Mexican Ninja PS5 Review - Katana-Slicing Chaos Meets Roguelike Mayhem

Developed by Madbricks and published by Amber Studio, Mexican Ninja is a fast-paced 2.5D roguelike beat ’em up that throws players into the wonderfully ridiculous world of Nuevo Tokyo. Released for PS5 on August 20, 2026, the game combines Mexican and Japanese cultural influences with retro arcade brawling, creating a colorful, chaotic action game that doesn't take itself particularly seriously.

The Story ...

The premise behind Mexican Ninja is every bit as outrageous as its title. In an alternate history, Japan conquered Mexico, resulting in the fusion of Mexican and Japanese cultures. From that unlikely combination emerged the Narkuzas, a criminal ruling class created from the merger of the Narcos and Yakuza. Their oppressive regime has turned Nuevo Tokyo into a violent, crime-ridden dystopia.

You step into the role of the titular Mexican Ninja, joining the resistance against the Narkuzas. Your ultimate objective is to fight through the streets of Nuevo Tokyo and take down the five heads of the organization. The story is deliberately more of a framework for the action than a deeply developed narrative. Characters, situations, and dialogue exist primarily to maintain the game's irreverent tone and propel you toward the next fight.

The Gameplay ...

At its core, Mexican Ninja is an old-school side-scrolling beat ’em up rebuilt around modern roguelike mechanics. The combat emphasizes speed, positioning, dodging, combos and timing rather than simply allowing you to mash the attack button.

The basic gameplay loop is your standard arcade brawler affair with a touch of roguelike progression. You enter a run, fight through groups of enemies, collect upgrades and resources, improve your build, defeat bosses, and push farther before eventually dying and starting again.

That simplicity is one of the game's strengths. There's very little downtime between encounters, and the game constantly encourages you to keep moving. Enemies arrive in groups, environmental objects can be smashed for useful items, and combat arenas frequently become chaotic battles requiring you to pay attention to attacks coming from multiple directions.

Combat revolves around tight combos, evasive maneuvers and powerful special attacks. The game also introduces Mexican Jutsus, which provide more extravagant abilities and crowd-control options. These abilities help keep encounters from becoming a repetitive cycle of basic sword attacks.

There is also a progression system called the Way of the Donkey, essentially a skill tree designed to let players tailor their character around their preferred fighting style. The combination of combat abilities, upgrades and build customization gives each run more strategic consideration than a conventional arcade beat ’em up.

The roguelike structure, itself, is particularly important because it gives Mexican Ninja its replayability. Runs are randomized, builds evolve during individual attempts, and permanent progression provides an incentive to jump back in after defeat.

Rather than simply memorizing a fixed sequence of levels, players have to adapt to what each run throws at them. The appeal comes from experimenting with different combinations of abilities and upgrades and gradually becoming better equipped, and better skilled, for subsequent attempts. 

The objective remains consistent throughout. Simply survive long enough to make your way through the various stages and ultimately confront the major Narkuza bosses. 

The Presentation ...

Visually, Mexican Ninja embraces a highly stylized 2.5D aesthetic. The combination of Mexican imagery, Japanese influences, exaggerated characters and colorful arcade-inspired environments gives the game an unmistakable personality.

The result is less concerned with photorealism and more interested in making every screen look like an animated comic book fueled by neon lights, violence and questionable decisions. The contrast between the gritty Nuevo Tokyo setting and the deliberately exaggerated character designs works particularly well.

The game's visual identity is arguably one of its biggest strengths. It knows that the premise is absurd and leans into it rather than trying to make the concept seem more serious than it is. The retro arcade influence is also apparent in the way combat and environments are presented.

There are occasional problems with visual clarity, though. Once several enemies, effects and environmental elements occupy the screen simultaneously, the action can become difficult to read. 

The soundtrack and overall audio presentation, on the other hand, complement the game's exaggerated personality. Rather than trying to create an atmospheric ninja drama, the audio presentation contributes to the game's energetic arcade character. Sound effects give the combat plenty of impact, while the overall presentation maintains the irreverent, over-the-top attitude that defines the experience.

The Verdict ...

Mexican Ninja is an entertaining throwback that successfully blends the classic beat ’em up with roguelike progression. Its combat is fast, accessible and satisfying, while the Mexican/Japanese setting gives it a distinctive identity that separates it from the countless other side-scrolling action games available on PS5.

Its biggest strengths are playability and immediate accessibility. You can pick up the controller and start fighting almost immediately, but the deeper upgrade and skill systems provide enough room to experiment with different builds and approaches.

Replay value is respectable thanks to randomized runs, character progression and the desire to improve your next attempt. However, players looking for the enormous variety and near-infinite build possibilities of the genre's very best roguelikes may find the repetition setting in sooner than expected. Performance issues and occasional visual chaos also prevent the experience from reaching its full potential.

Ultimately, though, Mexican Ninja succeeds because it is fun. It doesn't need to be taken seriously. The combination of ridiculous humor, stylish violence, rapid-fire combat and an absolutely bonkers premise gives the game a charm that carries it through its rougher edges.

Mexican Ninja is best suited for fans of retro beat ’em ups, roguelikes, arcade-style action and deliberately ridiculous humor. If you enjoy games that reward repeated runs while allowing you to experiment with increasingly powerful combat builds, and you're not bothered by crude humor and strong language, this is an easy game to recommend for a few chaotic hours on PS5.