In the spirit of Christmas, I want everyone to know that this year… RPS Advent CalendarI nominated several games about Japanese assassins and at least one point-and-click thriller featuring an underworld with torture devices. Some of these killers appeared in the final calendar, but not all, and point-and-click didn't make it.
To remedy this sad state of affairs, I offer the choices below! Read them and imagine Santa in a shinobi costume, fiddling with his inventory icons to find the right antidote to spray the poisoned milk and cookies I left for him.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black
In a great secret deed, I made this year's advent calendar, not oneBut two Ninja Gaidens. Believe me, I showed restraint, because I could have put Ninja Gaiden 2 Black in there. Released at the very beginning of this year as a shadow blob (appropriately), this remaster takes 2008's Ninja Gaiden II for Xbox 360 and gives it a gorgeous new coat of Unreal 5 paint.
You could argue that technically it's just a shinier take on Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, the version already on Steam, and it lacks the dense enemy layout that dominated the Xbox 360 original. (Yes, there are three editions of Ninja Gaiden II, each with slight differences.) I won't deny that Ninja Gaiden 2 Black also feels dated, from the simple level designs to the scantily clad main characters. female heroes. (The enemy even states how “hot” one of them is when attacking his airship. Real energy from the dude.)
But beyond booting up old hardware or running through emulation, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black remains the most accessible take on Ryu Hayabusa's second mission in the Xbox era, and it still typifies the beautiful environments, dynamic slashing combos, and over-the-top dismemberment that defined one of 2008's best games. Moreover, there is no new guy like Ninja Gaiden at the helm. 4, so give it a try if you have a high tolerance for 2000s era games.
Katie Rain 2: The Diviner
Like anyone who has read my review of Katie Rain 2 let's know, I consider this game to be the true successor to Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, which, by the way, made our recent 100 best computer games list. Starring a brash private eye/journalist who first made a splash nearly a decade ago with his flawed but compelling work clearly influenced by Twin Peaks and Silent Hill, Katie Rain 2 smooths out the rough edges of its predecessor with well-crafted puzzles, some of the most beautiful pixel art I've seen in 2025, and a mature story that begins with serial killer and ends with an exploration of trauma and our willingness to depend on others. Oh yeah, and then there's the aforementioned underworld, full of torture and whatnot.
I heard a roar that Katie Raine 2 could have sold better, which makes me sad because these types of games are what I imagined future adventures would be like when I was a kid. Play it if you're itching for the revival of Gabriel Knight, though keep in mind that it's not completely standalone (indeed, that's the only reason I didn't give it the Best Best in my review) and the story will make more sense if you've completed the director's cut of the first game.
Shinobi: The Art of Revenge
Oh look, it's another ninja game where you make a dot sandwich and click good. Shinobi: The Art of Revenge – no. enough every bit as good as Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, which came out just a month or so ago. (Two retro revivals of a franchise in such a short period of time? Be quiet, my katana-pierced heart.) My quibbles with this are admittedly minor – the level design channeled PS1-era blocks, there were too many puzzles for my liking, and I was often reminded of Doom Eternal in the way that game constantly thrusts Joe Musashi into closed arenas full of enemies for him to defeat.
But the combat and combo systems that allow the Joes to smash heads together are at least great to tinker with, and Lizardcube's sublime hand-drawn art is on full display here, bringing this tech-infused ninja world to life with vibrant colors and animation.
Anyone who read the Sonic comic as a child can remember the shinobi stories contained within. Well, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is similar, but even grander, with each segment feeling like a tableau in motion, encouraging you to dash, jump and surf with grim pleasure as you non-stop throw multiple kunai at everything in your path. Although I didn't like Art of Vengeance as much as Lizardcube's previous work for Sega (that would be Streets of Rage 4), it's still an exquisite revival. I say: “Give these guys the Golden Axe.”
