New Ninja Gaiden 3 details, screenshots, and trailer from TGS

Tecmo Koei and Team Ninja released some new information, a trailer, and a batch of screenshots of Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge at TGS this week. The game’s story will focus on a conflict between Ryu Hayabusa and an as-of-yet unknown, masked villain who blurs the lines between “hero and villain, good and evil,” and is written by Masato Kato, who was previously responsible for the original Ninja Gaiden on the NES as well as Chrono Trigger.

The game will also have a strong online component featuring both co-operative and competitive modes. The press release I received teased a concept dubbed “Ninja World” in which “players control and customize an ordinary ninja to try to advance him to the top where Ryu Hayabusa himself reigns.”

The Ninja Gaiden games are known for their brutal difficulty, and Team Ninja are addressing that, too, with the new “Play Style” system. This will give players the option between “Hero Mode” and “Ninja Mode” – the former of which guards against attacks automatically and provides evasion assists, while the latter provides no assistance to the player whatsoever. We’re starting to see many developers adding features like these to their games these days to make them more accessible to wider crowds, and I think it was a good move on Team Ninja’s side. However, it remains to be seen how Play Style will be treated when playing online.

Hit the break for 12 screenshots, the trailer, and a piece of art!