Many have tried to copy Dark Souls, but the creators of Metal Gear Rising and Bayonetta insist they would never butcher a legendary action saga like Ninja Gaiden. Ninja Gaiden 4 aims for one thing only: to stay true to the essence of Itagaki’s classics.

The three-part return of Ninja Gaiden in 2025 has been a blessing for fans of the iconic action series, culminating later this year with the release of the long-awaited Ninja Gaiden 4. This time developed by Platinum Games instead of Team Ninja, confidence among players is high, though doubts remain. Since its announcement, one major question has lingered: would it remain faithful to the spirit of the classics created by Tomonobu Itagaki, or lean toward mechanics from today’s most popular genres? Put simply: would it become more Souls than Ninja Gaiden? The creators’ answer should put fans at ease.

While the soulslike genre has infiltrated countless modern action titles, the team behind Bayonetta stresses that the most important thing is for Ninja Gaiden 4 to feel like Ninja Gaiden. “One of the key design principles is that no matter what situation you’re in, you must be able to overcome it using ninja action, always fairly with a balance between offense and defense,” explained director Masakazu Hirayama in an interview with 3djuegos at Gamescom 2025.

“We prefer to stick with the hack-and-slash elements and fast-paced combat.”

“It was essential that Ninja Gaiden 4 feel intuitive and responsive. Pure action has always been the heart of Ninja Gaiden,” Hirayama continued. While they’ve witnessed how the action genre has increasingly adopted Souls-like traits, for Platinum Games “it was crucial that Ninja Gaiden 4 be a solid action experience, which is why we stuck with hack-and-slash elements and high-speed battles instead of slower swordplay.”

In the same interview, Hirayama also told 3djuegos that Platinum Games had complete freedom to shape its vision of Ninja Gaiden, aiming to bring in new players while still respecting the legacy of this legendary franchise.

One of the hidden gems of the year

We also asked the director which recent action titles had impressed him the most. His response was surprising: Hirayama revealed one of his favorites was one of 2025’s hidden gems, the noteworthy The First Berserker: Khazam, itself a soulslike. Another game he’s recently spent time with is Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, a remarkable reimagining of the classics by Spanish studio The Game Kitchen, known for their successful Blasphemous series, which he described as “really fun.” Despite sharing the same license, he noted there’s been no contact between Platinum and the Ragebound team.

On a less positive note, Hirayama ruled out a Ninja Gaiden 4 port for Nintendo Switch 2 for now, and also dismissed plans for a series or film adaptation, despite the current boom in such projects. For now, the next date with the saga is October 21, when it launches on PC, Xbox Series, and PS5.

Source: 3djuegos