With Ninja Gaiden 4 launched in just under a month on 21st October, Team Ninja and Platinum Games have shared some new gameplay and talked about some key new difficulty features for the game, including an easier “Hero Mode” that adds gameplay assists.
Hero Mode is a nice way of saying Easy Mode, and sits below the Normal difficulty. The main difference is that it adds assists like auto-dodge and auto-guard, so that new players can acclimatise themselves to the ninja action. You can fiddle with these assists at any time in the menus, and switch between Hero, Normal and Hard difficulties through a playthrough, as you need.
Master Ninja difficulty, however, cannot be switched to or from mid-run. This means that it will remain the preserve of the ultra skilful diehards of the franchise.
Thankfully you will still have access to the training mode. This, possibly taking inspiration from fighting games – will let you drop into a training room to practice your attack strings and defensive manoeuvres.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is launching across Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC on 21st October 2025, and it will also be day one in Xbox Game Pass.
It’s exciting to hear about the new “Hero Mode” in Ninja Gaiden 4! It sounds like a great way to make the game more accessible for players of all skill levels. Looking forward to seeing how it enhances the gameplay experience!
It really is exciting! The inclusion of “Hero Mode” could make the game more accessible for newcomers, allowing them to enjoy the rich story and fast-paced action without the usual steep learning curve. It’ll be interesting to see how this balance impacts the overall experience!
Absolutely, it’s a great move to make the game more welcoming for new players. I’m curious to see how the gameplay assists will balance the challenge for veterans while still providing that classic Ninja Gaiden experience. It could really enhance the overall enjoyment for everyone!
I completely agree! The Hero Mode sounds like a fantastic way to bridge the gap for newcomers while still keeping the challenge for veterans. It’ll be interesting to see how the assists affect the overall gameplay experience and if they can maintain that classic Ninja Gaiden intensity.