Team Ninja is a weird studio. They've spent years carving out this niche of hyper-punishing, mission-based action games like Nioh and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, so when they announced Rise of the Ronin, everyone sort of assumed we were getting "Nioh with a horse." It wasn't that. Honestly, it was a lot more ambitious and, in some ways, a lot messier. This isn't just another Soulslike. It's an open-world historical epic set during the Bakumatsu period—the chaotic final years of the Tokugawa Shogunate—and it tries to do a dozen things at once. Some of them fail. Most of them actually work.
If you’ve spent any time in 19th-century Yokohama or Edo within the game, you know the vibe. It's crunchy. It's fast. It’s got that specific Team Ninja jank that feels like a warm hug if you grew up on PS2-era action titles. But for the average player jumping in after Elden Ring or Ghost of Tsushima, the first few hours can be a total system shock. The visuals aren't going to win any "State of Play" awards for technical prowess, but the combat? That’s where the soul is.
Understanding the Combat Rhythm in Rise of the Ronin
The "Counterspark" is everything. Basically, if you can’t parry, you’re going to have a miserable time. Unlike Sekiro, where the parry is a crisp "tink," the Counterspark in Rise of the Ronin feels more like a physical struggle. You’re swinging your weapon into the enemy’s strike to deflect it. It’s aggressive. It’s risky.
You’ve got these different combat styles—Ten (Heaven), Chi (Earth), and Jin (Human). It’s a literal rock-paper-scissors system. If you see a blue up-arrow next to an enemy's health bar, you’re good. If it’s a red down-arrow, you’re probably about to get your head taken off. You have to swap styles mid-combo. It feels overwhelming at first. Then it clicks. Suddenly, you’re switching from a heavy Katana stance to a nimble dual-sword style just to keep the pressure on a boss’s Ki gauge.
The Ki system is basically your stamina, but it's also your lifeblood. You run out, you’re dead. You break the enemy's Ki, and you get a critical hit that feels incredibly satisfying. It’s a dance of aggression.
Why the Bakumatsu Setting Actually Matters
Most Western players know the Samurai era through the lens of the Sengoku period—think Shogun or Sekiro. That’s the era of warring states and plate armor. Rise of the Ronin chooses the 1860s instead. This is a Japan in an identity crisis. You have traditionalists (Pro-Shogunate) fighting against nationalists (Anti-Shogunate) who want the Emperor back in power, all while Western "Black Ships" are sitting in the harbor with cannons pointed at the shore.
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This isn't just window dressing. It affects how you play. You’ll be walking down a muddy street in Yokohama and see a guy in traditional kimono standing next to a British soldier in a red coat. You get a revolver. You get a bayonet. You get a primitive glider called the Avicula.
The game forces you to choose sides. Do you align with the Sabaku (Pro-Shogunate) or the Tobaku (Anti-Shogunate)? These choices aren't just dialogue fluff. They determine which characters live, which ones die, and which historical figures become your "Bond" allies. Characters like Ryoma Sakamoto—a real-life historical powerhouse—become your best friends. You go for drinks. You fight side-by-side. It makes the world feel inhabited in a way that Nioh's isolated mission maps never could.
The Loot Problem and the Open World Grind
Let's be real: the loot in Rise of the Ronin is a mess. It’s the same "color-coded rain of garbage" system from Stranger of Paradise. Within two hours, your inventory will be stuffed with 50 slightly different katanas. It’s annoying. You spend way too much time in menus comparing a 0.2% increase in "Ki Damage (Parry)" versus a 0.5% increase in "Poison Resistance."
The open world also follows the Ubisoft-style checklist. You clear out "Unruly Areas," you pet cats (yes, a lot of cats), and you find shrines. It’s not revolutionary. But here’s the thing—the traversal makes it bearable. Zipping around with a grappling hook and then immediately launching into a glider flight feels great. It’s fast. Team Ninja didn't want you to wander aimlessly; they wanted you to get to the next fight as quickly as possible.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Difficulty
There’s this weird narrative that because this is a Team Ninja game, it has to be "soul-crushing." It doesn't. Rise of the Ronin is actually their most accessible game ever. There are literal difficulty settings. If you want to play on "Dawn" (Easy) and just enjoy the historical drama, you can. If you want to play on "Twilight" and get your teeth kicked in, you can do that too.
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The complexity comes from the RPG layers. You aren't just leveling up strength. You're building relationships. The "Bond" system gives you passive buffs based on who you're hanging out with. If you spend time with a character like Katsura, you might unlock a new combat stance or get a discount at shops. It encourages you to engage with the cast, even the ones who are kind of jerks.
Real Talk on the Graphics
People complained about the graphics. A lot. And yeah, compared to Horizon Forbidden West, it looks like a game from 2018. The textures can be flat. The lighting is hit-or-miss. But the art direction carries it. Seeing the sunset over the Kamo River in Kyoto or the cherry blossoms in Edo... it works. The character models for the main cast are actually quite detailed. It’s the background stuff that suffers. If you’re playing a Team Ninja game for the "fidelity," you’re missing the point. You play for the 60fps parry windows.
Mastering the "Blade Flash" Mechanic
One thing the game doesn't emphasize enough is the Blade Flash. It’s basically the "Ki Pulse" from Nioh. After you swing your sword, blood gets on the blade. If you flick it off at the right time (R1), you regain stamina.
It sounds like a small thing. It isn't. In a high-level boss fight, the difference between winning and losing is your ability to manage that blood gauge. You can’t just mash buttons. You have to strike, flick, strike, flick. It’s rhythmic. Once you master it, the combat stops feeling like a struggle and starts feeling like a choreographed movie.
Historical Figures You Should Care About
The game is a "Who's Who" of the Bakumatsu era. You’ll meet:
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- Ryoma Sakamoto: The guy who basically brokered the peace that ended the Shogunate. In the game, he's a lovable, pistol-toting rogue.
- Naosuke Ii: The "Red Demon" of the Shogunate. He’s the guy trying to keep order, even if it means being a tyrant.
- The Shinsengumi: Basically the Shogunate’s special police force. They’re incredibly cool and incredibly dangerous.
You aren't just a silent observer. You’re the "Veiled Edge." You and your Twin Blade (your partner from the prologue) are the catalysts for everything. The story is a bit convoluted—especially the stuff regarding your "Twin"—but the historical political drama is top-notch.
Actionable Steps for New Players
If you’re just starting out or thinking about picking it up, don't play it like Dark Souls. You’ll get frustrated.
- Don't ignore the firearms. A well-timed rifle shot can interrupt a boss's unblockable attack. It’s not "cheating," it’s a mechanic.
- Auto-dismantle is your friend. Go into the settings and set it to automatically sell or dismantle lower-tier gear. Save your sanity.
- Change your Combat Style often. If a boss is destroying you, it’s likely because your current stance is "weak" against theirs. Look for the red arrows.
- Do the Bond Missions. They aren't just side quests. They unlock the best combat styles and the most interesting story beats.
- Practice the Counterspark timing. Every weapon has a different parry window. The Odachi is slow; the Paired Swords are fast. Find the one that matches your reaction time.
Rise of the Ronin is a game that rewards patience. Not the patience of "waiting for an opening," but the patience of learning a complex set of systems. It’s a messy, beautiful, hyper-violent love letter to Japanese history. It might not be perfect, but it’s got more personality than most AAA games released in the last five years.
Don't let the "clunky" labels scare you off. Dive into the menus, find a combat style that feels right, and go pet some cats in 1860s Yokohama. You'll get it eventually. And when you do, it's hard to put down.