It has been a long time since Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja have given players a chance to go 3D with Ninja Gaiden lead character Ryu Hayabusa. After playing about an hour of Ninja Gaiden 4, it’s looking like our wait still isn’t quite over. However, through the combined efforts of Xbox Game Studios, Koei Tecmo, Team Ninja, and PlatinumGames, there appears to be a new ninja on the block and he’s proving to be a formidable force in his own right. Shacknews recently traveled to PAX West and got an opportunity to try out Ninja Gaiden 4 for the first time.
The early story of Ninja Gaiden 4 doesn’t directly follow Ryu Hayabusa. At least not yet, anyway. The story sees Hayabusa and the Divine Dragon Organization seal away the evil Dark Dragon for good. However, in doing so, the Dark Dragon unleashes a torrent of poisonous miasma that rains over Tokyo and renders it uninhabitable. This leads to the introduction of new protagonist Yakumo and the Raven Clan, rivals to Ryu and the Hayabusa Clan. Yakumo’s mission is to seek out Seori the Dragon Priestess and kill her in order to fulfill the Raven Clan’s prophecy and end the threat of the Dark Dragon forever.
However, a twist in the prophecy leads to a temporary alliance with Seori and a new goal: Break the seals of the Dark Dragon, resurrect the fiend, and purify him. With nothing left to lead to his future resurrection, only then would the Raven Clan be able to destroy the Dark Dragon for good. Of course, this would all be a lot to explain to the Hayabusa Clan and the DDO, especially given that the Raven and Hayabusa clans have been at odds for generations, so it ultimately leads to Yakumo facing resistance.
As one might expect of the 3D Ninja Gaiden series and PlatinumGames, this is a journey filled with intense action and extremely gruesome violence. The game opens with Yakumo infiltrating a DDO facility to seek out Seori, leading to frequent encounters with guards. Players mix up light and heavy attacks for a standard 3D action formula, but Yakumo’s blade is capable of dismembering foes. When enemies are dismembered, they’ll often react with a desperate attack, but a heavy attack can queue up an Obliteration, which is a bloody finisher that sees Yakumo leave his foe a heap of severed body parts and a mess of blood.
Ninja Gaiden 4 adds several more pieces to the combat formula. Bloodraven Form is something that players will become familiar with over time. It’s a powerful stance that uses Bloodbind Ninjutsu to cut through opponents, even if they attempt to block. Likewise, Bloodraven Form is the only way for Yakumo to protect himself from otherwise unblockable attacks. Charging up the Bloodraven Form and using it in pivotal moments is the key to prevailing in combat, especially during instances where Yakumo becomes overwhelmed by greater numbers.
Of course, the other major component of the Ninja Gaiden experience is platforming and using the swiftness and agility that come with being a ninja. Yakumo can wall kick at blinding speeds to scale tall surfaces quickly while wall running to cross long distances. Additional tools are picked up over the course of the game, such as the Caddis Wire, which is essentially Yakumo’s grappling hook. Mechanics like the Caddis Wire and wall running are often combined for a greater challenge, though there hasn’t been anything quite as infuriating as the old-school NES sequences. Not yet, anyway.
Yakumo will have his own supporting cast to help him in his mission. Umi is a supporting character who talks through Yakumo’s earpiece. She’ll chime in frequently to offer mission briefings and the occasional comedy relief. She’ll also be available through DarkNest Terminals, which is where players can upgrade their abilities. Yakumo will also encounter ravens frequently and they’ll be used to summon his mentor Tyron. Tyron can teach Yakumo new abilities and also give him an outlet to help him practice everything he’s learned so far.
This is all just scratching the surface of the Ninja Gaiden 4 story. At some point in the game, Hayabusa is expected to return and be playable. How the narrative reaches that point remains to be seen. It’ll also be interesting to see what tools Hayabusa brings to the table and how they’ll compare with his Raven Clan counterpart.
The Ninja Gaiden 4 story looks to be one worth checking out. The war against the Dark Dragon promises to be an exceptionally violent one and it’ll be exciting to see how it unfolds. There will be blood when Ninja Gaiden 4 comes to PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 on Tuesday, October 21.
This preview is based on an early version of the game played on-site at Microsoft’s offices in Redmond, WA. The final version is subject to change.
