2025 has been called “The Year of the Ninja” by Team Ninja as this is the year that Koei Tecmo is bringing back their beloved ninja IP Ninja Gaiden in three ways. We got the definitive remaster with Ninja Gaiden 2 Black earlier this year and the next mainline game Ninja Gaiden 4 is set to release later this year. However, now we get the first brand new game in the franchise in over a decade, and the first 2D entry in the series since the early 1990s, with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound.  What a delight Dotemu and The Game Kitchen have managed here as, boy oh boy, is this game a blast from the past to play in the best ways possible.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound tells a story that runs in parallel to the original Ninja Gaiden. You control Kenji Mozu an apprentice of the legendary Ryu Hayabusa. As Ryu is whisked off to the United States for his own adventure, Kenji is left in charge of protecting Hayabusa Village, and it doesn’t take long for things to go awry as demons start attacking. This leaves Kenji not only protecting the village, but the entire country as well. Kenji is not alone in his quest though, he is accompanied by the Black Spider Clan ninja Kumori in the most literal sense as both characters end up on the verge of death and must fuse their souls together to survive and take on the onslaught of demons invading the world.

After that moment in the story is when Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound really starts to shine. When controlling the characters individually, they are both limited in what they can do combat wise as Kenji is more focused on close range combat and Kumori has more of a ranged based combat. However, once the two combine, you have access to both their movesets simultaneously which makes combat far more enjoyable as you take on the hordes of demons that the game throws your way. As you take out enemies, your rage meter fills which allows you to unleash a powerful Ragebound attack which can deal massive damage to enemies. You are also given access to a shop where you can trade gold scarabs that you find throughout the levels to acquire talismans, which provide passive effects such as checkpoints fully healing you, and secret arts which change your moves given by Kumori as well as your Ragebound ability.

I would describe the overall combat experience of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound as challenging, but fair. You won’t have much issue taking out most enemies you come across as they are usually dispatched in a couple of hits. However, it is still easy to be overwhelmed when multiple enemies appear, and tougher enemies will require a plethora of hits to be dealt with. Enemies can be taken out quicker thanks to the short Hypercharged mode which is achieved when you take out a glowing blue or pink enemy with the corresponding attack (Blue of Kenji and Pink for Kumori) which will then allow you to kill the next enemy in one shot. Though, the mode does run out quickly or if you’re hit before you can use it.

Where Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound shines the brightest is in its level design. There are four chapters in the game with each chapter having multiple levels as well as a plethora of secret levels to unlock. Each level kicks off with the game’s top tier soundtrack, and some levels fly by quickly, but others can take up to twenty or thirty minutes to complete. The level design will pull you through a variety of locations that you don’t even notice the time they take. You may start at a contraction site or a forlorn castle, but then you’ll just wind up going further so seamlessly and not even realize you’ve gone far into the depths of a cave system. Then, the levels have a few secrets to discover such as the aforementioned golden scarabs as well as crystal skulls hidden throughout.There are also challenges to complete during the level such as killing enemies with Hypercharged attacks or not falling into pits.

Kenji can’t tackle the every level alone as there are a multitude of times where you discover a demon node where you summon Kumori to take on a more puzzle challenge within the level which usually helps find a collectible or unlock a way to progress through the level. Once you complete the level, you are grade on a scale to obtain a rank. You need to be prefect to achieve that coveted S rank, though there are talismans that can increase your rank with some downside such as removing health orbs in the level. For those that want the highest ranks, you can immediately retry the level as soon as you’ve completed it.

Overall, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound brings one of Koei Tecmo’s most beloved franchises back into the limelight while taking it back to its roots as the first 2D entry in over thirty years. With fantastic level design, combat that pulls you through the hordes of demons you will encounter, and a killer soundtrack to boot, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is an absolute delight for anyone to jump into as a new fan or someone who has been playing the series since the Arcade and NES days.

Score: 8 out of 10

Reviewed on PC