Review of NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound [PlayStation 5]

Sure thing. Here’s my take on it:

—

Okay, so NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound—man, where to start? This pixely side-scrolling frenzy by The Game Kitchen and DotEmu is like—how do I put it?—a wild nostalgia trip, but with new chaos thrown in. So, picture this: Ryu Hayabusa nips over to America (for reasons, right?), and boom, all hell breaks loose back at Hayabusa Village. Literally. Worlds colliding and all that. Like, dude, not cool for the villagers.

Anyway—wait, no—so we got Kenji Mozu, this young ninja whiz. He’s gotta step up, right? Again, chaos. Demons everywhere. And how’s this for a twist? He teams up with the Black Spider Clan. Yeah, them. Enter Kumori, who’s got mad assassin skills. Funny how the game events kinda parallel the original NINJA GAIDEN. Nice touch.

Two years back, I was knee-deep in Blasphemous 2 on PS5, loved it like crazy. So, diving into Ragebound was a no-brainer for me. A fan from back in the arcade days—remember those?—and NES times. Good ol’ Tecmo.

Anyway, gameplay’s got you juggling between the left stick and D-Pad—jump, slash, repeat. Slicing through enemies’ projectiles? Oddly satisfying. And the wall climbing? Made me feel like a ninja spider. Ceilings too, by the way. Sharp spikes and fire everywhere, cause why not make life hard, right?

Mid-air moves are rad. That guillotine boost reminds me of… I don’t know, maybe hitting a piñata mid-flight? You aim to get height off enemies or whatever’s in your way. Kumori’s Kunai? Throw those puppies with the Square or Circle buttons. R1 to dodge? Yes, please. Dodging’s like some kind of frantic dance move.

Cut through enemies with exposed auras and bam, you’re supercharged! Like a sudden caffeine high. Hold Square, get that glow. Boss fights get spicy when you hypercharge their faces. They wobble around like stunned fish.

Levels got their own thing going—specific challenges, collectibles, the usual 100% completion jazz. But hey, it’s about the journey, not just the trophies, right? Though, speaking of, there’s a heap to snag—Bronze, Silver, Gold—hunt away!

Then there’s Muramasa, where you splurge your Golden Scarabs for Talismans. Boosts galore, like recovering health by smooshing enemies with a combo. Gotta love those! Traveler’s Blessing to refuel at checkpoints—lifesaver or what?

Of course, trophies galore. There’s a Platinum one if you’re a trophy nut. Complete acts, find hidden levels, tackle bosses—you get the deal. Oddly addictive, really. And those secret arts items? Kind of like finding treasures in your grandma’s attic.

Oh, almost forgot! Accessibility options for everyone. Tweak stuff like game speed, damage, whatever makes you comfy. And, it’s Cross-Buy, so one payment gets you the PS4 and PS5 versions. Sweet deal, huh?

So, yeah, might be messy in my words, but it’s a total blast. Bet Google’s got no idea what’s coming.

Disclaimer: Played on PS5, thanks to DotEmu.