First revealed at the start of the year during Xbox’s Developer Direct, Team Ninja and PlatinumGames have been working on a sequel to their HD trilogy of the long-running Ninja Gaiden series, with the first new title in more than a decade. While protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is still a driving force behind the narrative, this upcoming character action title focuses on a new hero: Yakumo, a Raven clan ninja and descendant of the Dark Dragon, who has been an antagonist of the Hayabusa clan throughout most of the series’ lifetime.
Not one to shy away from excessive amounts of blood and dismemberment, NINJA GAIDEN 4 is among the bloodiest action games I’ve played in a long time. Land a finishing blow on an enemy soldier, and their limbs will fly off, accompanied by a gratuitous shower of blood. While getting bathed in blood might be a core mechanic to the game, ala SUDA51’s recent roguelike Hotel Barcelona, it’s enough to make a squeamish ninja dog want to find the accessibility options and turn the blood splatter off. Yakumo can take advantage of the liquid potential to power up his Bloodraven form, a technique unique to him and a first for the series to take blood and utilize it as an attacking tool.
Yakumo is just as proficient in the art of the blade as series veteran Ryu Hayabusa and can bring a variety into combat, from the trusty katana to a thrusting spear and heavier hammer. Yakumo can don a pair of weapons at a time, with the second of the set being used for blood-based counterattacks and combo finishers. I gravitated towards the thrusting sword, something more akin to a war rapier than the type you’d find in fencing, that would transform into a massive drill in its bloodied form. While this wasn’t as effective against groups of enemies at a time, I still had access to the series staple Flying Swallow maneuver to dispatch enemies surrounding Yakumo, but just outside of melee range.
Outside of boss fights, Yakumo is rarely caught in one-on-one situations, with enemy grunts preferring to group up on the solitary ninja from all angles. A soft target lock makes it easy to angle your attacks mid-combo from an enemy from one side to the next before launching them into the air and continuing your attacks in an aerial combo. Yakumo can also throw shuriken to preserve his combo momentum and temporarily stun enemies as he runs in for the approach. Swapping between weapon sets is just a button press away, and Yakumo can swap from his thrusting sword to a massive staff to twirl about and continue the onslaught, depending on the situation. Having this weapon transform into a massive rocket-powered hammer means it can be the best tool for breaking an enemy’s guard and armor.
Just as the modern series is known for, Ninja Gaiden 4 is a masterclass in fast-paced ninja action and giving the player a multitude of tools to try and survive among the higher difficulty compared to other character action games. Yakumo can bring a limited number of healing items to battle, but he can just as easily recover a large chunk of lost health by way of his bloodraven form to absorb at least a portion of the health he’s lost.
The cyberpunk setting is something new for Ninja Gaiden and a natural evolution from the nighttime cityscapes that the modern trilogy showcased. Industrial grey buildings bathed in a curtain of constant nighttime rain and darker flooring and accents leave the perfect backdrop for the fast-paced combat to pop and not get lost in blurring the two together. While I personally would like to see a return to some of the more rustic landscapes of the Hayabusa Village, I would not be disappointed if the entirety of Ninja Gaiden 4 takes place in these futuristic cities.
Ninja Gaiden 4 both surprised and delighted me with a challenge that I’ve found to be sorely missing from character action games of recent years. Besting the single boss of the Tokyo Game Show demo on the hardest difficulty available made me appreciate playing a far more aggressive playstyle and how the game allows players to adapt their fighting style differently to each type of enemy or boss. This was my first time getting to see Ninja Gaiden 4 firsthand, and it has already proven itself to be one of my most anticipated action titles of 2025.
The wait to play Ninja Gaiden 4 is nearly over, as the title will launch across Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 5, and PC on October 21st and will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass for the Ultimate tier.
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AloJapan.com