The newest entry in the Ninja Gaiden series, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, is less like the modern 3D action games and more of a throwback to the old-school NES titles.
That includes, yes, a tougher than normal difficulty curve. Having said that, the base game is nowhere near as hard as the OG games. To some, that’s a good thing; they were borderline unfair at times. To others, however, who like brutally difficult games, they may be left wanting more.
Thankfully, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound comes with a hard mode that can be unlocked. Our guide will cover not just how to unlock it, but also review some of the key differences between the two modes.
How to Unlock Hard Mode in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Thankfully, there aren’t many hoops you have to jump through to unlock Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound‘s hard difficulty. All you have to do is beat the game on normal mode. An option for hard mode will become available from the main menu.
It took me roughly five hours to beat the game on normal difficulty, so it won’t take long to unlock the game’s harder difficulty.
Starting a new game on hard difficulty will save to a separate save slot. This means that you can easily go back and forth between both difficulty levels as much as you wish.
Differences Between Normal and Hard Mode in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
If you wanted to perfect each course on normal to prepare yourself for hard mode, that sounds good in theory. Still, there’s one problem with that: stages in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound’s hard difficulty mode feel very different from the normal difficulty.
The game doesn’t just ramp up the damage; a master ninja is already skilled at avoiding damage, so that wouldn’t do much of anything. Instead, the game is going to change things up constantly. You’ll encounter different enemies, more enemies, additional stage hazards, and other obstacles designed to trip you up as much as possible.
Compare the above image, which is the first skull in the prologue level on hard mode, to the one below, which is the first skull on normal in the game’s prologue.
It’s a great change of pace compared to other hard difficulties that just ramp up the damage you take while reducing the amount of damage you deal. You’re still going to rack up one-hit KOs and you’ll still chain together combos, you just have to be smarter about how you go about things.
Tips to Succeed in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound’s Hard Mode
If you’re like me, the first thing you’re going to do when you play through hard mode is try to use abilities you don’t have unlocked at the time.
That’s right: you’re starting from scratch, all the way back to the prologue. This means you don’t have any talismans available, no secret arts, and you definitely haven’t fused with Kumori yet.
As such, make sure you take it nice and easy as you play through. You’re starting at the bottom in terms of power level, even as more powerful enemies are being thrown your way.
Play smart, be patient, and learn where enemies are spawning. You’re going to die, most likely a lot, but that’s okay. Use it to your advantage so you’re prepared and can think two steps ahead as you progress through Ragebound’s hardest difficulty.
