Can you wield a sword like a samurai and blend into the shadows like a ninja? Well, you can find out by playing the best samurai and ninja games available for Xbox. Here’s our pick of the top five.
5. Ninja Gaiden II
Released for the Xbox 360 in 2008, Ninja Gaiden II is a hack and slash action-adventure game that gore fans will adore. The game follows master ninja Ryu Hayabusa, as he uses his Dragon Sword against the Black Spider Ninja Clan throughout Tokyo. His mission is to prevent the kidnapping of a CIA agent called Sonia and protect the Demon Statue that the Black Spider Ninjas want to steal. The first game in the Ninja Gaiden series was good, but the sequel is better. One thing of note is the new combat system that allows Ryu to tear off limbs and body parts from his enemies and cover everything with their blood. Ninja Gaiden isn’t for the faint-hearted, but if you love hack and slash games, you’re sure to enjoy Ninja Gaiden II.
4. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
Set in a time that’s loosely based on the Edo period of Japan, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun sees a mysterious warlord called Kage-sama emerging to jeopardize the stability of the country. It’s up to a samurai named Oshiro Mugen and his allies to eliminate the evil Kage-sama and restore peace to Japan. This strategy-based, stealth-oriented, real-time game received three German Developer Awards upon its release on Xbox One and PS4 in 2017, including Best German Game. And rightly so. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is a thrilling tactical game that will keep you immersed and entertained in the old times of Japan for hours on end.
3. Mark of the Ninja
Being a ninja is all about not being seen and sneaking about in the dark, right? Well, Mark of the Ninja takes those ninja traits and more to create one of the greatest ninja games around. In the stealth-oriented, side-scrolling 2D platform game, you must stay out of sight of the guards while performing silent assassinations. To make things more complex and exciting, each level is divided into light and dark, which means you are visible to your enemies whenever you enter the brightness. Set in the present day, Mark of the Ninja combines ancient ninja traditions with modern technology, and with its distinctive animation, this is one you are sure to want to check out. Ninja games are certainly popular, and if you’re based in Japan, you may find the Ninja Ways slot at an オンラインカジノ (online casino) to be worth a shot.
2. Samurai Shodown
The latest entry in the long-running series of the Samurai Shodown games is one of the best. The 2019 fighting game features full 3D models that move on a 2D plane. It takes place between the events of the original 1993 Samurai Shodown game, and Samurai Shodown V. This new game has helped to reboot the series, and it really is a joy to play. It’s set in 1787, during Japan’s Tenmei Era. The whole country is in disarray. There are fires, famine, and looting everywhere. Meanwhile, the spirit of a dead girl who is possessed and trapped in Yomi threatens to destroy Japan. It’s up to warriors from across the country and beyond to stop the evil forces at work. Samurai Showdown was nominated for various awards, and at the NAVGTR Awards, it won the Game, Franchise, Fighting Award.
1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
The action-adventure game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice received universal acclaim from critics when it was released in March 2019. A little over a year later, and the game has sold more than five million copies; proving that the critics were right to hold it in such high esteem. The game follows a shinobi named Wolf who is on a mission to take vengeance upon a samurai clan who have kidnapped his lord. Sekiro features exploration, stealth, and combat. And there’s a particular emphasis on boss battles. Set in a fictionalized version of Japan’s Sengoku period, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice features plenty of references to Buddhist philosophy and mythology, which helps it feel even more mature and exciting. If you haven’t yet played Sekiro, you don’t know what you’re missing.
