Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
A side-scrolling Ninja Gaiden spin-off from the makers of Blasphemous.
The Game Kitchen developed this 2025 hack and slash platformer, a Ninja Gaiden spin-off published by Dotemu under Koei Tecmo's license. It launched on July 31, 2025, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Windows, and Xbox consoles.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- The Game Kitchen
- Director
- David Jaumandreu
- Writer
- David Jaumandreu
- Jordi de Paco
- Kevin Sardà
- Composer
- Sergio de Prado
- Artist
- Jesús Campos
- Series
- Ninja Gaiden
- Publisher
- Dotemu
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- Windows
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X/S
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a side-scrolling action game in which the player controls Kenji Mozu, an aspiring ninja defending Hayabusa Village against demons. Kenji wields a katana and excels at melee combat; most enemies die in one hit, though some variants and bosses survive multiple attacks. Certain enemies are highlighted pink or blue and require specific techniques to defeat, after which Kenji enters a hypercharged state that lets him kill all enemy types with one hit. Kenji can dodge, deflect ranged attacks, climb ceilings, dash in the air, and clamber onto walls, and can perform a Guillotine boost to strike and bounce off enemies and projectiles. Level completion is graded. Later, Kenji fuses with Kumori, a kunoichi of the Black Spider Clan, gaining her ranged kunai attacks and short-range teleportation. Players harvest Ki from enemies to summon Spider Weapons such as Kama and Chakram. Demon altars allow players to enter an alternate dimension as Kumori, solving timed traversal puzzles to find hidden paths.
Story
Ryu Hayabusa is training new Dragon Ninja recruits when the barrier between the demon world and the human world shatters. Ryu receives a letter from his father instructing him to take the Dragon Sword to America, setting off the events of Ninja Gaiden (1988). In his absence, his protege Kenji Mozu volunteers to defend the village. Meanwhile, the Black Spider Ninja clan's base is attacked by demons; kunoichi Kumori fights them off, and headmaster Obaba tasks her with binding the demons' leader using the Tamashi Kunai. The demon lord Jagäzk springs a trap, binding Kumori to a wall. Kenji defeats one of Jagäzk's generals but is caught in the explosion and lands near Kumori. With no other options, Kumori convinces Kenji to stab her with the Tamashi Kunai, absorbing her soul into his body. The fused ninjas meet the blacksmith Muramasa, who once helped seal the Demon Lord with Obaba. He tasks them with collecting four crystals before Jagäzk's forces can use them to lead his full army into the human world. After securing the crystals, they return to find an unnamed CIA Agent leading a tactical team, who knocks out Kenji, takes the crystals, and imprisons him and Muramasa on a US Navy vessel.
Development
The Game Kitchen developed this title after Dotemu, having secured permission from Koei Tecmo to produce a 2D Ninja Gaiden game, recruited them based on their work with Blasphemous. Development started roughly midway through Blasphemous II’s creation. The team introduced a Black Spider Clan member as a second playable character, finding the idea of controlling a series antagonist appealing. Early inspiration came from the 3D Ninja Gaiden titles, leading to experiments with combo-focused combat, but these proved unworkable in two dimensions. The developers then shifted to the style of the 8-bit and 16-bit entries, which prioritize maintaining forward motion and efficiently taking down foes. Team Ninja acted as consultants, offering feedback after testing early versions. Sergio de Prado handled the soundtrack, joined by original trilogy composers Keiji Yamagishi, Ryuichi Niita, and Kaori Nakabai. The game was revealed at The Game Awards in December 2024. Team Ninja designated 2025 as the Year of the Ninja, as Ragebound, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, and Ninja Gaiden 4 all launched that year. It released on July 31, 2025, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Silver Lining Interactive issued a physical edition for PS5 and Switch on September 12, 2025.
Reception
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic. OpenCritic reported 92% of critics recommended the game. Famitsu gave it a total score of 32 out of 40. IGN rated it 9/10, praising the art style and combat. GamesRadar+ lauded the difficulty and combat but criticized the upgrade system. Game Informer praised the gameplay and platforming challenges. Nintendo Life commended stage design and boss battles but noted frame rate issues due to lack of support for Nintendo Switch 2. The game's short length drew mixed responses: PC Gamer praised the lack of repetition, while GameSpot said the game ends prematurely.
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