In December of last year, my friends and I rented out a theater and watched The Game Awards on the big screen. More than anything else, we were there for the announcements, and one of our favorites from that night was Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound.
As retro games lovers, the look of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound ticked all the boxes. The gameplay, on the other hand, appeared to pay homage to the original Ninja Gaiden titles on the NES. It was looking like the perfect recipe for a classic Ninja Gaiden game.
After playing Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound both during Summer Game Fest and in the comfort of my own home, I can confidently say my assumptions about this title were correct. Of course, you don’t even need to be a fan of the series to get enjoyment out of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound — it’s just an impressively rock solid 2D platformer.
A 2D Platformer, Like the Classics
I would, again, emphasize this is a 2D platformer. It’s not a Metroidvania as some may have expected, you’d be forgiven for assuming that. It is, after all, developed by The Game Kitchen, known for the popular Metroidvania series Blasphemous.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a challenging romp through various levels within Japan. Ryu Hayabusa heads to America to deal with some demons; meanwhile, you’ll play as a new character, Kenji, who is tasked with defending Japan from the Black Spider Clan a great many demons.
Kenji’s an entirely new character, so for those who enjoy the lore of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, there’s potential in the narrative. The demo was purposely brief when it came to the story, but you can pick up that Kenji is one of Ryu’s disciples, training under him to become as legendary as Mr. Hayabusa is.
Kenji is quite adept with the sword and has all the agile movements one would expect from a ninja, but eventually he fuses with a Black Spider Clan ninja named Kumori. Together, they’re quite the powerhouse, fighting against overwhelming odds.
The Power of the Hayabusa Clan
Touching on the levels in my demo, we begin with a training session as Kenji to get the gist of mechanics. He can climb on walls and ceilings, and even bounce on certain obstacles or projectiles — these bounces can chain together, so to bridge a gap, you might find yourself doing this handy bounce several times. But remember, timing is key!
The next few levels are combat and platforming at a breakneck pace. The Hayabusa village gets raided by demons and the Black Spiders Clan, and you’re its sole defense. Fire is absolutely everywhere, with pots spewing flames you can bounce on to avoid damage. Enemies are running at you from seemingly every direction. It’s like classic Ninja Gaiden in all of its chaotic glory.
Most demons die in one hit, so Kenji feels exceptionally powerful. Sometimes, stronger enemies bar the way, which is where using the hypercharge comes in. Some enemies, noted by a colored ring around them, give Kenji’s abilities hypercharge, allowing him to unleash a very powerful slash of his blade. While this won’t kill bosses in a single hit, but most other enemies should crumble.
Enemy placement in these levels are pretty deliberate and you’re given a hypercharge when you need it, but sometimes things get so hectic and you use it at the wrong moment. So you do have to think about how you use it, and quick, before you end up wasting a hypercharge and opening yourself up to damage from a horde of enemies.
A few other levels gave me a pretty good look at what Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound has to offer. That Black Spider Clan assassin I mentioned, Kumori, she somehow fuses with Kenji. Now they have to work together, which is an intriguing dynamic since, naturally, the Hayabusa and Black Spider Clans are enemies.
These two are fused, but players mostly take control of Kenji. Now, he can throw magical kunai and throw an arcing projectile. Now enemies that drop hypercharge have two different colors, and you’ll only get this buff if you kill them with either Kenji or Kumori’s abilities.
The whole hypercharge mechanic adds some depth when Kumori is thrown into the mix. Often, you’ll be faced with certain scenarios where you can gain one hypercharge after another and slay some otherwise powerful enemies in one hit; this is dependent on you paying attention, and using either Kumori or Kenji’s ability at the right time.
Throw all these mechanics together, and it is a smooth experience. I never felt cheaped out when I made a mistake, and believe me, you will make mistakes. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is pretty challenging, after all.
I got a real taste for the challenge ahead after beating the demo. I got to try the first level after the tutorial on Hard Mode. There were more projectiles than ever before; heck, there were way more enemies, too. It was much more chaotic and just the type of experience hardcore fans are expecting from the series.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a Delightfully Bloody Looking Game
The Game Kitchen are experts with 2D pixel art, and that’s on full display here in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. It’s an incredible looking game. The spritework truly is immaculate, with backgrounds so good, you might find yourself distracted by admiring them and end up dead from a demon. The enemies, too, look great in all their demonic glory.
The soundtrack, by the way, is exceptional. It’s this riproaring, retro-infused soundtrack with great usage of traditional Japanese instruments. The pace of the soundtrack complements the gameplay, and it’s a even a soundtrack I’d love to add to my expansive OST collection.
Can you tell I’m excited for Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound? Being able to play it both at the event and at home was a delight, to say the least. With the release of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black earlier this year and Ninja Gaiden 4 on the way, fans of the series are eating very well, indeed.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound was previewed after about 20 minutes of gameplay at Summer Game Fest, and 2 hours with a key provided by the publisher – all screenshots were taken during the preview process.
