Rise of the Ronin Review

Rise of the Ronin is one of those titles I was looking forward to for a while, but never managed to actually pick up for one reason or another. Developed by Team Ninja (of Nioh and Ninja Gaiden fame) and set during the Bakumatsu period of Japanese history, the game promised everything from open-world exploration to intense combat combined with stealth assassination — all very much within my sphere of interest. Luckily, Rise of the Ronin’s journey has finally reached the shores of the PC, giving me another shot to don my fancy hat and kimono.

In the game, we play as one of the members of a bonded warrior twin duo. Trained from a young age to oppose the shogunate, the two are moulded into a clandestine unit referred to as a Veiled Edge. As the Black Ships of foreign powers make their approach towards Japan, our heroes are sent to receive important documents and assassinate the captain of the voyage, one Matthew C. Perry. Though Commodore Perry is a tougher opponent than one would imagine, tanking multiple explosive barrels in addition to some new holes in his sternum, our Edgy team is victorious… until a blue-clad warrior in a demon mask appears, putting them on the run. One twin sacrifices themselves to save the other, losing an arm and possibly their life in the process.

Note: Do not harpoon countries

The game proper begins as our lonesome warrior gives their erstwhile home their letter of resignation, setting off into the Kantō region near Yokohama. With the mercurial task of tracking down our lost twin, the wandering ronin gets embroiled in the political unrest of the time, finding themselves having to pick sides, gain allies, and make hard decisions.

Whilst the premise is solid — who doesn’t love a good story of unbreakable bonds, after all — it is forgotten pretty quickly. Sure, your Blade Twin is often referred to, and most of the early quests are tangentially related, but once you’re travelling over half the region to get a camera so you can take photographs of a brothel, you start to quickly wonder what it is you were doing here again. This becomes more evident as the game continues and your personal power grows; being sent to deal with a drunken samurai is suddenly less appealing when you have hundreds of notches on your sword.

At least the landscape is pretty

Now, as the setting may suggest, there is also a larger narrative at play, with the relations between Japan and foreign powers being the main focus. While searching for your other half, you will meet characters on both sides of the argument, the pro- and anti-shogunate parties. At key moments, you will have to choose between these allegiances, which will lead you to exclusive missions and character interactions.

There is some interesting potential here, as the game can give some great insights into the motivations of both sides, but the dichotomy feels somewhat arbitrary at the core. Since we are dealing with a historical event, there is not much that can be done to change how things unfold. As such, I had the feeling I was subtly being steered to join the historically victorious anti-shogunate side, with the first Bond we form being a charismatic member of said faction.

The creation of a Bond is suitably over the top

A concrete example of my suspicion was the first mission, wherein we had to infiltrate the US Consulate building to either murder the consul Townsend Harris (for the anti-shogunate faction) or find out who wants to get him killed (for the pro-shogunate side). My instincts were correct — the American guard I rushed to help then brandished their rifle, trying to give me a new piercing. The attacking locals? Friendly as can be. I’m unsure if I just missed something in my mad dash to play through the content, but this seemed very much like I was playing the anti-shogunate side of the mission.

I also have a problem that, instead of letting the player suffer the consequences of their actions, the game very clearly colour codes choices that are related to the factions. I do appreciate marking these down, but knowing the results in advance does take out some of the fun. I feel this should have either been a toggleable feature or one unlocked after a completed playthrough, after the choices and consequences had been lived through once already.

When you’re fighting your way through Japan, often getting covered in mud, gore, or worse, it’s important that you at least look good doing it, right? Thankfully, a facet that Team Ninja seem to excel at in their games is character creation and customisation. I wouldn’t be lying if I said their tools are one of the best in the business!

At the beginning of the game, you get to design not one but both warriors that comprise the Veiled Edge. By default, they have set genders, but you are free to change both to your liking. You have a fair number of options for hair, body types, tattoos, makeup, and so on, making it relatively easy to get something just as you want it, if you have the patience. This may sound a bit odd, but I respect how the creation tools allow you to make your characters as runway-beautiful or sidewalk-bland as you like.

After you’re happy with your character, you are asked to choose your Blade Sharpening Origin, aka your starting stats. Much like in some FromSoftware titles, the chosen setup will direct your characters' early build, though you are free to customise them as you see fit after the beginning. For example, a Killer has high strength and is designed to wield katanas, odachi, or the greatsword, whereas the Seducer relies on their high charisma to get through sticky situations, relying on polearms or oxtail blades. Each Origin also gives you a set of Skills tied to the main stat, such as a Killer gaining the Intimidate skill, while the dexterous Breaker gains further proficiency at stealth with Rapid Assassinations.

If you’re feeling indecisive or want to make your own way, you can also pick either the Beginner or Unsharpened Origins. The former will start you off with balanced stats that will allow you to try things out without committing quite yet, whereas the latter will give you lower base stats for a more challenging experience.

Naturally, I made things as difficult for myself as possible

Now, this would usually be where I get into the mechanics and features of the game, but Rise of the Ronin is quite verbose in its particular library, making this task a tad more difficult. As such, I have categorised the individual sections, hopefully portraying them in a logical progression. Buckle up, dear reader, this may take a bit.

Let’s start off with what you’ll probably spend most of your time in: the open world. Each of the maps you visit, Yokohama, Edo, and Kyoto, respectively, is split into smaller segments with their own places to visit, bandits to crush, or shrines to find. As you meander through the beautiful Japanese scenery, you’ll find multiple points of interest to explore. These may be hidden treasure chests that require some clever platforming to reach, a village overrun by bloodthirsty bandits, a ghost wolf leading you to treasure, or even another player's character!

You can pet the dog; GOTY confirmed

I like the open world quite a bit, but I am a fan of Japan in general, so take that with a grain of salt. The landscape is nicely varied, with a fair bit of elevation and topological variety, which is helped by the very near proximity of the ocean in the case of Yokohama. However, in addition to the scripted encounters, camps, and villages, the world itself does feel a tad barren. It’s always a bad sign when seeing people in the distance is usually a sign of combat to come.

In terms of getting around, you do have a few options at your disposal pretty early on. To start off, you begin your journey with a trusty horse! The lovable equine beast can be called to your side with the use of your Horse Whistle and can be ridden through the land at a respectable speed. You can even pick up many of the crafting items as you go, which I will always praise. Later on, as you reach the city of Yokohama, you will receive a glider, with which you can, well, glide over short distances. This becomes especially fun when you find yourself at the top of a mountain needing to get down.

Just watch out for trees

Every so often, usually relating somehow to the many characters, you’ll exit the open world and be flung head-first into a Mission. If you’ve played some of the studio's earlier works, namely Nioh, these missions will be a familiar sight. Taking place in a small, locked-off area, you will be tasked with sneaking, fighting, or bothing your way through enemies to reach a specific goal. These experiences are more tightly designed than the bandit gangs you find outside, featuring a more-or-less linear path through, culminating in a boss fight.

The missions themselves are fun, though the mismatch between open-world shenanigans and linear soulslike progression can be a bit jarring, especially when the mission area is on the smaller side; hop off of the wrong ledge, and you’ll see the dreaded “return to mission area” warning fill the screen. While it is a nice change of pace, I would rather have one consistent mode of gameplay than Rise of the Ronin’s mishmash approach. I do have to admit, however, that the boss fights are pretty sweet.

Bringing Sumo into a sword fight is a bold move

As I mentioned a bit ago, be it either missions or taking on a clan of mean-looking toughs, your options are often to go in sword blazing or take the stealthy route. While the former sounds great and is possible, the game is very much built around the latter. Being hit with a sword or pierced by bullets hurts, so having to fight off a swarm of irate ronin is not the easiest feat.

Using rooftops, high grass, and other obfuscating obstacles, you are able to keep yourself relatively hidden from the eyes of your enemies. Getting close enough will allow you to perform a take-down, removing a threat from the field… in most cases. Luckily, your arsenal also contains a handy grappling hook, which you can use to scale buildings and swing over larger gaps, making manoeuvrability quite high. As you gain power, you will also be able to grab enemies with the tool from high above, resulting in a very satisfying Batman-esque experience.

Just put on a cowl and pretend this is Batman Ninja

The game also does a great job at incentivising exploration, giving players multiple ways to enter an area to avoid the roaming guards and animals of the land, although said foes can be a bit silly at times. Regretfully, a feature of these enemies is not quite great: their AI.. While it works in general quite well, with foes taking advantage of vulnerable moments, switching to ranged weapons if you get too far, or taking a breather when they’re closing in on exhaustion, they are completely bamboozled by geography. You see, each enemy seems to have an allotted area they can roam in; this makes sense, as being chased by the same filth-encrusted swordsman is not exactly fun. However, I quickly noticed that if your fight with an enemy happens to take you to the edge of their zone, they are very confused, getting stuck in an eternal loop as they rush towards me, turn back, rush back, and go home ad infinitum.

The game is not the easiest, so I’ll take any exploit I can, but this was more silly than anything. It’s less of an issue in the linear missions, but even in those, the awareness level of your foes can be a bit illogical: some will see you through walls, while others will wonder what that sharp stick is that is now protruding from their knee.

It's over Samuranakin, I have the slightly-elevated ground!

However, all enemies are not the same, as some will look at your pitiable assassination attempts and laugh; indicated by a Rank symbol, higher-grade foes will often require you to take them on in battle before they are out of action. You can sneak up on them to give them what for, but it often leads to you doing a chunk of damage and making them mad, leading to inevitable fisticuffs.

