2D "Ninja Gaiden" is back, something I wouldn't have dared to imagine before. Even though the game is merely an outsourced production, the return to pixel art visuals and side-scrolling presentation immediately brought me back to the early 2000s.
Here we have the beloved platforming sections, annoying flying enemies, and new story expansions from the post-FC era—"Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage" uses the gap while Ryu Hayabusa is away in America seeking revenge to weave a tale of ninjas saving the world and exorcising demons in Hayabusa Village.
Therefore, the character players control in the demo is not Ryu Hayabusa, who is absent due to his trip to America, but rather Kenji, a rising ninja from the village. If you want to play as Ryu Hayabusa, you may need to wait for the autumn release of "Ninja Gaiden 4." But if you want to hear the "Fresh Dragon" theme again after a long absence, you can do so now.
Upon entering the game, familiar scenes from the FC era, such as the moonlit battles, rush at players like a roller coaster. The "Ninja Gaiden" storyline derived from the FC era will bring smiles to many veteran players.
You might have worried that when you first heard this project was being handled by the "Blasphemous" studio, they might just churn out another "Ninja Gaiden." But事实证明 (facts prove) that "Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage" fell into the hands of developers who genuinely love the "Ninja Gaiden" IP—they didn't rely on path dependency or cut corners using existing tech. Instead, they thoroughly deconstructed and revamped the FC "Ninja Gaiden."
Of course, I don't just mean that they are all enthusiastic about platforming and willing to recreate that harsh era filled with it.
The good news is that "Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage" continues the series' tradition of high-speed combat. The protagonist Kenji can extend jumps using special aerial attacks, similar to "The Messenger" and "Cuphead." For instance, bouncing endlessly on a boss's head or using left-foot-right-foot techniques in levels filled with flying enemies.
The level structure in "Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage" features more platform distribution. These cliffs and flying enemies might seem like they're deliberately making things difficult for players, reminiscent of the original Mega Man series. But with a simple air spin, you'll discover that the level design becomes a stage for players to showcase their agility.
This ensures that the platforming sections in the game flow don't feel overly punishing, becoming a ritualistic trial before the "door" and "key." Instead, through skilled use of mechanics, they integrate into the gameplay flow, becoming decorative embellishments on the path to completion.
This is not only about the convenience brought to the flow by character performance but also includes the developer's exquisite level design, achieving a tacit understanding of routes with the player.
The levels in "Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage" are filled with many hanging pickups. At first, you might wonder why these healing items aren't designed as drops from defeated enemies. However, as you progress, you'll notice that each pickup's placement is carefully considered; they provide ready-made stages for showing off your skills when you want to perform flashy maneuvers.
These pickups complement flying enemies, projectiles thrown by enemies, and ground traps. Players might subconsciously pick up these healing items, casually spin in the air, and then seamlessly use a series of stylish movements to fly over the obstacles ahead. Such design reveals the game's solid fundamental skills.
This also adds many personalized route choices to platform action games, emphasizing the status of speedrun gameplay in this genre.
When I first tried the demo, my lack of proficiency meant I simply followed the routine, moving from wall to wall, hanging under eaves for fear of being knocked off cliffs by flying enemies.
When I tried the demo a second time, I had already gained some insight into the same process. Every aerial enemy could become a stepping stone for a smooth clearance, turning operations and skills into implicit routes. The non-routine experience felt effortless and fluid.
"Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage" also sets up many hidden and branching routes in the scenes to store collectibles, further reinforcing the positive feedback that agility skills bring to players, encouraging them to master their controls throughout.
For this parkour content, "Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage" has specialized independent route lines based on the characteristics of the secondary character.
In the game, the protagonist Kenji can switch characters at specific interaction points, allowing players to control a female ninja from the Tsuchigumo clan to clear obstacles for Kenji on limited routes.
The dual-character setup isn't rare, but the ability of 2D "Ninja Gaiden" to absorb more interesting gameplay mechanics and enrich content beyond combat elements truly gives the new 2D "Ninja Gaiden" more depth.
"Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage" not only extends the vertical satisfaction of the series but also brings players more horizontal choices.
