Ragebound, Ninja Gaiden'ı Hız ve Şakacılıkla Canlandırıyor

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a sharp and fast 2D action game that gets a lot right without fully reinventing anything. It’s a simpler, more accessible Ninja Gaiden than ever before, but it still finds ways to punish players who dig into the optional content or take on the tougher bosses. It’s stylish, bloody, and short enough to finish in a weekend, with plenty of extras for those who enjoy a fight.

The review comes via PC Gamer and was written by Abbie Stone, who had hands-on time with the game. It’s developed by The Game Kitchen—the same team behind Blasphemous—and it’s clear they brought over some of their signature pixel art and flair for violent combat. This time, though, they’ve traded religious weight for fast movement and ridiculous plotlines.

You play as Kenji, a student of Ryu Hayabusa, the legendary ninja from earlier games. Ryu is off doing something else, so it’s up to Kenji to slice up demons, rival ninjas, and anyone else who steps in his path. He’s got a basic set of tools—sword slashes, throwing knives, and a bounce move that’s great for both traversal and murder. The core gameplay encourages fast kills, and many enemies are designed to die in the middle of their intro animation.

The combat is satisfying in a clean and simple way. Once you unlock a talisman that restores health when your kill streak is active, the pacing clicks into something close to a ninja-themed arcade run. Move fast, kill everything, stay alive. For speedrunners and high-score chasers, Ragebound will be a blast. For everyone else, it’s a lean, punchy experience that avoids filler.

The story doesn’t take itself seriously. Kenji ends up joining forces with Kumori, a rival ninja from the Black Spider clan. Their back-and-forth banter is more fun than the actual plot, which includes CIA operatives, demon pacts, and a ninja-run construction site. It's dumb in the best way, and it helps the game keep moving without getting bogged down in exposition.

The game moves through different environments quickly—villages, mountains, navy bases, sewers—without spending too long in any one spot. Each section mixes combat and light platforming, with the occasional simple puzzle. It’s all designed to keep the momentum going rather than slow you down with tricky mechanics.

One refreshing thing is the lack of a parry system. In a time when every action game wants perfect timing and defensive counters, Ragebound just hands you a sword and says, “go.” Some enemies glow before death, giving you access to a temporary super strike. You also get a time-freezing ability, which ends up being clutch in boss fights. These little mechanics add just enough variety without overcomplicating the formula.

Speaking of bosses, the last three are a serious step up. These fights force you to use every trick the game has taught you and might frustrate some players who got used to cruising through earlier stages. The final boss is particularly good and feels like a proper climax. But not all challenges are this fair. Optional objectives like “beat this boss in under a minute” or “don’t get hit” lean into nonsense territory. Abbie Stone admits she laughed at the one-minute boss timer after spending an hour failing to meet it.

Then there are the secret levels. You’ll find them under a clearly marked tab called “SECRET LEVELS,” which kind of defeats the purpose of stealth. These stages are where the game really leans into its roots, with brutal checkpoint placement and cruel enemy layouts. Ragebound may start off easy, but anyone craving the old-school brutality of NES-era Ninja Gaiden will find it in these sections.

Still, the game has issues. Some enemy encounters rely too much on trial and error. The kill-chain counter—which becomes essential once you get the talisman—sometimes just doesn’t show up, breaking the rhythm. And a few cheap deaths feel like a throwback to an era when fairness wasn’t a top design goal.

Despite the bumps, it’s a mostly smooth ride. The main story takes about seven hours, and there’s plenty of post-game content if you want more pain. Compared to the intense, serious tone of Blasphemous, this feels like The Game Kitchen taking a breath and having fun. They might be known for gothic despair, but they’re surprisingly good at crafting a goofy ninja brawler.

The 2D swordfighter space has gotten crowded. Last year saw releases like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Nine Sols, both with slick combat and strong visual direction. Ragebound doesn’t top them, but it stands up well, especially for players who want something lighter. It's a perfect palate cleanser between heavier games, offering quick hits of action and a reason to return if you’re chasing achievements or aiming for full completion.

This year’s wave of retro-inspired games keeps growing, and Ragebound fits nicely in that lineup. It doesn’t change the genre, but it respects it and throws in enough fun set pieces—like being chased by a demon in a bulldozer—to make the experience memorable.

It might not have a big budget or sweeping narrative, but Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound brings back a piece of classic action in a way that feels fresh enough—and just hard enough—to earn a spot in the modern lineup. It’s not perfect, but it hits where it counts.