In a corner of Tokyo, now transformed into a darkrot-ridden metropolis, Yakumo finds himself in dire straits, under relentless assault from the Divine Dragon Order, a faction boasting countless combatants. With his only lifeline — the healing Life Elixir — nearly depleted, Yakumo unleashes the powerful Bloodraven Form in a fluid, seamless motion, a vibrant red trailing behind his swordplay. Now, with powerful abilities at his disposal, he begins to turn the tide of battle.

It was just the other day, during one of the very earliest scenes of the game, that a surprisingly deep and diverse range of action unfolded before my eyes, in one of the conference rooms at PlatinumGames’ headquarters. I was given the opportunity not only to get a hands-on experience with the opening segment of the upcoming Ninja Gaiden 4, which revealed new updates at Xbox Games Showcase, but also speak to Yuji Nakao of PlatinumGames Inc., who serves as both producer and director of Ninja Gaiden 4.

While the new technique revealed by Ryu Hayabusa in the Showcase clip was met with a “…stay tuned for future announcements!” I write to share with you what was revealed that day, along with the thoughts and intentions of Nakao.

A New Era of Ninja Gaiden

Entering Chapter 1 of the game, one of the most striking moments during the opening scene was how seamlessly one of Ninja Gaiden’s signature moves, the Obliteration Technique — a finisher that puts dying enemies to rest with a fatal blow — could now be woven into a variety of combos.

“This game offers a lot of new things you can do — that’s one of its major appeals,” says Nakao. “We’ve paid special attention to the depth, range, and expansiveness of play, and especially to the techniques that can be elevated based on a player’s skill level.” The tone of his voice conveys a strong sense of anticipation. He clearly looks forward to seeing how players (both old and new) striving to earn the revered rank of Master Ninja will incorporate the game’s new systems into their own playstyles. The better you get, the more you’ll be able to build and execute unbelievable action sequences and combos. Undoubtedly, Ninja Gaiden 4 possesses the expressive depth to make such a thing possible.

The world-building has also slightly shifted with the introduction of Yakumo, who does not hail from the Dragon Ninja of the Hayabusa Clan, but from a newly introduced faction known as the Raven Clan. As a result, some of the finer details of the world have undergone changes. For instance, levels are dotted with what look like mechanical shrines, which are the Raven Clan’s Dark Nest Terminals. These function as hubs where you can restock items, take on optional Missions to earn Ninja Coin, and engage in casual conversation with Yakumo’s operator, Umi.

An Evolved Ninja Gaiden Experience

I descend onto the stage of Yakumo’s first battle — only to be confronted by the transformed cityscape of Tokyo, revealed during Developer_Direct earlier this year. As the Raven Clan’s ninja prodigy, Yakumo is well-versed in signature Ninja Gaiden action, such as the Technique of Shadowless Footsteps, which allows him to run freely along walls, and the Flying Bird Flip, an essential move for ascending to higher ground. Effortlessly navigating the vertical sprawl of towering buildings, Yakumo takes on the Divine Dragon Order with stylish precision, blending a sense of nostalgic combat flow with a new Assassinate mechanic to silently and skillfully neutralize outlying threats before engaging with the larger group of enemies. The early portion of the first stage progressed smoothly under his capable hands.

As Yakumo continues through the earliest parts of the game, I soon find myself warming up to his initial moves and techniques. And just as the itch for even more cool ninja action was about to begin, I met Tyran, a senior ninja who appears throughout various locations, including the early part of the first stage. Tyran will teach you Combat Skills in exchange for Ninja Coins, and from him, I was able to learn some iconic Ninja Gaiden moves, including Flying Swallow, Izuna Drop, and even the Technique of Ultimate Guidance. This “easing-in” of players allows for the crucial time that is needed to take in the vast variety of actions and techniques that await players within a Ninja Gaiden game. Additionally, for those who are very new to action games, each Combat Skill can be practiced through dedicated, individual Ninjutsu Training sessions. And beyond just the classical move sets, Tyran also offers a variety of new techniques that promise to deliver a fresh experience, distinct from past Ninja Gaiden entries.

Among these newly introduced Combat Skills is the Fatal Flash. This skill lets you slip in an instant follow-up input when you successfully match your attack with the enemy’s attack. According to Nakao, landing a Fatal Flash will force enemies to drop Blood Essence, even when they aren’t entirely defeated. You can then immediately transition into the Technique of Ultimate Guidance to launch a series of devastating Ultimate Technique hits, or capitalize on the advantage by repositioning. The more you learn to read enemy behavior, the more you can shift the momentum of battle in Yakumo’s favor, opening even more pathways of combat, driven purely by your skill.

