I’m admittedly more experienced with the 3D iterations of Ninja Gaiden than the 2D ones, so my interest was piqued when I was offered the opportunity to preview Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound – a return to the series’ 2D origins by Blasphemous developer The Game Kitchen. I’m glad I did, as the game is both incredibly fun and refreshing.
Platforming in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is incredibly tight and responsive. Instead of Ryu Hayabusa, you play as Kenji Mozu and, eventually, Kumori – a Black Spider ninja clanswoman who seems to have fused with Kenji. Each of the two has its own distinct skills that can be used to beat enemies and open new areas, which mixes up the side-scrolling hack-and-slash gameplay in a pleasant way.
Credit: DotEmu
There’s a good deal of challenge to Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, though I was never frustrated. I died a couple of times while taking part in some tricky platforming, but it always felt fair and came down to my own reactions. Once you get into the flow of the game, you’re jumping and slashing like a well-oiled machine, and it feels great. Slashing demons in two and deflecting enemy ninja projectiles has you feeling like a true master as you time your hits and jumps effectively.
In some sections, I’d have to essentially park Kenji in a creepy demonic pod while Kumori progressed using her kunai and platforming feats. You have a limited time to play as Kumori, so you have to smash certain orbs along the way while nailing the timing on jumps and kunai throws to unlock a door for Kenji to be able to advance. I appreciated how different it felt to play as Kumori, and I’m curious about her dynamic with Kenji in the narrative.
Credit: DotEmu
A key mechanic of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound seems to be this powerful super attack mechanic. By defeating enemies outlined in blue with a melee attack or foes surrounded in a reddish purple glow with kunai, you get a temporary power boost that lets you perform a super slash. This can clear obstacles in your path or cleave even the strongest enemies in two, which makes you feel immensely powerful. Having to kill outlined enemies with the proper weapons on the fly also adds some welcome pressure to the fast-paced gameplay, rewarding you for proper play in a satisfying manner.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound sports amazing pixel art.
One of the things that impressed me the most about the demo I played was the gorgeous pixel art. I should have expected this from the folks who made Blasphemous, but it’s remarkably cool to see the world of Ninja Gaiden made with such detailed pixel art. The demos are diverse and creepy looking, the human characters are expressive despite their small size, and the backgrounds and environmental effects are top-notch.
Credit: DotEmu
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound has me quite excited for the full game’s release later this year, as the demo I played was exciting and incredibly polished. I’m looking forward to continuing Kenji and Kumori’s journey and seeing what other challenges lie ahead of me. In the meantime, I might have to finally check out Blasphemous, as this demo has certainly sold me on The Game Kitchen.
