Ninja Gaiden Ragebound Review: Returning to the roots of greatness

Some of the most legendary and challenging games come from the NES era, where the action and near-impossible obstacles were part of what made gaming so much fun. It was then that fans of action-platformers got a quick and efficient introduction to the Ninja Gaiden series, which dominated consoles in the early 90s. Eventually, the classic series faded away. But the name Ninja Gaiden was revitalized once again with a reboot in 3D, taking the ninja exploits of the original series and giving it a bloody makeover that became a massive hit on the original Xbox, and later spawned multiple sequels. People love the grueling challenge and over-the-top nature of the franchise, with each successive entry taking things further than the last. However, people began to wonder if Ninja Gaiden would ever make a return to its NES roots and try something different once again.

Enter Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a new entry in the series that steps away from the 3D craziness and brings the ninja fighting back onto a 2D platform. And yet, the game doesn't shy away from how much the series has changed, offering an experience that can exist parallel to the adventures of Ryu Hayabusa, while giving everyone a new story and characters to follow and new battles to wage. For many players who have been with the Ninja Gaiden series since the start, this is the bridge between eras that they've been looking for.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Pricing and Availability

After its initial release, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound can be purchased digitally on multiple platforms. The game is available to play on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam. There is only one version of the game to purchase, a standard version that can be found on every platform.

• PlayStation Network: $24.99
• Xbox Live: $24.99
• Nintendo eShop: $24.99
• Steam: $24.99

Returning to the roots

Getting back to the essence of the series

Most people that grew up during the 2000s know of Ninja Gaiden as a 3D action series, which is why it may feel like such a departure for them that Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a 2D action game. But it's actually a move that goes back to what made the series popular in the first place. And luckily for everyone, it's a successful choice that gives old school and new school players something to find in common. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound begins with the new protagonist Kenji training with the well-known Ryu Hayabusa, just before he travels to America for the events of the 3D Ninja Gaiden titles. After that, players are ushered into an adventure that will have them fighting demons, while running and jumping through obstacles and over bottomless pits that harkens back to what skilled players were doing back in 1989.

Although Kenji isn't wielding multiple weapons like his master Ryu, his journey is no less action-packed and bloody than the multiple acts of levels that Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound consists of. Groups of demonic beings and military foes will block your path and force you to use a combination of quick reactions and wit to get across smartly designed and crafted stages. All to the beat of an amazing soundtrack composed with high-energy tracks that will keep the momentum going through every stage. Although not always wise, you'll feel like speeding your way through obstacles in masterful fashion while listening to music that feels reminiscent of the first three NES games.

The story itself may be a hit or miss for most people, as it tells a story that doesn't have a ton of depth to it. But all of this is made even better with a 2D presentation that looks modern, despite being heavily inspired by everything that came before. The cutscenes of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound look very similar to the NES titles, but with newer characters and an HD aspect ratio, which display the pixel art in detailed glory. Animations for every character are fluid and look great, with effects from explosions and sliced-up enemies feeling brutal. If the goal was to make the game look and sound as good as its predecessors, the development team far exceeded expectations.

A tough, but fair challenge

Testing in the right ways

Falling in line with the rest of the series, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound can be a tough game in multiple spots. The platforming, combat with enemies, and obstacles laid out in every stage never feels like it borders on being unfair. However, that doesn't mean it's a walk in the park either, as multiple stages will push players to the limits of their reaction time and awareness of what is on-screen. Groups of baddies will gang up on Kenji as he moves through a stage, with multiple incoming shots and attacks being launched from all over the place. Getting past them can be simple if you know what to do, but at first glance it can be very intimidating to anyone.

Luckily, the game gives you the tools to deal with just about any enemy you encounter. Kenji can attack glowing enemies with specific attacks to boost his next attack, which can bring down most foes with one blow. Conquering the tougher sections of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound requires knowing when and where to take advantage of this, especially when enemies fill up the screen in ways that can stifle your movement. It might be smarter to wait a moment to avoid incoming attacks before jumping over a pit. That way, you can demolish a strong foe and advance forward at the same time. Other moments require a bit more thought and fast-reactions, especially when one mistake will send you back to a previous checkpoint, and you'll have to redo everything. Most challenges in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound can be incredibly tough, but never unfair.

At the same time, Kenji will come across a Black Spider Clan ninja named Kumori, opening up new abilities for him to use. This includes throwing more projectiles and switching controls over to Kumori to open up new areas. This adds an extra layer of complexity to some of the platforming and clever puzzles that Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound throws at players. Using a combination of abilities to pass gaps and blockades of foes can become an all-out rumble of reaction time and patience, but it looks incredibly cool when executed correctly.

Without perfect execution

A few minor annoyances

Despite Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound getting so much right, there are a few minor things that hold it back from being legendary. The challenge of running through stages is nearly perfect, except for some boss battles that will test a player's patience a bit too much. Battles against bosses often turn into endurance matches that require specific actions to happen in order to make any sort of progress in them, specifically with the later encounters. And while patience is always a key to overcoming these battles, the boss enemies will go for longer stretches without launching an attack that allows you to capitalize and do damage. Some of the final bosses have an action that prevents you from damaging them completely without breaking a barrier or reaching a certain height with your jumps, which can only be done when they do a specific action that allows you to.

Moments like these can make portions of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound frustrating for the wrong reasons, rather than the fair challenge they present. The game does have an ability where Kenji can sacrifice some of his health for a powered-up attack, which can help move things forward against these kinds of battles. However, the risk can often be too much for the player to take, especially when there are no ways to recover health during a boss encounter. The game's shop in-between stages does have the ability to recover health for a brief period, but it's often not enough to have a significant impact when dealing with bosses that can deal heavy damage frequently, and offer little to no opportunities to recover.

Other minor issues come from the extra abilities that Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound has available to purchase in the shop. You can find scarabs in stages that are used to purchase upgrades and bonuses, some of which are passive. And while a few abilities are great perks to have, most of the other purchases you make might not have any sort of impact on how you approach a stage. New types of projectiles might look interesting or flashy, but their damage output and effectiveness may be severely lacking. This goes for abilities that Kenji and Kumori can obtain, with some becoming available after completing stages with a specific ranking. More can be obtained from finishing extra stages that unlock throughout the game, but even those might not be worth the trouble.

Still a master of action

Even with minor annoyances, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is an action-packed experience that blends elements from the old and new school eras of the franchise. It plays and sounds similar to the classic Ninja Gaiden entries, while also having enough modern touches to give a phenomenal presentation to a classic formula. And yet, it doesn't shy away from how much Ninja Gaiden has changed over the decades, and instead embraces all of its aspects in a way that gives real respect to it. As a continuation of the style of the series that was believed to be abandoned a long time ago, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound makes what's old feel incredibly cool again.