Thirteen years after the launch of the critically panned Ninja Gaiden 3, it's finally time for the fourth installment in the series. Only this time, the old protagonist Ryu Hayabusa has to share the spotlight with the younger talent Yakumo, something many have been sceptical about.
Team Ninja and PlatinumGames has repeatedly stated that Hayabusa will still have a role to play, but when beloved characters have to take a back seat to newcomers, it hasn't always been entirely successful historically (we all remember Halo 5: Guardians and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which were often criticised for their new protagonists). So how much of the adventure will Hayabusa actually be involved in?
Team Ninja co-director Masazaku Hirayama commented on this in an IGN interview, where he explains that we will mostly play as Yakumo, but almost as much as Hayabusa:
"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."
After completing the game, you'll also have the opportunity to play as whomever you want on each track, maximising your time with Team Ninja's legendary ninja.
Ninja Gaiden 4 will be released in October, but if you want to experience some new games in the series before then, Ninja Gaiden II Black was released this spring and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound just last month. If that's not enough to satisfy your ninja hunger, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance will also be released this Friday.