Team Ninja and PlatinumGames today dropped the latest trailer and a release date for Ninja Gaiden 4.
Get ready to slice and dice this October when the famed Dragon Ninja returns in Ninja Gaiden 4. The beloved hack-and-slash franchise returns after being dormant for more than a decade, and it’s bringing with it a lot of flair. Developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, today’s trailer focuses heavily on combat, giving players a look at how both Ryu Hayabusa and newcomer Yakumo play. Finally, the developers confirmed that the game launches October 21 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Team Ninja and PlatinumGames Team Up For Ninja Gaiden 4
It’s been quite a while, but one of the gaming greats of previous generations returns with Ninja Gaiden 4, which sees a dynamic duo at its core.
All style, all substance
Today’s new trailer provides a solid look at gameplay, including the return of seamless weapon switching, the obliteration technique, and the Bloodbind Ninjitsu and Ninpo arts. Most importantly, it provided a window into how the dual-protagonists play. Yakumo is a Raven clan ninja prodigy out to make a name for himself. He utilizes the ‘Bloodraven Form’ in combat, allowing him to manipulate his and his enemy’s blood to craft weapons. Meanwhile, Ryu Hayabusa plays similarly to the previous Ninja Gaiden games and has access to his signature moves.
The trailer also provided a few more details about the game’s story. Ninja Gaiden 4 takes place a long time after the events of Ninja Gaiden 3 and is set in a near-future Tokyo that’s been plunged into chaos by the Dark Dragon. It’s influence turns the city into a rainy, cyberpunk hellscape where demons wander around openly. Both Ryu and Yakumo race to defeat the Black Dragon and set things right.
A long time coming
Ninja Gaiden 4 marks the grand return of the Ninja Gaiden franchise following the disastrous Ninja Gaiden 3. While both Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden II (and their Sigma counterparts) found success thanks to their in-depth gameplay, combat scenarios, and violent mechanics, Ninja Gaiden 3 walked back many of those features to focus on the narrative. Despite that, the narrative was quite bad and the rest of the mechanics too-watered down. A revamped Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge fixed many of the original game’s issues, but it was too late to save the game’s perception.
The game launches October 21 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Since then, Team Ninja has been on a roll delivering a bevy of major hits. These include the original Hyrule Warriors, the Nioh titles, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and Rise of the Ronin. Despite all these titles, fan demand for the return of Ryu Hayabusa has remained strong. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait much longer for the Dragon Ninja’s return.
