Tag: Playstation

Ranking Every Game I Finished in 2025

In 2025, I finally got my rumpus room sorted out, and I managed to finish plenty of video games. It’s been quite the eclectic mix of old and new, and I decided that it would be fun to rank them. That’s what people like, right? Rankings? Obviously this is just my opinion, and could quite easily change if I looked at it on a different day, but what follows is my attempt to wrangle every video game I completed for the first time in 2025 into some kind of order.

I’ll quickly mention Mario Kart World, RoadCraft, and Dorfromantik, because they’re not really the sort of games you can “complete” but all got a lot of play from me and were games that I played for the first time this year. RoadCraft is a MudRunner-type game where you find yourself in a big truck in the aftermath of a natural disaster and are tasked with repairing roads and pipelines and things, and Dorfromantik is a map-builder where you place tiles next to other tiles and gradually create an expansive landmass while trying not to run out of map pieces. I’m not going to describe Mario Kart World – you know what Mario Kart World is – but you could call these three my honourable mentions.

I’ll also mention Metaphor: ReFantazio and Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. I enjoyed both, but bounced off both. Metaphor: ReFantazio became a bit of a slog (although I was suffering from excruciating back pain at the time and it hurt to even sit down, so that didn’t help) and Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was just too much faff, as I discuss here. I did still like both games, though, and may well come back and knock them on the head in 2026.

Anyway, enough preamble, let’s get to the ranking! Watch out, here comes number 25!

25. Princess Peach: Showtime! – Switch

I get that I’m not exactly the target audience for this one, and I don’t really remember what possessed me to buy and play it, but honestly, it was still pretty good even though it’s all the way down here at the bottom. If it was bad, I wouldn’t have bothered finishing it, after all. You play as the second best princess from the Mario franchise and collect different outfits that unlock various powers on your quest to save the theatre or something, and the more action-coded stages were a lot of fun. Some nasty performance issues and some less-interesting sections let this one down.

24. Exo One – PC

A short and sweet Steam purchase that I’d had on my wishlist for some time, this one puts you in control of a technologically advanced space sphere/disc thing and uses momentum-based controls to take you on a ride through beautiful, alien worlds. I smashed the campaign in an afternoon but enjoyed it. There’s a story behind it about a missing astronaut and some mysterious space anomalies, and when the pace was high and the mysteries were mounting it was a thrill ride, but it loses some places for the moments when the controls worked against me and the pace was brought to a near-halt (and it felt a little tiny bit like playing crazy golf).

23. Arrow Flash – Mega Drive

A classic shoot-’em-up that I played to completion on my actual Mega Drive in my actual rumpus room. Reviewers of the early ’90s weren’t too impressed, saying that it was too easy and could be completed in an hour or so. I can confirm that this is true, but I still enjoyed it, switching between spaceship and mech forms, and experiencing some trippy visuals and cool tunes. I wouldn’t say it should be mentioned in the same breath as some of the legendary shooters from that era – it’s an early Mega Drive game and it feels like one – but I still enjoyed it.

22. Untitled Goose Game – Switch

I finished it this year but I started it last year and never quite got to the end for some reason. I played it with my daughter this time around, and we enjoyed unleashing our inner aggravating, surly goose personas. Charming and fun, but occasionally a little fiddly and frustrating, this is another game that you can finish in an afternoon. Any game with a dedicated “honk” button is okay in my book.

21. Orcs & Elves – DS

A random eBay pickup that got a few days of solid gameplay out of me. A traditional, first-person dungeon crawler with orcs, skeletons, dragons, zombies, and all that other Dungeons & Dragons-adjacent stuff that gives off cosy, fantasy vibes. It was developed by id Software and published by EA, which I only point out because it just feels quite unexpected. Archaic by design and occasionally esoteric, it’s still an enjoyable and atmospheric experience that I’m glad I picked up.

20. Donald Duck: Quack Attack – PS2

I’ve never really liked Crash Bandicoot. I find the games frustrating and find the character a little grating. I did, however, finish this random PS2 game that’s basically a Crash Bandicoot clone. In general I found it easier and more agreeable than Sony’s then flagship, and I’ll take the cantankerous waterfowl over the wacky marsupial any day of the week. Surprisingly good music, too. The game is known as Donald Duck: Goin’ Quackers in America.

