After waiting years and years with no updates (and receiving one middling remastered trilogy), it finally happened – Koei Tecmo announced a new Ninja Gaiden during the recent Xbox Developer_Direct. This isn’t a reboot or separate project like Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound’s homage to the classic NES series. Ninja Gaiden 4 is a full-fledged sequel and the newest mainline title occurring after 2012’s Ninja Gaiden 3.
Best of all, it’s out this Fall for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC while also launching day one on Game Pass. Here are ten new things we learned about Ninja Gaiden 4, and what makes it truly exciting for long-time series fans.
Collaboration With PlatinumGames
While the announcement of a Ninja Gaiden sequel was shocking enough, it was even more surprising to hear that Team Ninja isn’t alone. It’s working with PlatinumGames of Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising fame to develop Ninja Gaiden 4. On Xbox Wire, Team Ninja head Fumihiko Yasuda explained that “Koei Tecmo’s President, Hisashi Koinuma, and PlatinumGames’ CEO, Atsushi Inaba, share a close relationship, which led us to explore a collaborative development effort.
“PlatinumGames had the expertise we felt was ideal for working on Ninja Gaiden, and with support from Microsoft’s Phil-san, the three companies were able to take the next step towards creating a brand-new Ninja Gaiden.”
Return to Tokyo
Players will be returning to Tokyo in the sequel, but it’s a different metropolis this time around. That’s because the Dark Dragon, who Ryu Hayabusa defeated in Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, has returned. He’s far from happy as well, with his husk blanketing the city in a miasma rain causing it to crumble. The objective is simple: Navigate Tokyo’s winding paths and treacherous foes to defeat the Dark Dragon once and for all. There’s likely to be a sinister twist or two in wait – how did the Dark Dragon return anyway? – and we can’t wait to see how it unfolds.
A New Face
However, this time, players will be approaching the journey from a different perspective. Yakumo is a new playable character, part of the Raven Clan (which is opposed to the Hayabusa Clan) and a Master Ninja heir apparent. He’s been tasked with slaying the Dark Dragon. Series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is still playable, appearing throughout the title, though how extensively remains to be seen. The kicker is that Yakumo opposes him at various points, again for unknown reasons, though their clans not getting along certainly doesn’t help.
Why did Team Ninja and PlatinumGames opt for a different protagonist? Director and producer Yuji Nakao noted, “Since it’s been a while since the last game, we wanted a new hero to make the series more approachable for new players. Of course, we also wanted long-time fans to enjoy the game, so Ryu Hayabusa plays a significant role in the story, serving as a major challenge and growth milestone for Yakumo.”
High-Speed Combat
If there’s one takeaway from the gameplay footage showcased thus far, it’s that Ninja Gaiden 4 is a triumphant return to the high-speed combat that defined the 3D series. The core theme is “adversity”, and it is prominent throughout each stage, with Yakumo facing all kinds of threats, from Fiends to an Order in charge of policing Tokyo (which could be those sick-looking cyberpunk-like samurai enemies). The action rarely lets up, even as you navigate and traverse Tokyo’s rainy street.
Bloodraven Form
Taking on multiple enemies at once and figuring out how to succeed, much less survive, has been a core tenet of the series. In this respect, Yakumo brings a new tool to the table – Bloodraven Form. Described by Nakao as “a technique that manipulates the blood of oneself and enemies,” it involves wielding a massive bloody blade to cleave through multiple threats at a time.
If you fulfil “certain conditions,” then a Bloodbath Kill is triggered, bisecting enemies in the blink of an eye (and a stylish red and black splash screen). It’s unique for allowing players to “instantly turn the tide of battle in their favor,” though looking sick as heck is also a point in its favor.
1v1 Battles
Of course, there’s more than small fry to deal with. You’ll engage in 1v1 battles against significantly stronger threats who will guard against attacks and match Yakumo’s speed. Studying their movements and searching for the right moments is the key to victory. Thus far, we’ve seen a few boss-like enemies, including a large cybernetic samurai and a fiendish being who fights with a parasol. Then there are the battles against Hayabusa himself.
New and Returning Moves
The Flying Swallow and Izuna Drop return in stylish fashion, and they’re not exclusive to Ryu – Yakumo can wield them as well (though both characters possess completely unique fighting styles). Team Ninja also promises the addition of new moves never-before-seen in the series. Ultimate and Obliteration Techniques also return, with the latter manifesting as brutal executions on Order troops – from beheadings to disembowelling – in the recent gameplay footage.
More Verticality and New Traversal Options
Ninja Gaiden isn’t just about brutal combat – it also leans heavily into fast-paced mobility and traversal options. Team Ninja promises enhanced verticality, with the signature wall jumps and wall runs returning. However, players can also grind on rails, leaping from one to the other as necessary, and employ a grappling hook to traverse gaps. With Tokyo falling into ruin, you’ll have to contend with collapsing buildings and roads while traversing throughout.
70-80 Percent Complete
In case there’s any doubt as to whether Ninja Gaiden 4 will launch this year, Nakao confirmed that it’s currently 70 to 80 percent complete, and the teams have entered the polishing phase. PlatinumGames will “continue to work closely with Team NINJA, ensuring every detail meets the expectations of fans.” Of course, this doesn’t guarantee that it’ll meet its Fall release window – it could very well move things around due to a certain open-world magnum opus launching at the same time – but things are seemingly on track.
Regardless, Nakao hyped more information so that fans would understand how “fun and exciting” the game is. He also said as “both a fan and a developer,” Nakao promised to “do my utmost to deliver an experience that satisfies everyone.”
Potential Demo
Another interesting morsel from the same Xbox Wire interview is a potential demo. Yasuda said he was “thrilled that we were finally able to make this announcement and hope it brings joy to our fans” while adding, “We are looking into ways to give you opportunities to get hands-on experience, so please stay tuned.”
For those familiar with Team Ninja’s work, this isn’t too surprising. Nioh 1 and 2 both received betas before their launches, with the feedback helping to improve the final experiences. The same goes for Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Even Koei Tecmo has adopted the practice for other titles like the recent Dynasty Warriors: Origins. If Fall seems too far away, then rest assured that there may be a chance to play sooner rather than later.
