The landscape of video gaming is currently dominated by titles focusing on the Samurai era, reflecting an enduring fascination with Japan’s medieval history. Iconic games like Okami, Onimusha, Tenchu, and Total War have explored this vibrant setting. Recent releases, notably Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Ghost of Tsushima, have reignited interest in the lives of sword-wielding warriors and stealthy shinobis, showcasing the complexities of Japan’s past through modern gameplay experiences.
Team Ninja’s newest action-RPG, Rise of the Ronin, released on March 22, seeks to blend elements from both Sekiro and Ghost of Tsushima. Set in the twilight years of the Edo period, the game features intricate role-playing mechanics and demanding parry-based combat echoing Sekiro while offering a vast open world filled with activities reminiscent of Ghost of Tsushima, which in turn borrowed elements from established franchises like Assassin’s Creed. However, this hybrid approach compromises some of the signature combat intensity Team Ninja is known for, lacking fresh and innovative ideas in its execution of the open-world concept.
Despite this, Rise of the Ronin introduces several novel elements to the genre. Its combat system strikes a delicate balance between accessibility and challenge, offering a variety of melee and ranged weapons coupled with diverse combat stances. Players can also form alliances with characters throughout the game, enhancing the side content experience and deepening interpersonal connections. Furthermore, the game’s period-specific setting provides a more authentic portrayal of historical events compared to its contemporaries. However, the attempt to balance its intense combat with expansive gameplay often falls flat, veering toward monotony.
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The narrative unfolds during the decline of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the mid-19th century, a period marked by social and political upheaval in Japan. Players begin their journey with the Blade Twins, unique protagonists trained together as part of the resistance against the Shogunate. Character customization allows players to influence the twins’ appearance and gender choices, though gameplay primarily revolves around one twin while the other serves as a companion. An early assignment goes awry, leading to a significant personal loss that propels the protagonist along a vendetta-filled journey across famous locations such as Yokohama, Edo, and Kyoto.
As players traverse the landscape, they encounter actual historical figures who shaped Japan’s destiny. The game features Ryoma Sakamoto, a prominent samurai from the Bakumatsu period, as one of the first allies met in Yokohama. Players can engage in missions that challenge the Shogunate or align with it, reflecting the shifting political allegiances of the time.
The opening segments of Rise of the Ronin set the stage for revenge
Photo Credit: Team Ninja/ Screenshot – Manas Mitul
Choice plays a critical role in the gameplay, influencing relationships and narrative outcomes. For instance, an early decision allows players to either execute or spare a minor antagonist, with the latter choice leading to a valuable ally who assists in future quests. Such impactful decisions throughout the game weave a narrative that feels uniquely personalized and dynamic.
As the story escalates, what begins as a revenge tale expands into a broader narrative rich with political intrigue and national consequences. While the historical context and character development are intriguing, the expansive storyline at times struggles to maintain momentum, lacking the emotional weight and clarity found in more tightly woven narratives like that in Ghost of Tsushima.
Yokohama serves as the initial exploration ground in Rise of the Ronin
Photo Credit: Team Ninja/ Screenshot – Manas Mitul
The primary quest is extensive, potentially exceeding 20 hours, with additional side quests and exploration extending gameplay further. Navigating the multitude of factions, characters, allies, and adversaries can become overwhelming, with many NPCs blending into a monotonous array of characters. Side missions often lack depth, cluttering the map with superficial objectives reminiscent of Ubisoft’s gaming style, yet failing to provide meaningful engagement.
Although the story falls short of delivering a compelling emotional arc, its mechanics are strong and varied. Rise of the Ronin is enriched with weapon selection, combat styles, skill branches, and a bonding system. The game reduces the punishing nature of previous Team Ninja titles while retaining a degree of challenge, utilizing a simpler combat approach featuring single-button combos and a forgiving parry system. The open-world format aligns more closely with contemporary action-adventure games, allowing players to opt for exploration when facing difficult challenges.
The open world in Rise of the Ronin allows players to explore beyond main storylines
Photo Credit: Team Ninja
Diving deeper into combat mechanics, the game maintains a challenge despite its accessible design. Each weapon type offers distinct styles effective against various enemies. Although moves are simplified, the diversity in weapon dynamics, from an agile uchigatana to a heavy odachi, ensures varied gameplay. Unique animations and martial skills bring an engaging dynamic to fights, while a selection of ranged options expands combat strategies.
Combat balances accessibility and challenge in Rise of the Ronin
Photo Credit: Team Ninja
Melee combat emphasizes timing, requiring players to parry or dodge enemy attacks effectively while responding with swift combos. A resource management system involving Ki, or stamina, influences combat flow. Running out of Ki makes players vulnerable, as both they and their enemies rely on managing this vital resource. Normal attacks, along with strategic counters, deplete foes’ Ki, exposing them for powerful retaliatory strikes.