These Missions are also the only time when Rise of the Ronin becomes a co-op experience, as you can both help other players or call wandering ronin to your aid if the going gets too tough. If you’re flying solo, however, you can pick up to two NPC characters you have a Bond with (more on that later) who will join you on your quest, though some quests have locked-in characters.

Luckily Allies come pre-equipped with gliders and grappling hooks

The great thing about these Allies is twofold: first off, if you happen to get in over your head and lose your health, you will automatically switch over to one of your remaining companions. If you have healing items left, you can rush over to your body to heal them or simply defeat the current threat to restore some health. Secondly, you can switch to any Ally with the click of a button, which adds a fun level of variety to the battles.

If there are two things Team Ninja seem to do very well, one of them is combat. The animation of each strike, the sound design, and the hectic pace of the deadly dance are riveting, with a touch of accuracy! If you have played the studio’s previous Japanese adventure, Nioh, the combat will feel very familiar to you, though there are no yōkai this time around. The enemy variety is great in general, and may even surprise you as familiar foes bust out new moves.

You have to fight dogs, GOTY rescinded

In addition to the regular combatants, you’ll sometimes run into bosses or more powerful baddies to take down. These characters are often found in larger bandit camps, as individual wanted criminals throughout the land, or at the end of a mission. In the open world, bosses are commonly just a stronger version of the regular ronin or soldier you fight, but sometimes you’ll find something wholly unique, such as a bare-chested man lobbing axes, a terrifying tamer of animals, or even a graverobbing hound! These enemies are great fun, though they can be quite difficult, depending on both their style and level.

In Rise of the Ronin, battle revolves around the management of your Ki, or stamina. Whenever you move, attack, or take damage, your Ki will drain until you’re left breathless and open for attack. Landing hits on your foes will drain theirs, also decreasing their maximum allotted Ki, slowly but surely exhausting them. Once they’re in the red, you can perform a critical strike, causing massive damage — if not outright death — after which their stamina will return, and the fight goes on.

Not to tell you how to do your job, but that fire is RIGHT THERE

One of the biggest tools in your arsenal, however, is parrying. By pressing the top face button, you perform a Counterspark that, when timed properly, will both negate an attack and throw your opponent off-balance but will also eat up a sizeable chunk of their Ki! Rise of the Ronin does a good job of making battles feel strategic while also making it clear how dangerous it is to fight more than one opponent at once, no matter how strong you are.

Luckily, you have a wide array of weapons at your disposal to help take on any belligerent brigand! The types of deadly tools available run the gamut of traditional Japanese weapons, like katanas, spears, and odachis, to more Western-inspired ones, such as the sabre, greatsword, and bayonet. Each weapon has both a Proficiency level, indicating how good you are at wielding said armament, in addition to unique fighting styles you can perform.

I can either slay or slay, your choice

The different styles are possibly my favourite thing about the game, as they add a lot of incentive to switch up your approach often. Each has its own moveset and special attacks, allowing you to pick the right ones for the job. For example, the sabre has one default style (as does every weapon), which our hero was taught growing up, but you can also learn British and American forms that differ in both skills but are also visually very distinct! Additionally, some styles are more effective against certain weapons while being weaker against others, forcing you to pick your weapons carefully.

Speaking of, you are able to have two melee and ranged weapons equipped at once, swapping between them with the click of a few buttons. However, if you find yourself with weapons that simply won’t work against your current foe, you can easily switch up your gear in the menu screen, which does pause the game.

I somehow failed to capture a scene involving ranged combat, so have this cat instead

In terms of ranged options, you have a few general types to pick from: rifles and bows need to be aimed to be effective but can cause a great deal of damage in addition to staggering enemies; clay pots and smoke bombs can confuse foes. Handguns or shuriken can be thrown freely in combat, deal less damage, but are great at disrupting an opponent’s attack. Each weapon has a limited supply of ammunition to use, though you can thankfully refill on ammo automatically whenever you visit a Veiled Edge banner.

The land of Rise of the Ronin is rife with terrible threats, all with a quantified level to indicate whether you stand a chance or not. To gain levels yourself, you simply need to do your ronin thing, defeating enemies, completing missions, and meandering the land as any good wandering soul does. However, there is also a secondary resource that defines your growth: Karma.

When life gives you ghost wolves, you follow ghost wolves

This mercurial energy is earned in the same way as normal experience, except for three main factors: you gain it faster, you can have multiple bars' worth of the stuff, and you will lose it on death. Yes, like any good soulslike, the game has a permanently loseable resource for you to sweat over! Luckily, you only have to critically injure (or kill) your most recent slayer to get the Karma back, though being killed before that happens will mean you can bid it farewell.

