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Microsoft surprised fans during its Xbox Developer Direct event with the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4, marking the first mainline entry in the series in 13 years. In addition, Ninja Gaiden II Black, a remastered version of the 2008 classic, was revealed and made immediately available on console, PC, and Game Pass.
The announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4, co-developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, has reignited excitement. Scheduled for release this fall, the game serves as a direct sequel to Ninja Gaiden 3. Fumihiko Yasuda, Head of Team Ninja, acknowledged the long gap between entries, saying: “Fans have long been asking us for a new Ninja Gaiden game. Koei Tecmo’s President, Hisashi Koinuma, and PlatinumGames’ CEO, Atsushi Inaba, led us to explore a collaborative development effort. PlatinumGames had the expertise we felt was ideal for working on Ninja Gaiden.”
The latest installment introduces a new protagonist, Yakumo, while maintaining the series’ trademark dark and gritty atmosphere. Set in a transformed, chaotic Tokyo, the story revolves around the return of the Dark Dragon. Players will face formidable enemies, including Ryu Hayabusa, the legendary Master Ninja himself.
Explaining the decision to add a new lead character, Ninja Gaiden 4 producer and director Yuji Nakao from PlatinumGames stated: “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.”
The Developer Direct trailer showcased Yakumo’s new abilities, including traversal mechanics using wires and rails, a first for the series. These high-speed elements are designed to enhance the gameplay experience while keeping players on edge. Nakao emphasized the importance of adversity as a core theme:
“Adversity is a key concept for this game. From the beginning to the end of each stage, and even in the transitions, everything is designed to represent adversity for Yakumo.”
Alongside the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4, Microsoft revealed Ninja Gaiden II Black, a remastered version of the classic 2008 game. In a surprise move, the remaster is already available on console, PC, and Game Pass.
This revival of the Ninja Gaiden series reflects the combined efforts of Team Ninja, PlatinumGames, and Xbox Game Studios. Yasuda expressed gratitude to Microsoft’s Phil Spencer for supporting the project.
With Ninja Gaiden 4 set to launch later this year, fans can look forward to a fresh chapter in the iconic action series while revisiting a remastered classic in Ninja Gaiden II Black.
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