Ninja Gaiden 4: Ryu Hayabusa Feels Like an Afterthought

by

I’m just the messenger, but be warned: Ryu’s sections in Ninja Gaiden 4 aren’t the game’s strong suit. I’ve finished the game, and while I was really impressed overall, especially playing as Yakumo, the parts where you control Ryu are noticeably weaker. Before the game came out, PlatinumGames announced two playable characters, Yakumo and the returning Ryu Hayabusa, but honestly, the gameplay really shines with Yakumo. If you’re looking for the best experience Ninja Gaiden 4 has to offer, expect to enjoy it more when you aren’t playing as Ryu.

Let me be clear: Ninja Gaiden 4 is a good game and I recommend it overall. However, go in expecting very little from Ryu’s storyline. Fortunately, that portion of the game is fairly short, only lasting a few chapters. While Ryu does have other moments, it often feels like he plays a supporting role in his own series. The following discussion contains spoilers.

Spoilers for NG4 Ahead

Ryu’s Role in the NG4 Story Explained

Early in Ninja Gaiden 4, it quickly becomes clear that Ryu serves as a significant test and learning experience for Yakumo, just as PlatinumGames indicated. Yakumo starts out confident and somewhat arrogant, believing he’s already Ryu’s equal. The story quickly establishes a rivalry between the experienced Ryu and the ambitious Yakumo. As players control Yakumo and complete four key objectives, it becomes increasingly obvious – and eventually confirmed – that these objectives were orchestrated by the priestess Seori, with Ryu’s assistance.

Ryu’s sections of the game consist of flashbacks that replay the objectives you’ve already completed as Yakumo. This means you’re essentially retreading familiar ground, including fighting the same bosses. To make matters more confusing, the order is reversed – the last objective Yakumo finishes is the first one you play as Ryu. Players will face each major boss twice, once as Yakumo and then again as Ryu, and then repeat levels to reach the remaining bosses. While Ryu’s objectives are shorter, likely to showcase his strength, it doesn’t add much to the experience. Ultimately, these sections are brief, repetitive, and don’t contribute to the story, leading to the conclusion that Ninja Gaiden 4 would have benefited from their removal.

People who were disappointed with how Ryu was portrayed in past Ninja Gaiden games probably won’t feel any differently after this one.

How Cutting Playable Ryu Would Have Made Ninja Gaiden 4 Better

The game’s flow would be much better if the flashbacks were removed. They happen right after a major plot point in Ninja Gaiden 4, disrupting the story’s natural progression. While they might be intended to create distance from that moment – which is already short compared to the rest of the game – they don’t really achieve that effect. Instead, they feel like repetitive scenes awkwardly inserted between completing the main objectives and facing the final boss. Furthermore, these flashbacks don’t add any weight to the story. If they revealed something new, replaying them might be worthwhile, but they don’t. We learn about Seori’s involvement in the objectives early on, and the game already hints at Ryu’s connection to them. Ultimately, the flashbacks don’t serve a real narrative purpose; they only explain a single minor detail, and even that feels unnecessary.

Ninja Gaiden 4’s Story Structure

  • Prologue and Set-Up
  • Complete Objective One
  • Complete Objective Two
  • Complete Objective Three
  • Complete Objective Four
  • Big Story Moment (Cutscene)
  • Repeat Objective Four, Three, Two, and One as Ryu
  • Final Chapters of the Game

Ryu’s story sections and boss fights feel tacked on, like they were added just to please fans. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with fan service – and having Ryu as a playable character makes sense – the game would actually be better without his chapters. Initially, playing as Ryu is exciting, but it quickly becomes repetitive and predictable. The story focuses on flashbacks that aren’t as engaging as what’s happening in the present. It would have been more compelling to see Ryu’s actions alongside Yakumo’s; ideally, each three-chapter section with Yakumo could have been followed by a new, present-day chapter focusing on Ryu, rather than revisiting the past.

Removing Ryu’s story chapters entirely would have been a viable option, making him unlockable as a playable character only after completing the main game. He’s essentially that already, so his story isn’t crucial for unlocking him. Currently, earning access to Ryu feels random rather than like a meaningful reward for tackling the harder parts of Ninja Gaiden 4 and its endgame content.

Ryu’s Endgame Content in NG4

I enjoyed playing Ninja Gaiden 4 and would recommend it. I’d give it an 8 out of 10. The combat is really fun, there’s a good amount of content, and while the story isn’t groundbreaking, it’s perfectly fine. However, I think a specific part of the story holds it back from being truly great. I don’t believe simply more of Ryu would have solved the problem, but I wanted the game to focus on a better version of Ryu than just showing flashbacks. Players deserve more substantial content featuring the main character than just memories of the past.

After finishing the main story of Ninja Gaiden 4, players unlock Ryu as a playable character. While there’s more opportunity to play as him through chapter replays, Purgatories, and trials, many players find his limited role in the story itself to be underwhelming.

Read More

2025-10-21 03:17