Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Review
It’s been eleven years since we got a new Ninja Gaiden, thirteen since we had one worth mentioning in polite company, and seventeen since there was a new one anyone would call any good. Now we’re getting two in the same year and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is first, featuring Ninja Gaiden‘s return to its 2D roots; though not by Tecmo or Team Ninja but instead by The Game Kitchen of Blasphemous fame. With an indie developer and a format the franchise hasn’t been in since 1992, it’s a formula to be a colossal failure or a massive success, with little room in between. If you’ve played or seen the old NES-era Ninja Gaiden games you’ll have a pretty good idea what to expect from Ragebound: a 2D mix of one-hit kill combat (enemies mostly die in one hit, you have a health bar) and platforming that usually ends in a boss fight. However, unlike the NES Ninja Gaiden, Ragebound isn’t what I…