19. The Precinct – PS5

I did a Game Diary on it here and it was a gift from my daughter for Father’s Day, which makes it super special to me. The Precinct has a great soundtrack and a cool, retro top-down view that brings to mind the original couple of GTA games. When it works, it’s all delightful chaos and ’80s vibes, but it had a few too many bugs and random odd NPC behaviours that took me out of the zone. Still, it produced plenty of hilarious emergent moments that make me smirk to look back on.

18. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Switch

A game that I love the idea of slightly more than I love the execution of, but I did still really enjoy this sentient fungus-based puzzler. The compact worlds are cosy and visually interesting, and the brain-teasing gameplay is on point, with lots of additional content made available in the Switch version. I did occasionally find it a bit slow-going and wished my little mushroom pal could run a bit faster, and when played in cooperative mode with my daughter we found that the motion controls could be a pain in the arse. Still great, though.

17. Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged – Switch

I found it especially difficult to rank this one as Broken Sword is one of my all-time favourite game series’ and a go-to for YouTube lets plays when I can’t sleep, but re-playing this in its modern incarnation I couldn’t help but notice where the cracks are starting to show, and feel that if I didn’t have the nostalgia and the pre-knowledge of what to do going in, I would’ve got frustrated and given up. Still, impeccable atmosphere, and George Stobbart’s voice is one of the comfiest in gaming for my money.

16. Uncharted: Golden Abyss – PS Vita

Now for a more action-based take on the globe-trotting adventure genre, as Nathan Drake is responsible for uncountable murders while George Stobbart is still on a big fat zero. This handheld iteration manages to take everything that’s enjoyable about the Uncharted franchise – the spectacle, the atmosphere, the fast-flowing, ever-changing gameplay – and shrink it down to handheld size. I didn’t always want to be fiddling with the touch-screen and gyroscope, however, and the smaller screen took away from the “blockbuster” feel the series is known for.

15. Kena: Bridge of Spirits – PS5

I wrote about this one here, but to put it more succinctly; it’s a somewhat Zelda-adjacent adventure with a Dreamworks-inspired visual style, surprisingly deep and difficult combat, and adorable little critters to locate and manipulate (and put hats on). It was graphically stunning at times and enjoyable throughout, but I didn’t feel much of a connection with the protagonist and the side characters. Still, a great experience from beginning to end.

14. The Plucky Squire – Switch

The short and quirky tale of a young squire kicked out of his storybook, this game delighted with its writing, charm, and Zelda-like gameplay. I finished it right at the end of the year to take my number of games completed (for the first time) in 2025 up from a nondescript 24 to a thematically pleasing 25, and thanks to its imaginative design, clever puzzles, and some amusing dialogue and visual storytelling, I had a very good time doing so. A humble but entertaining slice of wholesome and colourful video game fun. I wrote about it here.

13. Drainus – Switch

Honestly, I didn’t spend anywhere near as many hours on this one as I did the likes of Kena: Bridge of Spirits and The Precinct, but I did thoroughly enjoy every moment, and it was so nice to play a mechanically near-perfect shooter with awesome graphics and music that I could actually get through. The best of the “short” games I played this year, Drainus definitely has a lot to offer for high-score chasers and self-challengers. I, however, just like the pew pew pew. I wrote about it in more depth here.

12. Super Princess Peach – DS

Probably my pleasant surprise of the year, I saw that a lot of contemporary reviewers were generally unimpressed with Peach’s first solo outing, but I found it to be a wonderful balance of accessible platforming, visual charm, neat music, and semi-sneakily hidden collectibles. Not too difficult but with some mildly challenging moments, this title kept me interested until the end and more than delivered on what I was expecting from it; a visually pleasing and well-crafted casual platformer experience.

11. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy – PS4

After having an agreeable time with Uncharted: Golden Abyss I decided to continue my Uncharted adventure by picking up this super-cheap and expertly-crafted thrill-ride and smashing the campaign over a few sessions. I enjoyed playing as Chloe for a change (and I always enjoy Claudia Black’s voice work), and found the set-pieces as exciting as always. I also appreciated the downtime, snooping around spectacular ruins and breathtaking vistas in search of treasures and trinkets. Short but very sweet, and with a nice ending where everyone enjoyed some pizza.

10. Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Switch

For my money, Sonic is the king of the 2D platformer. Having said that, I did find this endlessly inventive platform experience to be a fun and challenging ride. The Wonder Flower effects added such a surreal tone to the game that it always felt like anything could happen, and it let me play as Daisy, so that automatically puts it above the two Peach games I’ve already talked about. Daisy is the best princess, after all. A worthy way to kick off the top ten.

9. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound – Switch

The first ninja-based game to appear on the list, this one stayed true to its NES roots while modernising the gameplay in a few key ways that resulted in a fun and challenging experience. I enjoyed the interplay between the two playable characters and found the bosses to be quite demanding, but wasn’t overly enamoured with the visuals and never felt too compelled to go back once I’d got the campaign in the bag. Still a top-quality, retro ninja adventure, though.

8. Ninja Gaiden 4 – PS5

This game should have been challenging for the number one spot but was honestly a little disappointing. The visuals are great, the combat is poised, tight, and brutal, and the violence is satisfying, but compared to Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden II it lacked variety and x-factor, and the new protagonist, Yakumo, came across as a socially-awkward emo-kid who all the female characters and some far-cooler male characters seem to have nothing but respect and adoration for despite his complete lack of charisma. It played brilliantly, but the game, like its hero, lacked personality.

7. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance – PS5

The triumvirate of ninja action games concludes with Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, which just won me over with its awesome presentation, animation, combat, and controls. The platforming was really solid too, and I enjoyed the Metroidvania-lite mechanics. An excellent return to the limelight for a classic Sega character that warmed the cockles, but some of the levels felt a bit underwhelming and some of the backgrounds felt a bit lacking in detail. I guess I’m still just a bit salty that the gross, body horror sections weren’t disgusting enough. I wrote about this game and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound here.

6. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom – Switch

With Tears of the Kingdom and the Link’s Awakening remake still in my unfinished pile, I wasn’t betting on myself to get through this one, but the quirky gameplay and charm carried me right through to the end. I had a great time summoning creatures and items to help with traversal, puzzles, and combat, and adored the atmosphere and visual style. I’m pretty sure I played the entire thing through in handheld mode, and it really worked beautifully as a handheld adventure that kept me occupied for hours. I didn’t even mind the menu interface thing that everyone was complaining about. Good stuff.

5. Prodeus – Switch

The first game I finished in 2025 was this gem of a “boomer shooter”. I wrote about it here, and while I haven’t played it since knocking the campaign on the head in January, it’s definitely one I can see myself blasting through again in the future. Feeling somewhere in between Doom and Quake with a few mod-cons strapped on, Prodeus was an extremely enjoyable romp through sinister enemies and grimy stages overflowing with ominous atmosphere. It was just a really visceral old-school FPS that I look back on with great fondness. Top five material.

4. Metal Slug Tactics – Switch

I’d read about this game (and watched a few videos) before it was released physically, and knew to expect an experience close to the excellent Into the Breach before sticking the cartridge in, so it had a lot to live up to. Thankfully, it turned out to be a very fun and finely balanced strategy roguelike with just the right amount of challenge. Full of personality, Metal Slug Tactics recreates the classic Metal Slug art-style admirably from an isometric perspective, and has some really cool music too. I often go back to Into the Breach, but now I have another option to sate that hankering for tactical grid-based goodness.

3. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Switch 2

My final anticipated release of the year, it lived up to my expectations and provided a beautiful and atmospheric space adventure that had far fewer frustrating moments compared to Metroid Prime Remastered. I wrote about it in more detail here, but I found that a lot of the problems people are talking about online – like the radio buddy and the green crystal hunt – didn’t bug me anywhere near as much as they seem to be offending other people, and I found Samus’ latest outing to be a top-quality experience from beginning to end.

2. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown – PS5

My surprise of the year! When your biggest complaint about a game is that everyone seems really tall compared to the protagonist, then you know you’re onto a winner (everyone does seem so much taller than poor old Sargon though, and it does really bug me because seriously what is up with that?). I did a game diary on it here, and I look back on that time spent with the game very fondly. Great combat, satisfying puzzle solving and progression, and an awesomely charismatic protagonist all combine to form a brilliant Metroidvania experience. It’s super-cheap, too.

1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – PS5

Recent controversies from the Indie Game Awards aside, this has to be my GOTY, and I previously wrote about it here. A fascinating premise that was followed up on beautifully, gorgeous visuals, stunning music, and challenging gameplay that made the whole thing feel way more involved than your average turn-based RPG (not that there’s anything wrong with a traditional turn-based battle system). The passion of the developers is palpable throughout the game’s rollercoaster of a campaign, and I think it’ll live on as one of the true greats in years to come.

The Plucky Squire

A Real Page-Turner

I ended 2025 on a jaunty note, as far as video games go, at least. The Plucky Squire was added to my Christmas list on a whim and was purchased for me by my lovely wife, and over a few jaunty handheld gaming sessions undertaken in the time void known to some as the “Chrimbo limbo”, I saw the campaign to its jaunty conclusion.

If you haven’t heard of The Plucky Squire, it’s an indie game originally released in 2024 and developed by British studio, All Possible Futures, and concerns the titular squire being kicked out of the storybook he’s the main character in and attempting to save the day by exploring its pages and the outside world.

Many of the puzzles involve swapping words out from the book to have an effect on the environment. It’s a really neat idea that has loads of potential, but I don’t feel like it was explored to that potential.

The game is very “meta” in this way (in fact, the magic that the evil sorcerer, Humgrump, is using to cause trouble is referred to as “metamagic”), as the characters become aware very early on that they are part of a book, and many of the puzzles require players to think outside the box (or outside the book) to come up with creative solutions. Not that any of the puzzles were that hard. I never found myself stopping and scratching my chin thoughtfully for more than a few seconds, and I found all of the “glitchbird” collectibles in one play through.

The game will often stop to offer up some dialogue hinting at what the titular squire (who’s name is Jot, by the way) has to do to proceed, and there were times when I could’ve done without this, and would have rather the game let me figure things out for myself and hold back on stemming the flow. There’s also a recurring character that will give you more specific tips to progress, but you can ignore this fellow if you wish. He does have some fun dialogue, though, so sometimes I felt like I might’ve been missing out on an amusing quip or clever reference. You can’t have it all, I guess.

Sometimes Jot’s allies will fight alongside him, but sometimes they just follow passively.

The writing of The Plucky Squire is very pleasing on the whole. Generally, it’s presented as a kid’s storybook, but the writers definitely had some fun with the dialogue especially. The characters are all fairytale standards with some kind of unique twist, like a wizard who’s into EDM or a troll who’s a heavy metal drummer. The premise, writing, and dialogue combined to provide some legitimately fun and frivolous moments, and I actually chortled aloud a few times.

What about the gameplay, though? Well, I can best describe it as “Zelda-like”, in lots of different ways. When you’re exploring the book, The Plucky Squire feels like a SNES-style, top-down Zelda, and when you’re outside the book in the kid’s room, it’s reminiscent of the Link’s Awakening remake. Even Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks feel represented with some of the creative puzzle solutions. There are also a few moments throughout The Plucky Squire where the gameplay will change drastically for a boss encounter. I won’t spoil too much, but if you’re a fan of rhythm games, side-scrolling shooters, and Punch Out!!, you’re in for a treat.

I now realise that I didn’t take any screenshots of 3D Jot in the real world. Oh well, I’m not going back in to get one, sorry. Here’s a screenshot of him on a mug instead.

Early on, The Plucky Squire felt like it was going to be a quirky but somewhat average experience that I’d play through and forget about, but by the end the gameplay changes, the charm, and the writing elevated it beyond this. I also found the segments where Jot was exploring outside the book, snooping around a kid’s desk and navigating paint pots, rulers, and birthday cards, to be extremely cosy. It almost took me back to my Micro Machines: Turbo Tournament 96 days. Are there any more games where you play as a tiny guy in a full size world? I’d like to explore this idea further. Maybe I need to track down a copy of Chibi-Robo!.

