Shinobi: Art of Vengeance makes an incredible first impression. It looks gorgeous, it controls like a dream, and its combat feels sublime. Unfortunately, all those positives are spread across levels that don't hold up their end of the bargain, dragging down the Art of Vengeance experience with repetitive encounters, blind jumps, and half-baked encouragement to explore.
Longtime Shinobi fans will get the basics: As Joe Musashi, you'll take down foes with a combination of sword, kunai, and various kinds of ninja magic as in the classic Shinobi games, but Art of Vengeance is very much a modern take on the long-dormant series. You progress through a linear set of levels, but they're expanded with a slight Metroidvania twinge, letting you return to old stages with new abilities to hunt down collectables.
