If you’ve spent any time looking at Rise of the Ronin, you've probably heard the comparisons. People love to pit it against Ghost of Tsushima or Sekiro. It's almost inevitable. But honestly? That's kinda doing the game a massive disservice. Team Ninja didn't just wake up one day and decide to make a generic open-world samurai sim. They built something way more chaotic, historical, and—frankly—weirdly ambitious.
The game drops you right into the Bakumatsu period. This isn't the romanticized, cherry-blossom-filled version of Japan you see in a lot of media. It’s messy. It’s the mid-19th century, and the Shogunate is literally falling apart while Western powers are knocking on the door with warships and syphilis. It’s a transition period where katanas are meeting revolvers, and that tension is exactly what makes Rise of the Ronin actually interesting to play.
The Team Ninja DNA vs. Open World Fatigue
Most people know Team Ninja for Nioh or Ninja Gaiden. They do combat. They do it fast, they do it hard, and they usually make you want to throw your controller out a window. With Rise of the Ronin, they tried to pivot. They wanted to see if that tight, mechanical perfection could survive in a massive, sprawling map of Yokohama, Edo, and Kyoto.
It’s a huge gamble.
Most open-world games suffer from what I call "map bloat." You know the feeling. You open the menu and there are 4,000 icons and you just want to go take a nap. Ronin definitely has some of that Ubisoft-style DNA—cats to find, shrines to pray at, fugitives to hunt—but the hook is the combat. It’s just better than almost every other game in the genre. You aren't just slashing; you’re managing "Ki" (stamina) and switching between combat styles like Mumyo-ryu or Hokushin Itto-ryu on the fly.
It’s technical. It’s brutal.
And yeah, the graphics took some heat at launch. Compared to the hyper-realistic fidelity of Horizon Forbidden West, Ronin looks a bit like a late PS4 game in some spots. But once you’re parrying a bayonet thrust from a British soldier and following up with a grappling hook slam, you really stop caring about the texture of the grass. The game prioritizes 60fps and mechanical responsiveness over being a tech demo. That’s a trade-off some people hate, but for action fans, it’s the right call.
The Bonds System: Why NPCs Actually Matter
In most RPGs, "choice" is a bit of an illusion. You pick a dialogue option, a character says "thanks," and you move on. Rise of the Ronin tries to make it a bit more tangled. Since you’re a Ronin—a masterless samurai—you aren't tied to any one side. You can help the Pro-Shogunate forces (the guys trying to keep the old ways alive) or the Anti-Shogunate faction (the rebels who want to modernize).
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You meet real historical figures like Sakamoto Ryoma. This guy is a legend in Japanese history, basically the man who helped bridge the gap between the warring factions. In the game, you can drink with him, do missions for him, and strengthen your "Bond."
Why does this matter?
- It unlocks new combat stances.
- It changes who shows up to help you in missions.
- It actually influences the ending of the game.
You aren't just a spectator. You’re the guy with the sword making the history books messy. The "Veiled Edge" backstory gives your character a personal stake in the world, too. You’re looking for your "Blade Twin," which adds a layer of personal drama to the massive political upheaval happening in the background. It keeps the story from feeling like a dry history lecture.
Combat Mechanics: The Real Reason to Play
If you’re coming from Elden Ring, you’re going to have to unlearn some things. In Rise of the Ronin, the "Counterspark" is everything. It’s the game’s version of a parry, but it’s aggressive. You aren't just blocking; you’re striking into the enemy’s attack to break their posture.
It feels incredible when you nail it. It feels terrible when you miss.
The variety of weapons is also kinda insane. You’ve got the classics: katanas, odachis, spears. But then you get into the weird Bakumatsu-era stuff. Fire pipes (basically early flamethrowers), revolvers, and bayonets. You can literally shoot a guy in the face mid-sword combo. It’s wild. The game encourages you to experiment because different enemies are weak to different "Styles." If you’re using a style that’s disadvantaged against your opponent, you’ll see a red downward arrow. Switch to the right one, and you get a blue upward arrow.
It’s like a deadly, high-speed version of Rock-Paper-Scissors.
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The Travel and the Glider
We have to talk about the Avian Glider. It’s basically a steampunk hang glider. In a game set in the 1800s, it feels a bit "out there," but man, it makes navigating the verticality of the cities so much better. You can leap off a rooftop in Yokohama, glide over the crowded streets, and drop-down for a stealth kill on a corrupt official.
