It's been over 13 years since the last mainline Ninja Gaiden game, but this week during the Xbox Developer Direct, Team Ninja announced the return of the beloved action-adventure franchise. One of the big surprises to come out of this week's showcase was the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4.
Ninja Gaiden 4 serves as a direct sequel to Ninja Gaiden 3, set in a near-future Tokyo that has been devastated by the return of the Dark Dragon. Players experience the chaos of the city as a new playable character, Yakumo.
Introducing a new protagonist is a risky move for a franchise as adored as Ninja Gaiden, but producer and PlatinumGames director Yuji Nakao explained that it will make the series "more approachable for new players." Long-time series fans shouldn't be too concerned as it has already been confirmed that Ryu Hayabusa will play a significant role in the story and will even be playable at parts throughout the game.
A brief gameplay trailer was revealed for Ninja Gaiden 4, showing off the game's intense action and combat. Yakumo fights using a "Bloodraven Form," a technique that "manipulates the blood of oneself and enemies, transforming it into a massive weapon capable of slicing through multiple foes at once.”
"Yakumo fights using Bloodraven Form, and when certain conditions are met, he can unleash a move called ‘Bloodbath Kill,’ which instantly bisects enemies in one strike," explained Nakao in a detailed Xbox Wire blog post. Differing from past games in the series, Ninja Gaiden 4 will feature "large-scale, high-damage attacks" made possible through Bloodraven Form.
The Ninja Gaiden games are known for their challenging difficulty, and Nakao confirmed that fans can expect as much with Ninja Gaiden 4, comparing it to Ninja Gaiden 2.
“We’ve brought together the best aspects of the series and elevated them for the current generation," he said. "Personally, I believe [the difficulty level of] NINJA GAIDEN 2 had a lot of standout qualities, and I think fans will feel its influence strongly throughout NINJA GAIDEN 4.”
Don't let challenging be confused for unfair, though. Addressing the challenge of creating a Ninja Gaiden experience, Nakao explained: “One of the key differences between modern action games and NINJA GAIDEN lies in the sense of fairness when confronting enemies. Enemies are designed to be masters of defense and experts of unrelenting aggression, but players never feel they’re at an unfair disadvantage. There’s a sense of balance that’s been passed down through the series, transcending current-day trends.”
“The rapid shifts between offense and defense, the almost fighting game-like 1v1 combat—you’ll see these elements evolve in NINJA GAIDEN 4. At the same time, we’ve ensured that returning players will immediately feel at home when they pick up the game,” he continued.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is co-developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames who have partnered with Xbox Game Studios Publishing. The game is set to release later this Fall, and will be available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.