Now, why is it so important? Whenever you level up “naturally”, you will gain a Skill Point to use to gain new abilities and increase your stats. However, points gained via levels will only be usable as General Skill Points. If you want to earn more specialised techniques, you’ll need to earn Rare Skill points via Karma. Thankfully, the process of converting is very easy: once a bar of Karma is full, visit a Veiled Edge Banner and it will be automatically converted!

Visiting shrines is a quick and easy way to get points!

Now, about those Skills and Skill Points. Your stats are divided into Strength, Dexterity, Intellect, and Charm, all with their own skill trees. General Skill Points are used in each tree to unlock or upgrade the skills available, with each skill bought increasing the base stat by one. However, most branches of the tree will have one or more Skills that require the use of Rare Skill Points to unlock. These are tied to each stat individually, so you may find yourself with five STR points but only one CHR. The abilities they unlock often add a new mechanic to your skillset and can even open up new dialogue options in the game, so they’re usually worth picking up!

Another way to gain both stats and, more importantly, friendship, is via Bonds. However, you can’t pal it up with just any Takeshi or Jane you meet on the street; oh no! Bonds are reserved for the important people of the age. As you forge your way through the turmoil of the land, you’ll inexorably run into characters that you can form a relationship with, be it members of a faction, neutral parties, or a woman running a cat concierge business.

Some options are locked off without the relevant skill

Once you’re acquainted, your new friends may visit you at your base of operations, have quests for you to complete, or require your services in other ways. As you interact with them, their Bond will deepen, unlocking new benefits, giving further insight into their history and thoughts on the current situation. Some of these lovely people will even join you as Allies in Missions, increase your stats, or teach you new fighting styles!

The system is pretty fun, especially since your choices can affect which of the characters you actually hang out with; being buddy-buddy with the leader of the opposing faction can be difficult, after all. Some of the bonds you can form are also not quite what I expected, with erstwhile enemies suddenly asking you to join them for a cup of tea. It’s a good time all around.

If you see an exceptionally detailed person around, odds are thats a Bond waiting to happen

In terms of design, I think Rise of Ronin is excellent. The open world is filled with breathtaking vistas, squalid slums, and everything in between, showing both sides of shogunate-ruled Japan. Seeing the mix of Western and Japanese architecture in Yokohama, for example, is brilliant. Meticulous effort has also been put into the detail of the gear you find, with quite a few unique styles on show. I very much enjoyed wearing my dapper suit and newsboy’s cap as I fought sabre-wielding soldiers.

The general design of the many hamlets and bandit forts is also well done, though it can be difficult to determine what can or cannot be clambered on, making for furious hopping in front of fences. The everyday NPCs are varied in terms of quality, with quite a bit of quintuplets roaming around, but it’s not something I noticed unless I was explicitly looking for it.

It can be pretty gruesome as well

The sound design is good in general, with sword whooshes and clangs being satisfying to listen to. I was especially impressed with the sound effects of unarmed combat, as it seemed a bit more realistic than some. I could have done with a bit more ambient music when travelling the land, as the sound of my feet plip-plopping on mud got old quickly, but otherwise not much to note.

Then we get onto performance… oh dear. Regrettably, Rise of the Ronin was not a smooth ride at all. My PC is not the most powerful, but I’ve usually managed to run modern games with graphics on the higher end without issue. As such, I was disappointed to see how unoptimised the game felt, with plenty of slowdown throughout the experience. Weirdly, it felt like the worst cases were during 1v1 boss fights, where you would expect it to be much better since there is less to render. This is especially frustrating, as the combat relies heavily on reactions, which can be difficult when the FPS shifts from cinematic to stressful slideshow.

If you scroll through the images of this review quickly, you'll be at the approximate speed at it's worst

I also ran into a few bugs occasionally, with characters clipping through objects, getting stuck on a ledge, or a straight-up crash, but luckily, these were few and far apart. Team Ninja has been working hard to fix these issues with some success, but it never felt like I could trust the gaming session to be stable, which soured my time.

Rise of the Ronin is good; this I can say with confidence. The amount of different weapons, styles, and skills allows you to find your own way to take on the threats of the land without railroading you too much. I liked the characters — or at least some of them — also finding the exploration of the open world to be both rewarding and fun. However, where the game has potential, the sheer amount of different mechanics to keep track of is overwhelming, making the game seem like it doesn’t quite know what it wants to be.

Edo period instagram was fire

If you’ve played Team Ninja’s other titles, I dare say this one is worth a try, as the classic combat is still here and better than ever. However, if you feel iffy about the combat or would like to play with your friends, this may not be for you. In any case, if you are looking to buy, I recommend keeping an eye on the latest updates and patches to see if the performance issues have been dealt with completely, or if you should keep the save button handy just in case!