Since its announcement earlier this 12 months, Ninja Gaiden 4 has seemingly met simply as a lot skepticism as pleasure. Yes, after over a decade, we lastly have a brand new Ninja Gaiden–but with Team Ninja and Platinum Games collaborating on its growth and Microsoft publishing, is the sequence’ id at stake? It’s a query that is been on many long-time followers’ minds, in addition to my very own.After all, there isn’t any denying that a few of what makes Ninja Gaiden such a beloved sequence are the little quirks we overlook out of affection. And, most of the time, these are the exact same friction-inducing qualities which can be promptly eliminated when a sequence is remade or rebooted. At the identical time, does opting to retain every one in every of these qualities forestall the sport from evolving, or changing into an thrilling, trendy entry-point? After spending round 4 hours with Ninja Gaiden 4 and talking with the group behind it at Platinum Game’s Tokyo workplace, I’ve come to a preliminary conclusion: Ninja Gaiden 4 is no matter model of Ninja Gaiden you need it to be.
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Now Playing: Ninja Gaiden 4 Is Exactly The Ninja Gaiden Game You’re Hoping It Will Be | Hands-On Impressions
Flexible and fluidMore so than earlier entries within the sequence, Ninja Gaiden 4 emphasizes flexibility. If you are a Ninja Gaiden veteran who loathes the thought of executing excellent dodges, locking on to enemies, and watching your Karma–the sport’s scoring system that rewards gamers for executing combos–rack up within the high left nook, you may both ignore or take away all of it. At the identical time, these choices, an impressively strong accessibility menu, and the sport’s beginner-friendly Hero mode–which auto-blocks most incoming damage–make the sport extraordinarily approachable for brand new audiences and people who might need been turned off by the sequence’ brutal status.That mentioned, you would be flawed to dismiss Ninja Gaiden 4 itself as straightforward. Much like earlier titles, Master Ninja mode is brutal, with larger difficulties bringing elevated enemy intelligence and toughness, in addition to more difficult enemy staging. However, the existence of 1 mode of play does not negate the existence of the opposite, and thus Ninja Gaiden 4 feels splendidly malleable.”While it is true that Ninja Gaiden 4 does include these new parry mechanics and also just dodges, they’re not necessarily required for you to overcome. You don’t have to lean on them exclusively. They’re just another addition to the wide toolset that you have available,” Ninja Gaiden 4 co-director Masakazu Hirayama mentioned. “Ninja Gaiden 4 isn’t necessarily more of a defensive game than the past Ninja Gaiden titles. They’re just a wider array of tools at your disposal and the effort to give players as much controllability and playability as possible.”And whereas it might appear at first look that the defensive strategies such because the parry and simply dodge are very highly effective, you might need observed that there is this berserk gauge, and that gauge will really lower for those who’re being too defensive,” he continued. “The fight is designed in a means so that you can have to actually interact with that back-and-forth, that high-speed back-and-forth between offense and protection.”In a way, this design choice reflects a larger theme in Ninja Gaiden 4: the merging of the old and the new. Ninja Gaiden 4 makes a very conscious effort to respect long-time fans, former protagonist Ryu Hayabusa, and Team Ninja’s original vision. At the same time, the introduction of Platinum Games as co-developer, new protagonist Yakumo, and a vastly expanded tool kit highlight the fact that this is, in fact, a reinvention. And though this has always been the case with the Ninja Gaiden series, even 4’s setting–which sees cyberpunk elements and traditional Japanese qualities come together to form a moody, cyber-ninja dystopia–exemplifies this dynamic.Yet despite Ninja Gaiden being known for its brutality, this collision isn’t violent. Instead, all these different components complement each other and ultimately highlight what each aspect brings to the game.Yakumo vs. RyuThis dynamic is perhaps most obvious when switching between the game’s main characters, Yakumo and Ryu. During this preview, I finally got the chance to see how a slightly older Ryu controls. While he and Yakumo are similar mechanically and can even execute some of the same moves, there are clear distinctions in how they control. Yakumo feels lighter, faster, and dare I say a bit edgier, thanks to his Bloodraven form and ability to enter a berserk state. Ryu, on the other hand, packs a harder punch, feels more professional and precise, and comes with some of his classic Ninpo Arts in lieu of a new winged form, adding to the sense that he is truly a master ninja at this point.”We wished to design a personality that will distinction with Ryu Hayabusa,” Hirayama said. “Ryu Hayabusa is already the apex of tremendous ninja standing, and Yakumo is that this younger ninja prodigy who’s beginning to climb the ranks.””If I had been to distill the variations between the 2 characters into one phrase, Ryu is highly effective, whereas Yakumo is intelligent,” co-director Yuji Nakao added. “Both characters can make the most of legacy talents, whether or not it is the Izuna Drop or the Flying Swallow. But there are these parts that basically distinguish the characters in these actually delicate however very noticeable methods.”Another major difference between Yakumo and Ryu that reinforces these design principles is the fact that while Ryu sticks to his trusty blade, Yakumo has a handful of weapons to choose from, with some being more experimental than others. We were introduced to Yakumo’s drill weapon, which allows him to plunge into enemies and, well, drill; it’s silly, satisfying, and, like I said, he’s certainly the edgier of the two, so it tracks. Another