Apart from being a Metroidvania-style platformer, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is also a hack-and-slash game with tight controls and satisfyingly stylish combos. Combat Moves open up tons of potential combos, giving players plenty of freedom when it comes to how they deal with different types of enemies.
The combat and combos system in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance should feel familiar to anyone who has played fighting games and other 2D beat-em-up titles. The progression system is fairly straightforward as well, and if you want to know which Combat Moves are the best, here's a guide that goes through our top picks.
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Shinobi Execution
- Hold L1/LB, then R1/RB when an enemy's Execution Gauge is full
Let's get the big one out of the way first. Shinobi Execution is something that everyone should take advantage of, especially later on when high-health enemies start becoming more common. Instead of reducing a target's health to zero, you also have the option to fill-up their Execution Gauge, and when you do, you'll be able to kill them instantly, regardless of how much health they have.
Apart from the instakill factor, Shinobi Execution is also a core mechanic that's tied to many other Combat Moves and Ninpo skills in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. Absolutely do not sleep on this.
Kunai Burst
- After attacking an enemy, press Circle/B to throw a fan of kunai.
Another skill that you should absolutely not ignore is Kunai Burst. This is tied directly to Shinobi Execution, as each hit from it drastically builds up the enemy's Execution Gauge. It's also good for taking out weaker enemies like shuriken ninjas and gun drones.
The Aerial Kunai Burst variant is just as important, and it's great for extending or finishing your mid-air combo as well. Don't worry about the Kunai costs, as you'll easily recover them over the course of a mission anyway. Just try not to waste all of your Kunai, though.
Rising Strike
- Press Heavy Attack after two aerial Light Attacks to launch enemies even further upward.
Speaking of air combos, Rising Strike can be a lifesaver during Elite Squad fights or battles against big groups of enemies. Keeping enemies staggered, airborne, or otherwise incapacitated is a core principle in many 2D beat-em-up games, and the same thing applies here.
Rising Strike is also great for fighting armored drones, jetpack gunners, and pretty much any flying enemy. If the ground is a little too crowded, just launch someone upward and style upon them as you see fit.
Launch Kick
- Press Heavy Attack after dashing.
A simple Heavy Attack is enough to launch most enemies off the ground (even some bosses), but if you want to prime someone for a Shinobi Execution before comboing them mid-air, then Launch Kick is a great option.
Much like Rising Strike, Launch Kick is so good because it sets you up for mid-air combos. Juggling an enemy in the air is often safer than performing combos on the ground, and it lets you use powerful skills like Bomb and Wind Slash Ninpo too.
Dive Kick and Aerial Spin
- Press Heavy Attack while mid-air. Hold Heavy Attack for a longer dive.
- Press Heavy Attack after hitting Dive Kick. Hold Heavy attack for a longer spin.
These two Combat Moves go hand-in-hand. Dive Kick will send any unarmored aerial enemy plummeting to the ground, and if you perform a Heavy Attack right after kicking them downward, you can perform Aerial Spin, which deals a lot of damage armor and Execution Gauges.
These abilities serve as a solid foundation for many aerial combos, so try to get used to how they work along with other moves.
What About The Rest?
All the other Combat Moves that weren't mentioned here are all useful in their own right, but they either overlap with the ones mentioned above, or are overshadowed by Ninpo skills. You can still use them to great effect, and they open up a ton of fun and stylish combos, but if we're talking practicality and the best Combat Moves to get first, then the ones above should be your top priorities.
Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance
- Released
- August 29, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Lizardcube, Sega
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Number of Players
- 1
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- August 29, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- August 29, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- August 29, 2025
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- August 29, 2025
- Genre(s)
- Action, Platformer, Hack and Slash
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
