A long time has passed since there have been any entries in theNinja Gaidenseries, but that’s about to change. The 2024 edition of The Game Awards showed atrailer forNinja Gaiden: Ragebound, and based on what’s shown, the title seems to be going back to the IP’s roots of side-scrolling 2D action. While it looks to be a fun yet challenging experience, much like the early games in the franchise, some things naturally give it a harder road to success.
The reveal trailer forNinja Gaiden: Ragedoundshows that the game is expected to be released in the Summer of 2025. While that’s not too far from now, there are some concerns, especially in regard to how well it perform once it’s available for everyone to get their hands on. The next entry in the series will have its work cut out for it, as its 2D nature will instantly lose the attention of a portion of gamers. However, if The Game Kitchen, the creator of the hit titleBlasphemous, can do the game justice, perhaps it could be a great return for theNinja Gaidenfranchise.
Why Ninja Gaiden Ragebound Could Be a Hard Title to Sell
Even with the accolades attained fromthe bestNinja Gaidengamesto fall back on, it may not be enough to get modern-day gamers to try outNinja Gaiden: Ragebound. The IP owner, Koei Tecmo, will likely have considered this but still chose to try and see if fans are willing to play the next installment. As for whyNinja Gaiden: Rageboundcould be a tough sell, there are several factors:
Just because there is a challenging path to success forNinja:Gaiden: Ragebound, it doesn’t mean there is no chance for it to succeed. If executed well, there’s the possibility that it could help revive the franchise and usher in a new age of fans.
As shown from the reveal trailer,Ninja Gaiden: Rageboundis returning to the franchise’s 2D roots. This can be seen as a positive for fans, as it’s reminiscent of the old games while still having enough new touches like a more dynamic art style. While this can pull people into buying and playing it, there are likely those questioning why it’s not a 3D game. As good as some of the olderNinja Gaidengames were, the ones that allow players to freely move around the environments rather than being stuck on a 2D plane are considered some ofthe best hack-and-slash gamesever made. The decision to go back to something reminiscent of the older 8 and 16-bit titles may make the title less desirable to modern gamers, but it’s still possible that this approach could result in it doing well in terms of sales.
Ninja Gaiden: Rageboundcould end up being one of thehardest games of all time, but that might still not be enough to get people to invest in the franchise again. Hopefully, upon release, it’s able to show that what it has will be enough to compel many into trying it, but the game taking a niche approach after a ten-year wait is certainly a risk.
