At The Game Awards 2023, Sega made a bold statement that it was reviving several old franchises. PlayStation’s State of Play saw one of them—Shinobi: Art of Vengeance—revealed with a release date. It is the first of many more to come.
Come August 29, 2025, fans will have their hands on the 2D platformer with brutal enemies and a cocktail of obstacles. It will launch on PS4 and 5 and the studio promises more reveals in the coming months.
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Sega of Japan collaborated with Lizardcube to bring Shinobi: Art of Vengeance to life and this new installment pays tribute to the original entries—but with better graphics, of course.
From the announcement trailer, we got glimpses of the combat, weapons, and mechanics that will help players traverse obstacles including mid-air dash, grappling, diagonal kicks, and special moves. There are also going to be diverse fighting grounds including on a speedboat cruising through the sea.
Sega first released the Shinobi franchise about three decades ago. Speaking in an interview published on the PlayStation Blog, Toru Ohara, the Chief Producer of Sega of Japan hopes that both long-time fans and those who have never heard about the franchise will appreciate the new entry.
Creative Director at Lizardcube, Ben Fiquet said Shinobi: Art of Vengeance was inspired by The Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi III, both of which were first released on Sega Genesis. Explaining the several ways the new entry pays tribute to the classic titles, Fiquet said;
“You have the special powers, moves—even some of the enemies, stages and bosses capture the essence of past Shinobi games. The Bamboo Forest stage, for example, returns in this title, so players familiar with Shinobi will surely feel the nostalgia.”
“Also, our protagonist is “Joe Musashi”—that name alone has a deep meaning for anyone who knows this series,” added Ohara.
For those discovering the title for the first time, the first question that comes to mind is what is the best entry point for the series? Ohara pointed out that this is a standalone story with new gameplay elements and neither a sequel nor a side story. Guess that answers the question. You can start Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance without feeling like you have missed anything in the series.
“Play as Joe Musashi in a new 2D action platformer that marks the return of the iconic Shinobi franchise,” read the game’s official blurb. “Battle challenging enemies and epic bosses in a uniquely hand-drawn world.”
