It’s been a scorching second since we received a correct Ninja Gaiden recreation. Certain, there have been different spin-offs and ports and remakes (this 12 months’s glorious Ninja Gaiden II Black involves thoughts), however Ninja Gaiden is kinda having a second once more with each Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and the upcoming Ninja Gaiden 4. Taking such a protracted break results in a really fascinating query: what does a Ninja Gaiden recreation appear like within the 12 months of Our Lord 2025? Effectively, if Ragebound’s return to 2D side-scrolling is any indication, the reply is “f***ing superior.” It’s a type of uncommon video games the place every part simply feels proper and once I’m not enjoying it, I wish to be.
Ragebound places you behind the cowl of Kenji Mozu, a younger pupil of legendary sequence protagonist and all-around badass Ryu Hayabusa. When Ryu is known as away to America (to go do Ninja Gaiden) on the NES, Kenji finds himself defending Hayabusa Village in opposition to an onslaught of demons. In the meantime, the naughty Black Spider Clan (who additionally occur to be Hatfield and McCoy-style enemies with the Hayabusa Clan) try to make use of these demons to achieve energy and have enlisted their kunoichi Kumori to seize the Demon Lord in a elaborate dagger to allow them to wield him like a lot fantastic metal. Neither goes nicely, and shortly the 2 of them are compelled to work collectively, hitching Kumori’s soul to Kenji’s physique to allow them to each survive as a result of… y’know, demons, man. And fiends! Instances are unhealthy!
Ragebound isn’t a story-heavy recreation. That is Ninja Gaiden; the plot is inherently goofy. However what’s right here is sufficient to provide you with a motive to slay demons, and Kenji and Kumori’s relationship is fairly enjoyable on prime of that, whether or not that’s Kumori roasting Kenji for being into pirates or Kenji speaking about how dishonorable it’s to be working with a Black Spider Clan ninja. There’s generations of unhealthy blood between the Hayabusa and Black Spider Clans, and placing these two characters collectively is an fascinating approach to play with that. Additionally, Kumori says “good grief” so much. Love her.
Ragebound’s motion is outlined by gorgeous 2D pixel artwork and a rockin’ retro-inspired soundtrack. Kenji and Kumori don’t have a ton of strikes at their disposal, however what they’ve received is greater than sufficient to kill demons and look cool as hell doing it. Kenji has your conventional katana, Kumori has a kunai, and each ninjas share a dodge and a lunging assault, however combining their talents makes issues extra enjoyable. Kumori provides Kenji entry to her kunai and particular weapons like an arcing, throwable sickle or a chakram that boomerangs by means of enemies earlier than flying again to you and cleaving by means of something unfortunate sufficient to nonetheless be in your method. These talents take ki, which replenishes as you hit enemies with common assaults, so you may’t simply throw them out. Selecting your spots is vital.
The true improve right here is Ragebound Arts, that are stupidly highly effective methods that Kumori can use to clear the display screen, restore Kenji’s well being, or create a defend that can hold him secure from enemy assaults. Consider me, these strikes are completely as cool as they sound.You’ll want all of these choices, too. Most enemies in Ragebound satisfyingly die from a single stroke of Kenji’s sword or a kunai to the face (or the chest or the shin or wherever, actually), but it surely usually throws so much of dudes at you directly. Some are quick; some like to cover; some fly; some have spikes that defend them if you get shut; and so forth. And a few… some take a number of hits. And that’s the place Ragebound’s greatest (and most vital) mechanics come into play.
The primary is the Hypercharge. You may get Hypercharge by killing enemies with coloured auras (or by standing nonetheless and charging it for just a few seconds at the price of some well being). When you’ve got a Hypercharge, your subsequent assault will kill enemies immediately. Like I mentioned, most of Ragebound’s baddies die a single hit. However the ones that don’t? You don’t wanna battle them head-on until it’s a must to. Once you’re actually cooking, you may chain these collectively to chop down enemies in speedy succession, or unleash a Hypercharge on a boss to stun them and lay on the harm, and it feels nice.
Rank the Ninja Gaiden video games
Rank the Ninja Gaiden video games
It’s system by itself, however Ragebound makes it extra compelling by including a Simon Says component to Hypercharges, forcing you to match explicit assaults to sure aura colours. For instance, a blue aura means you gotta slice ‘em up with Kenji’s katana, whereas a purple aura means you might want to use Kumori’s kunai. When you get that Hypercharge, you may spend it nevertheless you need; however asking you to match the aura to the correct assault provides a layer of thought and problem to the proceedings that requires you to neatly method encounters if you wish to maximize these Hypercharges. That’s very true for those who’re making an attempt to axe an aura-upped enemy whose solely on-screen for a pair seconds – miss your window, they usually’ll run off, offering alternatives for expert gamers to push their scores even increased when revisiting ranges.
