NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound Lands Arrives Next Month

Alright, so here’s the thing. Dotemu and The Game Kitchen are throwing a curveball with this announcement — NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound is set to drop next month on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Intriguing, huh?

First off, there’s this video teaser. But, wait, they actually ask for your birth date to view it. Like, seriously? Feels a bit like trying to get into a club with a fake ID (not that I’d know).

Anyway, this game — oh boy — it’s got a twist. Imagine blending the OG NINJA GAIDEN vibe with the more modern stuff. Kind of like mixing your grandma’s cookie recipe with new-age craft beer. It’s being cooked up by the folks behind Blasphemous, so expect some intensity there.

So the plot kicks off with our guy Ryu Hayabusa jetting off to America. Didn’t see that coming. While he’s there, the barriers or walls between humans and demons go poof! Out come the creepy crawlies right in Hayabusa Village. Talk about bad timing, huh?

Enter Kenji Mozu, a young underdog ninja dude. Trained by Ryu (of course), he’s there to fend off these unscheduled demon shenanigans. At some point, he realizes he’s in deep, so he does the unthinkable — teams up with the shifty Black Spider Clan. You know it’s serious when you gotta team up with the frenemy. They’re on about some Ninja Fusion or something like that. Sounds like a wild power trip, if you ask me.

Anyway, (or where was I?) the gameplay. They’re keeping it old school but with a little spit shine. It’s all about this pick-up-and-play goodness. There’s also Kumori, a slick assassin who joins forces with Kenji. It’s like having two lead roles in a movie and you get to play both. Mind-blowing, yeah?

Now about these visuals — think of it like if pixels had a glow-up. Every baddie looks all fancy and whatnot. Kind of gives you this nostalgic rush, while still hitting you with some top-tier modern pixel art.

So, do you have what it takes to tackle this ninja whirlwind? Maybe you do, maybe you don’t — guess it’s time to find out. And that’s a wrap.