Latest news with #KoeiTecmo
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Ninja Gaiden 4' Preview: Sliced, Diced And Ready For Action
Ninjas are dominating 2025, aren't they? We sliced and diced our way through Assassin's Creed Shadows back in March and before August is done, the Shinobi series is set to return with Art of Vengeance. However, later this year the granddaddy of all ninja games is being revived; I'm talking, of course, about Ninja Gaiden 4. It'll be 12 years since the last in Koei Tecmo's action series was released (naturally excluding July's 2D Ninja Gaiden Ragebound as that was made by The Game Kitchen and Dotemu) when it lands on October 21 2025. Longtime developer Team Ninja is also back with Ninja Gaiden 4 and its joined by Platinum Games this time around. It's a partnership that's working. I know that because I've already spent a couple of hours playing the game. Spoiler - it's exactly what you'd want from a contemporary entry in this franchise. My preview began on a cargo train that is hurtling through a tunnel. Series protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa, was only mentioned in passing during my playthrough. Instead, I took up the role of newcomer, Yakumo, a member of the Raven Clan who has been dispatched to infiltrate a secure unit and assassinate a prisoner. Things go awry and he's left unsure of who to trust. The initial chunk of the demo was spent re-learning the game's fundamentals. There's the typical mixture of light and heavy attacks which lead to ultra-violent combos and executions. Then there's Yakumo's supernatural ability to take on a more defensive stance which is slower than the standard action but it comes with the chance of dishing out higher levels of damage. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder All of this was played in Performance mode (which I chose above Quality) and there were no technical issues. The action is relentlessly fast and slick. There's a constant emphasis on forward momentum; you're thrust into bloody bouts consistently as you make your way through each zone. There are opportunities to slow down, however. After you meet a certain character, you're intermittently given the chance to enter a training arena where you can hone your skills. The combat feels deeper and more layered in Ninja Gaiden 4 and so I welcomed these moments to fiddle with the moves and abilities I wanted to use the most, thus defining my own sadistic fighting style. I also spent some time with Trials, an arcade-like mode that lets you replay parts of the story, taking on enemies and bosses to earn points (that'll help you climb a leaderboard) and in-game currency. Back to the story - eventually, that train bursts out of the tunnel and Yakumo is soaked in the light of a bright moon. This is where the preview really wowed me. Looming on the horizon above him is the remnants of a dystopian Tokyo that looks grimy and undeniably pretty in equal measure. Once given the chance to explore it, the visuals beam. Neon lights reflect off of the rain-drenched streets. Blood splatters across the screen as Yakumo flips around between enemies. From the first couple of hours, it's clear that Ninja Gaiden 4 is going to be a visual spectacle with stylish action, as expected. It also lives up to the immensely challenging nature of its predecessors, although the difficulty can be toned down a notch. It'll appease FromSoftware aficionados who are a glutton for punishing games. Meanwhile, those who feel alienated by the toughness of modern action titles like Elden Ring and Dark Souls will find their place in this series.
CNET
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Zelda Spinoff Age of Imprisonment Unravels Secrets Behind the Imprisoning War
A new trailer for Hyrule Warriors: The Age of Imprisonment was shown at the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase on Thursday -- the first look we've had of it since its debut back when the Nintendo Switch 2 was unveiled in April. Age of Imprisonment will take place far in the past to explain the events leading to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The video features Princess Zelda, King Rauru and other characters from the game, and it teases a mystery revolving around an animated suit of armor that could be used by Link. The Hyrule Warriors series is a crossover developed by Koei Tecmo and published by Nintendo. The spinoff started back in 2014 and was a mash-up between Koei Tecmo's popular Dynasty Warriors franchise, featuring Zelda characters with hack-and-slash gameplay. Unlike in the Zelda games, where the action is limited to a few enemies at a time, Hyrule Warriors has playable characters such as Zelda and Link fighting off waves of enemies at once, doing long combos and fighting giant monsters. The last installment of the spinoff series, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, came out in 2020 and acted as a prologue for the events of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Age of Imprisonment goes deep into the history of Hyrule to the Imprisoning War, a battle referenced in Tears of the Kingdom. The war was against an enemy known as the Demon King and involved the ancient Zonai race. Hyrule Warriors: The Age of Imprisonment is set to release sometime this winter for the Switch 2.
