Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Dev Walks Through Designing…

A good shinobi needs a versatile set of tools to approach a variety of foes and dangerous situations, and the Shinobi franchise's Joe Musashi is no exception. Over the years, Musashi has wielded shuriken, kunai, a wide variety of ninjutsu techniques, and even a gun in one memorable instance. The upcoming title, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, honors this series tradition by equipping Joe Musashi with a wide variety of weapons and techniques so that he can approach each enemy with the tools he needs to defeat them.

Co-developed by Sega and Lizardcube, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance introduces new weapons, ninpo, and ninjutsu for Musashi to use—particularly in the form of the newly implemented Amulet system—while also paying homage to his classic abilities and tools from the series' roots. In a conversation with The Best War Games, Lizardcube CEO Ben Fiquet and lead game designer Fred Vincent emphasized that they are longtime fans of the Shinobi series and wanted to pay tribute to what fans loved about the games, but also introduce some new and exciting elements.

Joe Musashi Has A Wide Array Of Ninpo And Ninjutsu At His Disposal

In Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Joe Musashi wields his iconic sword for short-range combat, while making use of thrown kunai for longer-range attacks. His non-weapon-based abilities include Ninpo, charged attacks that often come with special effects, and Ninjutsu, rarer but extremely powerful abilities. Vincent briefly outlined just a few of the abilities Joe Musashi will have at his disposal in the newest Shinobi title:

"During your playthrough, you’ll be able to buy or find new attacks, Ninpo, Ninjutsu, and Amulets. Each has distinct strengths, making them efficient against a particular kind of enemy, or more useful in a specific context. For example, some ninpos are good at breaking enemies’ armor, others for triggering execution faster."

Ninpo Combat Sequence

Ninjustu Combat Sequence

Art of Vengeance Features a Mix of New and Returning Weapons and Tools

Vincent also confirmed that Shinobi: Art of Vengeance will feature several of Musashi's "iconic abilities, such as the dive kick" from the previous Shinobi titles. However, the Lizardcube team has "adapted their functions to fit the new combat system." Drawing on their experience making Streets of Rage 4, Lizardcube designed the combat to be fast-paced, with players constantly staying in motion and taking advantage of Musashi's agility to defeat both challenging bosses and large hordes of foes.

"The game is meant to be spectacular," Vincent enthused. "We wanted to blend both platforming and beat' em all aspects of the game, allowing players to transition from one phase to another seamlessly." In addition, Art of Vengeance makes Musashi's abilities and play style far more customizable than anything previously seen in a Shinobi game, as he can equip a variety of Amulets that strengthen various abilities or weapon attacks.

Vincent and Fiquet are excited for players, both old and new, to experience the return of one of Sega's most iconic IPs. The game will be a blend of classic and modern elements, with Musashi having access to both iconic weapons and brand-new tools and skills. Although the game is certain to be quite challenging, Vincent did offer one hint for players looking to conquer Joe Musashi's latest adventure in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance: "You need to constantly mind your surroundings and carefully pick your targets, as you’ll rarely fight only one enemy."

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