What happens when you put some of the best minds in action games, two of the most prolific companies in the genre, and one of the best IPs in action games into a blender? To be honest, I don’t know — but it would probably look just like Ninja Gaiden 4.
Since 2004, I’ve been glued to the exploits of pseudo-demon hunter Ryu Hayabusa and his non-stop labour of trying to water the earth in demonic blood. Back in 2004, I was always turning in homework late for school, and the video game landscape looked entirely different. Souls-likes weren’t a thing (Demon’s Souls hadn’t even come out yet), so Ninja Gaiden reigned supreme as the resident controller breaker.
Fast forward 21 years, and not only am I old enough to not have homework, I’m old enough to play Ninja Gaiden without hiding it from my grandma. Difficult games have also become somewhat couture, with Souls-likes filling marketplaces everywhere and fans always scratching themselves red with the “one more try” fever. In this landscape, I’m happy to say I finally got my hands on PlatinumGames and Team Ninja’s love child, Ninja Gaiden 4. Ninja Gaiden 4 is a return to form after its 12-year hiatus, bringing another fast-paced action title to the forefront of gaming. In a sea of Souls-like titles, Ninja Gaiden has never looked better.
The original Ninja Gaiden (2004) director, Tomonobu Itagaki, believed a good video game should be a blend of graphic prowess, interaction and, most importantly, strong gameplay. I’m happy to report that although Ninja Gaiden 4 doesn’t have the same director, it nails these aspects with ease. Even 21 years later, Ninja Gaiden 4 delivers on what the original director set out to do: it looks incredible in motion, and it’s a great time to play.
“Ninja Gaiden 4 is a return to form after its 12-year hiatus, bringing another fast-paced action title to the forefront of gaming.”
First things first: it has been 12 years since Ninja Gaiden 3, and Bayonetta 3 director Yuji Nakao has taken the helm for Ninja Gaiden 4 alongside Team Ninja veteran Masakazu Hirayama. This pairing reinforces Itagaki’s vision, and you can see PlatinumGames and Team Ninja’s influence throughout every inch of Ninja Gaiden 4. Scenic camera angles, high-octane action and an overall great time are all present under the hood, thanks to the new partnership between these two action game powerhouses. It’s a meeting of the minds for the better.
After booting up and jumping into Ninja Gaiden 4, it’s immediately clear that the world of Gaiden is still in disrepair. The defeat of the Black Dragon left behind the colossal carcass of the Dark Dragon, and its husk rains — literally and figuratively — over Tokyo. Poisonous rain makes the city seemingly uninhabitable, and of course, this is where the game begins. You take on the role of Yakumo, a young member of the Raven Clan and a rival ninja to the Hayabusa Clan.
The city features a cyberpunk-like aesthetic with striking design choices and leading lines that make everything feel larger than it seems — an ideal setting for a ninja to flex their talents. Although this is a brand-new partnership between PlatinumGames and Team Ninja, you’d never guess it simply from how great the game feels to play. Controlling Yakumo feels fantastic, and his agility is well portrayed through easy-to-understand controls.
As a Gaiden veteran, I was thrown off at first by the introduction of a new protagonist — much like the bait and switch in Devil May Cry 4 — but Team Ninja and PlatinumGames did this by design. Ryu Hayabusa is a legend in gaming (he even has his helmet in the Halo franchise’s multiplayer), so the development team wanted to introduce a fresh face for new fans to grow alongside — and I’m on board with that.
Yakumo’s broody attitude and his gameplay vary so much from the fierce and firm Ryu that he somehow fits right in. He brandishes twin-bladed katanas that cut enemies to ribbons. After a brief action tutorial to shake off the rust, muscle memory took over, and I was able to dispatch enemies like a true Haya — I mean, Raven Clan warrior. Combos are precise, and timing is everything. Ryu’s spinning kick on his second-slash delay — a combo present in all other Gaiden titles — is reimagined with Yakumo, who can also perform more aerial take-offs than “the other guy.”
Where Yakumo’s gameplay really stands apart is in the Bloodraven Form. When holding LT, Yakumo’s twin blades disappear, replaced by a large, blood-soaked sword resembling the weapon of choice of Final Fantasy VII’s antagonist. It slices through the air with devastating, bloody effect. While Yakumo can perform the Ninja Gaiden 4 brand of “Fatality” — called Obliteration Techniques, which can be used after severing limbs — using the Bloodraven Form unleashes a whole new level of punishment on opponents.
Bloodraven Form uses a meter that fills as you shed enemy blood. This meter charges quickly, so chaining Bloodraven attacks with regular combos is as easy as pressing the right sequence of buttons. This cadenza of alternating huge blood-soaked strikes, perfectly timed dodges, attack-on-attack parries and rapid twin-blade slashes builds momentum fast — and it’s Ninja Gaiden 4 at its best. A few times, I entered a fugue state where enemies kept coming, and dispatching them with expert techniques became more and more satisfying. This high-octane action is punctuated by devastating Obliteration Techniques and their new counterpart: Bloodbath Kills.
