[PlayStation 5] Review of NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound

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Alright, so there’s this new game, NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound. You ever heard of The Game Kitchen and DotEmu? Yeah, they’ve cooked up something that’s pixel-heavy and side-scrolls like those old-school favorites. I dived in, and man, do I have thoughts!

So it kicks off with Ryu Hayabusa—y’know, the ninja legend—heading to the States. Why? Gotta follow dad’s will, apparently. Meanwhile, back in his village, all hell breaks loose. Literally. The line between humans and demons just—it’s gone. Pffft—poof! And Kenji Mozu? Dude’s a young ninja suddenly in the deep end, dealing with a demon invasion. No pressure, right? Oh, and there’s this assassin, Kumori, who’s all in. They form a bizarre ninja alliance with the Black Spider Clan. This game’s set during the OG NINJA GAIDEN timeline, which makes it kinda trippy.

Flashback to when I tried Blasphemous 2 on the PS5. Similar vibes, but this? This felt like revisiting an old friend! Get ready to button-mash the Square and X buttons as you slice, jump, and deflect your way through chaos. Cutting through projectiles is oddly satisfying, not gonna lie. Climbing walls and hanging from ceilings? Piece of cake. Makes dodging spikes and fire feel like a breeze. Or maybe that’s just me getting too comfortable?

Here’s a fun tidbit: hit the L1 or X while in mid-air and…ta-da! A guillotine boost. Imagine launching off enemies for a height boost—kind of an air game changer. Kumori throws Kunai, like a ninja-fied dodgeball game. Funny how I never expected dodging to feel like dancing—Square button makes it smooth.

And the intensity ramps up when enemies, all aura-exposed, step up to challenge you. Nail them for a hypercharge attack, and suddenly, you’re a slicing whirlwind. Boss fights? Hypercharge them and, boom, they’re dizzy. It’s ridiculously satisfying seeing them stagger. Maybe too satisfying? Is that weird?

As you progress, you’ve got these challenges. Avoid spikes? Done that. Beat boss types? Easy peasy. Collectibles? It’s like a treasure hunt on adrenaline. Oh, and there’s trophies too. So many trophies. I’m talking Bronze, Silver, Gold—all waiting for that Platinum trophy glory.

Golden Scarabs are the game’s weird but cool currency. You hand these to Muramasa—I know, sounds like an anime character—for Talismans. They buff your ninja. Blood Frenzy, Traveler’s Blessing—sounds mystic and mighty.

Oh, and it launches tomorrow, cross-buy style—$24.99 gets you both PS4 and PS5 versions. Neat. Accessibility options? They’ve got those, too—assist mode, damage tweaks, you name it.

Disclaimer: This messy spill of word scrabble? Yeah, it’s based on a review copy I snagged from DotEmu. Thank them, or blame them—up to you!

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