Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo have announced Ninja Gaiden 4, the first new numbered entry in the bloodthirsty third-person action series since 2012. Trailered at this evening’s Xbox Developer Direct, it releases for PC in fall 2025, and they’re working on it in collaboration with Bayonetta and Nier: Automata devs Platinum Games. All of which very much tickles my dismemberable gizzards. Here’s the reveal video.
The game introduces new character Yukumo, a young ninja from the Raven clan. He’ll cut a path through a cyberpunk Tokyo that is being steadily warped out of shape by a cursed rain, the Darkrot, generated by some kind of evil dragon. Ninja Gaiden’s original protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is also playable and will play a “pivotal” role in the story. The Hayabusa and Raven clans are rivals, so you can expect the two leads to lock blades, though it seems inevitable that they will eventually team up to ding over that dastardly dragon.
Footage for the game is very much what you’re expecting: extremely fast sword combos, lots of limp removal, an emphasis on parrying and countering, and some stomach-turning finishers. Yukumo has some kind of sorcerous, pop-out wing you can use for aerial moves, together with stretchy dark energy attacks for thinning out the crowds. He and Ryu will fight a range of demonic fiends together with the suited enforcers of the Divine Dragon Order. While Yukumo is well-equipped to fight hordes, it looks like you can expect plenty of 1v1s. Bosses include a gleefully laughing fox lady who doesn’t get to laugh for very long in the footage.
Again, it’s out on PC later this year, and will be coming to Game Pass. Team Ninja + Platinum is very much one of those “would you like some chocolate with your chocolate” combinations. I’m jumping the gun wildly, but I can’t see this being a disappointment.