Ninja Gaiden 4 is almost here. It hits on October 21, 2025, and it is not just more sword-swinging nostalgia. Team Ninja and Platinum Games teamed up on this one (yep, that pairing raised my eyebrow too), and the game looks designed to push you hard, whether you are a series sicko or you have never thrown a shuriken in your life. Here is what you should know before you dive in.
This one wants to hurt you (in a good way)
If you are expecting breezy button-mashing and parkour-flavored autopilot, you are going to have a rough first hour. Ninja Gaiden 4 expects you to treat defense like it is oxygen. Bosses and even standard encounters will punish you for sloppy timing, and chipping away with constant aggression will get you flattened fast. Patience, blocks, parries, and counters are survival tools, not optional style points.
Master Ninja turns New Game Plus into a gauntlet
Beat the game and you unlock Master Ninja, a souped-up New Game Plus that cranks everything up. Enemies do not wait their turn. They swarm, flank, and shred you from all angles, and one bad input can mean an instant trip back to the checkpoint. It is less about memorizing patterns and more about staying calm while the game tries to bury you.
Two leads, one very bad dragon
The story pairs a new main character, Yakumo, with the franchise staple Ryu Hayabusa. You play both. The goal is straightforward: take down the Dark Dragon, the thing responsible for turning a neon-soaked, cyberpunk Tokyo into a slaughterhouse. Yakumo comes from a rival clan, which gives the partnership some interesting tension, while Ryu is presented as the fully dialed-in apex version of himself — senses sharpened, abilities peaked, the whole deal.
New to the series? There is a 'do not panic' button
On the other end of the spectrum from Master Ninja is Hero Mode, the easy setting with some comfort assists: auto evade, auto block, and auto assist. With those on, regular mobs become basically harmless. The smart touch: you can toggle those assists off one by one to practice timing and build up to tougher difficulties without getting mulched immediately.
Bosses adapt, and they do not play fair
The campaign makes even normal fights stressful, but the bosses are the real exam. Enemies use adaptive AI that studies how you fight, then changes up moves, patterns, and pressure as you improve. Some bosses will flat-out spike their aggression once you start styling on them, so do not expect a simple 'learn the pattern, coast to victory' routine.
Fresh mechanics, slick traversal, and puzzles
This is not just a combat refresh. Future-Tokyo is rainy, vertical, and wired for movement. You can use rails and cables to cross big gaps fast, which is new for the series, and there are environmental puzzles that force you to pay attention to more than the next dude with a blade. Getting from A to B is often its own challenge, not just dead air between fights.
Game Pass day one, Xbox handling publishing, and the download is not tiny
Ninja Gaiden 4 lands on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on day one. Microsoft is publishing this, so they are putting it front and center in the subscription. Even with recent Game Pass price hikes in the US and UK, a lot of players have already pre-loaded. Plan for about 60 GB of space for the full install, day-one patch included if there is one.
Deluxe Edition: what you actually get
If you are eyeing Deluxe, it is not just a costume bundle. There is future content in there and some useful in-game stuff too.
- 'The Two Masters' post-launch content included (expect it to be a story DLC)
- Ryu cosmetics: Traditional Dark Blue, Legendary Black Falcon
- Ryu weapon skin: Blade of Archfiend
- Yakumo cosmetics: Divine Chimera, Raven Master
- Yakumo weapon skin: Divine Chimera
- Consumables and currency: 50,000 NinjaCoin, Life Elixirs, Incense of Rebirth, Kongou Iron Brew, and more
Temper your expectations on launch-day polish
Recent history says we should all be ready for some bumps at launch. Even big-budget shooters like Battlefield 6 tripped out of the gate. If Ninja Gaiden 4 ships with hitches, expect a day-one patch or a quick follow-up to clean things up. Set your expectations accordingly and you will be happier.
The bottom line
After a 13-year break, Ninja Gaiden is back on October 21, 2025, and it looks mean in the best way. Tough combat, an adaptive AI that actually adapts, two playable leads with a shared vendetta, and a rainy dystopian Tokyo built for speed and headaches. If you have Game Pass, you are set on day one. If you want the extra stuff, Deluxe seems stacked. Either way, sharpen your parries — this one is not here to coddle you.