Played on Nintendo Switch 2.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound vs. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Battle of the Ninja

Sometime in the last couple of years, the planets aligned on the same night that a full moon cast an eerie light over the bamboo forests at the base of Mount Fuji, and two separate studios came up with the idea of resurrecting a classic 2D ninja franchise for modern consoles at the same time. Lizardcube dragged Joe Musashi out of the shadows with the Sega-published Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, and The Game Kitchen shone a spotlight on Ryu Hayabusa, creating the Koei Tecmo and Dotemu-published Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. Well, kind of. Ryu Hayabusa is in the game, but he’s not playable.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound came out first, but Shinobi: Art of Vengeance was the first one to get a physical release, so it was the first one I played. I was going to buy them both on Switch, but the boxed release of Shinobi was a code-in-a-box, which I soundly rejected as everyone should, so I got that one on PS5. Still, I played Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound docked on my Switch 2, and didn’t notice any particular performance issues in either game, so I think it’s still a fair fight. As such, it’s time for me to figure out which 2D ninja action game is the best, and I do this as a fan of both franchises who is old enough to have played both back when they were first released. No ninja favouritism from me!

I’m going to use the most coveted and respected review setup of all, that being the method adopted by premier 90’s periodical, Mean Machines Sega. As such, we’ll be judging each title on the following aspects; Presentation, Graphics, Sound, Playability, Lastability, and Overall. Make sense? No, not to me either, but we’ll get into that shortly, so get your tabi on and bring your kunai, it’s time to take to the shadows.

Presentation

So, what’s the difference between presentation and graphics/sound, then? I guess I’m just not on the level of those fabled Mean Machines Sega writers of old, because I don’t really get it. I’ll tell you what, I’ll use this section to talk about each title’s story setup instead. That’s kind of like presentation.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance’s story is pretty basic, with a fairly unremarkable bad guy who is leading an enormous and incredibly well-equipped army of soldiers, creatures, and demons on a steamroller journey of world domination. The bad guy, known as Lord Ruse, has somehow cheated Death (yes, the Death) out of his scythe, and so wields incredible power. Ruse’s forces hit Musashi’s village early on and burn the whole place to the ground, murdering everyone except Joe and Joe’s pregnant wife. Mr. Musashi is obviously fairly pissed, and goes on his own rampage with vengeance on his mind.

Being able to play as a ninja of the Black Spider Clan is pretty cool for Ninja Gaiden fans.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound has an interesting story hook in which main character, Kenji of the Hayabusa Clan, ends up becoming a vessel for the soul of Kumori, an equally skilled kunoichi aligned with the shady Black Spider Clan. The two must work together to defeat the minions of a powerful fiend who plans to open the veil into the human world and wreak havoc. The bad guys feel less important than those of Shinobi: The Art of Vengeance, but the relationship between Kenji and Kumori is actually pretty fun to see develop, and the game’s finale wraps up their story in a surprising way, so I think this one takes it.

Winner: Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

Graphics

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance goes for that playing-a-comic art-style that Lizardcube had previously used for Streets of Rage 4. It looked great for that game, and it looks great here, and most of the enemy designs are very memorable (I especially like the big guys with the electric gauntlet weapons).

The symbol over this unfortunate fellow’s head means that he’s ready to be executed. Finish him off, Joe!

The backgrounds can be spectacular, with highlights including the sparkling lantern festival, the gorgeous fields that the game starts in, and the rooftops of the night-time city stage. Where Shinobi: Art of Vengeance really excels though is in its animation. Joe’s movements are incredibly fluid and the battles look spectacular, and this helps you feel super cool and badass when you pull off spectacular moves while managing to avoid damage.

Do the visuals lose some personality and authenticity with the move away from pixel art, though? Possibly, and occasionally it feels like the backgrounds lack detail, but it’s a superb-looking game overall nonetheless.

Both games feature a really cool-looking bamboo forest early on.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound has more of a retro feel, opting for the familiar pixel art style. This looks great, although perhaps not as striking as Shinobi. Some of the backgrounds look awesome, especially the early-game bamboo forest and the areas in and around Mount Fuji. However, there were locations that I thought were a little bland with uninteresting colour palettes, especially the stage that’s a big construction area. I also found that Keni’s arms looked cartoonishly huge when he was holding onto the ceiling or hanging off a helicopter. Both he and Kumori’s sprites are gorgeous, though.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound gives players the option to turn off the gore, but honestly it’s pretty cartoony anyway.

