Team Ninja and PlatinumGames have succeeded in ensuring that players won’t feel like they’ve failed unfairly.

The level of challenge continues from previous Ninja Gaiden games. As we grow older, our craving for challenges intensifies, and we’ve all heard stories about the franchise’s brutal difficulty — making it clear that it’s never too late to join those curious about this game. In an interview with Automaton, directors Yuji Nakao and Masakazu Hirayama repeatedly emphasized that fairness is key to making difficult games enjoyable rather than merely frustrating.

Nakao explains that Team Ninja and PlatinumGames focused not only on creating satisfying action but also on making the act of overcoming adversity a central, cathartic experience. According to Hirayama, fairness between the player and the enemy is essential. “Whether death feels like your own fault or not greatly contributes to maintaining a sense of fairness. If a player dies for no good reason, it’s hard for them to reflect on what they could have done differently. But if they die because they made the wrong choice among several options, they’re more likely to try a different strategy.”

The more we play difficult action games, the more we see them as puzzles — and we find joy in solving the mechanics or move sets that at first seem incomprehensible. Hirayama adds that this kind of trial-and-error loop only works when there’s the right dynamic between offense and defense. The Team Ninja team discusses this often, and it has always been highly valued throughout the series. Nakao agreed, adding that he envisions a game where various challenges and difficulties are scattered throughout. “The catharsis one feels when overcoming these challenges is something I find truly valuable.”

Ninja Gaiden 4 will launch on October 21 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC. Since Xbox Game Studios is publishing the game, it will also be available via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Source: PCGamer, Automaton