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Lately, I’ve noticed an issue of sorts happening in the gaming industry: the chasing of the soulslike high. While it has worked for some games, it got old after a while, especially since not all soulslikes that follow the trend nail the aspects of these titles. Even if we don’t see it, there’s a burnout happening, as we’re seeing quantity over quality. For that reason, Ninja Gaiden 4 is precisely what the market needs. It is the promised modern action/adventure hack-and-slash game we want, and one that I hope kickstarts a new trend that puts the iconic early 2000s genre back on the map.
The Revival of the Action Genre
In truth, there’s nothing wrong with soulslike games, when appropriately executed, of course. That can be said for almost all genres in the market. Yet, there’s a time when we all say, “Enough is enough.” Ever since Dark Souls made a more mainstream splash and became a worldwide success, many studios have been chasing that trend. It has worked for some, but it has utterly failed for a few others. Sadly, this has left many of the old action/adventure franchises in the dark. But just like the first Ninja Gaiden put the genre on the map, it looks like Ninja Gaiden 4 will do it again, and in the moment we need it the most.
While the release date is still a bit far away, we can already see that Platinum Games, Team Ninja, and Xbox Game Studios are aiming to bring a proper action/adventure title to all of us. They have even clarified that they are staying away from the usual “soulslike dodge roll,” which has sadly become one of the gaming staples in recent memory. And you know what? I’m glad it is happening. There’s nothing wrong with the system itself, but I miss the days of combo meters, flashy combat, and gory executions, and that’s exactly what a Ninja Gaiden title is all about.
The Series That Could Usher in a New Era
Another reason why the action/adventure genre has felt dormant for a while is that some of the modern games have refused to bring back the challenge that made it so iconic. Take God of War, for example. It is a terrific series, especially the last two entries. However, it leaned more toward the story-centric aspect and left the difficulty and complexity of the hack-and-slash games aside. There’s nothing bad with it, but then again, the genre has felt stale until now.
From the recent previews, we can already see that Ninja Gaiden 4 is bringing everything that made the franchise so iconic, but with many modern systems that could mark the beginning of a new action era. Hopefully, this will show the industry that it is time to chase a new trend, or even better, work on two at the same time. Regardless of what happens, I’m glad we’re getting a new Ninja Gaiden title, and one that looks like the most promising action/adventure game of recent memory.
