DLC REVIEW: ‘Ninja Gaiden 4: The Two Masters’ Provides A Serviceable Experience

Ninja Gaiden 4: The Two Masters DLC introduces new foes and challenges for Yakumo and Ryu to conquer, while also introducing several new gameplay elements. These new features provide a mostly engaging experience but also leave a lot to be desired.

The DLC begins with the invasion of the Archfiend Seere, who brings hordes of dangerous fiends with them. It’s up to Yakumo and Ryu to stop the invasion by culling the horde and reaching the depths of their hideout to cut down the archfiend behind the whole ordeal.

The narrative for The Two Masters DLC takes place after the base game’s events, but it’s incredibly barebones and can barely be called a narrative. The entire DLC spans three incredibly short chapters, totaling a maximum of two hours of content, with each chapter showing each ninja’s perspective of the event.

The Two Masters DLC retains the base game’s excellence and even enhances it.

Cutscenes are few and far between, and the enemies don’t display any character depth, as the circumstances regarding the invading fiends are barely explained and can be boiled down to the fact that a new enemy has arrived, so Ryu and Yakumo must stop them. Additionally, while the DLC lets both protagonists shine, there’s clearly a bias toward Yakumo, as two of the three chapters feature just him, so fans of the series protagonist may find the DLC disappointing.

Narrative aside, gameplay-wise, The Two Masters DLC retains the base game’s excellence and even enhances it with the introduction of two new weapons, one for each playable character. The Solitaire, Yakumo’s new weapon, is a double-sided sickle that transforms into a scythe capable of slicing and dicing through formidable foes like butter. It presents a new, swift playstyle that’s as flashy as it is effective at cutting down enemies before they overwhelm you. It’s also incredibly versatile and one of the easiest weapons to execute combos with.

On the other hand is Jakotsumon, Ryu’s new hookblade weapon, reminiscent of Scorpion’s chain-dart kunai from the Mortal Kombat series, but a lot less conspicuous. The Jakotsumon can be used to pull enemies closer and attack them simultaneously or to propel Ryu toward enemies for a more targeted assault.

New enemy types offer powerful versions of their original counterparts.

Ryu’s new weapon is a lot more rigid than Yakumo’s, but still enjoyable to use and useful for dealing with flying enemies quickly. Regardless, both weapons offer amazing movesets and new, incredibly epic finishing moves. Whether you’re punching an enemy’s head off with a hook or slicing them into a million pieces with a scythe, each combat victory feels gratifying and satisfying.

The DLC also introduces several newly designed fiends to the game. This includes cybernetically enhanced fiends, natural but humanoid-looking monsters, and, for some reason, electric fish. There’s also the most notable addition: Frenzied enemies.

These new enemy types are powerful versions of their original counterparts that are harder to kill but more rewarding to defeat, as they all have a high chance of dropping Purple Blood Essences, which quickly fill up the Berserk and Dragon gauges. The new enemy designs look great and incredibly detailed, providing a nice improvement from previous games while still being faithful to how fiends tend to look in the series.

Each mission sees players being transported into several new areas by the fiends, and each level is excellently designed and showcases impeccable art direction. From the cyberpunk-inspired city views and designs in Yakumo’s chapters to the lush forests and worn-down caves in Ryu’s, each location offers something new and refreshing.

New challenging bosses are the best part of the DLC.

However, the best part of the DLC is the several new and challenging bosses. Each of them offers a different form of challenge that will have players switch up their moveset or playstyle to beat them. They’re all well-designed and offer thrilling fights. And while they are notably more challenging than most bosses in the base game, they are still incredibly satisfying to beat regardless.

The Two Masters DLC also introduces new Ex Trials challenges and the new Abyssal Road feature. The former is a bunch of additional challenges similar to those seen in the base game. They’re serviceable and sufficiently challenging, but aren’t anything unique.

The Abyssal Road, on the other hand, is a new 100-floor challenge mode that has players fight through hordes of enemies. Enemies in this mode are increasingly vicious and will test players’ skills. However, unlike some hardcore challenge modes, players can take their time climbing floors without worrying about losing progression, making the new feature challenging yet accessible.

Overall, Ninja Gaiden 4: The Two Masters is a good DLC that offers a decent amount of content, despite its incredibly short length and lackluster narrative. Players who loved the base game will undoubtedly find value in the DLC as long as they know what they’re in for.

Ninja Gaiden 4: The Two Masters DLC is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store.