The classic series returns to its 2D action-platformer roots.
What Is It? Ragebound is a return to the pixel art, 2D action-platformer roots of the Ninja Gaiden series. The series has a long, winding history, with various offshoots and a whole 3D trilogy (soon to get a fourth entry). It’s a complicated road to travel, so I won’t bother here. The important thing to know is that the original Ninja Gaiden trilogy on the NES are considered classics, both for their gameplay and their difficulty. Ragebound is an earnest attempt to carry on that legacy over 30 years later.
The game begins with some backstory about how Ryu, the original Ninja Gaiden protagonist, has to leave the country so you, Kenji, have to defend your town. It’s all fine and does the job. Eventually, you will find yourself fused with Kumori, a ninja from a rival clan, and play the bulk of the game this way.
Your core moveset consists of a jump, dodge/roll, melee attack, ranged attack and customizable third attack and special move. The third attack can be a grenade, a spinning wheel of blades, a boomerang, a shield, etc… The special attack is charged by receiving damage and can be a massive offensive move or a healing bubble, for example. The only other real mechanic for most of the game is attacking while on top of an enemy (or any other blinking item), this will propel you into a double jump and is a big component in the platforming side of the game.
Most levels follow the same structure of fast-paced combat against cronies until you reach a boss fight to end the level. Standard combat is very satisfying and a few extra wrinkles to make you think and plan a bit work really well. As an example, the game is full of heavy enemies which are pretty tough to take on with normal attacks. However, they can be taken out in a single hit if you are hypercharged. A hypercharged state is achieved by defeating a weaker enemy with a glowing aura. Doing so grants you immediate hypercharged state, but it only lasts for your next attack, so choose wisely. The game plays on this mechanic quite well as the game progresses and introduces very tiny puzzle-like elements to the combat.
There are a few vehicle levels which are another old school throwback. These are nothing special, but are fun enough and don’t last long enough to be annoying.
The boss fights are tough, with most of them taking me a handful of tries, at least, before defeating. They are pretty standard for the genre, you will need to memorize the patterns, know when you attack, when to dodge, etc… They are effective and fun.
Throughout all of this, Ragebound leans more heavily into the combat aspect than platforming. There are some exceptions, particularly in the Kumori-specific parts, but you will spend most of your time hacking up enemies and platforming in the background rather than vice versa.
The game is pulled together with pixel art styling. The bright colors pop from the screen at all times, with blood splattering frequently as heads roll at the hands of Kenji’s sword. There is nice variety in the locations to keep the visuals fresh throughout, and the massive bosses show up well.
The Best Part: The accessibility through choose-your-own-difficulty. The base game’s normal mode is not easy. For the majority of the game I didn’t die very often during levels, but I often took 5-10+ tries to defeat each boss. Later levels saw me dying a bit more, in addition to tough bosses. All of that is to say; this game is not easy under any circumstance. The point here, however, is that it is well short of Nintendo Hard unless you want to take on that additional challenge. Once you see the credits, you can play in Hard Mode which alters the game a bit, not simply buffing up every enemy. Additionally, each level gets graded so you can chase S ranks which involve a mix of speedrun, collecting, and hitting level-specific goals. There are also secret levels to unlock which can be very challenging as well. You can have a fantastic time playing a moderately tough game and be done, or you can dive deeply into the challenge in numerous ways.
The Worst Part: It’s probably my Metroidvania preference showing, but I can’t help but wish there was one more movement-based move in the game. The “attack to double jump” mechanic is a great one, and every game needs a good i-frame roll/dodge, so this isn’t a knock on what the game does offer. Rather, it’s a wish that there was a dash, double jump, or something else. The Kumori sections feature eyeball structures which you must hit to teleport yourself to the next spot in the platforming chain. These are wonderful additions that make me wish the main sections had something similar.
The Verdict: I don’t have any nostalgic ties to Ninja Gaiden. I played the original NES game a few times, but mostly only remember the wall climbing and being able to jump on those weird signs. I don’t even have a strong tie to pixel-era action platformers. All of that is to say; Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is not a game I was predetermined to love before I ever loaded it up. Which makes me delighted to report that I absolutely love this game. It has earned a place in the top few of my favorite 2025 games.
The smooth, tight gameplay provides a wonderful starting point that is rounded out by great level design, fun, tough bosses, and a game that constantly encourages you to keep propelling forward. The developers also made the two Blasphomous games. Those have been on my radar for a while, and playing Ragebound will likely move them up my list, but I wanted to be sure to call that out as fans of those games will likely want to give Ragebound a closer look. There are no dull moments in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. Sometimes, a retro inspired 2D action platformer hits just right, and that was the case here.
How to Play: PlayStation 4/5*, Switch, Xbox Series, PC
*console played on for this review
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