Shinobi’s new SEGA Villains offers some thrilling boss fights, but its stages are disappointing

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is no doubt one of the best games to come out of 2025, and SEGA is trying to make sure it stays in people’s minds in 2026 with not only a new piece of paid DLC, but also a free update. Of the two, the SEGA Villains Stage DLC is certainly the most interesting, adding five new stages for players to make their way through. And these aren’t just normal stages, either; they’re inspired by other SEGA franchises, with some surprising bosses to overcome.

Priced at £8.99/$9.99, the SEGA Villains Stage DLC isn’t too expensive, but it also perhaps doesn’t represent the best value for money considering the full game is only £24.99/$29.99. It is included in the Digital Deluxe Edition of the game, however, so if you already own that you’re golden. In any case, with the DLC installed you’re able to access two new stages from the game’s world map, which means you can carry any upgrades you’ve obtained into them. And trust me, you’ll need them.

One of the initial stages available here is themed on Golden Axe, but it’s the perhaps the weakest of what the DLC has to offer. It’s fairly basic layout-wise, and doesn’t offer much of a challenge when it comes to platforming. It doesn’t help that no new enemies are introduced into the mix, and that’s a complaint that can be aimed at the SEGA Villains Stage DLC on the whole. Thankfully the other stage that’s available from the outset, themed around Yakuza/Like a Dragon, is much more interesting.

The boss fights are the real highlight here. After making your way through each one of the initial stages available, another one opens up where a boss lies in wait. Completing the Golden Axe stage allows you to face off against Death Adder, who proves to be quite a challenge thanks to his powerful attacks which include him charging across the screen and summoning waves of energy that move erratically. For completing the Yakuza/Like a Dragon themed stages you’re able to face off against Goro Majima, who’s still tough but not quite as formidable.

The final stage on offer here, themed around Sonic the Hedgehog, is by far the shortest, but it makes up for it by offering two boss fights against Dr. Robotnik (Dr. Eggman to some). Some players might find the first fight to be a cakewalk, but the second is a true test of your Shinobi skills. Still, it’s undoubtedly rather fun going up against Sonic’s nemesis as Joe Musashi, especially if you’re a longtime SEGA fan. And by the time you’ve overcome Dr. Robotnik and completed the DLC, you’ll have earned new new costumes and ninpo that you can make use of in the rest of the game.

As the stages included in the SEGA Villains Stage DLC are more linear than those found in the main game, with no secrets to discover, you probably won’t get much fun out of returning to them. You might have fun beating the bosses again, though, and there are new Boss Rush modes available to make that a bit easier.

Outside of the SEGA Villains Stage DLC, the latest free update for Shinobi: Art of Vengeance adds a new Hardcore mode for those who have mastered the game and really want to test their prowess. It also makes various tweaks to the game and eradicates some bugs. So, whether you’re prepared to spend any more money on Shinobi: Art of Vengeance or not, it’s certainly worth returning to it. One of the best games of 2025 has just got a little bit better, after all.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance and its SEGA Villains Stage DLC are available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC.