Rise of the Ronin is an action-adventure role-playing game where players take on the role of a ronin, a samurai without a master, as they explore various Japanese regions during the Bakumatsu period. Team Ninja, renowned for games like Ninja Gaiden and Nioh, is back to deliver yet another great samurai adventure that is worth playing in 2025.
The developer included a character creator feature at the start of the game, so players can design and modify how their ronin will look. Unlike other first-party PlayStation titles like Ghost of Tsushima, players will have to make a few tough decisions to advance the story and shape the history of Japan.
Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's personal and subjective views about the game.
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Fans of Japanese lore shouldn't miss out on Rise of the Ronin
The gaming community has always been fascinated by tales of samurai warriors, ninjas, and ronins, and Team Ninja took it to the next level by developing its first open-world title through Rise of the Ronin.
Players are not constricted to follow a narrow and linear path since the developer added a plethora of optional activities and side quests that will reward them with rare items, useful equipment, and more.
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As a ronin, players can participate in a few odd jobs and choose which faction to pledge their allegiance to, the Anti-Shogunate and the Pro-Shogunate. Throughout the game, the story will be heavily impacted by certain decisions, which elevates the stakes even higher since one wrong move can dictate the course of one playthrough.
Unlike most games with a similar formula and structure, Rise of the Ronin is much more accessible and forgiving.
The combat mechanics are the highlight of Rise of the Ronin, and it shares a lot of similarities with the Soulslike genre; however, one major key difference is that Team Ninja included a few difficulty options.
Despite playing on the lower difficulties, this title is still more challenging than the average video game. Players must learn to nail down all the timings for dodges and parries to avoid dying a gruesome death at the hands of a regular minion.
The sword combat feels immersive, especially once a ronin masters different stances against specific enemy types. Players can dismember limbs and decapitate heads off of enemies, which adds another layer of realism. The game has a great collection of weapons that can be upgraded by visiting a blacksmith.
Melee weapons have a different depth and weight, which adds another challenge to master. Katanas are a default weapon given the setting; however, ronins have gained access to certain firearms like pistols and rifles that are much more effective than other ranged weapons like a bow and throwable shurikens.
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There are a few traversal methods in Rise of the Ronin that allow it to stand apart from other games with a similar setting. Other than riding on horseback, ronins can glide through the air with a glider, which is historically accurate since Team Ninja did its research and discovered blueprints of the device during the Edo period.
When the going gets tough, players can always rely on their friends to give them a helping hand during a fight through co-op. Players can band together during story missions and fight powerful enemies to increase their chances of winning. Ronins may be warriors without a master; however, it doesn't mean they can't have a few friends to fight alongside them.
Ronins can invest in different skills to learn new abilities and techniques. Certain enemies are much harder to defeat, and there are a few stances that could give a ronin an advantage. The artificial intelligence in allies is competent and can really get involved, unlike other NPCs that are broken for the most part.
Verdict
Rise of the Ronin has the best parts of the Soulslike genre, with its challenging combat mechanics and the open-world exploration feel of Ghost of Tsushima. It is unfair to suggest that Team Ninja ripped off the ideas of other developers when it has done its best to give the gaming community a different experience.
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Team Ninja struck gold on its first open-world title, and there is no telling where the developer could take the franchise in future installments.
Rise of the Ronin is exclusively available on the PlayStation 5 and is definitely worth revisiting in 2025.
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