Ninja Gaiden III to be unmasked at E3

Last year at the Tokyo Game Show, Tecmo Koei unveiled Ninja Gaiden III, the upcoming installment in the ultraviolent--and ultradifficult--action series. Little was revealed about the game, other than it would once again feature protagonist Ryu Hayabusa engaged in the bloody combat the franchise is known for.

Today, Tecmo Koei released the first teaser trailer for the game, which also teased the title's brutal nature. Running around 37 seconds, the clip shows Ryu Hayabusa repeatedly slashing and stabbing someone--from the victim's point of view. The clip then shows the titular ninja, covered in blood, leaning back to take off his famed mask--and then cuts to the Japanese character for the number three. The words "unmask" and "E3 2011" then appear before the trailer ends.

The accompanying press release--which never mentions Ninja Gaiden III by name--promises that the "new title" will see release sometime in 2012. Development is underway at Team Ninja under the leadership of the studio's leader, Yosuke Hayashi. Hayashi took over the shop after former head Tomonobu Itagaki left the company following Ninja Gaiden II's release in 2008.

"The game is set to introduce this franchise to a broader audience while at the same time retaining the legendary challenge that has drawn hardcore gamers to the series for years," Tecmo Koei said in a statement. The company promised that a playable demo of the game would be on hand for the press at E3.