NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters Review is a swift but satisfying return to the brutal ninja action you crave.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is one of the most savage action franchises of all time. The series finally came back in 2025, more than ten years after the last real mainline sequel. It brought back the fast-paced combat and hard challenge that made the earlier games so popular.
Team Ninja worked with PlatinumGames to bring back the series. Many long-time fans were surprised by how well it captured the spirit of classics like Ninja Gaiden II while also adding new characters and elements. In a time when Souls-likes and competitive multiplayer shooters rule the market, it was almost nice to see this fast-paced single-player action series come back.
The adventure goes on with the NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters DLC, a small expansion that adds new weapons, stronger enemies, and another demon to fight.
It might not change the formula or add much to the story, but it does give fans what they want: more stylish fighting, tougher boss fights, and more reason to play one of the hardest action games on PC. Even though the content is short, the fast tempo keeps the adrenaline flowing every minute.
The events in the base game happen not long before the plot of NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters. It seems like calm has come back to Tokyo now that the Dark Dragon has been killed and the city is no longer under its evil spell. But peace never lasts long in the realm of Ninja Gaiden. A new Greater Fiend appears and calls forth an army of demons to take over Tokyo for herself.
Two warriors who have been connected from the base campaign are standing up to this threat. The first is the renowned Dragon Ninja Ryu Hayabusa, who has been the franchise’s hero for a long time and is an expert at deadly ninpo techniques.
Yakumo, the Raven Clan prodigy who helped vanquish the Dark Dragon in the main tale, is fighting with him in NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters. Even though they start their adventures alone, they have to work together to get rid of the new evil menace because they have the same goal.
Like most of the games in the Ninja Gaiden series, the story isn’t the most important part. The tale of NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters is even simpler than the story of the base game. The villain doesn’t get much time on screen, and the three chapters that make up the campaign go by swiftly.
There aren’t any big surprises, complicated betrayals, or surprising truths waiting for you here.
Instead, the story only gives you a reason to do what the show does best: put you in nonstop fights with huge groups of enemies.
That being said, NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters does provide us with a brief look at how Yakumo’s character changes. After the main game, he seems to have grown up a little and is more sure of himself, which is a change from the younger warrior you controlled before. Ryu, on the other hand, is still the same stern, unflinching legend he has always been, just intent on getting rid of wicked enemies in the most ruthless way possible.
The tale is really just a way to set up the fights. Some players may want more intricate stories, but this series has always put gameplay ahead of tale depth. You could be disappointed if you go into NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters expecting a movie-like drama. But if you just want another reason to cut through a lot of demons at breakneck speed, the plot does a good job of giving you one.
NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters is all about its fast-paced hack-and-slash combat, just as the base game. You have to maneuver, attack with precision, and link together complicated combos to take out waves of enemies before they get too strong. The main gameplay is the same as in the base game, which is a good thing because the original mechanics were already very satisfying.
You spend much of NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters controlling Yakumo, who has the same weapons as in the original campaign. You may still use all the skills and combos you gained before, so you can jump right back into the action without having to relearn the basics.
Speed, mobility, and an aggressive offense are important parts of Yakumo’s fighting style. You run between enemies, throw them into the air, and use nasty finishers to keep the fight going.
The big new thing here is Yakumo’s new weapon, a double-sided sickle polearm called Solitaire.
In its normal state, the weapon has a long reach and lets you hit enemies from a safer distance than many of Yakumo’s other weapons. Its wide swings are especially good at keeping groups of demons in check.
Bloodraven Form makes things even more fascinating. When in this state, the weapon changes into a huge scythe that can make huge circular attacks that hit many enemies at once. While you time your inputs just so, they trigger spinning attacks that cause a lot of damage to groups, especially while Yakumo is in the Berserk state, which makes him much more powerful.
The Jakotsumon is a new weapon that Ryu Hayabusa gets. This chain blade that can be extended gives him a lot more options in battle, including the ability to fight enemies from a distance. In battle, the weapon works nearly like a grappling hook. You can send the chain flying toward enemies to pull them closer or quickly move near them to narrow the gap and start slashing.
The Jakotsumon also gives Ryu’s fighting style a certain flair. Watching him throw chain swords across the battlefield and then tear enemies apart with lightning-fast strikes provides a fun visual rhythm to fights. But Ryu still feels a little underused compared to Yakumo, mostly since you only get to control him in one of the three chapters of NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters.
