Sega's classic Shinobi series is back. Developed by Lizardcube—the studio behind the brilliant Wonder Boy and Streets of Rage 4—the new ninja action title Shinobi: The Revenge of the Slash has officially made its mark on Metacritic with some rather impressive scores.

Shinobi: The Revenge of the Slash is, at its core, a 2D platformer. It follows the legendary ninja Joe Musashi on a quest for vengeance for a fallen comrade. The game boasts stages packed with intricate gimmicks and a deep combat system that lets you weave swords, kunai, and various ninjutsu arts into fluid combos. It also incorporates Metroidvania elements, encouraging you to explore its meticulously hand-drawn world to uncover hidden paths.

The professional scores dropped just before the game's launch. As of 11:36 AM on August 26, Shinobi: The Revenge of the Slash is sitting comfortably at 88 on PS5 (from 43 reviews), 85 on PC (from 27 reviews), and 89 on Xbox (from 11 reviews). It is holding its own across all major platforms with solid mid-to-high 80s scores.

Critics are singing praises for the game's visual polish and mechanical depth. The hand-drawn aesthetic and the buttery-smooth character animations have been a particular highlight. On the gameplay front, reviewers found it easy to pick up but difficult to master. While the difficulty curve is admittedly steep, the satisfaction of overcoming a tough boss is, by all accounts, quite immense.

Many outlets feel that this entry marks a perfect revival for Sega’s long-dormant Shinobi franchise. Game Informer even hailed Shinobi: The Revenge of the Slash as a "blueprint for reviving long-dormant series," while IGN praised Lizardcube as a studio with a "unique talent for making everything old feel new again."

However, it is not all sunshine and rainbows. Some critics pointed out that despite its Metroidvania ambitions, the exploration feels a bit light and the gameplay loops can become repetitive. There were also grumbles about clunky control schemes and some feedback suggesting the late-game difficulty doesn't quite scale to match the depth of the combat system.

Shinobi: The Revenge of the Slash launches on August 29 for PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with full official Korean language support. If you purchased the Digital Deluxe Edition, you can play it starting from the 26th.