Oh, man, Rise of the Ronin…feels so dated, like it missed train on the latest tech trends. Team Ninja hyped it up as their big hit, but let’s be real the graphics are meh, the design is straight out of a history book, and it runs like it’s stuck in the past. It’s cool that they tried, though. Props to Team Ninja for giving it a shot.
Picture this: Rise of the Ronin is set in a wild period of Japanese history. You play as a wandering samurai, customizing them to the nines, getting all tangled up in a mess of rebels, foreigners, and loyalists. The Bakumatsu era was chaotic, dude, with power struggles and betrayal at every turn. Team Ninja captures the drama pretty well, even if you can predict how it all goes down if you know your history.
The characters in this game? Solid. The writing? On point. They remember what you do, call you out on your shady dealings, and banter like they’re in a sitcom. It’s a vibe. Even the historical peeps like Sakamoto and Yoshida get a modern makeover that keeps them interesting. But, man, the way the story unfolds can be a snooze sometimes. People just stand around, chatting about serious stuff like it’s no big deal. Come on, pick up the pace!
Overall, Rise of the Ronin is a mixed bag. It’s got heart, sure, but it needs to shake things up to keep players hooked. Maybe next time Team Ninja will hit the sweet spot between old and new. Here’s hoping!
One time during a scene, I took down an anti-Shogunate samurai in a training match, and he stood there staring straight at me arms crossed, not even blinking, while sounding like he was about to cough up a lung. It was totally out of sync with what was happening. The same weirdness happened again shortly after, when my comrade was still catching their breath intensely after a failed assassination attempt on a pro-Shogunate official, as if we were just casually waiting for our morning coffee. These odd moments really pull you out of the flow, especially considering the game’s serious and gritty storyline.
Despite these off moments, Rise of the Ronin had me completely engrossed. I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. The drama, the rumors, a bit of humor, love, death, pain – it’s all mixed together to create a captivating, story-rich experience. And it’s all set in a fascinating world that, even with the usual open-world tasks, offers breathtaking views and unexpected gameplay scenarios that utilize its diverse RPG elements.
The game proudly displays its inspirations while showcasing the best aspects of the studio, from combat mechanics to level design, creating a kind of greatest hits compilation. The game’s linear levels, reminiscent of classics like Ninja Gaiden and Nioh, are apparent even within the open-world structure. Sure, the missions may guide you from one combat scenario to another, but the interconnected paths lack the depth seen in previous Team Ninja games.
Beyond the linear sections, the open world in Rise of the Ronin is vast and memorable. The adventure covers three sprawling cities – Edo (now Tokyo), Kyoto, and Yokohama – each with distinct features like pagodas, rugged terrain, and quaint villages. Yokohama, with its advanced technology due to foreign trade, stands out among the cities. Each location offers a unique flavor, which helps alleviate the repetitiveness of the tasks you’ll undertake, often involving traveling to a location and eliminating a target.
I ain’t kidding here. Every move you make in Rise of the Ronin spells doom. Need to make peace between old pals? First, you gotta off some bandits giving them grief. Popping into a Pleasure District joint to chat up a geisha? Gotta take out some punks barricading the way. Want to train at the dojo? Gotta deal with some rogue ronin squatting there first. Even big story moments that seem like they could end peacefully, well, they always lead to bloodshed.
This whole setup clashes with the dialogue choices in Rise of the Ronin. Your words can shape relationships with folks you encounter. Sure, you have a few decisions that alter how things unfold – save one person, maybe they fight by your side later; off another, and you might screw over the whole country. But these meaningful choices are scarce. Apart from a handful of instances, the outcome remains the same: bodies pile up. Death doesn’t faze me; I revel in it in this game. I just wish it truly upheld its promise of player choice and freedom.
A game trying to blend the old with something new
Luckily, the combat in Rise of the Ronin shines brighter than in any other Team Ninja title. If you found the intricacies of the Nioh series or Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty daunting, this game is more welcoming. It doesn’t overwhelm you with a ton of moves or custom combos. Stance-shifting, a feature from Nioh, returns here in a simpler form akin to Ghost of Tsushima’s mechanics. It’s straightforward yet deep, offering various stances for each weapon type to unlock and master. The swordplay feels satisfyingly brutal – the clash of steel meeting, the slice of metal through flesh, the crunch of bones breaking (yes, limbs fly, and it’s awesome) all feel so damn good.
Rise of the Ronin’s combat borrows a bit from Souls games – enemies hit hard, and losing means sacrificing progress currency called Karma – but it’s fair. Combos are easy with just two buttons. Parries can turn the tide of battle and set up a killer blow, but they’re not mandatory for victory. Stealth is a smart, often superior strategy. There’s even a fighting style inspired by Ninja Gaiden’s cool dude Ryu Hayabusa. Team Ninja clearly put their experience to work here, and it shows in the game’s mechanics.
Man, Rise of the Ronin’s open-world design feels like it’s been around forever. You’re just running around chasing after map markers, ya know? Starting off in Yokohama, you’re looking for a cat, opening treasure chests, finishing quests, and clearing out bandit camps left and right. And the more you do, the more markers pop up for you to chase down. But let me tell you, it all starts blending together after a while as you sprint from one end to the other ticking off boxes on your list. And to make matters, a lot of these tasks are just copied and pasted throughout the game.
I remember this one time when some guy calls for help because “a dude’s causing a ruckus over there.” I went to help, but it was a setup, so I had to take them out, loot their stuff, and move on. Then, not long after, a guy with a similar look and request pops up. Surprise, another trap! But this time, it was a bit different – it was actually “a guy causing trouble over there.” Partnering up with a stranger, we handle the situation, and I get a little reward for my troubles. And that scenario played out over and over for like an hour. It gets old real quick, and it makes Rise of the Ronin feel pretty outdated.
The visuals don’t do it any favors either. Despite having a Performance Mode for smoother gameplay, the game still lags, especially in crowded areas. I’ve had my fair share of crashes and glitches too, from freezing in walls to losing sound or even killing my controller’s feedback. Despite some beautiful moments here and there, the overall look of Rise of the Ronin is more 2000s than current-gen.
But you know what? I don’t really mind. Sure, a lot of the game lacks flavor and the story is a bit disjointed. And the decisions you make don’t always seem to matter. Yeah, the side stuff may be lackluster, but swinging that sword is just too satisfying. Rise of the Ronin might have its flaws, but it’s still a winner in my book.