When you cause enough mayhem, Yakumo appears as a red streak across the screen, drenched in enemy blood, and can enter Berserk State, which allows him to one-shot enemies in style. These one-shots, called Bloodbath Kills, are essentially Obliteration Techniques in Berserk Bloodraven Form. Bloodbath Kills are exciting, satisfying to execute and incredibly fun to watch. While Ninja Gaiden staples like the Izuna Drop and Guillotine Throw remain (and still feel great), they’re now complemented by an array of new techniques that make gameplay deeper than in any previous Ninja Gaiden title. Ninja Gaiden 4 is true evolution.
“Even 21 years later, Ninja Gaiden 4 delivers on what the original director set out to do: it looks incredible in motion, and it’s a great time to play.”
Scattered throughout Ninja Gaiden 4’s world are hidden gateways called “Purgatory Gates” that allow players to test their skills. You can choose a difficulty level — which lowers your starting health for the gate — with higher risks granting better rewards. These gates play like crucible arena segments placed across the landscape, offering bonuses to those who discover them. I find it fitting that Ninja Gaiden 4 rewards players who find hidden collectibles with more Ninja Gaiden 4 combat. That’s my kind of prize.
Like Ryu in previous entries, Yakumo can use different weapons in combat to mix things up and deliver new punishment to enemies. I was able to use a spear/rapier hybrid as part of Yakumo’s arsenal, and it works wonders. While it’s shaped like a closed umbrella, the Bloodraven Form of the hybrid transforms it into a massive, blood-soaked jousting spear that rips enemies apart. While I couldn’t figure out how to switch weapons mid-combat, Ninja Gaiden 4 is a power trip — and it’s very good at making you feel like the god of ninja.
Yakumo can also deploy a wire rope, called the Caddis, that lets him swing through the air like a friendly neighbourhood Tokyo murder machine. These platforming segments with the Caddis are well executed and provide a break from the otherwise nonstop limb rendering. Team Ninja and PlatinumGames weave Caddis and parkour sections together superbly, and it’s a blast to swing through the air.
During one sequence, Yakumo ran along a narrow rail as environmental hazards flew toward him at high speed. Dodging these hazards while using the Caddis for brief moments of cadence was a rush, and Team Ninja knows exactly how to raise a player’s blood pressure. After a few of these segments, I encountered my first boss fight. While it wasn’t on the level of Alma from 2004, it was surprisingly tough for an unnamed enemy.
Everything leading up to that first boss served as preparation for the battle. The boss uses wide AoE attacks that can fling you across the stage and tear huge chunks from your health bar, and also throws unblockable attacks with reckless abandon. When the boss charges an unblockable, Ninja Gaiden 4 adds yet another element to the action: you can interrupt them in this small window with a well-timed Bloodraven swipe, knocking them off balance and leaving them open for Yakumo’s combos.
While the boss fight had two health bars, once I learned his attack patterns he was no match for Yakumo’s two-headed assault. After cutting through his entire health bar, you can perform an Obliteration Technique that severs the boss clean in half — a satisfying end to the first true skill check I faced.
Scattered throughout the landscape — in place of Muramasa shrines — are terminals where Yakumo can communicate with Umi, a faceless voice over a keyboard. Here, you can buy items, take on side quests and speak to Umi about what’s happening in the game. Side quests add some replayability, often requiring you to kill a set number of enemies or complete similar tasks. But what really boosts replayability is the Challenge Mode.
After selecting Challenge Mode, I discovered I could change characters from the menu — and my heart stopped. Yes, I was able to step behind the cowl of everyone’s favourite Master Ninja, Ryu Hayabusa. While Yakumo has full menu options with accessories and equipment, Ryu’s menus are filled with redacted text, question marks and hidden features. One thing I did recognize was the Dragon Sword. It was still in the inventory — and that was all I needed to continue.
“Ninja Gaiden 4 is true evolution.”
Ryu Hayabusa retains much of his play style from Gaiden 1–3, but now comes with a “Gleam Form” to rival Yakumo’s Bloodraven Form. Instead of reckless, blood-soaked devastation, Ryu’s Gleam Form allows him to move faster than the eye can follow, striking across the arena seemingly all at once with deadly precision. Ryu dances around the screen like the seasoned warrior from the first three entries, and Team Ninja still has it when it comes to delivering gameplay worthy of a Master Ninja.
Dragon Sword gameplay has never felt better in the 21 years since Ninja Gaiden first released, and although Ryu uses many of the same iconic combos from the first entry, they feel sharper and look more like an artist in motion than they did when the Hayabusa Clan was first decimated in 2004. As a bonus, Umi terminals return to their Muramasa shrine form from the first three titles when playing as Ryu, and this small detail — complete with his signature laugh — makes Ninja Gaiden 4 feel like returning home after a decade.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is a breathtaking return to form for Team Ninja’s iconic franchise. In the 12 years since Ninja Gaiden 3, Team Ninja has evolved its gameplay more than in the other three entries combined and introduced a new face who plays just as well as the legendary ninja himself. While playing Ninja Gaiden 4 was like riding a bike, it somehow also felt like my first time with the franchise — like when I wasn’t allowed to play it 21 years ago. Ninja Gaiden 4 is shaping up to be a must-play title, and I couldn’t be more excited for the return of a legend this October.
