ample tools to overcome obstacles. This demanding gameplay, ironically, foreshadowed the Soulslike ethos. Ninja Gaiden's challenging nature and the satisfaction of overcoming its obstacles influenced the Soulslike community's mindset. Few action games demand such mechanical mastery. FromSoftware refined this concept, creating a whole subgenre. However, this success may have been too complete, as Soulslikes have dominated action games for a decade.

Following the Trend

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, a widely criticized PS3 port, launched the same year as Demon's Souls (2009). Demon's Souls, receiving strong reviews, 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 faltered, Dark Souls carved a significant niche. Its sequels and FromSoftware's subsequent titles (Bloodborne, Sekiro, Elden Ring) further refined this style.

This influence spread to other franchises like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Jedi: Survivor, Nioh, and Black Myth: Wukong. While Soulslikes aren't inherently flawed, their prevalence 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 evolved God of War (2018), which traded its fast-paced combat for a more methodical style, highlights this trend. The new God of War games, while not strictly Soulslikes, share similarities.

Soulslikes feature hallmarks like challenging combat emphasizing timing 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 of the market. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black's release provides a chance for the strengths of character action games to shine again.

The Master Ninja's Return

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black offers a refreshing take on the action genre. Its fast-paced combat, diverse weapons, and the return of the original game's gore (absent in Sigma 2) make it the best version on modern hardware. 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 from Sigma 2 (excluding unpopular statue boss fights).

Ninja Gaiden 4 Screenshots

19 ImagesThis remaster showcases what was lost when similar games ceased to be a mainstay. Games inspired by Ninja Gaiden and God of War (like Bayonetta, Dante's Inferno, Darksiders, and even Ninja Blade) were prevalent in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The frenetic, combo-based combat against numerous enemies and giant bosses in a linear format is a proven 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 highlights the unique experience of these games. There are no "cheats," build guides, experience points, or stamina bars to limit gameplay. It's a pure test of skill, demanding mastery of the provided tools. While Soulslikes' popularity remains strong, Ninja Gaiden's return hopefully heralds a new era for action games, providing space for both styles to thrive.