[PlayStation 5] Review of NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound

Whoa, okay, so I just gotta ramble about this new NINJA GAIDEN game—in a good way, don’t worry. It’s called Ragebound, and it just kind of grabs you by the joystick and won’t let go. The whole vibe is pixelated nostalgia mashing into modern chaos, or at least that’s how it felt to me. Like, imagine if you tossed your old NES out the window and the resulting mess reassembled into something sort of magical? Yeah, it’s like that.

So, Ryu Hayabusa, right? Dude’s off in America—no idea what he’s up to, maybe checking out a baseball game or searching for the best burger. Anyway, his absence causes all sorts of hell to break loose back home. Demons everywhere. I’m just sitting there thinking, “Of course, when you leave, your house gets invaded by literal demons.” The mundane becomes absurd, but in the world of gaming, maybe that’s just Tuesday.

Enter Kenji Mozu, a young ninja who really probably just wanted to chill, but he suddenly gets this gigantic hero cape flung at him. The barriers between worlds are down, and everything’s gone nuts. In jumps Kumori, this assassin-type from the Black Spider Clan. Now that pairing’s interesting, kind of like mixing ice cream with hot sauce. Works surprisingly well once you try it.

And the controls—my fingers still remember the layout from those dusty cartridge days, pressing an imaginary reset button each time things get rough. You either use the stick or D-Pad to move, and I swear navigating those walls is like your controller’s got ice skates. Just whoosh, up you go like Spider-Man but faster. Does that comparison work? Sure, why not.

Anyway, interrupting myself here, but the game’s got this slice-and-deflect mechanic. You just slash through projectiles like you’re conducting an orchestra of destruction. Sounds cool, right? Turning obstacles into opportunities, that’s what life’s all about. Or maybe just gaming. Or maybe both. Who knows!

Kumori comes in with these tools—Kunai, specifically. She whips them at enemies from afar, and I can’t help but think, “Ah, there’s a woman who understands personal space.” The dodge button is your new best friend here, trust me. I was ducking and weaving like Muhammad Ali crossed with, I dunno, Sonic the Hedgehog.

And then there’s the auras! If you crack open an enemy with auras, boom, instant power-up. I felt like I had the universe’s energy flowing through me, and I might’ve yelled, “Take that!” at the TV once or twice. Pure euphoria when you hypercharge your sword and the whole screen lights up like New Year’s Eve.

Oh right, trophies. Do you collect them? I kind of diving into this side quest where I needed to snag all the Golden Scarabs or whatever. Felt like a treasure hunter, headlamp and all, exploring these pixelate caves—and just trying not to get squashed by various dangers lurking about.

So many options tucked away in corners of the menu. Assist Mode’s a game-changer if you wanna tweak things. Lower incoming damage? Yes, please. Makes it more about the fun and less about my hair turning grey with each failed attempt.

Think the release is a tomorrow thing, but the precise time is kind of… cloudy? Guess we’ll find out! And you just pay once for both PS4 and PS5 versions. Honestly, that’s just good value, people!

Anyway, wait—nope, lost my train of thought. Sound effects? Oh yeah! They hit like wet cardboard sliding on ice. If you know what I mean. If you don’t… just roll with it.