Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Review - A Razor-Sharp Retro Platformer

As I sat in a crowded room full of video game kiosks during Summer Game Fest 2025, I had the chance to talk to a The Game Kitchen developer for Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. I was watching my colleague, Andrew Otton, play as I gushed about the game with the developer. About a week prior, I had already played the demo in full and thoroughly enjoyed all of its offerings.

The developer's enthusiasm for Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound was palpable. He talked about collaborating with Koei Tecmo, and about staying true to Ninja Gaiden's roots, and how awesome it was to create this canonical entry in a coveted franchise.

Now that I've had a chance to go through Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound in full, it's evident that passion for the franchise was put to good use. Incredible, high-quality pixel art is combined with fast-paced, challenging gameplay to create one of 2025's best platformers. 

Step Aside, Ryu. A New Ninja's in Town!

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound comes from the talented developers from The Game Kitchen. They're known for their work on the Blasphemous series, with its impressively detailed pixel art and addictive 2D Metroidvania/platforming gameplay. It's clear The Game Kitchen's experience in the field of 2D platformers was put to good use. 

But make no mistake, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is not a Metroidvania; rather, it's a traditional, hard-as-nails 2D platformer. Players take the role of Kenji Mozu, a ninja of the Hayabusa clan. When the Hayabusa village is attacked by ferocious demons, Ryu takes a step back in the narrative, having his own escapades in the USA. It's all in Kenji's hands to clean up this mess.

Through a series of events taking place early on in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, Kenji becomes fused with a Black Spider Clan kunoichi named Kumori. While Kenji is more adept with his katana, Kumori relies on shuriken. 

The first few levels are a fine introduction to these two characters; you get to play them without being fused, so you come to learn the tools of their trade. A bit later on, when the two merge, it's easy to appreciate the increase in power by being able to utilize both sword and shuriken. 

Katanas, Shurikens, and Demons

At its core, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a relatively straightforward platformer, but it's a game thick with action. I tried to go through levels at a fast pace, as the fantastic soundtrack encouraged me to hack and slash my way through enemies with incredible speed. 

You quickly get a sense that it's a game meant to be taken at a faster pace than other 2D platformers. There's a certain flow you get into in these levels, and that's aided by two handy abilities at your disposal: the Guillotine boost and the Hypercharge. 

The Guillotine boost allows you to bounce on enemies and objects. In doing so, Kenji's able to stay in the air for longer periods of time. Bouncing from obstacle to obstacle is satisfying to pull off, especially when you're using the boost to navigate past long gaps and dodge pesky projectiles.

Hypercharge, meanwhile, is a boost that increases the damage of a single strike from Kenji's katana or Kumori's shuriken. Some enemies can't be killed in a single hit, so Hypercharge will be your friend for those brawny lookin' enemies.

You can manually give yourself a Hypercharge at the expense of some of your health, but many enemies, with a colored aura, are conveniently placed so that they grant you a Hypercharge when you slay them. A blue aura is for Kenji, while a pink one is for Kumori, so you have to slay them with the right weapon to get a charge.

I was able to get a quick grasp on these mechanics, and in doing so, that certain "flow" I mentioned becomes cathartic to experience. As a gameplay example, you can guillotine bounce from obstacle to obstacle, then slice an enemy with a blue aura for a Hypercharge. Use that Hypercharge buff to throw a shuriken at a bulky enemy with a pink aura, and you can essentially become an unstoppable force. 

Putting Your Ninja Skills to the Test

That's not to say Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is without any sort of challenge. Levels are riddled with obstacles that constantly test your finesse as a ninja. You're able to climb on walls, for instance, and that introduces its own platforming challenges as it limits your abilities to a certain degree. 

Boss fights are also exciting. When it comes to 2D platformers such as this, I'm hard to please when it comes to bosses. Ninja Gaiden introduces quite a few bosses, and, with the exception of a few repeats, each one feels distinct and poses its own distinct challenge. The final boss, in particular, really put my skills to the test, but it was very satisfying to finally win.

Upon beating Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, there's also a hard mode. I'd almost argue this is the "true" way Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is meant to be played, paying homage to the tough-as-nails lineage of the series. Checkpoints, which heal the player, are more sparse and danger is much more abundant. 

You can expect more enemies, obstacles, and difficult platforming challenges in hard mode. Bosses, by the way, are exponentially tougher and will try your patience. Making use of your abilities, and taking the proper equipment into each level will be necessary for this mode.

My only complaint is that this mode is front-loaded with some truly brutal, almost insurmountable fights, so it doesn't really ease you into this new difficulty. In fact, bosses in the latter half of hard mode felt easier than the first two or three.  

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound: A Pixelated Feast for the Eyes

The pixel art in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is jaw-droppingly good. The Game Kitchen absolutely flex their muscles to an absurd degree when it comes to this title, and each level holds so many surprises not just from a gameplay perspective, but from an artistic one. 

From the burning, demon-infested Hayabusa village, to corporate high-rises (and even a secret pirate cove?), there are a lot of different locales to explore. Backgrounds in levels are robust in detail, truly capturing the feel and essence of the Ninja Gaiden series with elements of traditional Japan and semi-futuristic tech and cities. 

Levels are dynamic in that enemies can be seen jumping both from the foreground and background onto the stage. In one instance, at a construction site, a canopy is torn open as enemies jump in your way. In another level, a rushing waterfall shows the shadow of enemies lurking in wait, and upon getting closer, they reveal themselves and attack you.

My favorite instance of The Game Kitchen's technical prowess in all things pixel art is in a Black Spider Clan high-rise. These demons come charging through the glass windows of the building, shattering glass everywhere, creating a chaotic and action-packed sequence. All of this is in 2D, mind you, but it captures the essence of the adrenaline-pumping sequences from 3D Ninja Gaiden titles.

All of this is accompanied by a soundtrack that's sure to amp you up. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound uses traditional instruments like the shamisen and combines them with nostalgic, 90s-inspired rock-and-roll. Believe me when I say the ending credits song is not to be missed. 

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Review | Final Thoughts

As a canon entry into the Ninja Gaiden series, you can expect a narrative. Though, I say "narrative" loosely, as this is very much an action game first. There are some attempts to develop Kumori and Kenji as characters, and I find them likable... but writing never quite lives up to its potential. Dialogue is very short and to the point. A bit more dialogue to flesh out their personalities would have done wonders. 

Small gripes aside, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a triumphant entry into the franchise. It's the Year of the Ninja, so we're all expecting big things from Koei Tecmo. So far, they're batting at 1000 with Ninja Gaiden 2 Black and now with the outstanding Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound was reviewed on PC with a copy provided by the developer over the course of 10 hours of gameplay - all screenshots were taken during the process of review.