Some details on Ninja Gaiden 3 have reportedly been spilled in the latest PlayStation: The Official Magazine (via VG247). One of the juiciest nuggets is word of a "complex multiplayer mode," though more details on what that actually means weren't disclosed.

We had previously heard that this game would show a more "human side" of protagonist Ryu Hayabusa, and the magazine claims this will be achieved by taking it in a darker direction. "We are trying to take the violent concepts even deeper and make people realize how it feels to actually kill someone and what it is to actually gut someone," said project lead Yosuke Hayashi. "It's very important to us that people realize that violence is not only about blood and gore."

As for the series' famed punishing difficulty, the report claims this game is taking a "different approach" -- though again, the meaning is vague. "It's not that the game is going to be easier -- nothing like that," said Hayashi. "It's just that we are trying to make a whole game, a more exciting game that can be enjoyed by anyone. But at the same time, hardcore gamers will be able to feel and appreciate what the series is about."

The information is all second-hand, so take it with a grain of salt. We should know more details soon enough, because Tecmo is planning a bigger blowout for Ninja Gaiden 3 during E3.