Assassin's Creed Shadows vs Rise of the Ronin: Similarities and differences explored

Assassin's Creed Shadows and Rise of the Ronin are two major action-adventure titles released in 2025, both immersing players in historical periods of time in Japan. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set in 16th-century Japan during the Sengoku period and features dual protagonists. On the other hand, Rise of the Ronin transports players to the Bakumatsu period of the 1800s, a time of internal conflict and Western influence in Japan.

While both these titles share open-world exploration, deep narratives, and intense combat, their approaches offer distinct experiences.

Let’s see how they compare.

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Assassin's Creed Shadows vs Rise of the Ronin: A comparison

Similarities

1) Historical Japan setting

AC Shadows is set in the Shogun period in Japan (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming // Ubisoft)

Both titles delve deep into Japan's past and try to immerse the player in historical periods and events. Rise of the Ronin takes place in the 1800s Bakumatsu period when Western countries began to intrude into traditional Japanese culture, ultimately leading to the fall of the Samurai.

Shadows, on the other hand, is set in the Shogun era, and focuses on civil wars and power politics. Although the timelines differ widely, both games try to showcase the changes taking place in the country politically and culturally.

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2) Open world and exploration

Rise of the Ronin has an expansive open world (Image via Koei Tecmo Games)

Both titles feature expansive open worlds, filled with opportunities to explore, engage in combat, and uncover secrets. In Assassin's Creed Shadows, missions are seamlessly integrated into the world, allowing players to approach objectives through stealth or direct combat.

In contrast, Rise of the Ronin divides its missions between open-world encounters and structured story-based objectives, with the added feature of co-op play for some missions.

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3) Combat systems

Both games integrate combat in diverse ways. Assassin’s Creed Shadows has two protagonists – Yasuke, who fights with naginatas and swords, and Naoe, who emphasizes speed and dexterity.

In Rise of the Ronin, there is only one character, ‘A Ronin’. The game revolves around a sophisticated form of ‘rock, paper, scissors’, where some moves neutralize others as a more advanced form of conflict resolution and strategy.

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4) Stealth elements

You can hide in tall grass in AC Shadows (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming // Ubisoft)

Both games incorporate stealth elements, but the focus on stealth in Shadows is greater. Naoe possesses some of the most advanced modern stealth technology available, such as Eagle Vision, which allows a user to track enemies through walls, double assassinations, and crawl in tall grass.

Rise of the Ronin contains basic stealth mechanics like grappling hook sneak attacks; however, the game is overall based on fighting rather than stealth.

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5) RPG-style character progression

Both games allow you to shape your character's abilities and playstyle. In Shadows, Yasuke and Naoe unlock separate skills. The former's progression is focused on strength and durability, while Naoe relies on agility and assassination techniques.

Rise of the Ronin bases the character progression of ‘A Ronin’ on four core attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Charm, and Intellect, each influencing different aspects of combat and social interaction.

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Differences

1) Story focus

The narrative focus of each game reflects the historical era it depicts. The politics of the Shogun era is captured through the eyes of two major characters, Yasuke and Naoe, in Assassin's Creed Shadows. The story revolves around civil wars and the power struggle that was ever present in the shogunate.

The Rise of the Ronin, on the other hand, centres on Japan's conflict with the West and the gradual fall of the Samurai class during the Bakumatsu period. This context is crucial in defining the scope of the player’s experience in both games.

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2) Gear and loot

AC Shadows uses the Transmorg system (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming // Ubisoft)

Each game’s approach to gear is very different. Assassin's Creed Shadows uses a Transmog system, that lets you change the appearance of gear without affecting its stats. This enhances the feeling of customization based on playstyle instead of focusing on collecting loot.

In contrast, Rise of the Ronin has enemies dropping color-coded loot. While there are a variety of gear to collect, most of which only provide a small increase in stats, you can combine items to increase the damage from weapons.

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3) Multiplayer and co-op

Rise of Ronin has co-op for certain missions (Image via Koei Tecmo Games)

Assasin’s Creed Shadows and Rise of the Ronin differ the most in this particular aspect. The multiplayer feature of the former is non-existent and allows players to toggle between character choices — Yasuke and Naoe.

In contrast to this, the latter has a co-op multiplayer function for some missions, allowing two additional players to jump into the fray. This adds an element of variation to the gameplay in Rise of the Ronin, albeit not for every single mission.

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4) Graphics and performance

Visually, both games have strong performances, albeit in different aspects. Assassin's Creed Shadows focuses on lighting, coupled with the textures and animation of the characters, which heightens immersion within the world. On the other hand, Rise of the Ronin focuses on smoother combat and advanced AI combat skills.

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For those who prefer a strategic stealth approach with deeper political elements of character evolution, Assassin's Creed Shadows is arguably more fitting. If you prefer fast-paced intricate combat and a multi-layered historical story, Rise of the Ronin would be more suitable. The two are different but each provides a unique gameplay experience.