During Summer Game Fest 2025, I was able to go hands-on with Sega’s upcoming ninja slice-and-dice action title, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. This is perhaps an important title, at least for me, as I grew up on the Shinobi series, dating back to the arcades, then to the Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and even the Nintendo 3DS. Then, like that, the Shinobi franchise disappeared for decades. But that’s water under the bridge, as Shinobi is not only back, or will be, but it’s kicking ass and taking names with Shinobi: Art of Vengeance.
The premise of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is pretty straightforward. The main star of the Shinobi series, Joe Musashi, comes out of retirement to take on the ENE corporation, which has laid waste to his village. Of course, Joe won’t let this stand and sets out on a journey to put ENE into the dirt.
What’s interesting is that the game has familiar events that took place during The Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master. However, it’s important to note that this new title is more of a soft reboot than anything, and it doesn’t...
