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One franchise that has always scared me, in a good way, is Ninja Gaiden. Even as someone who’s played countless soulslike games, which are way too challenging, I become that Team Fortress meme of, “But that thing scares me.” Still, I love playing Ninja Gaiden. No other series gives you the satisfaction of executing a perfect combo or dashing through a level without taking damage. On top of that, its action combat is second to none, and it remains a standard that not many video games have been able to surpass. I can say the same about Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, which is a challenging, strategic, and addictive old-school action game that will surprise both old and new fans.
Brutal Old-School Action
For the unaware, Ninja Gaiden Ragebound comes from the minds behind Blasphemous. If you haven’t played that series, you have to. It is one of the best 2D soulslike/Metroidvania games and a must-play for fans of both genres. But going back to the new shinobi entry. Ragebound brings brutal combat with a lot of emphasis on precision and strategy, which is a staple of one of Team Ninja’s best series, but also adds plenty of new things like traversal challenges, combat puzzles, and more. It is the perfect combination that will make Ninja Gaiden fans feel at home.
In the short demo I played, I was able to experience a few levels that are part of the main story, albeit with a few modifications and without spoiling key plot points. You play Kenji, our new protagonist and Ryu’s pupil. The narrative starts as soon as Ryu leaves for America, and Kenji stays behind to protect the village. While not as powerful, Kenji’s movement felt snappy, and he has a lot of moves to kick some demon butts, such as aerial attacks you can chain to reach higher places, your normal melee combo, and other gimmicks I’ll delve into further.
While it wasn’t the final product, I’m delighted with what I played. Kenji’s fighting style is great, and the enemy variety is fantastic. However, what elevates the game is how everything feels like a puzzle, even inside combat. You can only defeat specific enemies with an empowered hit. You need to sacrifice your health or defeat an empowered enemy to perform one. This brings precise decisions to all levels that add to the strategic level that combat already provides.
Furthermore, the combination of combat with traversal makes dashing through these lovely pixel-art setpieces highly enjoyable. For instance, in one of the levels I played, I had to climb the side of a castle. To do so, I had to perform aerial kicks to not only defeat demons but also reach my goal. Ninja Gaiden Ragebound does a fantastic job of combining the best platforming with brutal combat into a highly enjoyable gameplay loop.
The Two Sides of a Ninja
However, Kenji isn’t the only ninja around this demon-infested town. While I don’t know the exact story details as they weren’t in the demo, Kumori is an assassin who somehow becomes part of Kenji. Contrary to Ryu’s student, you can only use Kumori in specific moments. For instance, there are certain platforming sections where you need to step into the demon world. To do so, Kenji stays behind, and Kumori jumps on the new demonic platform and teleports herself by launching kunai at specific objects. She can also do some fighting if needed, but you’ll mostly use her for the platforming sections of the game.
Also, Kenji can use some of Kumori’s skills outside of the traversal challenges. You can only defeat some enemies if you use the right weapon, be it a kunai or a sword. With that in mind, you must pay attention to the enemy you’re facing and use the right armament. Again, it is another strategic layer that Ninja Gaiden Ragebound provides that keeps combat fresh at all times.
Overall, I had a strong first impression with Ninja Gaiden Ragebound. I loved how cohesive it felt at all times. The platforming sections are never forced, and even better, they work perfectly well by adding combat to the mix. On top of that, the boss fight I experienced was amazing. I’m sure the ones appearing in the full release will elevate this game even further. To everyone’s fortune, Ninja Gaiden Ragebound isn’t that far away, so all we have to do is wait a few more weeks for it to arrive.