Still, the fighting is just as exciting as it always has been. You are always dodging, blocking, and counterattacking while keeping the offensive going. Enemies don’t often give you a break, so if you want to survive on the harder levels, you need to respond fast and learn how to use the complicated combo system.
In NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters, fights feel much more fierce than in the base game.
A lot of familiar demons come back, and they typically attack at the same time in ways that are meant to overwhelm you. Because they are so aggressive, every combat requires focus and quick reflexes.
Some of the enemies from earlier Ninja Gaiden games are back, which is a fun challenge for long-time fans. These enemies are not just there for show. A lot of them have attack patterns that can quickly penalize players who aren’t careful, so every fight feels different.
The last boss battle is one of the hardest in the whole NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters. Even if you got through the standard campaign quickly, this combat will probably test your talents to the utmost. It takes precise timing, knowledge of your chosen weapons, and the ability to stay calm under constant stress.
NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters adds a few more difficulties outside of the campaign. Once you finish the tale chapters, you can do EX Trials to see how well you know how to fight. These fights are meant to improve your skills by putting you up against tough combinations of enemies that require perfect execution.
The Abyssal Road is probably the scariest new thing. This mode has 100 combat floors that are divided into tiers, making it quite hard. You have to win ten battles in a row on each layer. If you fail, you can start over at the beginning of a layer. However, to get through the whole challenge, you need to be patient, have a plan, and know how to use the controls.
The Abyssal Road also adds Frenzied Enemies, which are stronger versions of enemies that can use Mega Power strikes that can’t be blocked. You can only fight these enemies well with Blood Raven powers; you have to change your plan in the middle of the battle. When you defeat them, their frenzy effect spreads to neighboring enemies, causing chaotic chain reactions that make fights much harder.
Enemies drop different kinds of Blood Essence when you beat these challenges, and these affect how you progress. Green Blood Essence increases your Karma multiplier, which is important for getting high points on the leaderboard.
Purple Blood Essence fills up special gauges like Berserk or Dragon energy, which lets you use powerful Ultimate Techniques more often. These mechanics make players play aggressively and give rewards to those who can keep the momentum going during fights.
The end result is a combat system that stays exciting even after dozens of fights.
The graphics in NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters are the same as those in the base edition of Ninja Gaiden 4. NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters runs well on PC with high frame rates, which is important for a combat system that depends on quick reactions and exact timing.
The environments aren’t really different from those in the original game, mostly since NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters is more about fighting arenas than exploration. The gloomy streets, ruined temples, and demon-infested battlefields of Tokyo are back, along with their iconic atmospheric lighting and spectacular visual effects.
One of the best things about NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters is still the character animations. Yakumo and Ryu both move quite well, going from one attack to another, dodging, and finishing blows without any problems. Each weapon also has its own unique look, which makes every combo feel powerful and stylish.
Sound design is also very important for keeping NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters exciting. The sound of swords clashing, exploding ninpo powers, and demons’ deep roars all come together to make the battlefield feel chaotic. The soundtrack, which has a lot of fast-paced orchestral and electronic music, keeps the excitement going throughout the campaign.
Voice acting is still limited but good, which fits with the series’ usual subdued approach of storytelling. Ryu’s calm, steady voice is a good counterpoint to the pandemonium going on around him, while Yakumo’s language shows how much he has grown as a warrior.
In a lot of respects, NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters feels more like a small add-on to the basic game than a big expansion. The three chapters of the campaign may be finished in about two to three hours, which is a lot less than some gamers might think. NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters‘s concentration on battle is even clearer because it doesn’t have any traversal sequences, such as rail grinding or gliding parts from the main game.
The stuff that does exist, on the other hand, is nevertheless really enjoyable. Yakumo and Ryu’s new weapons make the battle system more interesting, and the bosses and waves of enemies are always hard, so every fight is fun. The Abyssal Road mode also gives devoted gamers who want even more of a challenge a huge endgame challenge.
In the end, the main critique is that opportunities were missed. It’s a shame that Ryu can’t play for too long, especially since his new weapon is so much fun. A couple more plot chapters or levels may have made the experience more balanced and given both characters more time to shine.
If you already loved Ninja Gaiden 4, NINJA GAIDEN 4: The Two Masters gives you precisely what you want: more violent fighting, tougher enemies, and more chances to show off how good you are. It may not be a game-changing addition to the series, but it does give you more of the furious action that makes Ninja Gaiden so memorable.
