On the face of it, it’s just another marketing beat in the long list of weird video game marketing stunts, but we can’t deny it – it’s kinda cool. Xbox have teamed up with a master swordsmith to make Ryu Hayabusa’s legendary Dragon Sword.
Per the Xbox blog (and the video above), the team worked with master swordsmith Yuya Nakanishi and the Masahiro Tantoujou Sword Forge to bring both Ryu’s sword to life, but new protagonist Yakumo’s ‘Takeminakata’ has come along for the ride.
According to the blog post, making these blades for real took hundreds of hours, with each of the artisans at Masahiro Tantoujou Sword Forge going above and beyond to bring these blades to life. I’m going to add this to the list of things from video games that I really want, but will never have a chance to own in real life – like that full size Halo 2 statue in my local EB Games back in 2004.
More on Ninja Gaiden 4:
I went hands-on with Ninja Gaiden 4 earlier this year, and was treated to quite a bloody spectacle, saying “While I’m extremely pleased to see this classic franchise return in all of its blood-soaked glory, I’m a little torn on how I actually feel about it, now that I’ve got my hands on it. All the pieces are here – it plays like a modern Ninja Gaiden game, but with some lovely Platinum flare. Combat is visceral, satisfying and challenging and is undoubtedly the star of the show, but a lot of the other elements – story, level design, voice acting – leave me feeling a bit cold.
Despite this however, this old ninja remains pretty positive, and dare I say it – hopeful. Gameplay is king, and right now, Ninja Gaiden 4 packs some serious punch with a fresh take on the franchise, packed with new mechanics and a whole heap of challenge. There’s more story to discover, and we still don’t truly know how Ryu will fit into all this. Either way, it seems you can teach an old Ninja Dog new tricks after all.“
Ninja Gaiden 4 releases on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC (via Xbox on PC and Steam) on October 21st. And yes, it’s coming Day One to Xbox Game Pass.