Interestingly, both games have a couple of levels and a sub-section of enemies based around body horror themes, and both of them kind of fall flat when it comes to making it, well, gross enough. You know, that sort of stuff should send shivers down your spine, leave you morbidly fascinated and unable to look away despite the soul-clenching nature of what you’re seeing. For an example, look at Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master and its Hydra boss fight, as well as the stage that proceeds it. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance’s gribblies look too clean and sleek thanks to the art style. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound’s pixel art style gives the twisted horrors a bit more of a visceral nature, but they still look a bit too cartoony to be effective, even the monstrosity fought at the end of the train stage. Disappointing.

Honestly, there were times during Shinobi: Art of Vengeance where I found myself wishing it went for a pixel art style (especially in the underground laboratory level), but I think that it looks better overall. Both games look great, but Shinobi: Art of Vengeance has that extra edge. Lizarcube are winning this one, but it’s darned close.

Winner: Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Sound

While both games sound good, and both games have great, appropriately action-packed soundtracks, only Shinobi: Art of Vengeance had any pieces that I remembered after I’d finished the game. They were the track that plays during the “Ankou Rift” sections, and the battle music from the Lantern Festival stage, if anyone is interested.

Winner: Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Playability

Here we go, the meat and potatoes of any ninja game, or should that be the rice and tofu? Let’s get one thing cleared up straight away; Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is harder. I beat most bosses in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance on my second try, and didn’t have any real trouble until the very last showdown with Lord Ruse himself. The first boss in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound (a giant fire bat monster demon guy) took me numerous retries, and things only got more challenging. It never felt insurmountable, though, and I persevered and finished the game in the end. Incidentally, Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn (click here for my review), is harder than either of these games.

This floating boss might not look like much, but is an absolute bitch.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a decidedly old-school action platformer that plays like an updated version of the classic Ninja Gaiden games, and it’s definitely closer to its inspiration than Shinobi. Kenji can do two quick slashes with his sword, and can fling projectiles thanks to Kumori’s assistance. The pair have access to a few equippable special weapons and abilities, and can leap from enemies, projectiles, and certain pick-ups using a mid-air attack, which becomes very important for traversal and combat as the game progresses.

Most enemies fall in one hit, but others are much tougher and require Kenji to get up close and slash away, putting himself at risk of some health bar-sapping counter-attacks. However, there’s a nifty mechanic that can help to make these big boys and girls less of a pain. Certain enemies will have visible auras, and depending on whether you defeat them with the right kind of attack, Kenji can sap this aura, super-powering his next strike, which will make short work of the tougher enemies if you play it right. This mechanic also comes up during every boss fight, and it can feel pretty good when you take out a group of tough enemies or stun a boss thanks to smart use of the available auras.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance feels much more modern and further away from the Shinobi games of old, with Joe Musashi gaining directional attacks, upgradeable combos, and a satisfying execution move. There’s a similar system of equippable items that have in-game effects, but I felt more compelled to experiment with different loadouts in Musashi’s outing. Art of Vengeance will also have players going back to earlier stages once new abilities have been unlocked in order to get to new areas, and as such it has a bit of a Metroidvania flavour. I’m a fan of the ways Lizardcube have expanded on the traditional gameplay, and it still feels like a Shinobi game despite these changes.

Moving platforms over electrified water with rotating flamethrower turrets. Good luck!

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance also has some devious platforming sections. I didn’t find the Ankou Rifts too bad (optional areas that provide combat or platforming challenges that provide Joe with a stronger weapon if you beat them all) but there were occasional optional areas in the main levels that slipped from challenging to aggravating. The most egregious example of this was a platforming section known as the “secret bunker” in the battlefield stage late in the game. That place was a nightmare, and was the only time I felt like the controls were working against me, but I beat it.