The Bloodraven Form

As the play session proceeds, Nakao shares more details about the unique traits of the Bloodraven Form, including the fact that when activated, it causes all your regular inputs to perform completely new moves. This makes it essential for you to understand how to make use of it during combat, given that the Bloodraven Form rather quickly depletes the Bloodbind Gauge used to activate it.

“If you jump while in Bloodraven Form, Yakumo will plunge his sword into the ground, and then extend it vertically, allowing him to momentarily survey the battlefield from up high,” Nakao explains. “Eventually, you’ll learn to launch attacks from this state, but at its core, it’s a technique best used to pause in invincibility and observe enemy movements.”

Nakao also details another mechanic within Bloodraven Form — a counter move called Hōgeki, which can deflect powerful enemy attacks, and even cause stagger in super-armored foes. “If you want to take a cautious and safe approach against enemies, you can match a long-ranged Bloodraven Form technique on their strong attack to cause a Hōgeki relatively easily,” describes Nakao. “However, by staying afar, you give up your ability to effectively follow up on the staggered enemies. This creates a seesaw game, where you will have to decide to take either the safe route but with diminishing returns, or maximize your gains by staying as close-ranged as possible to your enemies in hopes of a successful Hōgeki.”

The Bloodraven Form also features the powerful ability to pierce through enemy guards and deal damage, and mastering the timing of its deployment can dramatically elevate survival chances – it’s the fastest way to break an enemy’s guard – and Nakao helped demonstrate this for me in action. I noticed weaving the Bloodraven Form into my combat flowcaused a dramatic shift in difficulty.

I found myself both awed and slightly disheartened watching Nakao demonstrate pure peak performance, but he reassures me with a smile. “When PlatinumGames speaks to Team Ninja about this next Ninja Gaiden, we often joke that ‘we’ve made something that really doesn’t feel like a modern game—it’s just too hard.’ These days, games are trending toward being easier to play, but Ninja Gaiden 4 goes in the complete opposite direction. So don’t lose heart!”

Weapon Skills, the Caddis Wire, and the Bloodbath Kill

In addition to Bloodraven Form, several newly introduced elements promise to further deepen the experience: Weapon Skills that are bound to each weapon you pick up through your journey; the grappling hook-like tool called the Caddis Wire, used by Yakumo to soar through the air; and the Berserk Gauge, which builds as you land hits, take damage, or perform the Obliteration Technique, encouraging aggressive combat.

Of these, what especially caught my eye was how the Berserk Gauge and how its powerful Berserk state can change the board entirely in a single well-placed hit. “Once you enter the Berserk state, you are given the opportunity to unleash devastating finishing moves, or Bloodbath Kills. For Takeminakata, the first weapon you will wield, using a Charge Attack will instantly kill lesser enemies regardless of their remaining health,” says Nakao, backing up this impression. While my skills only allowed for a couple of Bloodbath Kills to land onto the enemy, each one was just as game-changing and ecstatic-feeling as the others.

As my hands-on session concluded, I sat down with Nakao to talk more Ninja Gaiden 4. During the session, he shared more about the thought process behind Yakumo, the new protagonist, the modernization of an iconic series, and his hopes for reenergizing one of his favorite genres.

Interview with Yuji Nakao, Producer and Director of Ninja Gaiden 4

In the past, Ryu Hayabusa stood as the protagonist of the Ninja Gaidenseries. But in Ninja Gaiden 4, Yakumo steps in as a new lead character. Now that we’ve seen more of Yakumo in action with his unique mechanics, could you tell us more about what makes him such an appealing character?

One of the key reasons we chose to introduce a new protagonist this time is that Ninja Gaiden 4 marks the series’ return after a long hiatus. We trust that longtime fans who’ve followed the series so far will continue to support, but at the same time, we also wanted to create a character that would allow new players – those starting fresh with the franchise – to begin on equal footing and grow alongside the protagonist. That was the shared vision between Team Ninja and PlatinumGames. And from that vision, Yakumo was born.

Of course, reliving the original Ninja Gaiden experience still holds great value, but we believe that what both longtime and new fans are truly looking for is a new form of “play” that goes beyond what’s come before. With that assumption in mind, we positioned Yakumo as a fresh yet somehow nostalgic pillar that would help us create a game that feels both renewed and familiar.

Yakumo doesn’t just bring visually striking action with his use of Bloodraven Form, a completely new and flashy combat form for the series. He also inherits the delicate, technical gameplay that has defined Ninja Gaiden over the years through his Base Form. With Ninja Gaiden 4, we aimed to fully realize everything we’ve ever wanted to express in an action game, and Yakumo embodies that vision. We hope players unleash his potential in their own unique way and truly make the most of his capabilities.

