GDC 13: Unreal Engine 3 powers up Ninja Gaiden Z

Publisher Tecmo Koei Games has signed a deal with Epic to license Unreal Engine 3 for a new Ninja Gaiden title.

Called Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, Team Ninja will work on the third-person combat title in collaboration with industry veteran Keiji Inafune, who will act as producer on the project.

Inafune has previously worked on titles such as the Dead Rising series, Mega Man, Resident Evil and Onimusha.

“We couldn’t be happier to develop ‘YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z’ on Unreal Engine 3,” said Inafune.

“In the past I have been involved with numerous projects built upon Unreal Engine 3, so I understand its benefits and reliability. Unreal allows us to focus on making the game fun, and to push the boundaries of visuals and gameplay in the shortest time possible.”

Team Ninja studio head Yosuke Hayashi added: “‘Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z’ is not a sequel. It is a new experience for gamers. As with any new title, there are many new challenges, from the game design to art style and even development team structure. Unreal Engine 3 is a great ally to have when taking on those challenges

“Unreal Engine allows us to quickly and efficiently iterate on countless ideas, and ‘Yaiba’ is now taking on a life of its own. We can’t wait until gamers everywhere get their hands on the ultimate ninja zombie experience.”

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