{"id":4174,"date":"2025-08-07T21:00:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T21:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.satecsite.org\/?p=4174"},"modified":"2025-08-11T10:11:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T10:11:57","slug":"ninja-gaiden-4-hands-on-preview-the-return-of-platinumgames","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.satecsite.org\/index.php\/2025\/08\/07\/ninja-gaiden-4-hands-on-preview-the-return-of-platinumgames\/","title":{"rendered":"Ninja Gaiden 4 hands-on preview \u2013 the return of PlatinumGames"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\"Ninja\t<\/div>
Ninja Gaiden 4 – Platinum quality? (Xbox Game Studios)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The creators of Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising aim for a big budget redemption story, not just for Ninja Gaiden but for themselves as developers.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s now well over a decade since Ninja Gaiden 3<\/a> and it\u2019s fair to say that it and spin-off Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z<\/a> had a disastrous effect on the franchise, to the point where it wouldn\u2019t have been a surprise if the whole series had died and never come back. However, although its history goes back to the late eighties, it\u2019s been closely associated with Xbox ever since it was rebooted as a console exclusive in 2004.<\/p>\n

Together with sister series Dead Or Alive<\/a>, it\u2019s the only major Japanese-made franchise that\u2019s consistently been seen as primarily an Xbox title, even though all the games have released on PlayStation eventually and there\u2019s also been Nintendo spin-offs. No doubt that\u2019s why Microsoft has helped to finance not just this new sequel but the recent 2D spin-off Ragebound<\/a> and new remasters of the originals.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s great and everything but we admit our primary interest here is that PlatinumGames is the main developer for the game. After so many high profile exits from the company<\/a> it seemed as if the studio, who were one of our favourites during the last decade, were doomed, but this is their big chance to redeem themselves and so far the signs are good, that they\u2019ve not squandered the opportunity.<\/p>\n

The two most important things to make clear here is that this has relatively little in common, beyond the broadest of strokes, with the earlier Ninja Gaiden games and\u2026 this probably isn\u2019t going to end up as peak PlatinumGames. Although the fact that it gets anywhere close seems a miracle, given co-director (original creators Team Ninja are still involved in an advisory role) Yuji Nakao doesn\u2019t seem to have been in charge of any major game before – the closest he\u2019s got is producer on Bayonetta 3<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As in Ragebound, you don\u2019t start off as series regular Ryu Hayabusa but instead new character Yakumo, from the rival, but not antagonistic, Bloodraven clan. Ninja Gaiden is an odd franchise, in that not only is there very little stealth but you\u2019re usually fighting demons while in a near future setting. Ninja Gaiden 4 takes place in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, with a distinct cyberpunk atmosphere, that\u2019s also encircled by the defeated husk of the Dark Dragon<\/em> from the first game and the DS spin-off.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not sure how many Ninja Gaiden lore experts there are in the world, but we didn\u2019t have a clue what was going on in terms of the story, but it was all clearly just a blanket excuse to have whatever kind of monster or sci-fi silliness you want going on, which suits Platinum\u2019s usual style very well. It\u2019s not that the game is completely unlike other Ninja Gaiden titles but it\u2019s really only a few of the characters and the general concept of an ultra violent ninja game that connects it.<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\tExpert, exclusive gaming analysis\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
\n

Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter<\/strong><\/a> for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\n