With its latest showing at Gamescom, Ninja Gaiden 4 continues to look better and better, leading into its launch this October. Given how predominantly Yakumo has been showcased, just how much can players expect to control the series’ mainstay, Ryu Hayabusa?
Speaking to IGN, Team Ninja co-director Masazaku Hirayama confirmed that since Yakumo is the protagonist, he commands the lion’s share of playtime. While Ryu Hayabusa is playable in certain sections, these will thankfully offer a “robust” amount of content.
“So, more than half of the story you’ll be playing as Yakumo. With that said, there are dedicated segments in the story for Ryu. And you won’t be playing as Ryu Hayabusa just for a short time, and then you’ll be done with it. There’ll be a very robust amount of content for you to enjoy playing as Ryu.” With the story estimated to last about 15 to 20 hours, that could be about seven to nine hours with Ryu.
For those who want to experience the entire game as either protagonist, the Chapter Challenge is available. “This will allow you to freely play different chapters in the game, and you’ll be able to play as either character. So you could, after your first playthrough, play through all the chapters as Ryu. Conversely, you could play Ryu’s story chapters as Yakumo. So there’s a lot of content that you can enjoy after you do your first playthrough,” says Hirayama.
Said content includes Purgatory, optional fights similar to Tests of Valor, and Challenge Missions against previously defeated bosses (with the Death Wish modifier removing all upgrades). Master Ninja difficulty also makes a return, although newcomers can opt for Hero Mode to smoothly segue into the action.
Ninja Gaiden 4 launches on October 21st for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out even more extensive gameplay here.
