The Ninja Gaiden series is almost 40-years old, but with Ragebound you’d think it was the hot new property in town. It’s a side-scrolling masterclass from The Game Kitchen, offering tight controls, exciting combat, and a story that grips you all the way through. Playing most of it on Steam Deck, it was something I struggled to put down. Even as I write this, I want to be back slaying demons as Kenji and Kumori all over again, experiencing it for the first time.
After Ryu Hayabusa goes to America to honour his father’s will, the demons find a way into the human world and decide to decimate everything that stands in their way. You alternate between two characters, and both offer different playstyles that feel so satisfying to play with. Kenji is Ryu’s protégé. A skilled ninja who feels like he has something to prove. A young yet talented warrior, he cuts through demons with precision and swiftness. However, as good as he is, he cannot do it alone.
Enter Kumori, a warrior of the Black Spider Clan. After she suffers a crushing defeat and is left for dead, Kenji fuses his soul with hers to create the ultimate weapon. Both characters feel different to play as, yet still work in sync as you dispatch demons of all kinds. Kenji has his blade, while Kumori uses her Kunai to attack from a distance. These attacks end up being used dually by Kenji as well. The story does see you alternate at different times, and every new level gives you plenty of opportunities to use the different abilities you’re given.
There are two main abilities in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. The Guillotine Boost lets you spin through the air and hit an enemy, keeping you spinning to offer a continuous movement through the air. This allows you to maintain momentum over large drops, spikes, or fireballs among over things. Hypercharge is the other main skill at your disposal. Certain enemies will have a blue or pink aura. By striking them, you’ll be able to enter a hypercharged state for a short time.
Most demons are killed with one strike, however, there are tougher enemies that take successive strikes to slaughter. When you’re hypercharged with a blue aura, Kenji can take one slice of his katana to kill tougher enemies and do more damage to bosses. With the pink hypercharged aura, kunai can be thrown to do exactly the same. It’s an exciting ability that works wonders in the chaotic flow of combat. These moments keep you on your toes, and even in these fast-paced battles, there’s an element of strategy that I loved.
Another way Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound offers additional layers to its gameplay is when you enter the demon world as Kumori. The levels are the same, but for a short period you’re given an environmental puzzle that requires speed and concentration to succeed. Kumori needs to reach a certain lever or switch before her time in the demon world ends. To keep going you must increase your time by finding orbs, all the while fighting demons and teleporting through the air at key moments.
The Game Kitchen has managed to create addictive combat that constantly drives to to play. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound can be difficult at times, especially when you’re facing tons of enemies on screen. Finding the right balance of traversal and combat is an art. Even when you’re struggling you’re having a great time trying to push through each expertly crafted level. The pixel art harks back to an old era of gaming, yet feels as fresh as any new release with its wonderful design.
When I played a preview a few months ago, I was so excited to see what else Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound had to offer. I wasn’t entirely sure whether it could maintain that flow and intensity. What it has done is not only show me that it can but also offer some of the most amazing boss fights within the side-scrolling genre I’ve seen in recent memory. It gets everything right. From great gameplay to challenging levels, constantly mixing up combat and traversal while throwing in levels where you’re riding motorcycles and jet skis as well.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is an excellent side-scroller that breathes new life into the genre. It reminds us just how good the series was when it first released in the 8-bit era. The controls are fluid and responsive, with combat that remains thrilling at all times. I loved the story and the characters. I adored the pixel art and the colourful environments. As for the demons, they all have different attack patterns that make you switch up your attacks at all times, managing to create one of the strongest games of the year so far.