Both games have some really cool set-pieces, including levels based on moving trains, and “mounted” stages, with Shinobi having a mechanised surfboard interlude as well as another one that’s a slight spoiler, and Ninja Gaiden having a couple of sections on a scrambler bike belonging to Kumori. One later stage in Ninja Gaiden has Kenji leaping from vehicle to vehicle in a military convoy, which was a nice bit of spectacle.

You wouldn’t believe how unnaturally talented Kumori is in the saddle.

Lastly, I encountered glitches in both games. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound had Kumori riding her motorcycle backwards after a collision in one of the on-wheels stages, which was a little confusing and immersion-breaking but didn’t hurt in the long run, but there was one instance of a section of a level starting with Kenji falling through the floor and dying, even when I restarted from the last checkpoint. I had to quit the game completely and restart the level from the beginning to get past it, which was annoying.

Shinobi: The Art of Vengeance hit me with a recurring glitch where the map screen wouldn’t correctly identify where Joe was in the stage, which actually proved to be a major setback when I was searching for the last few collectibles in a stage. Also annoying.

Both games are incredibly smooth and satisfying to play, though, and are challenging in such a way that rarely falls into frustration. However, due to the sheer spectacle and “cool” factor of Shinobi’s combat, I have to hand it to Joe.

Winner: Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Lastability

Well, the campaign in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a lot longer. With the expansive, Metroidvania-lite levels and the backtracking Joe Musashi’s adventure will last you a fair bit longer if you’re the type to play through a campaign once and then move on. When the campaign is completed an arcade mode is unlocked where the goal is to finish each stage in a good time while locating all the collectibles and taking as little damage as possible (as well as finishing the boss off using the awesome execution mechanic). Attaining S rank is pretty challenging, and then when you add in the Ankou Rifts, an unlockable boss rush mode, and the optional secret boss, there’s plenty there for completionists to get on with.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a more focused experience, with the ranking mechanic applied from the beginning of the game. In my experience it was slightly easier to attain an S rank in Ninja Gaiden (depending on whether one of the stage’s challenges involved beating the boss without damage or something crazy like that), but I didn’t especially try for the S ranks in either game so I can’t speak with too much authority on it. Once the campaign is completed a hard mode is unlocked, and there are also secret ops missions which are challenging optional stages in the vein of Shinobi’s Ankou Rifts.

When it comes to sheer content, though, I’ve got to give this one to Mr. Musashi again.

Winner: Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Overall

Well, it’s looking like a bit of a Shinobi whitewash at the moment, but that’s really not the case. Every single category was very close, especially the all-important playability category, and the relationship between Kenji and Kumori in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound did add a lot of personality to win me over. Of course, Joe Musashi is a legend, and Kenji and Kumori are mere newcomers, but I really enjoyed their interactions and this iteration of Joe comes across as more of a personification of vengeance who says literally one word over the course of the entire game. That does give him a badass edge, though.

It’s just as cool as it was in 1993.

Like I said early on, both franchises mean a lot to me. I played and loved the Shinobi games as a kid on the Master System and Mega Drive, but I didn’t play any Ninja Gaiden games until the 2004 reboot and only played the classic games in retrospect. However, whereas I view the Shinobi games as great titles, 2004’s Ninja Gaiden is one of my favourite games of all time, so there’s no real favouritism here. Just based on how I feel about both games, though, I don’t think I can wrangle a plot twist and name Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound as the overall winner despite Shinobi taking most of the categories. It’s great, but Shinobi: Art of Vengeance just has that edge, a more palpable “cool” factor, and the combat is so darned satisfying.

Winner: Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Really, though, both games are winners, and I’m just grateful to have had the opportunity to play two brand new 2D ninja action games here in 2025. Which ever game you choose to play you’re in for a fun and challenging time that has plenty of spectacular content to offer, and if you’ve got a few extra pennies, you could always double up. Support your local ninja in these trying times. Buy both!

Subnautica

Not Recommended for Those With Thalassophobia.

Alma’s unsettling appearances in the first F.E.A.R. game. My decision to quit and never come back thanks to the constant aura of smothering terror in the P.T. Demo. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem trying to convince me that my TV was on the blink. All of these are examples of video games getting under my skin, giving me that sense of tingling anticipation that something truly horrible is about to happen. The three games mentioned above are pillars of horror in video games. Subnautica is not even classed as a horror game. It’s an open-world, survival-crafting experience with bright, cartoony graphics, but that first play-through was spent in an almost perpetual state of near-unbearable dread.

