We’re just a couple of months away from the next entry in the legendary Tecmo Koei series, Ninja Gaiden. Traditionally developed by Team Ninja, PlatinumGames have been brought in to co-develop Ninja Gaiden 4, and from the couple of hours spent with this game, it could be a match made in heaven.
In this preview, instead of the series icon Ryu Hayabusa, I played as Yakumo, a member of the Raven Clan. He’s sent on a mission to execute a prisoner. Yet, without giving too much away, his mission pivots, and in that moment, he’s not sure who or what to believe. All he knows is that he has a mission, and the only thing that matters is the end goal.
The first thing that impressed me about Ninja Gaiden 4 was its lush visuals. They were dark and grimy, yet sparkled as I sped my way through its cyberpunk-esque neon-lit city, wall running and slicing and dicing any enemies who were silly enough to stand in my way.
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Upon starting the preview, I had two graphic opinions, one that favoured performance and the other, visuals. Being a series as high-octane as Ninja Gaiden, my only logical choice was performance, a decision I did not regret. Even during this pre-release build, I noticed no issues with its framerate. The combat remained fast-paced, and it did not hinder performance.
Pulling off combos, slashing enemies into bits with over-the-top blood splatters, is incredibly satisfying, and during the most heated battles with many enemies on the screen, I was zoning out instantly, performing parries and dodges that would make Ryu Hayabusa proud.
During the story chapter, I faced one boss and an additional hidden challenge room crammed with enemies. The boss that I encountered resembles a giant robotic Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. On the Normal difficulty, this boss was intense and took me a few attempts before I was able to bring him to his knees. I can imagine that on the hardest difficulty, Ninja Gaiden 4 will please many FromSoftware fans.
The Ninja Gaiden series has always been known for its intense difficulty, and this game looks to be no exception. However, you do have four optional difficulty settings to cater to just about every gamer. Hero (easy), Normal, Hard and Master Ninja, the latter being the most difficult.
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Aside from an early chapter of the main story campaign, I was also able to try a couple of additional modes, Challenge and Training. Training consists of performing the abilities of the characters in a controlled environment to help fine-tune your skills. Training can also be played in the story campaign when you encounter a certain NPC at various points of a mission.
In Trials, while I can’t give exact details away, you’re able to replay certain sections of the story campaign. You can also take on bosses, which is an absolute blast, and before you know it, these encounters will have you hooked as you attempt to better your last try.
The few bosses that I encountered were varied, fun and challenging. Unlike when you encounter bosses in the campaign, in Trials, your scores will be placed on a leaderboard with an accompanying grade. You’ll also be rewarded with in-game currency to spend on items to aid a mission in the main campaign.
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When my time with the preview build came to an end, I was frustrated, but not in a bad way. I wanted more, and that’s the exact feeling that I was hoping for. Ninja Gaiden 4 is fast, exhilarating, and it looks gorgeous. I wish I could say more, but my lips are sealed until our full review.
Ninja Gaiden 4 will be released on 21 October 2025 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It’s also available with Xbox Game Pass.
Topics: Preview, PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 5, Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X