Shinobi: Art of Vengeance – SEGA Villains DLC Review – Familiar Worlds, Mixed Results

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance – SEGA Villains DLC Review

One of the greatest games of 2025 returns with a fresh slice of DLC, uniting SEGA’s celebrated franchises in a crossover no one saw coming. Blending elements of Golden Axe, Yakuza, and Sonic with the art style and gameplay of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, will the SEGA Villains DLC be the perfect mash-up, or a messy mix?

Mysterious rifts open in the world, creating portals to other dimensions. To protect the universe from collapse, you must enter the unknown realms, track down the sources of power, and eliminate them before it’s too late. The narrative is barebones and merely a premise to facilitate the crossover rather than delivering a fresh tale.

Crossover Chaos

The Villains DLC offers five new stages. Two are linked to the Golden Axe franchise, another two to Yakuza, and the final stage is based on Sonic. Although the backdrops include aspects from these properties, the enemies are a mix of characters, which takes away from the crossover. I would have preferred the levels to be completely themed rather than a mash-up of everything, as this takes away from the notion of entering a new dimension.

Each level is well designed, with combat-focused segments that counter the platforming. These raise the challenge from the base game, requiring you to use the full range of skills in your arsenal to overcome the many hurdles on the way to each boss. The designers crafted the areas well, but the levels lack the same finesse and variety as the main campaign. However, the boss encounters are where the DLC excels, as facing famous foes is an absolute thrill. Each poses a significant threat, with Dr Eggman being a particularly tricky customer. The barrage of attacks can be overwhelming, requiring you to think and react quickly to overcome these mammoth encounters.

Completing areas grants you new Ninpo abilities that you can use to support you during demanding fights. The SEGA IP links with these abilities: one throws an axe, another summons clones, and the final unleashes a destructive bomb. These give more incentive to revisit levels or take on the ultimate challenge: Boss Rush.

One Battle After Another

As the game mode suggests, Boss Rush lets you run the gauntlet and take on all bosses from the DLC one after another. Designed to offer a significant challenge, I would advise brushing up on your skills before attempting this hardcore run through some of the hardest fights that the game offers.

While the DLC gives you another reason to revisit one of the best games of last year, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the base game. The developers designed the levels well, but they don’t offer as many paths and secrets as the main campaign. Although boss battles exceed expectations, the worlds don’t maintain consistent theming across all enemies, which detracts from the idea of visiting these distinct worlds. Regardless, priced at only $9.99, the Villains DLC delivers on its novelty concept and lets you delve back into a classic title.

***PlayStation 5 code provided by the publisher for review***