Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound feels like a game straight out from the 1980s and 90s, especially with its story and higher difficulty threshold. The game's plot is rather one-note, with Kenji vowing to take revenge on the demons and Kumori attempting to double-cross the Demon Lord. Eventually, both Kenji and Kumori develop a sense of camaraderie towards the end of the game, having been fighting alongside each other. Regardless of how simple the story is, these motivations are enough to lay a foundation that highlights the game's strengths, which are its gameplay and combat.

As a 2D action platformer, players cut through screens of enemies using Kenji's sword attacks or Kumori's long-ranged knives. Most smaller demons can be defeated in one hit. Some of them have an aura around them, and defeating such demons puts the player into a hypercharged state, meaning that their next hit will be a one hit knockout. This is especially important when facing bigger demons, as they require multiple hits, but a single hypercharged attack cleanly gets rid of them. This mechanic adds a strategic element to the rather straightforward combat, making you prioritize taking out demons with aura first before setting your sights on the bigger demons in an encounter.

Even though Ragebound is a 2D game, the developer managed to find ways to make it more cinematic. For example, there's a level where you fight while hanging on a helicopter and another where you fight enemies through a speeding train. This allows the game's 8-bit and 16-bit-inspired art style to shine. The controls and animations are surprisingly fluid and responsive, making it feel more like a modern game than a stilted one from the NES era.

At the end of each level, you're graded on a rank up to S+, depending on how well you did. There are also unique challenges to beat on each level, such as defeating the boss within a certain time frame or completing the level without dying. These added challenges and achieving higher ranks give Ragebound much-needed replayability, as the main story itself is rather short at around 10-12 hours.

One gripe I have with the way some challenges are structured is that if you fail one, you have to restart the stage. For example, there's one where you have to avoid being hit during the bullet train sequence, but that part is later in the level. To restart that challenge, you'll have to restart the whole level to get to that sequence. It's a frustrating and annoying process, making these challenges artificially more difficult to complete.

There's no doubt that Ragebound is a difficult game. It emulates the old 80s and 90s arcade style games when they were intentionally hard to squeeze every quarter out of you. There are a lot of enemies flying at you simultaneously, and healing orbs are scarce. However, The Game Kitchen implemented accessibility controls by letting you tweak the amount of incoming damage and turn off/on incoming knockback. While these settings substantially make the game easier, it's helpful to ensure the game is playable to as many people as possible.

Speaking of difficulty and replayability, Hard Mode is unlocked after finishing the game once. This creates a new playthrough by changing some of the enemies, such as those in the beginning, to shoot three ninja stars at you instead of one. Boss battles are also much harder. For example, the first stage boss, the demonic dragon-like creature Gurthka, now has a permanent fire pit in the middle of the arena, along with more aggressive behaviors. It's another great way to challenge players and extend the game's longevity.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is an exemplary 2D side-scrolling action game that takes the best part of old school 80s and 90s mechanics and mixes them with modern sensibilities. Composer Sergio de Prado did a fantastic job creating the soundtrack filled with electrifying guitars that match the game's fast-paced action. Alongside solid core combat and replayability options, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is bound to please both retro and contemporary fans.