One of this year's many remaining upcoming Xbox titles is Ninja Gaiden 4, a game that's been the result of a fascinating collaboration, and according to the directors, it's that exact collaboration that has made the project possible.
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The game is being developed by PlatinumGames, with the franchise owner and longtime developer Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja providing oversight, giving feedback and guidance. Meanwhile, Xbox Game Studios Publishing is publishing the game.
“If we set out to make Ninja Gaiden 4 on our own, we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish the things we did with this title. It was a really fruitful collaboration," says Masakazu Hirayama, director and producer at Team Ninja, who goes on to tell me that while both companies make action games, the different design sensibilities meant a greater end result, even if getting the balance right was sometimes tricky.
"Because of that, of course, there were moments where we had to iron things out, we had a bit of debate in terms of direction. We asked ‘How can we incorporate PlatinumGames’ strengths into Ninja Gaiden while retaining the foundations at the same time?’" Hirayama says, adding that "What made that easier is Nakao-san; before he even became a developer, he’s been playing Ninja Gaiden. We both speak the same Ninja Gaiden language."
Nakao is quick to echo Hirayama's thoughts, explaining that many of the elements in the game were a result of discussions between the two teams.
“We wanted to make sure we incorporate our own sense of style, which you might expect from PlatinumGames. That we were able to really blend both of our strengths, PlatinumGames and Team Ninja, I think that’s reflected in the gameplay experience,” Nakao says.
Nakao also praises the level of "precision" that Team Ninja requires in its games, adding that he's come to develop a "deep appreciation" for the level of responsiveness in their titles.
Finding the right balance
Sharing more about the collaborative process, the pair explains that one particular element that required a fair bit of work was Yakumo's Bloodraven Form, which enhances his attacks and changes the nature of his weapons.
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Hirayama notes with amusement that there was one point in the game development cycle where Bloodraven Form was "dominating" everything, to the point it trivialized many encounters. This required the teams to balance it out, reworking it so it felt more ingrained with the game's combat, instead of just "sitting on top" of everything else.
“If you were to compare the way Bloodraven form worked one year ago and how it works now, it’s almost completely different,” Hirayama adds.
I've recently played a few hours of Ninja Gaiden 4, and if the game's opening levels are any indication, I believe the teams have struck the right balance.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is slated to launch on Oct. 21, 2025, across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (Steam and Xbox PC), and PlayStation 5. Like all Xbox first-party games, the standard edition is available day one in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
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