Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is the Perfect Title for Game Pass

During the Game Awards 2024, Koei Tecmo and Dotemu announced a brand-new game in the Ninja Gaiden series called Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. Contrary to what some people expected, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound was revealed not to be a mainline title, but rather a 2D side-scrolling action game, similar to the NES-era entries in the franchise. The game, the companies confirmed, was being developed by the creators of the Blasphemous series, The Game Kitchen, and they said it would target a 2025 release window on all modern platforms, including last-gen consoles.

At the time of its announcement, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound was significant because it was the first original Ninja Gaiden game to be produced in more than a decade. However, as many may know by now, it is no longer the only new entry in the franchise that's being released this year. Two other Ninja Gaiden games, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black and Ninja Gaiden 4, were announced by Koei Tecmo during the Xbox Developer Direct a few months ago. Interestingly, Ninja Gaiden 4 and Ninja Gaiden 2 Black were both revealed as day-one Game Pass games, unlike Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. Since the game has already been released and can therefore no longer come to Game Pass on day-one, it should follow in the footsteps of its peers by getting added to the service in the future.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black was shadow-dropped during the Xbox Developer Direct, while Ninja Gaiden 4 is set to be released in October 2025.

Ninja Gaiden Ragebound is Releasing With an Asterisk on Switch

Those looking to buy Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound on the Switch may want to reconsider, due to the game coming with a certain catch on the hybrid console.

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By Priye Rai

Out of All the Recent Ninja Gaiden Games, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Would Fit Game Pass the Most

Despite Being Cheap, Some People May Be Hesitant to Buy Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

Compared to the other recent games in the series, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is not a particularly expensive title. The game costs just $25 on all major storefronts, and there's even a 10% off sale for it that's going on for the next few days. Given that the game was developed by an indie team and is not a blockbuster 3D action title, like Ninja Gaiden 4 is, its low price tag shouldn't come as a surprise. However, in spite of its affordable nature, some gamers — especially those who are unfamiliar with the Ninja Gaiden series — may be unwilling to shell out the dough for Ragebound.

Ninja Gaiden Needs to Regain Lost Players, So It Should Be Accessible to as Broad an Audience as Possible

Ninja Gaiden may have had an instrumental role in retro gaming history, but the franchise isn't that well known among younger audiences. The series, as previously mentioned, hasn't been active for a long time, and even when it was being consistently supported during the mid-to-late 2000s, its potential for growth was hampered by various factors. Ninja Gaiden's notoriously challenging combat, frequent platform exclusivity, and confusing naming conventions have made it hard for the franchise to attract newcomers, in spite of it cultivating a passionate fan base.

Since Ninja Gaiden still needs to regain the audience it lost over the last decade, it feels like it will be in Koei Tecmo's best interest to make the newest installments in the series accessible to as wide a player base as possible. This, of course, can be achieved by putting the newer installments of the franchise on Game Pass. While Ninja Gaiden 2 Black and Ninja Gaiden 4 are already on the service, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound arguably needs the Game Pass bag the most, because it is inherently more niche than the other two entries in the series. People who are willing to buy Ninja Gaiden 4 and Ninja Gaiden 2 Black may not be as interested in getting Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, simply due to the fact that it's a 2D platformer with pixel-art graphics.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Would Be a Great Introduction to the Series for Game Pass Subscribers

Although Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is probably not going to appeal to a wide audience, the game itself seems to be pretty great, all things considered. The game has received glowing reviews across the board so far, and its high OpenCritic rating puts it firmly among the best platformers of 2025. Since the game is fairly high-quality, it would be a great entry point for newcomers to the franchise who are subscribed to Game Pass. If Koei Tecmo and Dotemu added Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound to Microsoft's subscription service, they could get players who would otherwise be uninterested in the game to check it out and potentially purchase it (or the other Ninja Gaiden games) outright later on.

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