Is Shinobi Art of Vengeance on Switch 2 September 24 Worth Waiting For?

SEGA has released a second accolade trailer for Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, confirming that the Switch 2 version launches on September 24. The game originally released on PC, PS, Xbox, and Switch on August 29, 2025, and it currently holds an 86 on Metacritic and an 84% positive rating on Steam. Officially, SEGA describes it as a new ninja action game that combines richly detailed hand-drawn visuals with fast, combo-driven combat.

That timing makes the message pretty clear: Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is not a last-minute catch-up port, but a deliberate second-platform release after its initial multi-platform launch. SEGA is selling two things here. One is the hand-drawn art, which gives locations such as military bases and scorching deserts a stronger identity. The other is the combat system, built around swords, kunai, ninjutsu, ninja arts, and amulets, all feeding into a combo system players can mix and match freely. For players who like refining combos and searching for better routes in action games, that kind of design usually has more staying power than simple stat stacking.

The core setup follows the legendary ninja Joe Musashi, who sets out on a path of revenge after witnessing his village fall to disaster and his companions turned to stone. That setup is familiar for a ninja action game, but the added platforming gives it more to work with. Combat provides the immediate payoff, while ninja techniques used to break through obstacles and uncover hidden routes create room for trial and error. That makes each stage feel less like a straight run and more like a space to refine your route. In that sense, the real test is not whether you finish it once, but whether you want another run with a different combo approach.

Those review numbers also suggest it is doing more than trading on nostalgia alone. An 86 on Metacritic and an 84% positive score on Steam do not mean it will suit everyone, but they do suggest the fundamentals are solid, especially in feel, pacing, and visual presentation. In that sense, the new Switch 2 version feels like a useful second test: whether this more demanding blend of high-mobility action and challenging platforming can keep finding an audience on new hardware.

If you already bought the launch version on PC, PS, Xbox, or Switch, there is no strong reason to double-dip just to own another version unless the appeal of replaying combos and hunting hidden routes in a handheld format matters to you. But if you have been waiting on the sidelines, the Switch 2 release looks like a sensible entry point, since it arrives after the noisy launch window and lets you make the call with the reception already on the table. The advice is simple: if you like high-mobility, combo-heavy action and are willing to take on some platforming challenge, September 24 is worth watching. If you mainly want a relaxed story playthrough, this kind of ninja action game, which asks you to practice and learn routes, is probably one to watch in gameplay before deciding.