Ninja Gaiden followers, I’m joyful to say we’re again!

Rattling, it’s time to be a Ninja Gaiden fan proper now. We’ve bought the remake of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, which was stable, and Ninja Gaiden 4 on the best way. However who would have identified that Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound would function a wonderful placeholder till Ninja Gaiden 4 drops?

As soon as I picked up my Steam Deck and pressed begin, it didn’t take lengthy for me to understand The Sport Kitchen was within the studio C O O Okay I N G when creating Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, taking the long-lasting online game franchise again to its 2D roots and fairly presumably delivering considered one of, if not the perfect video games of the 12 months.

Kenji Is Properly-Outfitted To Deal with The Mission Whereas Ryu Hyubusa Is Away

Supply: The Sport Kitchen / DOTEMU / Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

In Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, you are taking management of Kinji Monzu, who is straight away tasked with defending Hyabusa Clan Village from a bunch of demons as a result of Ryu Hayabusa is in the US dealing with ninja-related affairs in 1989’s NES sport, Ninja Gaiden.

The sport’s intro stage will get you shortly acclimated to Kinji’s moveset, which at first consists of easy sword assaults paired with the Guillotine Enhance, which, if completely timed, will mean you can bounce off enemies and the projectiles they throw, whereas additionally doling out harm.

The Guillotine Enhance will even play a big half in platforming sections of the sport, permitting Kinji to clear giant areas and harmful obstacles.

You’ll shortly be taught that Kenji’s hypercharged assault will even be a necessary software through the roughly 12-hour gaming expertise. The hypercharged assault grants Kenji an instant-kill capability that will even profit Kumori, the sport’s second protagonist, who fuses with Kenji’s soul, forming an unlikely alliance between the Hyabusa and Black Spider Ninja Clans to thwart a demonic takeover of the world.

Supply: The Sport Kitchen / DOTEMU / Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

The instakill, whereas it does deal with any foe that runs throughout the display, is greatest used for tougher adversaries who require a couple of slash to take them out. Kinji and Kumori can activate the hypercharged assault by urgent and holding the assault button, which consumes some power, or by taking out specifically coloured foes.

Tealed colour foes ship a hypercharged melee assault. In distinction, pink coloured foes enable Kenji and Kumori to cost up projectiles, permitting them to supply one-hit blows to armored foes whereas protecting your rhythm going.

Platforming Perfection

Supply: The Sport Kitchen / DOTEMU / Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

Simply because it does within the motion division, Ragebound delivers within the platforming side, giving gamers beautiful ranges to navigate by means of, and replay as you attempt to conquer them with an S-Rating.

Foes come at you at a superbly paced move as you attempt to navigate over obstacles, and on the similar time discover every stage’s collectibles and conquer the challenges for every stage.

They’re additionally not as simple as you may assume, because of the inclusion of Demon Alters that may solely be accessed by Kumori, which transport you to the demon world, the place she has a restricted period of time to seize a collectible and take away an impediment blocking Kinji’s development.

Supply: The Sport Kitchen / DOTEMU / Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

It’s a superb method of creating Kumori extra helpful than simply limiting her to a function that enables Kinji to chuck daggers at enemies. It additionally helps push the sport’s story, which admittedly isn’t mindblowing, however nonetheless may be very serviceable as much as the purpose you continue to care to achieve the conclusion and be taught each of those characters’ fates.

Last Verdict

Supply: The Sport Kitchen / DOTEMU / Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

In an age of video games that look extra practical and ship mindblowing graphical and technical experiences, The Sport Kitchen reminded us that with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, we nonetheless lengthy for traditional 2D gaming moments.

When you dig into Ragebound, you will see your self hooked in and transported again to a time once you picked up a controller that solely had a D-Pad and two buttons, and it will get your palms sweaty as you attempt to conquer this sport.

The Sport Kitchen delivers a beautiful sport that may be frustratingly tough, notably throughout a number of the boss battles, corresponding to the ultimate one in my playthrough. Nonetheless, this sport has the best replay worth of any online game I’ve picked up through the 12 months due to the sensible stage design, intelligent placement of collectibles, enjoyable challenges, secret ranges, and the pursuit to earn an S-ranking, which I intend to get on each stage once I get some free time to take action.

Supply: The Sport Kitchen / DOTEMU / Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

In 12 months that options video games like Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, Demise Stranding 2: On The Seashore, Donkey Kong: Bananza and extra, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a shock second, and simply is among the greatest video games of the 12 months, that solely prices a fractions of what these titles above value and additional pushes the narrative you don’t need to ship a AAA-gaming expertise that value tens of millions to develop to blow players away.

I extremely advocate you add this sport to your assortment. For $24.99, it’s an absolute steal.

*Steam key supplied by DOTEMU*