PS5 platform
Ubisoft eventually revealed that its stealth-action franchise will definitely be traveling to the Far East for its upcoming installment, Assassin’s Creed, following years of fans’ cries for an entry set in medieval Japan. Even though the much awaited project is supposed to place players in the shoes of a throat-slitting samurai early in the upcoming year, Rise of the Ronin might have taken some of the thunder from its katana-wielding predecessor.
An open-world samurai action-role-playing game, Team Ninja’s PlayStation 5 exclusive will feel instantly recognizable to anybody who’s skillfully dodged, countered, and cut their way through the studio’s more recent efforts, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and the Nioh series. Like earlier entries, Rise of the Ronin has a lot of combat and will frequently have you participate in harsh but rewarding battles that value skill and consideration over mindless button-mashing.
Apart from the recurring ballets with blades, the game is reminiscent of both Team Ninja’s tried-and-true blueprint and Ubisoft’s open-world model, sometimes for the worse. Positively, Rise of the Ronin incorporates historical locales, people, and narratives from Assassin’s Creed. It is set in 19th-century Japan and spans almost two decades, with events taking place in Edo, Kyoto, and Yokohama. It’s a tall assignment to tackle this historically rich period and location, but the game largely succeeds in doing so by striking a balance between real-world and more enjoyable, fictionalized content that isn’t found in textbooks.
Mostly centered around fighting, it offers rewarding and punishing experiences that prioritize thoughtfulness and skill above mindless button-mashing.
A large portion of the latter stems from the various ways in which you may shape the narrative, ranging from selecting which factions and allies to support to making crucial choices that could alter the path of history. Although the vast universe and its numerous encounters foster these linkages that strengthen the story, the bloated map has the potential to obscure the plot. The game is almost too generous in providing an entirely explorable world that is brimming with content, luring you in every direction with collectibles, side diversions, mini-games, and a myriad of other distractions that risk shattering the immersion.
Similarly, the game’s numerous upgrade routes and character growth features—which include an especially tiresome loot system—feel unnecessary. Naturally, it’s hard to criticize Rise of the Ronin for being overly complicated when its bells and whistles also feed a clever, cat-fetching metagame where you may send your furry companions on missions that give rewards in addition to petting and collecting cats.
Even though we wish Rise of the Ronin had made better use of its keen blades to cut some of the excess, this superb open-world adventure game easily keeps your attention until Ubisoft’s samurai assassin shows up. It improves on the enjoyable fighting established in Team Ninja’s previous several titles.