Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound just hit the scene, and it’s cutting through the noise—literally and figuratively. Folks are mostly loving it, which is wild, considering how punishing this series has always been. Seriously, if you think back to the 1989 original, you know what I’m talking about. That game was a beast!
Now, remember all those late nights with retro games on the NES? Man, I’m a total sucker for anything that brings back those vibes. I was all in with The Game Kitchen and their Blasphemous series ’cause they nailed that 2-D Soulslike feel. So when Ragebound dropped, I was stoked. Maybe too stoked, actually. Like, my face was literally red with rage more than once. Why do I do this to myself?
Oh, and the title, “Ragebound”? Totally nails it. No kidding.
Anyway, where was I? The nostalgia hit hard. Playing Ragebound reminded me of being a kid with a controller in my hands, just getting completely lost in the challenge. Honestly, I’m usually a pretty chill person, or at least I try to be. But this game? It pushed my buttons. Literally, haha.
I guess I should have seen it coming, with a name like Ragebound. It’s built to be tough, and oh man, did it remind me of the original. My parents’ voices echoed in my head, telling me it’s just a game and to relax. But we all know relaxing is easier said than done!
So, the game has some accessibility features, like tweaking damage and speed, which is neat. Maybe I needed that, given how rattled I got sometimes.
But hey, let’s give credit where it’s due—The Game Kitchen didn’t drag it out. The game feels just right, length-wise. Finished it in about 15 hours, not rushing but really savoring every victory and defeat. A couple of times I had to step away and chill because, wow, talk about nerve-wracking.
Sure, I’m not getting any faster with age, which probably explains some of my shouting at the screen, but Ragebound delivers what it promises. It’s like stepping back in time, and yeah, even with my over-the-top reactions, I loved it.
Oddly enough, screaming at a game can be therapeutic. Like, once you cool down, it’s almost… fun? It’s like I was back to being that eager 8-year-old, fists clenched and all. And really, who doesn’t need a little throwback to our gaming roots now and then?
