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Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Released On: Jul 31, 2025
86
8.7
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 47 Critic Reviews
86
91% Positive
43 Reviews
43 Reviews
9% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 47 Critic Reviews
86
91% Positive
43 Reviews
43 Reviews
9% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a triumphant return to form for the series, delivering tight 2D action-platforming, masterful level design, and thrilling boss battles, all underscored by stylish pixel art and an energetic soundtrack. Though brief in runtime, its challenge, polish, and replayability make it an experience that every action platforming fan should play.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a perfect entry in the series that makes for a great entry point and a standout experience in its own right. Smooth controls, fantastic level design and some perfectly judged boss battles make for one of the best 2D action-platformers you’ll find. With the extra layer of replaying levels for better ranks and the unlockable hard mode for the bravest ninjas, Ragebound provides plenty of enjoyment and challenge for those who want it, while also being approachable for newcomers.
Ninja Garden: Ragebound is the perfect return to the franchise’s 2D roots. Each area, encounter, and boss fight is meticulously crafted to challenge players while letting them fully embrace the fantasy of being a ninja. The gameplay flows effortlessly, making every segment feel exciting and rewarding. With its gorgeous pixel art and retro-inspired soundtrack, this is a must-play for fans of the genre.
Ninja Gaiden Ragebound delivers a sharp and thrilling platforming experience with tight gameplay, gorgeous pixel art, and a satisfying level of challenge. The ricochet mechanic adds depth to both combat and exploration, while the well-designed stages and intense boss fights showcase the skill of the developers at Game Kitchen. Backed by a strong soundtrack and smart level design, Ragebound stands as one of the best modern takes on retro action-platformers.
Ultimately, consider me a believer. For strict Ninja Gaiden and Shadow of the Ninja purists, I might still refer to 2021’s excellent Cyber Shadow for something more retro, but Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound smartly updates the classic jump-and-slash format in a way that often feels modern and clever, with satisfyingly smooth movement controls throughout. We just need a proper leaderboard to show off our sharpening skills.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound takes a different approach compared to previous installments. This results in a beautiful new two-dimensional Ninja Gaiden with incredibly refined gameplay mechanics. The flow of the action is so good, it feels like it was designed in a laboratory. It's a shame that the platforming can be a bit of a drag, but otherwise, I had a hard time putting my controller down.
I was excited to see what The Game Kitchen could do with Ninja Gaiden. Unfortunately, the answer is a bit disappointing. Ragebound is rock solid and feels really good in your hands, but it lacks spark, passion, X-factor, surprises. I could go on. At a time when sharp 2D action games are not exactly in short supply, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a solid revival of a classic series that will probably make the old core happy, but I would start somewhere else, Katana Zero, for example.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 15 User Ratings
8.7
87% Positive
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
7% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
7% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 15 User Ratings
8.7
87% Positive
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
7% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
7% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
It's a great game with a nice story, beautiful pixel art, awesome fast pacing gameplay, and high replayability. You can customize the difficulty of the game through assist settings that don't punish you by locking achievements nor progression to it, and on top of that, you can experiment with a highly flesh out hard mode that gets unlocked after you beat the game once. This mode remixes the levels adding more enemies, traps, changing the checkpoints, and even altering the boss patterns. But even this mode can be experienced with assist mode settings if you like.
Ragebound proves a maturity I hadn't seen before from The Game Kitchen, one that understands providing freedom and enjoyment, over punishment and frustration, above all else, the game asks you to enjoy its experience however you like, and as such, it pays off tenfold without sacrificing its identity.
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Summary From the acclaimed team behind Blasphemous, NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound successfully unites the classic lore and gameplay of the Tecmo-developed (now KOEI TECMO GAMES) NINJA GAIDEN series from the 8-bit era with the depth and intensity of the modern 3D entries. The best of both eras come together to create an epic and thrilling adventure. ...
Platforms:
- PC
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox One
- PlayStation 4
Initial Release Date: Jul 31, 2025
Developer:
Publisher:
DotEmu
Genres:
