2025 was an awesome 12 months for ninja and samurai video games on PlayStation – PlayStation.Weblog

Ninjas and samurai have at all times been a staple of video video games, however even with their perennial reputation, 2025 has been an exceptionally good 12 months for titles about lethal Japanese warriors. A bunch of ninja- and samurai-themed video games hit PlayStation 5 this 12 months, providing an enormous number of takes on the concept of changing into a sneaky, sword-wielding fighter in darkish garments.

From fast-paced combo-ridden motion video games, to slower and stealthier assassin-themed takes, regardless of how you want your ninjas, 2025 has had one thing for you.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Sure, the Assassin’s Creed sequence is about two historical orders of ridiculously influential warriors battling each other all through historical past, and likewise there are godlike aliens. But what the video games typically lack in narrative realism, they make up for in nailing historic settings. Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ depiction of feudal Japan is unmatched, and the sequence’ give attention to stealthy takedowns is true in step with the ninja sensibilities of its protagonist, Naoe — in any case, “assassin” is true there within the identify. But if you happen to’re searching for some selection, excellent news: Assassin’s Creed Shadows has two protagonists, so you may get the ninja expertise and a style of the samurai life all through the course of its prolonged story.

Publisher: Ubisoft | Developer: Ubisoft Quebec | PS5

Ghost of Yōtei

Like Ghost of Tsushima earlier than it, Ghost of Yōtei sports activities a “Kurosawa mode,” named after the famed Japanese filmmaker, and that’s a fairly good indication of the cinematic experiences that await you. Yōtei is lots like taking part in by way of a samurai movie, however with an entire lot of shinobi components thrown in alongside the best way. Its protagonist, Atsu, isn’t a ninja or a samurai, per se — she’s a mercenary, and she or he makes use of each benefit she will to win battles on her quest for revenge. What Ghost of Yōtei channels from the ninja expertise is the concept of stealth and silent takedowns. For instance, Atsu’s upgraded kusarigama can snare enemies from a distance. She also can unleash kunai for chained assassinations and disappear with smoke bombs. Each enemy encounter calls for intelligent improvisation to match the risk, and that’s Atsu throughout.

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Developer: Sucker Punch Productions | PS5

Ninja Gaiden 4

Team Ninja’s and PlatinumGames’ titles are sometimes all about velocity — overwhelming your foes by way of ridiculously quick reactions and unrelenting combos. With Ninja Gaiden 4, it’s all slashing, dodging, and obliterating enemies. While there are a variety of classically ninja-esque components at play, as you would possibly anticipate from all of the makes use of of the phrase “ninja” on this paragraph already, what Ninja Gaiden 4 actually grabs onto is an over-the-top mobility and agility in its ninja expertise. You’re extremely quick as you run alongside partitions, grapple over gaps, and dodge previous enemies, and when you begin laying into opponents, you’re in a position to combo them so quick they’ll’t even react. If you’ve acquired a necessity for ninja velocity, that is the sport for you.

Publisher: Microsoft Corporation | Developer: Team Ninja, PlatinumGames | PS5

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

Side-scroller Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound channels the early entries within the Ninja Gaiden sequence, mixing fashionable recreation design concepts with an old-school attraction. You struggle by way of hordes of enemies, together with an entire lot of demons, with weapons that kill most enemies in a single hit. The ninja fantasy isn’t a lot within the blades, velocity, or skills — though these components are all there — as it’s in mastering the battlefield. You’ll have to measurement up your foes, and the order during which you have to defeat them, so you possibly can profit from power-ups to take down more durable foes, or keep away from doubtlessly devastating assaults.

Publisher: Dotemu | Developer: The Game Kitchen| PS5, PS4

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remastered

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, because the identify suggests, falls on the samurai facet of the spectrum, however it shares lots with 2025’s crop of ninja video games, like highly effective combating skills and a give attention to battling demonic enemies. Capcom’s remaster of this 2002 traditional sends you on a quest of revenge towards a military of fiends, encouraging you to interact in good swordplay as you steadiness slashing, blocking, and nailing highly effective Issen counters. Onimusha 2 additionally offers the samurai expertise a barely totally different spin, drawing on components of Capcom’s up to date video games of the time, just like the Resident Evil sequence, to channel a little bit of a survival-horror vibe.

Publisher: Capcom | Developer: Capcom Production Studio 2 | PS5, PS4

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Similar to Ragebound, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance additionally reinvigorates a famed ninja sequence by reaching again into its 2D side-scrolling previous. Shinobi performs up the ludicrous energy and ability of its ninja, Joe Musashi, with an emphasis on weakening enemies so that you could carry out a blazing quick assassination on a number of of them without delay. Strategically whittling down the life of each enemy on the display with out outright defeating them, simply so you possibly can watch Musashi zip round at lightning velocity to complete them off, is at all times satisfying. With a katana, kunai, and highly effective, magical Ninpo and Ninjutsu skills, you’ve got all types of ninja-themed choices at your disposal to tackle something the sport throws at you.

Publisher: Sega | Developer: LizardCube | PS5, PS4

Honorable Mention: Ninja Five-O

Another side-scrolling ninja title getting back from the previous, Ninja Five-0 was beforehand an excellent hard-to-find recreation that was solely accessible for moveable techniques approach again within the early 2000s. But with Ninja Five-0 making its method to the PS5 this 12 months, you’re lastly free to reply the age-old query: What would occur if a cop was additionally a ninja? You’ve requested that query, proper? Ninja Five-O offers you a fairly in-depth reply as you utilize ninja expertise and talents to save lots of hostages and take down financial institution robbers and different criminals. Firearms are not any match to your velocity, expertise, or the arsenal of traditional weapons at your disposal, together with a katana, a grappling hook, and shuriken.

Publisher: Konami | Developer: Hudson Soft | PS5, PS4

While 2025 is perhaps drawing to a detailed, don’t fear — it appears we gained’t be brief on ninjas and samurai on PS5 within the New Year, both. Sucker Punch is gearing as much as ship cooperative multiplayer motion with the discharge of Ghost of Yōtei Legends subsequent 12 months.* Ghost of Yōtei Legends shall be free DLC for all Ghost of Yōtei house owners.* Nioh 3 is already making ready to strike on February 6, and brings an entire set of ninja expertise and talents to enrich its deep samurai gameplay. Ninja Gaiden 4 is arming itself with a serious growth in early 2026 that provides new story content material and weapons for its ninja protagonists. And Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the primary new mainline entry in Capcom’s sequence in twenty years, will launch a sneak assault someday subsequent 12 months.

*Available by way of patch replace. Internet connection and account for PlayStation Network required. PlayStation Plus subscription (bought individually) required for on-line play or multiplayer. PS Plus is topic to recurring subscription charge taken robotically till cancellation. Age restrictions apply. Terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms .