5/5 ★ – DanteHR's review of NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound.

I can say that I have always been a fan of the Ninja Gaiden series.. although I was not around during the NES era, with the legendary sidescroller games, I was able to experience the 3D era of the series, since Ninja Gaiden Sigma. Over the years, I have spent hundreds, maybe even thousands of hours in this legendary series, becoming my favorite series of all time, at least in the video game medium. The last 3D title that Team Ninja delivered to us.. was Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, where fans had very divided opinions, but for me.. personally, it was a truly remarkable achievement. It's been many years since the last major game in the series was released, I had Yaiba in the meantime, but I don't want to talk too much about that title. In December 2024, during the 10th anniversary of The Game Awards, presented by Geoff Keighley, I was left speechless, in the greatest shock.. to see that the Ninja Gaiden series, after years of silence, made a spectacular comeback with a new 2D sidescroller title, in the solemn style of the series with "Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound". Made by The Game Kitchen and published by Dotemu, this title seemed to be the one to carry on the legacy.. based on some very skilled developers in this genre, creating works of art like the Blasphemous series, and with a publisher renowned for pixel-art titles like Streets of Rage 4 and Windjammers 2. At first glance, everything seemed to be far too divine for the retro gaming industry this season. I can only say that... we were blessed to have had to wait less than a year for this perfect and very well composed project. It's time to talk about the combat in this game.. or rather, to put the weapons to work! As a little explanation of what exactly this game is, we are talking about a classic game, but structured to be captivating for today's generation and at the same time to be a love letter to the original fans of the NES series. Another relevant thing to add is that, even though the developers at The Game Kitchen have a lot of experience in creating the perfect metroidvania, they changed the niche a little for this game. Having more linear levels, with little secrets scattered throughout them. As for the combat itself, here you don't have a variety of weapons, you only use the katana that our main character.. Kenji, wields with excellence, also being the soul weapon in this series, since Joe Hayabusa. The game can be described as a "Run and Slice", a fast-paced ninja, where every move can cost you time, resulting in accumulating a lower score. While I played, I didn't see much emphasis on this score, the only thing I could notice was that, sometimes, if you reach a score higher than B, you can receive certain items that will help you in your runs.. the scores are classified from D (Novice Ninja), where you have to make a lot of mistakes to get it, to S+ (Shadow Legend), obtained only through extreme conditions or better said, playing perfectly! However, what makes the game so special is its unique way of playing in a generation where we only see the same genres recreated over and over again, until one of them ends up being captivating, giving hope to other developers to fill that glass that is already full, with other soulless titles, an identity of its own. The fact that I received a game like Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, where you can clearly see that the developers wanted to make it have its own identity.. and not just be a copy of game x, makes me have more confidence in this industry, and I don't say that very often. The one-kill philosophy, where most enemies die in one hit, may be a hit or miss for certain players, but here it's a matter of taste, not how well this system is made, because in Ragebound, it's absolutely perfect. All that matters is to have surgical precision, if I could call it that. Very shortly after you start your adventure in Ragebound, the game hits you with a 2nd protagonist, who merges with the first protagonist to create a bigger abomination like Kevin Levin from Ben 10.. I'm kidding, Kenji absorbs his soul, becoming the same person.. more or less. Her name is Kumori, a member of the Black Spider Ninja clan and the so-called rival clan of the Hayabusa sect, where Kenji belongs. Leaving the details of the story aside, I want to elaborate a little on her role in the gameplay. Kenji being a Ninja-Novice, is not that skilled in all the tools, so the developers thought of introducing another character, namely Kumori, who will have ranged attacks in his place, absolutely brilliant if you ask me. It is a temporary manifestation I would say, you only use it for certain parts where you need a long-range strike, but also at certain portals where only she can enter, to help you get past obstacles. For the most part, I didn't think it was a bad addition, on the contrary, it refreshed the gameplay and brought me joy throughout my experience. There are also some chapters specially made for Kumori, where Kenji is not present, a very good example in presenting the 2 characters simultaneously. As for the variety of bosses and enemies, I can't complain at all, for such a short game (about 7 hours for the average gamer), I was satisfied with this result, where each enemy must be approached differently, each having a weak point, I had to always be attentive to the environment. Very many agile creatures, with an accelerated speed, which usually died much faster, to huge brutes that move slowly and you need a hypercharged attack to be able to deal with them. Each level was very different, and there was no "game drought" .. where all the levels become tiring and the fun is wasted. I also spent a little time in the boss rush mode, which is unlocked after the end of the game, a surprising addition, but very often found in recent years. And here we come to the part where we talk about the art style and graphics in general, a direction where the developers could be nominated for the Nobel Prize for previous projects, but also for this one! At first glance, it is clear that the game was intended to be consumed only by lovers of the 90s era, where pixel-art was in full swing, given the technology of the time. The whole game felt as if The Game Kitchen wanted to create a sequel to the classic NES games, in the end, they managed to make a spiritual successor in every way, including the art direction. Having the spirit of that era, with such a fluent and well-optimized experience, that everything about this game feels natural. I can't say what I liked the most about this game, but if I had to choose one, I would choose the character designs. It seemed elite to me, being exactly what I had wanted for a very long time, especially Ryu Hayabusa with the costume from the 3D saga in 2D pixel-art format. The bosses, likewise, with a monstrous and deformed design, something the series has done well since the beginning. In a 2D sidescroller game, sound is not just meant to be background, but rather to be a pulse for the player. Every step, every kick and every roar of enemies can turn pixels into an unforgettable experience.. sound is as important in video games as it is in the cinema industry. In order for the brain to respond with bursts of dopamine and serotonin, this would mean that a game has a good soundtrack. Also, in this case, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound delivers everything I said above, a clear example of a successful soundtrack. Where every move you make, even if sometimes things don't go right, still makes you try the same level dozens of times, until you reach the desired satisfaction. As for the music in the game.. I can only congratulate Keiji Yamagishi, a true genius in the art of music, being the original composer of Ninja Gaiden, he treated this project with due respect. Keiji also received help from various composers, each with his own field, Ryuichi Nitta, Kaori Nakabal and Sergio de Prado, another legend and the composer of the Blasphemous series. In general, the diversity of the OST in the game jumped from Progressive Metal to cinematic Synthwave, with Japanese ambient sounds in some quieter areas, but despite this, being so good, I'm listening to it even at this moment.. writing the review. The story of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a modern interpretation of the Ninja Gaiden games on the NES, with new characters and a slightly darker atmosphere, but at the same time, preserving the original DNA of the series. It starts abruptly, with a newly introduced character, Kenji, being our protagonist and a young ninja whose master is Ryu Hayabusa himself, our elite protagonist and the character that many of us grew up with. The main action takes place very shortly after Ryu Hayabusa leaves the village for a secret mission in America, where the action of Ninja Gaiden 4, which comes out in October, will most likely take place. Upon leaving, the village is attacked by a horde of demons that have been released from the Shadow Gate. Our main objective is to close those demonic gates and save the world, pretty basic, right? The premise doesn't inspire anything too extraordinary or complicated, but it does offer enough lore and twists and turns to keep us from turning our heads or doing anything else while the cutscenes are playing. As I mentioned above, shortly after the prologue, we are introduced to a second main character, Kumori, a ninja from the rival clan.. the so-called Black Spider. It's a great addition to the story, as well as the gameplay.. Kenji being the optimistic figure, and Kumori the pessimistic figure, a dynamic that's often encountered, but perfect in my opinion. With extraordinary combat, a divine soundtrack and an art style worthy of a painting exhibited at Notre-Dame. I loved every moment of this game and I couldn't think of a similar title that could prove it in its respective genre. The only annoyance I had, and not even a very big one, was that the game is very short, I tried to drag it out, but I came out with a duration of 7+ hours. However, at the end of the day, with all 3 endings, you can get somewhere around 15+ hours, without too many nerves, given the difficulty levels, the replayability is excellent. As I said in my review of Blasphemous 2, thank you The Game Kitchen for giving me another masterpiece to enjoy this summer, I can't wait for the next projects!