Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Demo Preview

I’m a little late on this, but better late than never, as they say. I am a vocal lover of The Game Kitchen’s Blasphemous series. Naturally, when it was announced that the studio would be working with Dotemu on the latest Ninja Gaiden game, I was intrigued. I can honestly say that after playing the most recent demo, it is everything I hoped it would be and more.

From the opening title screen, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound’s demo oozes the classic Ninja Gaiden feel while also having that Dotemu flair that was seen in the more recent TMNT titles. They also earn brownie points with me by adding an “assist mode” in the options menu as an accessibility feature.

This optional mode, I assume, will be available in the full version and allows you to adjust a variety of gameplay elements to make things more accessible. You can adjust certain gameplay speeds, the amount of damage you take, and a variety of other things. I’m sure that based on the feedback that was received from this demo, there will be a few tuning changes and possibly other additions to Assist Mode as well.

The Game Kitchen’s handiwork is visible all over Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, at least as far as I’ve seen through this demo. The demo allows you to play a series of levels specifically curated from the whole of the game. As such, you don’t really get to see a large swath of the game’s story, but you do get to see many of the gameplay elements.

The combat and control systems are very familiar to Blasphemous fans, as the action gameplay is finely tuned. However, the difficulty that the Ninja Gaiden franchise is known for is also visible, even just from the small slice of the game that is available. Elements such as the dual protagonist situation are addressed with unique gameplay elements, like each protagonist having certain combat strengths.

For example, Kumori, the female companion of sorts to our main hero, is “fused” to him. As such, you can only play as her “independently” during certain segments, which are connected to a timer that can be extended by hitting blue orbs. Kumori is also able to throw kunai, which is something Kenji cannot do.

Both protagonists can do a move known as the Guillotine boost, which should seem familiar if you’ve played Hollow Knight. Essentially, it is using your jump to attack enemies or projectiles in order to gain a boosted jump.

The storyline that is showcased in the demo is interesting, with tongue-in-cheek humor and interesting character development. There is clearly history between certain characters that will unfold in the full game, but for now, the demo gives an enticing glimpse. What I really found myself drawn to was the artwork and the soundtrack.

The artwork feels like a classic Ninja Gaiden game, but with The Game Kitchen’s immaculately detailed sprite-work for enemies. Each enemy feels distinct and looks interesting, while the environments themselves are lush and colorful. I had worried that The Game Kitchen’s detail and flair would be restricted while they worked on a pre-existing IP, but it is just as visible here.

The soundtrack, on the other side of the coin, is everything I would have wanted. Dotemu’s recent games had fantastic soundtracks, so this isn’t a surprise, really, but I found myself bouncing along to the upbeat tracks while I cut down demons and engaged in tricky platforming segments.

Overall, this demo gave a perfect taste of what we’ll be getting in just a few weeks’ time. I had hoped to get this preview out sooner, but I found myself just enjoying the demo for a while. If you’re excited about Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and you haven’t checked out the demo already, this is a great time. It’ll hold you over until the 31^st when Kenji Mozu’s tale is fully in our hands.