Ryu Hayabusa is a great deal darker in Ninja Gaiden III. The upcoming sequel, announced during the Tokyo Game Show last year, focuses “more deeply on Ryu Hayabusa’s life and lifestyle and feelings and thoughts,” according to project lead Yosuke Hayashi.
During an interview with the latest issue of PlayStation: The Official Magazine, Hayashi told the mag that they’re “focusing on Ryu as a dark Japanese hero,” and due to the latter, “there won’t be new playable characters”.
The Ninja Gaiden series has always been known for its violence and rivers of blood, but Ninja Gaiden III will take it one step further — to a more emotional state.
“We are trying to take the violent concepts even deeper and make people realize how it feels to actually kill someone and what it is to actually gut someone,” he told the mag.
“It’s very important to us that people realize that violence is not only about blood and gore.”
In order to make the game more accessible to new players, Team Ninja is taking a “slightly different approach” with the difficulty level.
“We know that many fans feel good about the difficulty level, but we are taking a slightly different approach. It’s not that the game’s going to be easier – nothing like that. It’s just that we are trying to make a whole game, a more exciting game that can be enjoyed by anyone.
“But at the same time, hardcore gamers will be able to feel and appreciate what the series is about.”
The sequel will also offer a “complex multiplayer mode,” says Hayashi.
Ninja Gaiden III will launch simultaneously for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the mag’s confirmed. When pressed about whether it’ll support the PlayStation Move controller, Hayashi remained mute, saying it’s a closely guarded secret.
A teaser trailer for the game was released at the Game Developers Conference this year, teasing an “unmasking” at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June. Watch it here.
Thanks, GamesThirst.