It’s fast. It’s fun. It breaks up the monotony of just riding your horse everywhere. Speaking of horses, the galloping mechanics are solid, and the "auto-run" feature to your next objective is a godsend when you just want to get to the next major story beat.
Is the Story Actually Historically Accurate?
Sort of. It’s "historical fiction" with a heavy emphasis on the fiction part. You’ll meet Commodore Perry—the guy who famously forced Japan to open its borders—and he’s portrayed as this massive, intimidating figure. The game hits the major beats: the arrival of the Black Ships, the signing of treaties, the internal strife between the samurai and the new government.
But you’re the wildcard.
The game lets you decide the fate of certain characters who actually died in real history. It’s a bit like Inglourious Basterds in that regard. It respects the setting, but it isn't a slave to it. The developers at Team Ninja clearly did their homework on the fashion, the architecture, and the political climate of the era, but they never let the history get in the way of a good boss fight.
Addressing the Difficulty Curve
Look, Team Ninja has a reputation for being "hard." Rise of the Ronin is different because it actually has difficulty settings. This was a bit controversial among the "hardcore" crowd, but it was the right move. You’ve got:
- Dawn: For people who want the story and the vibes without losing their mind.
- Dusk: The standard experience. Challenging but fair.
- Twilight: The "classic" Team Ninja experience where a common soldier can end you in three hits.
Adding these options didn't "ruin" the game; it just made it accessible to people who love the samurai aesthetic but don't have the twitch reflexes of a 19-year-old esports pro. And if you’ve cleared the game, there’s "Midnight" difficulty, which is basically a New Game+ mode that will absolutely test your soul.
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Why People Get Rise of the Ronin Wrong
The biggest misconception is that this is a "Souls-like." It’s not. Not really. While it has some of those elements—respawning enemies, losing experience on death—it’s much more of an Action-RPG. The mission structure is actually quite traditional. You have a main hub, you talk to people, you take a mission, and you go to a contained "level" to complete it.
It’s a hybrid.
It’s trying to bridge the gap between the old-school mission-based design of Nioh and the modern open-world trend. Does it always work? Not perfectly. The open world can feel a bit empty in the rural areas between cities. Some of the side quests are definitely "fetch this and kill that" filler. But the core loop—get a better sword, learn a new stance, test it against a legendary swordsman—is addictive as hell.
Making the Most of Your Playthrough
If you’re just starting out or thinking about picking it up, don't rush the main story. The beauty of Rise of the Ronin is in the side stories (the "Bond Missions"). That’s where the character development actually happens. If you just blitz the main path, you’ll miss out on the best gear and the most interesting lore.
Practical steps for a better experience:
- Deconstruct your gear: You will get a metric ton of loot. Don't sell it all. Deconstruct it at the blacksmith to get materials for upgrading your favorite weapons.
- Invest in the Intellect tree: It’s tempting to just put everything into Strength, but the Intellect tree gives you better dialogue options and better crafting. It makes the "RPG" part of the game much smoother.
- Don't ignore the cats: It sounds silly, but finding the hidden cats across the map unlocks better rewards from the "Cat Concierge" (yes, that’s a real thing). It’s an easy way to get rare currency.
- Experiment with the Grappling Hook: Most players forget they have it during combat. You can use it to pull enemies toward you or hurl explosive barrels at them. It’s a literal game-changer for crowd control.
Rise of the Ronin isn't a perfect game, but it’s a deeply soulful one. It’s a love letter to a very specific, very bloody part of Japanese history. It lacks the polish of a first-party Sony powerhouse like The Last of Us, but it has more "game" in its pinky finger than most modern cinematic experiences. It’s about the joy of the duel. It’s about the struggle of a country trying to find its identity while the world changes around it.
If you can get past the slightly dated visuals and the occasionally cluttered map, you’ll find one of the most rewarding combat systems ever put in an open-world game. It's a journey worth taking, especially if you’re tired of the same old fantasy tropes and want something with a bit more grit and historical weight.
To truly master the world of Rise of the Ronin, focus on building your reputation in each region. Clearing out "Public Disturbances" not only clears the fog from your map but also lowers shop prices and opens up new fast-travel points. It’s the most efficient way to turn your masterless samurai into a force that can actually shape the future of Japan. Go find Ryoma, grab a katana, and start making those choices. The Bakumatsu won't survive itself.