In Rise of he Ronin, the combat is brutal and amazing to master, but it’s bogged down by excessive loot requiring you to be locked into menus.

Rise of the Ronin

One of my rules when reviewing a game is to never describe its elements in comparison with another game. With Rise of the Ronin, the influences Team Ninja took inspiration from are worn on its sleeve with pride. If you follow the modern AAA gaming space, you will easily be able to pick out the elements that build up this game. We have a samurai setting in the late 1800s, an open world littered with tasks, collectibles, and objectives, and challenging combat that rewards patience and perfect execution. Oh, and tons and tons of loot.

Rise of the Ronin is focused singularly on being a game, for better and for worse. In its attempt to sand away any rough edges in design, it also erodes its own potential to stand out as something unique among its contemporaries. That all said, when you’re simply in the world and engaging with the missions, combat, and boss battles, you will find a deeply rewarding action game. If you’re in the mood for a game that has nothing new to say but a solid and addictive gameplay loop to sink a dozen or two hours into, Rise of the Ronin won’t disappoint.

Times are changing

A history lesson

As an outsider to Japanese history, Rise of the Ronin’s setting felt overwhelming at first. The period the game takes place in is the Edo period, in which Japan is being forced out of an era of isolation from the outside world and introducing trade with foreign nations. Things only get more complex when you meet the various characters in each of the factions that have different political and ethical relationships with the others. The pace at which the game introduces the setting almost feels like it expects you to have some background knowledge on the subject, but is thankfully saved by a wonderful mechanic in the Encyclopedia.

During any cutscene, you are free to pause the game and bring up a list of terms being discussed at that moment. From there, you can read up on any relevant info while remaining in context to keep you following the events. So long as you’re curious and interested enough, you can refer to the extensive glossary whenever you need it to remind yourself who someone is or why one group is at odds with another. An added bonus is how effective a teaching tool it is for this historically accurate time period packed with prominent people from the era.

The more personal plot feels like more of an excuse to push you from place to place rather than deliver a compelling personal tale. You take control of one of two special assassins known as the Veiled Edge trained to work as a duo. You create both characters, but after the intro, are forced to pick one to be your main character after you are separated. There are a few twists here and there, but I never found myself invested in the fate of my protagonist.

The best offense

Bloody combat

Swordplay is where Rise of the Ronin undeniably shines. It has a similar flow to Team Ninja’s prior series, Nioh, but with a far stronger emphasis on parrying. Pulling off a string of perfect deflections and countering with a brutal finisher are the most gratifying moments the game has to offer. I would often play more passively and wait for my opponents to push the initiative so that I could parry their strikes with the grace of a master swordsman (or woman). Whether you parry or strike first, everything is dictated by the Ki meter. This dictates both your and your enemy’s stamina. Doge, block, or attack too much, and you will become exhausted and be left wide open to attack, but every enemy and boss follows the same rules.

You needn’t face all encounters head-on. Stealth is a viable and encouraged way to approach most situations. You can perform assassinations from below, behind, and even above with the right positioning and timing to thin out the enemy ranks. Clearing an entire encampment without anyone being the wiser provides just as much satisfaction as taking the fight head-on.

That bit of variety is part of why the open-world loop becomes addictive. On my way to any objective, I often set my marker to stop at a point of interest or two on the way, only to get distracted by a cat I could pet or a random side objective that presented itself. Aside from clearing enemy outposts, these never took more than a handful of minutes and gave me that constant drip-feed of excitement and entertainment. It might have become tedious if not for just how frictionless Rise of the Ronin makes traversal. You are free to run, ride, or glide anywhere you like, but you can simply set a point on your map and auto-run there and just watch your character call their horse, mount up, and take you where you want to go.

The only rough edge that wasn’t smoothed over is the overabundance of loot. Having to sort through your inventory, comparing gear, weapons, and accessories, after each mission or encounter overstayed its welcome immediately and never got any easier. I spent far too much of my playtime in menus comparing swords rather than swinging them.

The verdict

A sharp blade with a few nicks

Rise of the Ronin is a hodgepodge of design philosophies you’ve seen before that don’t all quite come together in a cohesive whole. The open world is serviceable and packed with things to do, but these are the tried and true repeatable tasks you’ve no doubt done a hundred times.

The combat is brutal and amazing to master, but it’s bogged down by excessive loot requiring you to be locked into menus for far too long. The setting is interesting and genuinely fun to learn about and explore, but your character’s involvement feels almost secondary. It’s like a fast-food meal. You’ll enjoy the experience while engaging with it, but won’t think back on it afterward or get any real nourishment from it.