Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Review

 

Platform Played: Steam Deck
Developer: The Game Kitchen
Publisher: Dotemu
Genre: 2D Action Platformer
Completion Status (How Long to Beat): Yes (9 hours)

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a masterclass of 2D platforming design. Unlike many modern takes on retro style games, Ragebound forgoes the Metroidvania genre and instead is a linear game featuring a world map with a level select. The game handles masterfully and the boss designs are top tier. The levels themselves are marginally difficult, but the boss fights are where the challenge really ramps up. The boss fights are some of the most enjoyable 2D boss fights I can recall; they demand your focus and concentration. A critical feature of a good boss fight is when the tells are readable, and the difficulty rests on the shoulders of the player to respond accordingly using the skills they’ve developed throughout the game; Ragebounds bosses check all of the boxes. The Game Kitchen (developer) found the sweet spot between retro and modern game design.

Pros:

• At a time when nearly every retro style game is a Metroidvania, it’s wonderful to have a linear style game.
• The characters handle very well making the platforming very enjoyable.
• Boss battles are expertly crafted. The tells of the bosses are readable and failures fall on that of the player. The bosses are difficult, but never feel impossible.
• Beautiful 2D art and great music.
• Kumori platforming sections add a nice change of pace from the traditional gameplay. The optional Kumori sections have a fun level of difficulty demanding focus and practice.
• Modern approach to retro design with generous checkpointing.

Cons:

• Each level features three challenges, however the challenges reset at the completion of each level. It would have been a nice addition to have challenges permanently marked as completed and for an achievement to be tied to the completion of all challenges.
• As someone who loves difficult games, I found the Hard Mode to feel borderline impossible.

Engagement Factors:

Two of the biggest signs that I’m really enjoying a game are how hard it is to stop playing and how much I’m itching to jump back in when I’m not playing.

• Difficulty to Stop Playing: 8/10
• Desire to Return: 9/10

Note: These scores reflect my personal engagement with the game and are separate from the overall score, which considers all aspects of the game.

Overall Score: 9/10