NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound Review

NINJA GAIDEN is known as a difficult game series. I know this firsthand, as I had to leave my NES on for over a week so I wouldn't lose my progress until I finally beat it. Developer The Game Kitchen, the team behind Blasphemous, has teamed up with publisher Dotemu to bring this all-new 2D side-scrolling entry to the series called NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound. I’m curious to see if this release feels like it belongs in the franchise, or will I feel crushed and disappointed?

Right from the get-go, you can tell the developers are trying to make this title more accessible. People familiar with NINJA GAIDEN know how notoriously challenging these games have been. In the settings, you can adjust multiple options to lessen the difficulty; the developer recommends trying it on the default setting first, but if it’s still too hard, you can turn assist features on, and you won’t be penalised, so things like achievements are still available, which you don’t see very often. The game lets you change these settings at any point, as they’re found right in the pause menu.

Some of the things you can alter include decreasing the amount of incoming damage you take, turning off knockback (getting hit by a bird and falling off a platform to your death was a common occurrence in the earlier games), and even slowing down the game speed. If it feels like things are moving way too quickly, you can slow it down a little. Once you get past the enemy or section that was giving you trouble, you can easily change the sliders back to normal and continue on.

As the game begins, we see an opening cinematic showing Ryu’s father writing a note for his son, telling him that if he does not return from this battle, Ryu is to take the Dragon Sword of the Hayabusa family and go to America to see Walter Smith, the archaeologist. This is where we begin, playing the prologue called Legacy. There are so many references to the other games, so if you’ve ever played the titles on the NES, you’re sure to recognise the music. I was so excited they used that same song, it gave me a rush of nostalgia! We see Ryu training with a student named Kenji Mozu to become a Hayabusa Ninja. We don’t play as Ryu, though; instead, you control Kenji, the ninja-in-training.

Kenji uses a katana and has a special move that is basically a parry called a Guillotine Attack that, when timed right, lets you bounce between foes; This move will be used a lot as you play through the stages. In training, you learn a special move called a Hypercharge Attack. When you defeat enemies that have a glowing aura exposed, you get an enhanced attack that lets you cut through any foe with a single blow; this is incredibly useful when the next enemy is strong and normally takes a lot of hits to bring down.

If there are no enemies around with their aura showing to give you the one-hit power-up, there is one other option available. Ryu tells you about a secret technique you can use to enhance your next attack, but it requires sacrificing your vitality. By holding down the attack button, you transfer life force into your blade to gain a Hypercharge.

After training, you duel Ryu but are interrupted when the Shrine Maiden runs in to tell you that they are under attack by demons coming down the mountains. She also says they’ve found a letter from your father, it’s actually the will he was writing at the beginning of the prologue, telling Ryu to go to America with the Dragon Sword. Kenji urges Ryu to go and says he will take care of the demon threat here. This story essentially tells what happens in the village while Ryu is away handling the events of the first game.

Kenji leaves his home village and heads to the mountain to stop the demon fiends at the source. Along the way, he meets Kumori, a member of the Black Spider Clan, the group responsible for unleashing the demons. Despite being a rival, she helps you when you’re wounded and explains that you were both tricked and lured here. The only way to escape is to use Kumori’s Tamashi Kunai. This blade can trap an enemy’s soul and channel its power into the wielder. Kenji stabs Kumori, and her power is transferred to him.

The story is so cool, and totally unpredictable! Instead of picking up different types of weapons and using your limited Ninpo like in the early games, after the merge, Kenji can throw kunai, and he now has a ki meter to fill in order to use the kunai blades. You can also use Kumori’s Spider Weapon. Hypercharge powers up both the sword and kunai attacks. When you kill an enemy with these charged strikes, rage orbs are filled. Once all six are filled, you can unleash a Ragebound Art, which is a massive move that hits everyone and consumes all the rage orbs.

Kenji and Kumori must work together to retrieve three crystals before the enemy does, so the Demon Lord cannot cross over into our world. You’ll be searching for the Crystal of Abyssal Knowledge in Odawara Castle, the Crystal of Command in Kamakura, and finally the Crystal of Twisted Paths on the Miura Coast in a sea cave. As you travel through these diverse areas, you’ll play through a wide variety of stages, exploring dense jungles, ancient temples, and countryside villages. The visuals look great, and enemies will even jump in to attack from both the background and the foreground.

Even early on in the game, you realise how great it feels to control your ninja. All the moves feel incredibly smooth and responsive; any time a move got screwed up or I died, it was always my fault. NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound is challenging enough. This game captures everything I love about the NINJA GAIDEN series, keeping the rewarding challenge while eliminating some of the unfair frustration that plagued the early games. Evil birds were definitely part of what used to make you swear.

I had high hopes for this title as soon as I saw the trailer, and I’m happy to report that this game is amazing! I’ve never been so excited to get my butt kicked repeatedly. It's totally worth it for the feeling of accomplishment when you get past an area or enemy you were stuck on. Muscle memory is the key to success and a healthy amount of cursing.
NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound is my Game of the Year. I could keep going on about it, but instead, spend your time checking it out yourself. You won’t be disappointed; it’s so freaking good!