Sega has confirmed the full title for its upcoming Shinobi game, and announced its release date.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance will be released on August 29, with players able to pre-order the game today for a 10% discount.
The game will be released onPS5,Xbox Series X/S,PS4,Xbox OneandSteamon that day, withSwitchand physical versions following later.
“Play as Joe Musashi in a new 2D action platformer that marks the return of the iconic Shinobi franchise,”Sega‘s description of the game reads. “Battle challenging enemies and epic bosses in a uniquely hand-drawn world.”
The game is a collaboration between Sega of Japan and Lizardcube, the French studio that co-developedStreets of Rage 4.
“Artistically, Shinobi is a continuation of our creative work on Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap and Streets of Rage 4,” creative director Ben Fiquet said in an interview on thePlayStation Blog.
“We have always been deeply attached to traditional art and animation, which we believe reflects perfectly in 2D gameplay.
“Our influences range from French comics to Japanese anime while trying to keep that Mega Drive / Genesis visual aesthetic, which we feel players may remember fondly, too.”
Although it’s the 13th game in the Shinobi series, Fiquet said Art of Vengeance is mainly inspired by the Mega Drive / Genesis games The Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi III.
“You have the special powers, moves – even some of the enemies, stages and bosses capture the essence of past Shinobi games,” he said. “The Bamboo Forest stage, for example, returns in this title, so players familiar with Shinobi will surely feel the nostalgia.”
