Marvel at Neo City & Hand-Drawn Art of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

One of the bigger 2D action platformers to watch out for in 2025 has to be SEGA and Lizardcube‘s Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. With Joe Musashi returning to the front lines of this latest adventure to bring down the paramilitary faction, ENE Corp, and the evil Lord Ruse, we will surely get an exciting romp through memorable locations. To that end, the studio has dropped a brand new trailer showcasing Neo City and more of the fantastic art.

Throughout the trailer, you can glimpse the hand-drawn art that comes to life with every frame, where smooth and fluid animations go hand in hand with the fast-paced action. It appears to be a great blend of art and motion, with plenty of modern touches on a storied franchise. As futuristic as the city may look, the danger is ancient and very real.

This new reveal follows the intro video for the Oboro Village stage shared previously, and only serves to confirm the amount of detail that is being put into the game. Having already cut their teeth of Streets of Rage 4, the developers are putting that experience to good use with Shinobi: Art of Vengeance.

For those into the art side of things, the team has also released a behind-the-scenes look at the process. What is likely to be the first of many developer diaries to come, this debut focuses on pushing the limits of 2D animation games.

There is no doubt that there is a hunger for retro-looking games in the current landscape, and with the game sporting modern features like a combo-powered combat system, gear progression, collectibles, and iconic weapons making a return, the ingredients are there for a potentially great entry.

The game blends old-school action with updated mechanics, including a robust combo system, hidden secrets, and a gear-based progression setup. Players can upgrade their abilities through collectible Amulets and special Ningi tools, while executing attacks with Musashi’s arsenal of weapons, including his iconic katana Oborozuki and elemental Ninpo techniques.

With three months to go before launch, players who pre-order the game early will enjoy a 10% discount, along with content like the Original Arcade Outfit and the Fortune Hunter Amulet. There is also a Digital Deluxe Edition up for grabs, which grants early access three days ahead of release, the Ghost outfit, a Medic Lite Amulet, 2,000 Gold, as well as the soundtrack and art book. There is also the bonus of the SEGA Villains Stage, which sees you going up against iconic bosses from the long history of the company.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is scheduled for release on August 29. It will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.