Microsoft's Xbox Developer Direct 2025 showcased a variety of upcoming games the company has planned, including "Ninja Gaiden 4," which is coming next year to Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC via steam.
The latest entry in the franchise is set to be published by Xbox Game Studios and is being developed by PlatinumGames in collaboration with Team Ninja. PlatinumGames is the studio that is responsible for "Bayonetta" and "Nier: Automata."
Ninja Gaiden 4
Fans of the series can expect "Ninja Gaiden 4" to feature a new playable main character, who is a young ninja prodigy named Yakumo. However, the previous protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa, is still expected to appear somewhere along the story of the upcoming title.
The recently announced game is a direct sequel to "Ninja Gaiden 3" but its story takes place somewhere far in the future. Microsoft added that the setting is in a "gruesomely transformed" Tokyo, according to IGN.
Producer Yuji Nakao said in a blog post that one of the key themes of the story in "Ninja Gaiden 4" is the return of the Dark Dragon.
The creature is the one that has plunged the city into chaos. Yakumo will have to face off against various foes, including the Master Ninja himself, Ryu Hayabusa.
In the latest game in the franchise, Tokyo has become overrun by monsters from another world and is under threat from the Dark Dragon. The latter is known as the embodiment of hatred and is a recurring antagonist in Koei Tecmo's action series.
New Features and Mechanics
Yakumo makes use of a fresh set of ninja skills that will help him navigate the city and its dangers. These include a wall jump, rail grinding Tony Hawk-style, and wire skills that also play a role in combat, ESPN said.
Another mechanic in "Ninja Gaiden 4" is that Yakumo can switch between the Bloodraven style, which is a variation of "Ninja Gaiden's" classic sword fighting, and the Nue style. The latter is characterized by fast attacks that have a long reach.
Nakao noted that one of the main differences between modern action games and "Ninja Gaiden" is in the sense of fairness when fighting against enemies.
He said that enemies in this franchise were designed to be masters of defense and experts of unrelenting aggression.
"Ninja Gaiden 4" features dark visuals, new enemy types, as well as fresh gameplay that builds on the foundation set by previous entries in the franchise. Additionally, the upcoming game modernizes the series' classic and familiar functions, according to USA Today.
