Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

 PC
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 63 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 63
  3. Negative: 0 out of 63
  1. IGN Brasil
    Sep 4, 2025
    70
    Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a competent return to the franchise's 2D roots, with polished pixel art visuals, a retro soundtrack, and challenging gameplay that should appeal to fans of the NES classics. Despite presenting some good ideas, the game lacks enough variety and personality to stand out as a major modern milestone in the series. It works well as a tribute to the franchise's past and should have great appeal among nostalgic players and speedrunners.
  2. PC Games
    Jul 30, 2025
    70
    Ragebound's main appeal lies in its interesting and challenging boss battles. Beyond that, however, the game makes little effort to offer us anything new.
  3. Multiplayer.it
    Jul 30, 2025
    70
    Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is an effective reimagining of a genre that has become increasingly underrepresented. The Game Kitchen has found an ideal compromise between the immediacy of the past and the complexity expected from modern video games, creating a fast-paced, layered hack ’n’ slash built entirely around a simple gameplay solution. It’s an experiment that doesn’t fully succeed: the game alternates between overly simple and somewhat frustrating sections, though never truly challenging, and it runs out of surprises within just a few minutes, ultimately becoming too predictable — though still devilishly fun.
  5. GAMINGbible
    Jul 30, 2025
    70
    On the whole, I got a lot of joy from Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, and perhaps in different hands, more skilled hands, the opinion would be even more positive. Perhaps those who will play this, yearning for the days of TMNT in a grotty arcade will get a kick out of the quirks and eccentricities here. I have my complaints, but I’d still recommend this game to everyone I know who likes a challenge or appreciates the retro style.
  6. Edge Magazine
    Aug 8, 2025
    60
    Ragebound sparkles when it doesn't over-egg the pudding, confusing additional layers for mechanical depth. And we remain convinced that, whichever clan they're from, the best ninjas work alone. [Issue#414, p.114]
    All this publication's reviews
  7. Eurogamer Germany
    Aug 4, 2025
    60
    Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a fast-paced and pleasantly challenging, but also very straightforward and short-lived adventure.
  8. Gamereactor UK
    Jul 30, 2025
    60
    I was excited to see what The Game Kitchen could do with Ninja Gaiden. Unfortunately, the answer is a bit disappointing. Ragebound is rock solid and feels really good in your hands, but it lacks spark, passion, X-factor, surprises. I could go on. At a time when sharp 2D action games are not exactly in short supply, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a solid revival of a classic series that will probably make the old core happy, but I would start somewhere else, Katana Zero, for example.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

In Progress & Unscored

?
  1. CNET
    Jul 30, 2025
    With six to eight hours of gameplay at a price tag of $25, I cannot recommend Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. It lacks anything of interest other than this side story to the original Ninja Gaiden game, and even then, it's just introducing different ninjas that are fighting monsters. This game was supposed to be a love letter to the original trilogy, but instead, it's more like a bad photocopy of a love letter made by someone who didn't seem to care that much.
  2. Kotaku
    Jul 30, 2025
    Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound captures virtually everything that made 2D action games of yesteryear awesome while ironing out all the rough edges synonymous with that era of gaming. It looks spectacular, controls like a dream, and boasts levels that are worth experiencing over and over again. It does end too soon for its own good, and its short runtime may throw some people off. Aside from that, however, the developers at The Game Kitchen have proven themselves to be masters of their retro-inspired craft with this one. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a worthy successor to its NES predecessors, without a boomerang bird in sight.
  3. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Jul 30, 2025
    I should also stress that none of this difficulty tweaking eventually fixed my disappointment about the loss of early levels' sense of fluency. In games like this, where a steady flow is gained by practice, I sometimes wonder: what is the least amount of practice I must invest before I feel that sense of flow? In early sequences, Ragebound asks very little investment: you quickly earn a basic understanding of all the dashing, dodging, slashing, and boinging required to bloodstomp through an average level with a speedrunner's abandon.