The Ninja Gaiden series has long been known for its over-the-top action and gore. The next entry, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, looks to continue that storied tradition with a cel-shaded, comic-book veneer. Now, after first hearing about the game at E3 2013, we know when Xbox 360 and PS3 owners will be able to get their hands on it, as Tecmo has announced the Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z release date.
Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z will ship for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on March 4, 2014. Although the game will arrive four months after the next-gen Xbox One and PlayStation 4 hit store shelves, no next-gen version has been announced. Considering the current systems’ install base may be slower to upgrade pending macro-economic issues, though, there’s clearly going to be a stable of new releases for the then-old systems.
Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z skips the days of Ryu Hyabusa and instead has players battling fierce zombies as Yaiba, a cyborg ninja. But he’s not just any ninja: he was brought back to life with cyber-technology. And he’s got his mind set on revenge. Brandishing his deadly ninja sword and the mecha weapons integrated into his cyborg arm, he slaughters zombies with brutal, over-the-top abandon.
Like we said, that tradition of over-the-top action and gore will live on strong on the Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z release date.
As you can tell from the image above, the game invites players to step into a stylized ‘living’ comic book whose graphics depict a world gone mad overflowing with hordes of the undead. Only Yaiba’s drive for retribution and willingness to use any means necessary to get the job done can stop the countless waves of zombies in his path. Yaiba’s lust to kill is insatiable as he mercilessly slices through masses of enemies with his sword, or the array of weapons accessible via his cyborg arm. Miss Monday, Yaiba’s virtual escort, is vital to his survival. However, not even she is safe from his brash, unbridled sarcasm.
Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z comes from the two teams behind the most famous ninja and zombie videogame creations. That’s right: Team Ninja and legendary producer Keiji Inafune have teamed up for this one to create a new experience. The world of the ninja meets undead warriors, cybernetic weapons and comic books.
