We haven’t had a legitimate Ninja Gaiden game for a very long time. While numerous spin-offs, ports, and remakes have been made (such as the fantastic Ninja Gaiden II Black this year), Ninja Gaiden is seeing a renaissance with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and the upcoming Ninja Gaiden 4. The intriguing topic of what a Ninja Gaiden game would look like in the Year of Our Lord 2025 arises from taking such a long pause. The answer is “f***ing awesome,” if Ragebound’s return to 2D side-scrolling is any guide. I want to be playing it when I’m not because it’s one of those infrequent games when everything simply seems right.
In Ragebound, you take on the role of Kenji Mozu, a teenage pupil of Ryu Hayabusa, the iconic series protagonist and all-around badass. Kenji is forced to defend Hayabusa Village from a barrage of demons after Ryu is called away to America (to play Ninja Gaiden on the NES). Attempting to utilize those demons to achieve power, the wicked Black Spider Clan (who are also Hatfield and McCoy-style foes with the Hayabusa Clan) has recruited their kunoichi Kumori to capture the Demon Lord in a lovely dagger so they can wield him like so much fine steel. The two of them are soon compelled to cooperate, attaching Kumori’s soul to Kenji’s body to ensure their survival because—well, demons, man. And demons! The times are not good!
There aren’t many stories in Ragebound. The plot is always ridiculous; this is Ninja Gaiden. But there’s enough here to make you want to slaughter demons, and the interaction between Kenji and Kumori is entertaining, whether it’s Kenji ranting about how disgraceful it is to work with a Black Spider Clan ninja or Kumori making fun of Kenji for being a pirate. Putting these two characters together is an intriguing approach to play with the animosity that has existed between the Black Spider Clan and the Hayabusa for generations. Kumori also frequently uses the phrase “good grief.” Love her.
Beautiful 2D pixel imagery and fantastic music with a nod to the past define Ragebound’s action. Although Kenji and Kumori don’t have many moves at their disposal, they are more than capable of killing demons and looking awesome while doing it. Both ninjas share a dodge and a lunging attack, but it’s more entertaining when you combine their skills. Kenji has your typical katana, while Kumori has a kunai. Kumori grants Kenji access to her kunai and unique weapons, such as a chakram that cleaves through anything unfortunate enough to remain in your path or an arcing, throwable sickle that boomerangs through adversaries before flying back to you. You cannot just discard these abilities because they require ki, which is regenerated as you strike enemies with conventional attacks. It’s important to pick your spots.
Beautiful 2D pixel imagery and fantastic music with a nod to the past define Ragebound’s action.
Ragebound Arts, which are incredibly strong techniques that Kumori can use to clean the screen, replenish Kenji’s health, or build a shield to protect him from opposing strikes, are the true upgrade here. I promise you that these maneuvers are just as awesome as they sound. You will also require all of those selections. Ragebound frequently throws a lot of guys at you at once, yet the majority of foes in the game are satisfyingly killed by a single blow from Kenji’s sword or a kunai to the face (or chest, shin, or anywhere, really). Some have spikes that protect them when you approach, some are swift, some prefer to hide, others fly, and so on. And some people get hit more than once. The greatest (and most crucial) mechanics in Ragebound are used in this situation.
The Hypercharge is the first. Killing enemies with colorful auras will give you Hypercharge. You can also stand motionless and charge it for a few seconds at the expense of some health. When you have a Hypercharge, foes will be instantaneously killed by your next strike. Most of Ragebound’s villains perish after just one hit, as I mentioned. What about those who don’t? If you don’t have to, you don’t want to battle them directly. You can chain these together to quickly dispatch foes when you’re cooking, or you can use a Hypercharge on a boss to stun them and inflict pain. It feels fantastic.
Ragebound adds a Simon Says element to Hypercharges, which forces you to match specific attacks to specific aura colors, making the system more engaging even though it’s a strong one on its own. For instance, a purple aura indicates that you must use Kumori’s kunai, while a blue aura indicates that you must use Kenji’s sword to cut them up. You can use that Hypercharge however you choose, but being asked to match the aura to the appropriate attack adds a level of difficulty and thought to the process, requiring you to approach fights strategically if you want to make the most of those Hypercharges.
This is particularly true while attempting to eliminate an aura-upped adversary that is only visible for a few seconds; if you miss your window, they will flee, giving proficient players the chance to increase their scores even further when they return to a level.
If there is one drawback to the Hypercharge, it is that an enemy with an aura usually signals the arrival of a Beefy Enemy. One will typically run on screen with a flashing neon sign that reads “PLEASE KILL ME” immediately after encountering a cat that looks like Brick Steakface and is capable of taking numerous strikes, but hasn’t yet encountered a smaller enemy with an aura.
This isn’t a major problem, in my opinion; even when you know the answer, the interactions are usually interesting. Furthermore, it’s still necessary to employ the Hypercharge on the appropriate foe, and it’s simple to err or simply miss the strike. I promise you that nothing is worse than obtaining a Hypercharge, knowing you need it for a grumpy ghost samurai guy, and then unintentionally using it for a tiny hermit crab demon creature that would instantly perish if Kumori gave him a stern look. However, it’s a little spot on when you say, “Okay, who do I gotta kill with this?” when you see an enemy with an aura.
The Guillotine Boost, which allows you to bounce on almost anything, is the main attraction.
Yes, hyperchargers are cool, but the Guillotine Boost, which allows you to bounce on “it”—I mean pretty much anything—is the true star of the show. Once in the air, you can jump again just before you hit an enemy or a projectile to attack them and then jump again after bouncing off of them. An adversary lunging toward you? Leap on it. A strange man with a pumpkin-like head, hurling axes at you? Leap on them. A boss coming at you from the other side of the screen? Leap on his head. Are there fireballs everywhere? My kid, bounce on them. As you can see, this is useful in battle, but it’s also excellent for traveling to other locations.
You will occasionally have to bounce on a projectile to escape spikes, and other times you will have to bounce up a staircase of enemies that have been placed there just for that purpose to advance to the next level. Knowing how to use the Guillotine Boost will make the difference between a boss fight where you’re getting completely rolled and one where the boss is unable to touch you.
Speaking of bosses, Ninja Gaiden wouldn’t be Ninja Gaiden without them, and the ones in Ragebound fit in perfectly with the series’ illustrious catalog of Otherwise Nasty Nemeses and Greater Fiends. They are all extremely difficult battles that will test your familiarity with Ragebound’s systems, your ability to respond quickly, and your ability to make the best decisions.
However, Ragebound isn’t only about fighting. The platforming is equally enjoyable, and the levels are sufficiently varied to make it enjoyable to explore and discover their secrets, whether they are collectibles like Crystal Skulls or Golden Scarabs. Kumori can communicate with the Demon Alters to visit the otherworld, detaching her spirit from Kenji’s body and enabling her to travel places he cannot. She can still throw kunai as you open new paths or find treasures, which is one of my favorite aspects of Ragebound. The drawback? To remain in the otherworld, she must continuously refill a meter. Otherwise, you’ll have to start over with Kenji.
This implies that you may need to repeat a segment a few times, but it still effectively breaks up the action and presents a fresh, intriguing task for you to overcome.
In addition, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound encourages you to replay every level repeatedly. You are rewarded based on your time, the number of collectibles you located, the number of foes you defeated with your blade, and your greatest combo each time. Once you have defeated one, you can access it again right away from the map.
If that isn’t enough, there are optional challenges that include beating Ryu Hayabusa in the tutorial or killing a specified number of foes with a lunge strike, as well as level-specific tasks like finishing a stage without getting hit. I have yet to accomplish the task. Izuna is with him. dropped a lot of my ass. However, it’s a very awesome way to lose. There are numerous small tributes to the series’ past in Ragebound, such as one that alludes to Ninja Gaiden II’s iconic stairway, and I like that much of it stays out of the spotlight. You know if you do. Otherwise, it’s just a cool moment that may be left alone.
Numerous small details reference the series’ past.
If someone is unable to execute an Izuna Drop, there are techniques to improve their ninja skills. The Golden Scarabs you find at Muramasa’s shop can be used to unlock and wear a variety of talismans, such as one that automatically gives you a Hypercharge if you bounce on multiple enemies in a row or one that refills your health if you can maintain a combo chain. These are significant benefits, but you can also select talismans that increase difficulty, such as making you restart the level if you die, to get a higher score overall.
It’s a neat way to make things more challenging, and I’m glad it’s available if you want it. Later on in your quest, these will become essential if you’re a score-chaser.
In addition to the hard mode, which you may access after finishing the roughly five-hour main path (my playtime was nine hours when I rolled credits, but I had also replayed several stages and a few of the bonus levels), there are optional levels for an extra challenge.
. There is more to aiming for a better score than merely being able to claim to have completed both missions and performing well on specific stages; doing so grants you access to extra equipable perks that you would not otherwise be able to buy with Golden Scarabs. I mean, being a Master Ninja is awesome, but what about earning a cool trinket for it? That’s awesome.
Verdict
I will be playing Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound for a very long time. I had a hard time putting it down long enough to write this review since it sounds and looks amazing, and the quick but strategic fighting is so darn satisfying. It’s a blast that is both difficult and gratifying to balance various attack kinds and strong powers as I bounce off demons’ heads, time Hypercharges against menacing enemies, and destroy auras. It feels natural. Even though Ragebound doesn’t feature Ryu Hayabusa, it is unquestionably part of the Dragon Lineage, and I am certain that I will be playing it frequently to achieve high scores and level-specific challenges. Fans of Ninja Gaiden, believe me when I say that Ragebound is like running upon an oasis; we’ve never been so back after spending so much time lost in the desert.