Engadget
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Nioh 3 is heading to PS5 and PC in 2026, complete with two distinct combat styles
Nioh 3 is heading to PlayStation 5 and PC in 2026 and you can get a taste of its Sengoku setting and dark samurai action on Sony's console right now. A demo for the game is live today on PS5 and it'll be available through June 18, courtesy of developer Team Ninja and publisher Koei Tecmo. The game reveal was a nice surprise during Sony's State of Play event today, and it came with a trailer showcasing big, demonic creatures and frantic action scenes. Much like its predecessors, Nioh 3 is a dark fantasy action RPG set in 15-century Japan. The original Nioh came out in 2017 and its sequel landed in 2020, with a handful of Dead or Alive installments released in between. Nioh 3 introduces a new combat system to the series that lets players swap between two distinct fighting styles, Samurai and Ninja. Samurai is similar to previous Nioh titles with a focus on close-range martial arts, while Ninja enables quick reactions like dodging and aerial moves. Players will be able to change combat styles on the fly. Nioh 3 features an open world — Team Ninja calls it an "open field," actually — to explore, as well. "Aside from the new battle styles, Nioh 3 also enables players to enjoy an open field that offers a new freedom of exploration to the unique tension and confrontations that have become a defining characteristic of the Nioh series," Team Ninja head Fumihiko Yasuda said on the PlayStation Blog. "Experience unexpected encounters with formidable yokai, explore suspicious villages riddled in violent secrets, and take on the daunting challenges of The Crucible."
Digital Trends
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
Nioh 3 brings open zones and ninjas in 2026
A third entry in the Nioh series was revealed at the PlayStation State of Play showcase. We got a good look at the gameplay ahead of its 2026 release, but there's a demo available now for you to test it out for yourself. Nioh was Koei Tecmo's take on the popular Souls-like genre of games, but with a distinctly Japanese twist. The first two games are each set in historical Japanese eras, and Nioh 3 is no different, with the trailer closing on the introduction of a young Tokugawa. This would place the game in the unstable Sengoku period. The only other plot details shared were that our protagonist is on a quest to become the next Shogun and is fiercely dedicated to defeating the yokai for a mysterious reason. Recommended Videos The announcement trailer was packed with high-speed and brutal action that set the original games apart from others in the genre. Monstrous and magical Yokai are heavily featured, but there are some new tricks up our sleeves to combat them. Chief among them is the new styles players will pick from: Samurai and Ninja. Samurai style will be familiar to past games, focusing on Arts, parries, and an aggressive playstyle. The new Ninja style focuses on dodges, taking advantage of elevation, and Ninjitsu techniques like Mist, which leaves an afterimage clone after attacking. You won't have to choose just one style, though. In Nioh 3 you will be able to swap back and forth between both styles on the fly. We see this in action as the samurai class parries blows before slipping into the Ninja form to leap away and attack from above with a ranged weapon. Where previous games were level-based, Nioh 3 now features wide open fields to explore, said to be filled with enemies, secrets, and challenges in something called 'The Crucible.' Nioh 3 will launch sometime in early 2026 and is currently only announced for PS5, but you can play the demo right now. Act fast, because the demo will only be up until June 18.
Metro
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Nintendo Switch 2 dev reveals new feature of console's mouse controls
Or use an actual mouse (Nintendo) Koei Tecmo has revealed a new detail about the Nintendo Switch 2, and it's a win for anyone excited about mouse controls. After Nintendo's big blowout for the Switch 2 last month, there were perhaps more questions than answers around some aspects of the console. Some of these have been answered since, like what the revamped eShop looks like, what the actual upgrades are for original Switch titles, and how those Game-Key cards exactly work, but there are still several unknowns around the hardware's functionality. While Nintendo was perhaps holding back some of these surprises for when the Switch 2 launches worldwide on June 5, developer Koei Tecmo has let the cat out of the bag in regards to one feature – the console supports regular USB mice. Last week, Koei Tecmo posted a deep dive on its Switch 2 port of strategy game Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition, which utilises the Joy-Con controller's mouse controls. During the video, game producer Michi Ryu demonstrated the mouse controls using the Joy-Con, which is used to move the on-screen cursor. However, later in the video, he reveals a USB mouse can be connected to the console and used in the game. 'You can also connect a USB mouse and it will work seamlessly,' Ryu said. 'Once you connect the USB mouse, a message will appear in the top left indicating that the mouse is connected. When the USB mouse is connected, it takes priority over the Joy-Con 2.' The developer also showed off how you can 'switch instantly' between the two control options, by operating the Joy-Con and the mouse simultaneously. 'It's very smooth,' Ryu added. 'You can operate with both the controller and the mouse interchangeably. The switching speed is incredibly fast.' USB keyboards and mice could be technically plugged into the original Switch as well, but not many Switch games supported their use. As such, considering the Switch 2 has mouse support built into the Joy-Con, this extra flexibility is a far more appealing feature. It's unclear if every Switch 2 game with mouse functionality will support a USB mouse, but it could go a long way to making first-person shooters like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond a huge selling point for the system. Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition comes out on June 5 as part of the Switch 2's launch line-up, alongside Mario Kart World. We're less than two weeks away (Nintendo) Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.
