No one knows where a ninja goes; but we sure our glad he’s back!
Let’s not sugarcoat it, Ninja Gaiden has had a rough couple of decades. After the highs of Black and (to a degree) Sigma, we got the hot mess that was Ninja Gaiden 3, followed by years of silence and a couple of remasters nobody asked for. Enter Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a slick 2D throwback from Dotemu and The Game Kitchen that swaps cinematic bloat for razor-sharp gameplay and thank the ninja gods, because it just might be the comeback fans have been waiting for.
Right off the bat, Ragebound wastes no time getting to the point, literally. The combat here is fast, fluid, and fierce. You play as Kenji, Ryu’s young protégé, and Kumori, a kunai-wielding ninja from the Black Spider Clan. Both bring their own flavor to the battlefield, and you’ll be swapping between them throughout the campaign. Kenji plays like a greatest-hits mix of old-school and modern Gaiden. He’s got quick sword strikes, a brutal mid-air “Guillotine Boost,” and mobility that makes wall-running and platforming buttery smooth. Kumori, on the other hand, leans into ranged combat and precision strikes, adding variety when things start to get too stab-happy.
MSRP: $24.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $24.99
The star of the show, though, is the Hypercharge system. Certain enemies glow with a colored aura—melee or ranged—and if you take them out the right way, you get a limited-time powered-up strike that melts everything in your path. It turns each fight into a mini-puzzle: chain the right kills together, clear the room in seconds. Mess it up, and you’re stuck fighting tooth and nail. It’s brilliant, it’s satisfying, and it keeps every encounter feeling fresh. Boss fights are another high point. These aren’t just damage sponges; they’re multi-phase, pattern-based throwdowns that demand precision. If you played Ninja Gaiden Black and found yourself yelling at Alma back in the day, this will feel right at home.
This is probably a good spot to mention the excellent accessibility features on display in Ragebound. Players can play the game as the developers intended of course but for those of us who remember the pain of the water levels in the NES Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game and don’t want to replay the same level 1988 times, then they devs have you covered. Players can tweak everything from how much damage enemies do, to how much damage they dish out and everything in between. Personally, I turned off the ‘knock-back’ effect that happens when Kenji takes damage, I fell into too many pits and got tired of it. Nice thing is for those of you that still chase achievements, changing these settings won’t penalize you by making them unobtainable.
Don’t let the 2D visuals fool you Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is absolutely gorgeous. From blood-red skies over burning villages to cyber-demon castles and haunted shrines, every level pops with detail. The animation is slick, enemy design is varied, and combat effects are flashy without ever becoming overwhelming. Kenji and Kumori both look great in motion, with subtle flourishes in their movement that give them real personality. Kenji’s flowing scarf and Kumori’s teleport-dash leave trails that make you feel like you’re controlling an anime intro. This is retro done right, and it never feels cheap or limited. The soundtrack is a mix of synth, traditional instruments, and rock, a bit of a background player, but it complements the action well. Not memorable, but never annoying.
Controls are tight. Like, ninja-tight. Every jump, slash, and dodge lands exactly when and where you want it. There’s no delay, no input jank, no “blame the game” moments. It’s the kind of responsiveness that reminds you why we fell in love with these games in the first place. Performance on Xbox Series X is stellar, rock-solid 60 FPS, near-instant load times, and zero hiccups even in crowded fights with flashy effects. This game is built for speedrunning, for mastery, for shaving seconds off each encounter. And it delivers the technical polish to back it up.
And then there’s the story… but let’s be real; nobody plays Ninja Gaiden for the plot. That said, Ragebound gives you just enough to keep things moving. Ryu’s off on a mysterious mission (read: conveniently unavailable), and when Hayabusa Village is attacked by demonic forces, it’s up to Kenji and Kumori to clean house.
The story unfolds through brief cutscenes and stylish title cards. You’ll meet a few familiar faces, but don’t expect deep character arcs or lore dumps. It’s the kind of light-touch storytelling that supports the gameplay without slowing it down. Just enough ninja drama to give context to all the stabbing. The campaign runs about 5–6 hours, which is short but sweet. After you beat it, you unlock a Brutal Mode with harder enemy placements and some extra collectibles to dig up. There’s no multiplayer or branching paths, but the game encourages replay through speedrun challenges and hidden upgrades.
Still, the biggest draw is the combat loop. If you’re the type who enjoys perfecting your run, stringing together combos, and mastering every tool in your arsenal, you’ll get way more than your money’s worth here.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound doesn’t try to be everything, unlike many games nowadays; no, it just tries to be damn good at what it is. And that’s exactly why it works. This is the most focused, confident entry the series has seen in years. No bloated cutscenes, no watered-down combat, no unnecessary frills. Just you, your blade, and a demon army to cut through. It’s not perfect though, the short runtime and limited build variety may leave some wanting more but what’s here is tight, polished, and relentlessly fun. For fans of Black, Sigma, or even the NES originals, this is the closest we’ve gotten to the true spirit of Ninja Gaiden in over a decade.
Welcome back, Hayabusa clan. We missed you.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
