Review of NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound on PlayStation 5

Oh wow, NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound, huh? I remember when my brain first got fried by the original on NES. But hey, here we are with this new pixel-thrashing frenzy. They say it’s from The Game Kitchen and DotEmu, those guys sure know how to whip up some chaos. Imagine Ryu Hayabusa — now he takes a trip to America, totally nonchalant, to honor dad’s wishes or something. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, or well, Hayabusa Village, all hell breaks loose. Some demon-human world barrier just goes ‘poof!’ Kind of a tough day for the village, right?

Now, left in the lurch is this young ninja Kenji Mozu. Ever heard the saying, “desperate times yada yada…”? Yeah, Mozu cozies up with the Black Spider Clan. Strange bedfellows and all that. Anyway, skilled assassin Kumori jumps in—sidekick or savior? You decide. What’s wild here: this chaos unfolds in sync with the original NINJA GAIDEN timeline. Spooky parallel worlds, anyone?

Funny tangent here, but a couple years back I got my hands dirty with Blasphemous 2 on the PS5. Who knew pixel adventures could get so, er, blasphemous? Anyway, those guys crafted that one too, so my gamer bones couldn’t resist the charm of Ragebound.

Let me dive sideways into the gameplay—like the ninja I wish I was. You’re controlling Kenji (or Kumori, maybe?) with the usual joystick antics. Jump, slash, duck, keep moving. Enemies chucking projectiles? Just slice them right out of the air. Gravity slipping your feet? Hug a wall or, oh I dunno, cling to a ceiling like some spider ninja. Classic spikes and fire hazards scream nostalgia, don’t they?

Hold on, here’s a cool bit: Mid-air tricks! Not just for show, they let you leap higher if you time smacking an enemy just right. And Kumori? Tosses Kunai like a champ. Safer distance, less blood on the shoes. Got a nimble finger? The L1 button could be your dodge life-saver when baddies come swarming.

Defeat evildoers with a flashy aura? Boom, you get an upgraded attack. Hypercharge your blade—sounds fancy, and it is. Just… be ready to swap health for power. Like riding a rollercoaster with no brakes during boss fights. Oh, oh, almost forgot. Those floating Golden Scarabs? They buy stuff from Muramasa. Fancy talismans to boost your warrior ways. Blood Frenzy? Traveler’s Blessing? You bet those are upgrades.

And trophies! Who doesn’t love a little shiny trophy sparkle? Bronze, silver, gold—they’re all there, taunting perfectionists. Whole list of them, tied to all sorts of antics and hidden treasures (hello, hidden level). Just try not to let it drive you bonkers.

One sec, where did I wander off to? Ah yes, so there’s also the accessibility tweaks. Slow the game speed, reduce damage, stop knockback—fiddle till you find your groove. And you get to snag both PS4 and PS5 versions. A two-for-one pixel deal! Launch joy awaits.

Did I mention, high-five to them for making it Cross-Buy? Feels like the cherry on this demon-slaying sundae. Just make sure to hang tight for launch day. It’s bringing its crazy bedlam straight to your console for a not-so-whopping $24.99. Get ready to lose a few nights to it, just saying.

P.S. They let me mess around with a PS5 copy (shoutout to DotEmu!), not that I’m bragging or anything…