Back in November, Siliconera reported that YAIBA: Ninja Gaiden Z was likely being developed using Unreal Engine 3, going by job listings on developer Spark Unlimited’s website. This morning, Tecmo Koei announced that this is indeed the case, and that they’ve licensed the engine from Epic for the game.
“We couldn’t be happier to develop YAIBA: Ninja Gaiden Z on Unreal Engine 3,” said Keiji Inafune, who is involved with the project. “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 head—or rather, Ichigaya Development Group 1 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.”
More information on YAIBA: Ninja Gaiden Z will be revealed in the coming months, say Tecmo Koei.
