Ninja Gaiden 4 will see the return of the helpful Ultimate Guidance ability, according to a message to fans from co-director and producer Yuji Nakao. Ninja Gaiden 4 looks poised to provide players with the kind of fast-paced battles they’ve come to expect since the series’ reboot in 2004, and Ultimate Guidance should help keep them moving forward quickly.
Originally launched in 2008, Team Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden 2 is still widely considered one of the hardest games released for Xbox 360. With a limited health pool and infrequent save points, the debut of Ultimate Guidance, an ability that lets players efficiently absorb essence to build chains of powerful attacks, proved invaluable.
Ninja Gaiden 4’s Ultimate Guidance Could Be a Game Changer
In a new post on co-developer Platinum Games’ Twitter account, Nakao was excited to announce that Ultimate Guidance will return in Ninja Gaiden 4. This is Nakao’s first time directing a game for the Ninja Gaiden series alongside series veteran Fumihiko Yasuda, with the last mainline entry released in 2012 being co-directed by Yasuda and Yosuke Hayashi. Nakao noted that his initial encounter with the Ninja Gaiden series highlighted Ultimate Guidance for its elegance and decision-making opportunities, inspiring him to include it from the beginning of the game’s development. “This game system really stuck with me over the years, and I see it as an inspiration in my own game design, so I’ve made sure to preserve its strengths in this title as well,” he stated.
The action-packed gameplay of Ninja Gaiden 4 is set to release on October 21, 2025.
