I was worried Ninja Gaiden 4 might tone down the extreme difficulty the series is known for, but Master Ninja mode has slashed those worries into 400 bloody pieces

Ninja Gaiden 4 has shown off the first gameplay of its highest difficulty, and put to rest any fears that its lengthy hiatus would result in nerfed difficulty.

2025 has marked a massive return for Ninja Gaiden between the Unreal Engine 5 remake Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, and the Dotemu / The Game Kitchen 2D throwback Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, both of which have been well received. However, the real test is going to be Ninja Gaiden 4, a proper sequel to the Team Ninja-developed trilogy, after 13 years off the grid.

Unlike the original 3D trilogy, Ninja Gaiden 4 is co-developed by fellow action game aficionados Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Bayonetta developer PlatinumGames. And despite recent flops like Babylon's Fall and the mixed reception from fans (including myself) to Bayonetta 3, Ninja Gaiden 4 looks very promising.

But given the series' lack of releases over the past decade, the idea of it being toned down to be more approachable was definitely a fear of mine. However, during today's Xbox TGS Showcase, we got to see some gameplay from the game's highest difficulty, and good news for the sickos, it looks wild.

In Master Ninja, enemies swarm Yakumo, not waiting their turn to attack which results in combat that is constantly moving where keeping track of everything is essential to not die. And while I've been keen on Ninja Gaiden 4 already, this slightly over a minute long clip has me more excited than ever.

NINJA GAIDEN 4 - Difficulty Design | Tokyo Game Show 2025 - YouTube

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Although thankfully for some, Team Ninja also introduced some of the less extreme difficulty options with Hero mode featuring a number of support options like auto guard and auto dodge. Plus, there's the option to change difficulty and assists whenever you want during the game (however Master Ninja doesn't, and requires you do a whole run like that). And, for the first time in the series, Ninja Gaiden 4 has a training mode, meaning you can push yourself to get that Master Ninja run down.

6 hours in, Ninja Gaiden 4 has pushed me to my limit while giving me the tools to push beyond them – we are so back