Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, the latest game in the classic hack-and-slash series, has hit the ground running, thanks to a slew of impressive reviews. Developed by The Game Kitchen,Ninja Gaiden: Rageboundis a side-scrolling platformer set to release on July 31 across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch.
Following the adventures of new playable characters Kenji Muzo and Kumori,Ninja Gaiden: Rageboundoffers longtime fans a refreshing breakfrom playing as the series mainstay, Ryu Hayabusa, in this spin-off title. It also marks a revisit to the franchise’s 2D roots, which was last seen in a standalone entry in 1992’sNinja Gaidenfor the Sega Master System. On top of that, the nostalgic appeal ofRageboundis boosted by its 8-bit art style, which hearkens back to the ’80s era games. It is the second of the threeNinja Gaidenreleases of 2025, sandwiched betweenNinja Gaiden 2 Blackfrom January andNinja Gaiden 4coming in October.
Despite being the series' first 2D entry in years,Ninja Gaiden: Rageboundhas been received warmly by an overwhelming majority of critics. At the time of writing, it holds an average score of 87 onOpenCriticbased on 45 critic reviews. In doing so, it has also become the highest-rated platformer game released in 2025 so far, withBlade Chimerabeing the distant runner-up with a score of 81. Overall, it comes in at the 22nd spot among the best-rated games of this year, putting it in the company of major releases such asMario Kart WorldandYakuza 0: Director’s Cut. Moreover, it has also become the joint highest-rated game developed by The Game Kitchen, alongside 2023’sBlasphemous 2, another retro-themed side-scrolling action game. In Game Rant’s ownNinja Gaiden: Rageboundreview, the Dotemu-published game scored 9 out of 10 and was described as a “near-perfect” version of the franchise’s classic 2D formula.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Opens to Very Positive Critical Reception
The highly impressive reviews forNinja Gaiden: Rageboundcertainly bode well for the game ahead of its public release. Apart from the inherent appeal ofKoei Tecmo’s IPand the involvement of a distinguished studio such as The Game Kitchen, the 2D platformer now also has a solid critical response working in its favor. After its release, it will be interesting to see howRageboundcompares to the Spanish developer’s past projects on the commercial side of things.
Following the positive reception ofNinja Gaiden 2 Black(81 on OpenCritic) andNinja Gaiden: Ragebound, all eyes are now on the third and final release in the series planned for this year,Ninja Gaiden 4, scheduled to roll out on October 21. It is the first mainline entry in 13 years and focuses on a brand-newNinja Gaidenprotagonist named Yakumo.