As a side-scrolling action game, you might worry that its replay value is significantly weaker than "Metroidvania" games. But trust me, once you start trying "Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage," your mind will only have one thought—how can I be faster and cooler, and can I be even faster and cooler?
Even if the game doesn't actively provide new objectives, players will seek out details that signify progress on their own.
For example, defeating Ryu Hayabusa head-on in the tutorial, optimizing route details, or completing specific challenges. As players repeatedly attempt the limited levels in "Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage," the goal is no longer just to clear the stage. Showing off a better version of oneself is also the ultimate goal of such games.
Thanks to the excellent feel tuning and flow arrangement of "Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage," the game constantly stimulates the player's subjective initiative.
But width alone isn't enough; being broad but shallow lacks the "Ninja Gaiden" flavor. Therefore, "Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage" hasn't neglected the vertical depth of the original combat experience either—the new "Blood Chalice" mechanism serves as the connecting point integrating the game's high-speed combat and memorization strategies.
In the game, some enemies have highlight indicators. Defeating them grants the "Blood Chalice" ability for a short time, allowing instant kills on most fodder enemies. Even bosses can be staggered with a single hit.
"Blood Chalice" looks like a charged slash. Due to this mechanism, the game's combat flow shows a distinct difference in proficiency—novice players waste "Blood Chalice" recklessly, forcing them to grind against elite enemies; expert players intentionally save "Blood Chalice," aiming to land every strike on elite monsters.
It's worth mentioning that the designers added some small conveniences to the "Blood Chalice" attack, further smoothing out combat—the "Blood Chalice" attack has very long active frames, maintaining hit detection for an extended period after the swing, allowing you to casually slice through enemies coming one after another.
Meanwhile, the freeze frames upon hitting only affect the struck unit, allowing the character to enter free frames immediately after attacking. This means players can quickly turn around after drawing their sword, creating a turnaround slash with hitboxes on both sides, making every "Blood Chalice" attack count.
Compared to the simple combat of the FC era, "Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage" has become not only more operational but also more challenging due to its rich mechanisms.
Interestingly, not only can the protagonist Kenji's main weapon trigger a "Blood Chalice" attack, but the Tsuchigumo ninja's secondary weapon can as well. In the game, enemies that trigger melee "Blood Chalice" attacks glow blue, while those triggering ranged "Blood Chalice" attacks glow pink. Defeating enemies with the corresponding attack will enhance that specific move with "Blood Chalice".
Thus, the high-speed combat phase, led by strategic memorization, begins.
"Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage" often piles up large numbers of enemies in levels, but if players pay attention, they can use appropriate moves to maintain the "Blood Chalice" state after defeating the first highlighted enemy, achieving instant kills with every strike.
Conversely, if you use contradictory moves or fail to trigger an instant kill due to incorrect "Blood Chalice" derivations, these accumulated enemies will teach you a lesson. This reflects both the game's strategic and operational aspects. Fluid kills provide excellent visual spectacle, and the right amount of operational demand fills players with a sense of achievement.
At a time when enemy spam is often criticized as poor design, "Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage" manages to turn it into a positive aspect using its mechanics, showing fun in both operational and strategic dimensions. This sufficiently demonstrates the clever understanding of the "Blasphemous" development team.
A relatively short demo experience allowed me to quickly grasp the charm of the new 2D "Ninja Gaiden"—whether it's the narrative delivery, the satisfaction of controls, or the refinement of levels, 2D "Ninja Gaiden" has reached new heights.
In the flow of "Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage," movement must be both stylish and practical, making full use of every terrain interaction; combat must be fast and precise, where good battle planning allows characters to clear the screen with one slash. This is clearly a superior work that implements both operation and strategy, stimulating players' sense of satisfaction and fighting spirit.
Even though "Ninja Gaiden: Bonds of Rage" is just a spin-off, it will absolutely satisfy the nostalgia of 2D "Ninja Gaiden" fans. The game's appeal is not just the "Fresh Dragon" theme missing from the 3D "Ninja Gaiden" series; it also encompasses the gaming dreams of every player enlightened by pixel art in the millennium.
Honestly, the game demo has fully sparked my interest in playing. Now I just want to dive into the trials of exorcising demons and protecting the way. Please release the full version soon.