While playing Ninja Gaiden 4, it felt like every aspect of the series had been meticulously tuned, and the overall feel optimized for gamers living in the modern era. In the process of refreshing the experience, did you face any particular struggles or conflicts in terms of combat design? Could you share any memorable challenges?

I’d say the hardest part was the character movement system—what you might classify as movement-related actions. We put the most effort into fine-tuning the responsiveness of these elements. In past Ninja Gaiden titles, there were many movement-based actions, ranging from running, jumping, canceling out of attacks – including the Reverse Wind Technique – and more. Each of these had a very human, tactile grip to them. That solid, grounded feeling emphasized the game’s weighty and linear movement style, but to aim for even faster, high-speed action, we had to significantly enhance responsiveness.

That said, improving responsiveness while faithfully inheriting that unique sense of grip the series is known for, and ensuring it still feels good for newcomers picking up Ninja Gaiden for the first time, meant we had to strike a very delicate balance between two differing needs.

In the end, I think we achieved a feel that is incredibly approachable, yet still familiar to the point that veteran fans can pick up the controller and instantly think, “Ah, yes – this is how it felt!” It was a process that took a lot of collaborative discussion with Team Ninja, but I truly feel we arrived at a result we’re proud of.

With Ninja Gaiden 4 marking the first new installment in the series in about 13 years, what kind of impact would you hope it might have on the future of Ninja Gaiden and the gaming industry as a whole?

Speaking from a somewhat personal perspective, I grew up during the golden age of 3D slash-action games. For people of my generation, it feels like the types of games we grew up playing have become a lot less common in recent years. Instead, we’ve seen the rise of Souls-like games, which have certainly become very popular.

Of course, I’ve played and enjoyed many Souls-like games myself. But at the same time, I also think there’s some truth to the belief that “classic 3D slash-actions”, have been harder to find lately. Maybe it’s just my own wishful thinking, but I can’t help but feel that a lot of action game fans are starting to crave that experience again. Isn’t it about time we all dove back in? [Laughs]

I really feel like Ninja Gaiden 4 has turned out to be the kind of game that could strike a chord with those fans of the genre. If it could carve out its place in the history of modern slash-action, and as a new benchmark for the genre, I’d be thrilled. And if Ninja Gaiden 4 could serve as a spark that reignites excitement around slash-action games, then that would be even better.

What are your thoughts on Ninja Gaiden 4 supporting Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing it to be enjoyed on Xbox PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud and across various devices and platforms?

The Ninja Gaiden series has a history of being ported to handhelds and various devices. In that context, it’s also important to remember that the 3D iterations of Ninja Gaiden started on Xbox. The fact that it’s now returning to Xbox and, from the very start, offering a wide range of play options, makes it, in my view, an excellent example of how games can respond to the diverse needs of today’s gamers. Being able to enjoy Ninja Gaiden 4 on different platforms and on the go, or at home, right from launch day – this is a kind of happiness unique to our era.

Of course, this game is a tough one, so when you want to really focus, playing at home is ideal. But if you’re just progressing the story a bit, it’s great to be able to take it on the go as well. I think having that flexibility in how you enjoy the game is a real strength. Personally, I’m the kind of player who enjoys playing in various ways myself, and I benefit from being able to choose how I play, which leads me to truly understand its value.

Ninja Gaiden 4 delivers not only the traditional Ninja Gaiden-style experience, but also introduces a new thrill through fresh combat enabled by the Bloodraven Form. With that in mind, I’d like to ask: assuming that mastering the Bloodraven Form draws out 100% of the character’s powers, what happens if players like me try to push through the game using only the Base Form?

One of the core strengths of Ninja Gaiden 4 is that its foundational gameplay is firmly built upon the traditional Ninja Gaiden experience. On top of that, the game introduces a system where players can momentarily switch into Bloodraven Form, adding a dynamic new layer to combat.

That said, the stage you played today is still at the very beginning of the game, so it’s designed so that you can make it through even without relying too heavily on the Bloodraven Form. As you progress further, however, you’ll naturally begin to notice opportunities where weaving Bloodraven Form techniques into your established strategies enhances your experience. The game is structured to encourage this kind of realization, adaptation, and growth.

After all, trying to learn both the traditional mechanics and the new systems all at once would mean taking on too many new elements simultaneously. Since enemies will attack without mercy even as you’re still learning, it could easily lead to a steep spike in perceived difficulty. That’s why we encourage you to gradually experiment with both the Base Form and Bloodraven Form, discovering the unique strengths of each over time.

Ultimately, if you do that—if you learn to fully utilize the potential of both approaches—N Ninja Gaiden 4 truly begins to shine. That’s when the game reveals itself as a completely new experience, something truly worthy of being called the latest entry in the Ninja Gaiden series. So please, dive deep and master it!