Developer: The Game Kitchen
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series S|X
Genre: Action, Adventure
Publisher: Dotemu
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound brings the series back to its roots with side-scrolling 2D action/platformer gameplay. You play as Kenji, who must defend his village while his mentor Ryu Hayabusa is away in the US. In this game, you also get to team up with Kumori, a member of the Black Spider clan, as you battle demons, ninjas, and an amazing array of enemies in this beautiful world.
This is a beautiful homage to the NES era, but it adds modern rendering, pixel art, and audio while utilising vastly more powerful systems to bring the game to life. The game is a real mix of platformer, action, and strategy elements. The visuals and art style, combined with the cutscenes and dialogue, set up the game and get players sucked in quickly. The audio and soundtrack fit perfectly with the styling and theme of the game. Every visual and gameplay aspect has been thought through with care, and the presentation reflects this – it’s brilliantly designed and definitely fits the Ninja Gaiden series.
There’s a decent array of mechanics, from the straightforward hack-and-slash, jumping, and running around while trying to avoid various pitfalls. The game features lots of collectables – scarabs allow for purchasing talismans and weapons, while skulls let you unlock certain gear in the game.
However, there are two unique mechanics that really drive the game and make a good game into a fantastic one: hyper charge and guillotine bounce. The hyper charge, as it suggests, is a move that deals enhanced damage to bosses and one-shots a lot of enemies. You obtain the hyper charge by sacrificing (losing) health or by killing enemies who have a specific aura – the aura colour varies for Kenji and Kumori. This powerful attack can also be used to progress in certain areas, not just as a weapon of mass destruction. The guillotine bounce is a special aerial double-jump mechanic where hitting an enemy in the air or a projectile allows for essentially a double jump. This mechanic can be used to chain combos together, access hidden areas, progress through the game, and avoid health damage from projectiles like fire. This mechanic is a game-changer for boss battles, too!
The boss fights, like any Ninja Gaiden game, are big and amazing – it’s a whole-screen affair with some bosses, and you’ll have to use all the mechanics to defeat them. There’s enough variety in the bosses, and I found them challenging, especially when I was still learning the controls and all the mechanics. I’d happily fight all the bosses again.
The controls are super responsive, and you always feel in control. The game is fair and true – if you die, it’s your fault alone and not the game controls causing your demise. With so much action happening on screen, the controls need to be solid and responsive, which they absolutely are.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a brilliant instalment in a fantastic series. I loved the side-scrolling action, and the platforming elements made for a fun game. But I especially enjoyed the hack-and-slash action and trying to chain the biggest possible combos on each level. Each boss was a real battle and made playing through the game even more enjoyable – it was hard to put the game down. Highly addictive action platformer.
Overall: 9/10
Enjoys more than the odd game, long time gamer, somewhat a technologist and everything else in between.
Also enjoys a good solid game of FIFA online. Currently PS4, XBOX 360 and STEAM.