It might just be me, but it’s the open ocean that does it. Those endless, unknown depths. Those distant, unidentifiable sounds. That grasping, limitless, suffocating void filled with leviathans horrific beyond imagining just waiting to suck you into their inescapable, cavernous maws. Subnautica has its light-hearted moments, and is enjoyed by players of all ages, but if the idea of dangling alone in a pitch-black, watery abyss is as unappealing to you as it is to me, then this game will absolutely terrify you.

Enough about my weakness to water, though, let’s talk about the game. Subnautica is set on an uncharted planet known as 4546B, whose surface is almost entirely composed of a vast, deep ocean. When the spaceship you’re on crash-lands on this watery world, you find yourself stranded and alone with only the cold, computerised voice of your PDA assistant for company. The game will offer up a few hints and markers early on, but you’re pretty much on your own. It’s nice and safe in the floating escape pod that brought you to the planet, but those hunger and thirst meters are ticking down already, and hanging around there isn’t going to get you back home. It’s time to explore.

Once you get your bearings you’ll start to understand what you need to do to survive. Important tasks include hunting for edible fish, creating potable water, and scavenging for equipment to help you explore. You’re probably going to drown. A lot. It’s all too easy to get distracted while searching for resources, and end up misjudging how long it will take you to get back to that distant, glistening surface before your air supply runs out. However, search enough wreckage and harvest enough materials from the local flora and fauna, and you’ll soon be able to upgrade your equipment and leave the comfortable shallows, heading deeper and wider. Persevere, and you’ll discover that there are quite a few surprises out there.

Meet the Ghost Leviathan, one of the scary leviathan-class creatures. A few are harmless, but most just want to swallow you whole. The last aggressive leviathan you’ll meet is a little disappointing, though. A goofy-looking gator-squid. Shame.

Survival/crafting games don’t tend to put too much emphasis on the story, but Subnautica is very different in that regard. Through audio recordings and interesting discoveries, you’ll start to piece together a very interesting tale about the planet’s history and ecosystem, and will become embroiled in a surprisingly deep and involved mystery. As the plot threads unravel, new plans and blueprints will become available too – from more advanced air-tanks to a mighty submarine called the Cyclops, all of these gadgets help to let you go deeper and deeper into the abyss, where you’ll finally get to the bottom of the compelling mystery.

Another thing that you can do to help keep yourself alive is build an underwater base (or a series of bases), where you can craft, plan, or just take a breather in relative safety. As long as you keep your base powered, you won’t run out of oxygen, and you can build such helpful devices as battery chargers, storage containers and water purifiers. These bases have a nice, clean, futuristic aesthetic, to which you can add decorative items such as beds, plant-pots, and even aquariums, and if this building aspect really appeals to you, there is a “creative mode” in which you can work on huge, underwater complexes with no restrictions.

Its cool and everything, and constructing a vast, aquatic utopia is an interesting aspiration, but Subnautica is really about the moments. That moment when you swim out into the open ocean and the sea floor drops off into an abyssal trench, and you hear a shrieking, haunting cry out in the murky blue. That moment when you go to a new biome for the first time and the PDA voice informs you that you’re in the migratory path of leviathan-class lifeforms. That moment when you’re exploring in your compact submersible and a dreaded Reaper Leviathan appears from nowhere, grabs your craft and shakes it around like a dog with a chew toy. That moment when you realise that maybe you weren’t the first sentient being to splash down on this planet after all…

Subnautica is absolutely packed to the gills with memorable and awe-inspiring experiences. Most of them invoke negative feelings like loneliness, isolation and dread, but there is wonder too, and a real sense of adventure and discovery. When I finally finished the game and was given the opportunity to leave the planet behind, despite feeling unease and anxiety for practically my entire adventure, I suddenly didn’t want to go. When it was finally time to escape the terrifying deep, I found that I didn’t want to leave this beautifully dangerous world behind. I think they call it Stockholm syndrome.

Played on PS4