2025's Biggest Disappointment: Ninja Gaiden 4 vs. Metroid Prime 4

[iamthemilkman]

So a lot of people aren't too thrilled with Metroid Prime 4, and while I did like the game, I understand why they were disappointed. Most of the complaints I've heard are completely valid. That said, Ninja Gaiden 4 was much more disappointing for me. While the combat was fast and fluid, it felt more like a Platinum game in terms of combat (Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising) than it did a Ninja Gaiden game. As a fan of Platinum games, that's not bad thing since it's one thing their games excel at, but it no longer feels like Ninja Gaiden. But other than the combat, there's nothing else particularly good about the game. The environments are dull, repetitive, and feel nothing like Ninja Gaiden. Ninja Gaiden 4 feels like it had a "Game Pass budget" with the lack of environmental diversity. Additionally, the new protagonist, Yakumo, is nowhere near as cool as Ryu Hayabusa.

 

[Elwiwi]

As someone who played very recently ninja gaiden sigma I don't the bad things you mentioned about the newer one , like NG is very repetitive on its own

 

[bcdusk]

Metroid Prime 4, so much paddling it hurts.​

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

Where's the neither option?
Because nothing 2025 reaches the levels of disappointment as

 

[doll_in_spell]

So a lot of people aren't too thrilled with Metroid Prime 4, and while I did like the game, I understand why they were disappointed. Most of the complaints I've heard are completely valid. That said, Ninja Gaiden 4 was much more disappointing for me. While the combat was fast and fluid, it felt more like a Platinum game in terms of combat (Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising) than it did a Ninja Gaiden game. As a fan of Platinum games, that's not bad thing since it's one thing their games excel at, but it no longer feels like Ninja Gaiden. But other than the combat, there's nothing else particularly good about the game. The environments are dull, repetitive, and feel nothing like Ninja Gaiden. Ninja Gaiden 4 feels like it had a "Game Pass budget" with the lack of environmental diversity. Additionally, the new protagonist, Yakumo, is nowhere near as cool as Ryu Hayabusa.

WOAH THAT NINJA GAIDEN TRAILER LOOKS SICK

 

[RanmyakuIchi's icon RanmyakuIchi RanmyakuIchi]

As a hardcore fan, I was pretty satisfied with NG4 honestly. It has the best bosses in the series, and while I would've preferred more Hayabusa, Yakumo's weapon switching mechanics were fun to mess around with, and what we do have for Hayabusa feels amazing (if only it could be more). Couldn't really care less about the environmental diversity tbh, more variety would be nice sure, but it's a CAG and gameplay is what's important in the end.

I keep hearing people talk about how it's "too different" and it's "not Ninja Gaiden" but honestly NGB, NG2, NG2B, and NG3RE all play fairly differently from one another so I don't really understand that critique. Ninja Gaiden fans are so famously fickle that if it played just like NG2, they'd probably complain that it's too similar then anyway.

 

[NotReallyHere]

Where's the neither option?

My thoughts exactly

I mean, it's all right if some gamers are disappointed with either MP4 or NG4, but to call either game the year's biggest disappointment seems like a bit of a stretch.

Having played neither, I can't say one way or another. But I do know that my Nephew got a Switch 2 for his birthday back in October and has only played Mario Kart World for about an hour, so...

 

[NovumVeritas]

Played both. And completed both.
Ninja Gaiden 4 was a bit repetitive regarding the long levels and nothing really to do or explore much. The action was nice though. Had an easier time with Ryu to get SSS rank than with Yakumo.

Metroid Prime 4 was pretty well optimized on Switch 2, it was more linear than the older Prime games, and more handholdy than the games before. Myles was perfectly fine and the exploration with Viola (the bike) was quite nice. I enjoyed my time with it, but I can understand the criticisms, the final fight was some crap though, especially with babysitting your Federation team mates. The power ups were a little bit on the cheap side with putting psychic in front with them, I hope with Prime 5, they reintroduce some thing from the older Prime games like certain visors or the typical Metroid abilities.

 

[Graw]

I've never played the 3d Ninja Gaiden series and didn't even realize there was a fourth one but I already gave up on Prime 4 back when they first mentioned the open world stuff a few years ago so it wasn't really disappointing either. I came to terms with game companies turning franchises I used to love into trash a long time ago.

 

[NeonKnights]

I thought Highguard was already the years biggest disappointment.

 

[JellyjamLu]

Metroid Prime 4. It is pretty much a textbook answer for what is currently wrong with modern gaming.
\Why? it was delayed multiple times, It's a Nintendo "triple A" bigger budget project & it's mediocre given what came before & the quality one would expect + the time spent resurrecting this. = F

 

[JoueurCitoyen]

Neither, I enjoyed them both!

The biggest disappointment to me was The House of the Dead 2: Remake. Not even as good as THOD: Remake, which was so-so to begin with.

 

[Frickinfrik]

Neither! Screw Twitter!

 

[BrawlMan]

I never touched MP4, but I am not exactly a Metroid fan to being with.

Ninja Gaiden 4, while flawed in some ways, I did not feel disappointed at all. The game gave me what I wanted. Though I have no problem calling out the DLC bullshit. Luckily, I got the DLC on a Black Friday week sale. I find this game just as almost good as Ninja Gaiden II Black. I love that game.