The videogame industry saw few mistakes as sensational as that made by Team Ninja in 2012 with Ninja Gaiden 3, when the decision to limit Ryu Hayabusa to his only katana for the whole adventure unleashed a wave of criticism that still resounds in the community today.
That choice, subsequently correct through downloadable content and the Razor’s Edge re -edition, seemed to have been archived as an learned lesson, but the recent statements of the Masakazu Hirayama director regarding Ninja Gaiden 4 are rekindling old concerns among the fans of the series.
The previews of the new chapter – including ours, of course – have confirmed what many feared: even in Ninja Gaiden 4, the legendary Ryu Hayabusa will start with the Dragon Sword only as a battle companion.
During an interview given this week to the specialized press, Hirayama revealed to Nextplay that further weapons for Ryu will be available through downloadable content included in the Deluxe Edition (which you can book on Amazon): a news that, instead of reassuring, has triggered a decidedly negative reaction in the fanbase.
As thegamer reports to us, the Reddit community dedicated to the franchise did not delay in expressing their disappointment, as among those who called this strategy “a huge mistake” that has almost completely demolished the enthusiasm for the game.
The feeling shared by many fans revolves around the perception of a “predatory” commercial policy, which would relegate elements considered fundamental to the game experience behind additional paywalls.
The most passionate fans are even recognizing their pre-orders, a sign of how deep the diffidence towards this approach is: the predominant feeling is to be faced with a repetition of the same errors of Razor’s Edge, when the variety of the Arsenale was used as a commercial incentive rather than as an integral element of the basic experience.
There are, however, more moderate voices within the discussion: some members of the community invite the caution, suggesting to wait for the final product before formulating definitive judgments.
These supporters underline how the new chapter is profitable as an authentic return to the origins for the series, with game mechanics that promise to report Ninja Gaiden to the glories of the past. The hope is that the overall quality of the experience can make the disputes related to the distribution of weapons forget.
Nonetheless, the general consent seems oriented towards disappointment: Team Ninja’s decision appears particularly poorly calibrated considering the historical context and expectations of a fanbase that has already experienced this situation in the past.
It remains to be seen if this strategy will prove to be a communication error or a deliberate choice destined to influence the perception of the game at the time of launch: in any case, the most important lesson remains that of never underestimating the historical memory of a passionate community, especially when it comes to decisions that have already caused disputes in the past.
