Ninja Gaiden 4’s incredibly deep and intense combat has left me stunned

It’s been a long old wait for a new, mainline Ninja Gaiden game, but the pain will soon end. Ninja Gaiden 4 brings the action game series kicking (hacking) and screaming (slashing) into the 2020s with extra mechanics and a new protagonist alongside Ryu. But the biggest twist is that Team Ninja is enlisting the help of Platinum Games to create this new entry. Curious to know more about what the two iconic studios have cooked up, I was treated to a hands-off demo of Ninja Gaiden 4 at Gamescom. Plus, I got to speak to Team Ninja’s Masakazu Hirayama and Platinum Games’ Yuji Nakao to hear about what it’s been like working together.

In Ninja Gaiden 4, new leading man Yakumo is bringing more than just a fresh face and storyline. A huge array of new weapons and his Blood Raven abilities have expanded the combat possibilities massively – while rapid and satisfying hack-and-slash battling is great, giving players a wide array of styles and options is a sure-fire way to end up on our best action games list. To give you a sense of just how extreme Platinum Games has gone with things, here’s what’s on offer.

Four weapons can be instantly swapped in and out with the four directional buttons on your controller’s d-pad – including while you’re in the middle of a combo to really spice things up. There are also special Assassin’s Tools weapons that are a bit more unconventional. Weapons can be upgraded with new skills and abilities, and each one has an alternate Blood Raven form – a rapier will transform into a large drill, for example. Assassin’s Tools also become wilder when you trigger Blood Raven, such as a set of mechanical arms that can erupt from Yasuko’s back to turn him into something resembling Spider-Man’s Iron Spider suit. On top of all that, you have a Beserk meter that can be charged up, and when full, you can unleash a powerful ultimate attack by clicking in both sticks on your controller. And, breathe.

When I ask about just how many combat combinations there are thanks to all these overlapping systems, Hirayama tells me via a translator: “We can’t really put a specific number on it, because there are just so many.”

“We don’t just throw you into the deep end and expect you to know how to use everything,” he also assures. “You’ll be able to see a list, and it’ll teach you exactly how to use [each weapon and ability]. There’ll be a video explaining it, how to perform it, and why it’s useful. And you can even train a little bit to see how it would work, so you don’t have to feel too overwhelmed.” Ninja Gaiden 4 comes with a training mode, which can be entered at any time during gameplay so that you can instantly try out new combos or weapons without risking your life in the main game itself.

When everything is strung together, it looks absolutely sensational. While gutted I couldn’t try the game myself, watching Nakao take on the new, mechanical boss that debuted in Ninja Gaiden 4’s Gamescom trailer was pretty mesmerizing. Frantic build-ups of wild slashing attacks and dodges culminate in regular, impressive climaxes thanks to those Blood Raven abilities and Berserk-fueled attacks.

I’m curious, given the huge depth of Ninja Gaiden 4’s combat and the multiple mechanics at play, whether balancing things was a challenge. Sure, the power fantasy and the prospect of progressing towards god-like weapons is important, but equally, deleting a boss within ten seconds doesn’t exactly feel rewarding.

“It’s funny that you mentioned that because there was a time in development where the Blood Raven form was just so overpowered, and if you just used that, you would be able to dominate,” Hirayama shares. “But you know, with this game [and with] action games in general, you really have to play it for yourself, have that experimental approach, and really test for yourself to see what feels right.” He also says that builds were shared between Platinum Games and Team Ninja extremely regularly, and that he and Nakao would have discussions “on a daily basis” about the balance and the finer details of the experience.

I also ask if Platinum Games has felt any pressure taking on this long-awaited entry in the Ninja Gaiden series and what it’s been like working alongside Team Ninja. Sure, Platinum has an exceptional catalog, and the two studios live and breathe this genre, but were there ever any challenges or major differences in opinion?

“First and foremost, [we] wanted to make sure that [we] make a game that is quintessentially Ninja Gaiden, and retains that essence of what Ninja Gaiden is and how it should feel when you’re playing it,” Nakao says, also through a translator. “In addition to this core Ninja Gaiden identity, because it’s a collaboration with another studio, we also wanted to have Platinum Games inject [its] unique approach into Ninja Gaiden. You’ll see that in the really expressive, over the top, stylish attacks in Yakumo’s Blood Raven form, for example.”

“We were able to use the universal language of action games,” Hirayama adds.

There are quite a lot of big, triple-A action games and combat-heavy RPGs on the horizon, and I initially thought Ninja Gaiden 4 would be drowned out by them – sure, series nostalgia and the combined prowess of Team Ninja and Platinum makes it an alluring prospect, but could it rise above the competition? After seeing it in action, I’m much more confident that it can. Hopefully, like Nat, who recently previewed Ninja Gaiden 4, I can get my hands on it soon to solidify that feeling.