So, Ninja Gaiden is coming back, right? And everyone knows these games are tough as nails. But the folks behind Ninja Gaiden 4 want to make one thing clear: it's not just about being hard for the sake of it. They're aiming for a challenge that feels fair, where you can actually learn and improve.

According to directors Yuji Nakao from PlatinumGames and Masakazu Hirayama from Team Ninja, the core idea is that enemies should feel like they're on equal footing with you. I mean, they should block, they should throw – they should make you think! They really want you to feel that rush of finally beating something that seemed impossible.

Fairness, according to Hirayama, means that when you die, it feels like it's your fault, and that's very important. If you just get killed out of nowhere, it's frustrating. But if you mess up a dodge or make the wrong move, you can learn from that. It's all about that trial-and-error loop.

While Ninja Gaiden 4 won't be a walk in the park, it sounds like they're trying to find that sweet spot where it's tough but rewarding. Think of it like climbing a mountain: it's hard work, but the view from the top is worth it.

The difficulty debate has been raging in the gaming world for ages, particularly with the rise of Soulslike games. While Ninja Gaiden has always been known for its challenge, games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring have really pushed the boundaries of how difficult a game can be. Also, I'm playing Hollow Knight: Silksong and it's pretty damn hard to be honest, but i think i'm getting better.

Ultimately, what I'm gathering from this is that the developers are trying to honor the legacy of Ninja Gaiden while also making it accessible to new players. I believe that the game needs to be hard, but you can't just throw enemies at people and expect them to have fun.

At the Tokyo Games Show last month, Xbox presented the difficulty options in Ninja Gaiden 4 for newcomers and experts alike ahead of its release later this month across Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. That's all folks!