If the Hypercharge has one draw back, it’s that seeing an enemy with an aura tends to telegraph what’s coming: a Beefy Enemy might be on the horizon. Once you run right into a Brick Steakface-looking cat who can take a number of hits however haven’t discovered a smaller enemy with an aura but, one will usually run on display screen all however holding a flashing neon signal that reads “PLEASE KILL ME” shortly after. I don’t assume this can be a large flaw; the encounters are usually partaking even when you understand the reply. Moreover, you continue to have to make use of the Hypercharge on the suitable enemy, and it’s straightforward to make a mistake or simply miss the assault. Belief me, there may be nothing worse than getting a Hypercharge, figuring out you want it for an annoying ghost samurai dude, after which by chance spending it on… a bit hermit crab demon factor, who would die on the spot if Kumori glared at him. Nonetheless, it is a bit bit on-the-nose if you see an enemy with an aura and your first thought is, “alright, who do I gotta kill with this?”
So yeah, Hypercharges are neat, however the true star of the present is the Guillotine Increase, which helps you to bounce on it – and by “it,” I imply absolutely anything. When you’re within the air, you may leap once more if you’re about to make contact with an enemy (or a projectile) to each assault them and bounce off of them for an additional leap. An enemy leaping at you? Bounce on it. A bizarre pumpkin-headed dude throwing axes at you? Bounce on ‘em. A boss charging throughout the display screen at you? Bounce on his head. Fireballs in every single place? Bounce on them, my baby. You possibly can see how this can be a boon for fight, but it surely’s additionally nice for attending to new locations, too. Typically, you’ll must bounce on a projectile to keep away from some spikes, and different instances you’ll get to the following degree by bouncing up a staircase of enemies positioned there solely for that function. The Guillotine Increase guidelines, and the distinction between a boss battle the place you’re getting completely rolled and one the place the boss merely can’t contact you is mastering it.
Talking of bosses, this wouldn’t be Ninja Gaiden with out ‘em, and those in Ragebound really feel proper at residence within the sequence’ storied canon of Better Fiends and In any other case Nasty Nemeses. They’re all killer fights, and exhausting sufficient to check your information of Ragebound’s methods, your potential to react on the fly, and your decision-making in simply the suitable method. I don’t assume there are actually any unhealthy fights in Ragebound. Whether or not you’re preventing the Rhyvashi, the lightning-wielding bug demon, or the absurdly highly effective Deikrag, these fights are enjoyable. A couple of of them do repeat themselves (although they modify a bit every time), however once they’re this good, I don’t even thoughts. Moreover, Ninja Gaiden has all the time been concerning the runback. I may battle Volf, Invincible Ruler of Storms in Ninja Gaiden II Black perpetually, and I really feel the identical method about lots of Ragebound’s bosses. And if you take down that dude who’s been smoking you? Man, that top is unbelievable.
However Ragebound isn’t all about fight. The platforming feels simply pretty much as good, and the degrees are completely different sufficient that exploring them and discovering their secrets and techniques, whether or not that’s collectibles like Golden Scarabs or Crystal Skulls, is a pleasure. A few of my favourite elements of Ragebound contain the Demon Alters; Kumori can commune with them to entry the otherworld, separating her soul from Kenji’s physique and permitting her to go locations he can’t, nonetheless capable of throw kunai as you open new paths or snag collectibles. The draw back? She must always replenish a meter to remain within the otherworld. In any other case, it’s again to Kenji, and it’s a must to begin once more. Which means you’ll generally must repeat a piece just a few instances, but it surely nonetheless breaks up the motion properly and offers you an fascinating new problem to beat
Moreover, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound desires you to play every degree over and over anyway. When you’ve overwhelmed one, you may instantly entry it once more from the map, and also you’re scored in your time, what number of collectibles you discovered, the variety of enemies minimize down by your blade, and your greatest combo every time. And if that’s not sufficient, there are non-obligatory challenges that vary from finishing a stage with out being hit to level-specific duties like killing a sure variety of enemies with a lunge assault or beating Ryu Hayabusa himself within the tutorial. I nonetheless haven’t managed to do this one. He has Izuna Dropped my ass so much. But it surely’s a rattling cool approach to lose. There are plenty of little touches in Ragebound that decision again to the sequence’ historical past, together with one which references the legendary staircase in Ninja Gaiden II, and I admire that a lot of it doesn’t draw consideration to itself. If you understand, you understand. If not, it’s only a cool second that may stand by itself.
If you end up getting cooked by individuals who can’t carry out an Izuna Drop, there are some methods to buff your ninja recreation. You possibly can spend the Golden Scarabs you discover at Muramasa’s store to unlock and equip numerous talismans, like one which restores your well being for those who can hold a combo chain going or one other that grants an computerized Hypercharge for those who bounce on a number of completely different enemies in a row. These are significant boosts, however you may select talismans that make issues more difficult, too, doing issues like forcing you to restart the extent for those who die in alternate for a better closing rating. It’s a cool technique for including issue, and I admire that it’s there if you would like it. In case you’re a pure rating chaser, these’ll grow to be a should later in your journey.
There are additionally non-obligatory ranges for a further problem, in addition to a tough mode, which you unlock when you clear the roughly five-hour predominant path (once I rolled credit, my playtime was 9 hours, however I had additionally replayed a number of ranges and some of the bonus ranges). Ending each missions and scoring nicely on sure ranges rewards you with extra equipable bonuses you may’t in any other case buy with Golden Scarabs, so additionally there’s a profit to chasing a better rating past simply with the ability to say you probably did it. I imply, being a Grasp Ninja is nice and all, however being a Grasp Ninja and getting a cool trinket? That’s rad.