Though Rise of the Ronin fulfills many expectations of a modern action RPG, its combat lacks the precision that defined Sekiro. The timing for counter mechanics can feel misaligned, and the inventory management during intense battles can disrupt the combat rhythm. Custom loadout slots aid in organization, yet a more streamlined weapon-swapping system would enhance gameplay flow.
Stealth tactics are effective in clearing enemy camps in the game
Photo Credit: Team Ninja/ Screenshot – Manas Mitul
While combat maintains engaging elements, the gameplay offers more than mere enjoyment. Strategies are paramount, especially when opting for stealth approaches in enemy camps, akin to tactics seen in Far Cry series. Players can approach challenges with direct confrontation or covert strategies, providing an array of methods to tackle objectives. The action is visually appealing, showcasing a range of animated techniques that add depth to battles, augmented by skill trees that enhance character abilities.
During major quests, players are often accompanied by allies selected from a roster of developed characters. The strength of these relationships influences their in-game effectiveness, particularly during significant boss encounters. Players can switch control between allies, who are fleshed-out characters tied to the game’s narrative, fostering emotional investment in their journeys.
Your allies play significant roles beyond mere combat assistance
Photo Credit: Team Ninja/ Screenshot – Manas Mitul
While allied NPCs support during missions, exploring the open world is a solitary endeavor. Players are equipped with a horse, grappling hook, and glider for navigation. This design aims for agile movement through rural landscapes and bustling urban areas; however, character mobility can feel stiff and less fluid than expected. Layered traversal mechanics feature ropes and crates to access rooftops, yet overall mobility appears limited compared to agile parkour systems in titles like Assassin’s Creed.
Players familiar with open-world games will recognize elements typical of the genre throughout Rise of the Ronin. The game features a lengthy checklist of tasks across various regions. As players liberate enemy camps, the map populates with side quest icons, from charming tasks like petting stray cats to performing favors for NPCs. This quest variety quickly feels repetitive, lacking substantial incentive to engage with the content outside the main narrative. The shift to an open-world design dilutes the urgency and tension commonly found in previous Team Ninja titles, leading to a general feeling of blandness without innovative design changes.
The relationships you build can shape the gameplay experience in Rise of the Ronin
Photo Credit: Team Ninja/ Screenshot – Manas Mitul
Aesthetically, Rise of the Ronin does not excel, particularly when compared to competitors delivering stunning artwork in their open worlds. The game’s environments can appear monotonous and lack the vivid detail expected in modern titles. Although some moments showcase appealing visuals, the overall presentation does not rise to standards set by the likes of Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon Forbidden West—a missed opportunity for a distinctive visual identity.
Performance on the PS5 platform has been largely commendable, with options for 60fps performance mode, a 30fps graphics mode, and a 30fps ray-traced lighting mode. The performance mode offers a smooth experience, although there are minor framerate drops during intense battles or crowded scenarios. As a PS5 title, Rise of the Ronin capitalizes on DualSense capabilities, integrating responsive haptics and adaptive trigger functionality for a more immersive experience.
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While visually striking at times, the game lacks the polish expected from modern open-world titles
Photo Credit: Team Ninja/ Screenshot – Manas Mitul
Rise of the Ronin represents Team Ninja’s most ambitious project to date, broadening its reach beyond the established hardcore audience by embracing the open-world format. The studio hopes to attract a wider player base with a more accessible design, achieving some success in blending its core gameplay style with familiar mechanics.
Unfortunately, the open-world formula has become somewhat stale in recent years. Titles that do not introduce unique perspectives or innovations often fade into obscurity among similar products. Rising to the challenge, FromSoftware redefined expectations with Elden Ring, breaking established conventions. In contrast, Rise of the Ronin’s open world lacks distinctiveness and creativity, though its solid mechanics and engaging storyline help it to stand apart from the masses.
The companion system instills meaningful choices that deepen character relevance, and variety in combat options contributes to ongoing engagement. Combined with a historically rich backdrop and colorful characters, Rise of the Ronin strives to maintain interest throughout, occasionally wobbling under its own ambitions but managing to remain upright.
Pros
- Engaging combat dynamics
- Intriguing narrative and immersive setting
- Compelling characters
- Diverse range of weapons
- Meaningful companion interactions
Cons
- Generic open world design
- Visuals lack polish
- Repetitive side quest structure
- Clumsy inventory management
Rating (out of 10): 7
Rise of the Ronin was released on March 22 exclusively on PS5.
The standard edition is priced at Rs. 4,999 on the PlayStation Store for PS5.