reason why Yakumo has multiple weapons, however, is simply because he is Ninja Gaiden 4’s primary protagonist, so don’t expect the same level of treatment–or number of chapters–for both characters.”There are devoted chapters for Ryu Hayabusa within the story of the sport. In phrases of the ratio, it leans extra in the direction of Yakumo since he’s the protagonist,” Hiriyama said. “But after you beat the sport, it is going to unlock Chapter Challenge, the place you may play all of the chapters as Ryu Hayabusa. Likewise, can play as Yakumo in Hayabusa’s devoted chapters.”Fortunately during my preview, Platinum took the liberty of unlocking the game’s Chapter Challenge mode, meaning I got to take both Yakumo and Ryu through the handful of included chapters, challenges, and boss fights. Doing so further drove home the differences between Yakumo and Ryu, as with Ryu I noticed that I completed objectives more quickly, but with Yakumo I had more combo-building fun. Both characters felt equally viable and fun to use, hopefully meaning that players won’t dread playing through chapters that are initially bound to a certain character.Bullet hell boss battles, cyberpunk citiesAfter going through the game’s first chapters and completing a few challenges, I opted to face off against two of Ninja Gaiden 4’s first bosses: a lightning sword-wielding commander and the Kitsune Cortesean. Though neither one was abnormally brutal, both offered up the same vital lesson: Unless you’re playing on Hero mode, you cannot get through this game if you’re just button-mashing. Whereas the fights your ninjas stumble into can be overwhelming thanks to the sheer number of strong and intuitive enemies tossed your way, these bosses were overwhelmingly powerful, and thus required me to pay attention, learn attack patterns, and intentionally move about the arena while utilizing my environment.I had a great time with both of these enemies. Each felt appropriately challenging on normal difficulty and were immensely satisfying to take down. That said, traversing my environment while doing so was not as enjoyable. Due to Ninja Gaiden 4’s arena sizes, I frequently found myself a bit annoyed as I tried to grapple to safety only to be just out of reach of one of the designated grappling areas. Granted, some of this could be attributed to user error, and large arenas are necessary considering Platinum (naturally) adds some of its iconic bullet hell-style combat moments to the game, such as in the Kitsune Cortesean fight. That said, it still felt a bit stilted and made traversal feel slightly less fluid for me.The locations I explored in Ninja Gaiden 4 didn’t vary too much from one another visually. All of them were set in a rain-drenched, dystopian Tokyo, and lean into cyberpunk visuals, complete with shadows, grime, and neon lights. That said–and although I would have loved to see variation in environments to help break things up–those included in the preview were striking and featured plenty of vistas, cinematic imagery, and interesting set pieces, such as the gargantuan, floating dragon skeleton that ensnares the city.I was ultimately reassured by both the introduction of traditional Japanese elements as the story unfolds and the game’s directors that not all of Ninja Gaiden 4 will take place in Tokyo’s gritty underbelly. According to Hiriyama, Yakumo and Ryu will get the chance to dismember their enemies in more natural environments, too.”The sport itself takes place throughout the better Tokyo space, however inside that space there are additionally levels apart from the cyberpunk aesthetic,” Hiriyama said. “There are levels set in additional pure environments, equivalent to forests or caves. There’s different environments as nicely. If you discover in Stage 1-3 of the construct, you might need observed that there is extra of this conventional Japanese aesthetic within the stage atmosphere, so you may anticipate that sort of selection within the full sport.”That being the case, I’m definitely excited to see extra of Ninja Gaiden 4’s Tokyo. But what I’m most anticipating about its full launch is one thing the Ninja Gaiden sequence’ is not usually praised for: its story and characters.Unlikely allies–and enemiesIt’s nonetheless early days, however I’m intrigued by the story Ninja Gaiden 4 is organising. Though nothing of explicit curiosity occurs within the sport’s first chapter–which, it ought to be famous, is similar one which was revealed throughout this 12 months’s Summer Game Fest–Ninja Gaiden’s prologue establishes a number of enjoyable relationship dynamics. For starters, Yakumo is a member of the Raven Clan, a rival clan to Ryu’s Hayabusa Clan. Things are additional sophisticated after we uncover that, within the seven years since Ryu basically didn’t fully kill the dragon whose corpse hangs over Tokyo and causes town’s blighted rain, he has since aligned himself with the Divine Dragon Order, the Raven Clan’s enemy. As such, when Ryu and Yakumo lastly would possibly, it appears possible it will likely be as enemies.The prologue additionally introduces us to Ninja Gaiden 4’s essential heroine, the Dragon Priestess Seori. It took me all of 1 scene to fully adore her and the dynamic she has with Yakumo. Whereas Yakumo is quiet, edgy, and severe, Seori is full of confidence, attraction, and humor, making their compelled pairing excruciating for him–even if she is exceptionally fairly. On the floor, their relationship feels lots like Cloud and Aerith’s from Final Fantasy 7, so naturally, I’m desirous to see the place issues go.Fortunately for me (and all you extraordinarily affected person Ninja Gaiden followers), we can’t be ready for much longer to see how issues play out. Ninja Gaiden 4 is scheduled to launch on October 21 and might be out there on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. If you are an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, Ninja Gaiden 4 might be out there to play at no extra value on day one.