After my initial reserved impressions, I’m happy that Rise of the Ronin revealed more depth to it’s vast adventure than the first few hours would indicate.
While it takes longer to get going than I would prefer, once it kicks in to gear, Rise turns into a rollicking action epic that stands among the best in the genre. Team Ninja’s history of crafting fantastic set pieces and thrilling combat is distinctly apparent here. Every element of hyper violence is thoroughly satisfying and over the top.
The story, a sprawling web of political intrigue and power struggles over Japan’s future, works for the most part. Its initial driving force, the search for your blade twin, is sadly the weakest element. A complete nonstarter of a story hook that disappears for hours at a time. When it finally takes the foreground, it’s so late that it doesn’t really register anymore.
Thankfully, other areas fare much better. The plot involving the political and cultural future of a county just opening its borders is infinitely more compelling. Every faction gets a surprisingly nuanced take, too. While many things come off as simplified, there’s an undeniable amount of grace with which Team Ninja deals with the heavy topics involving this period.
The story unfolds in a similar fashion to the PS2 cult classic, Way of the Samurai, where player actions changed the course of the story dramatically. Every action closes and opens doors, though you’ll be able to revisit and rewrite the past later on in the game.
It’s not entirely successful, as the opportunity to change the past takes away from the finality of some choices. I would have rather had a shorter, more varied story, but we take what we get.
The world map is split into larger zones, and once you traverse away from the first, you can only return to it in memories. Compared to the vast open world of Ghost of Tsushima, Rise has some limitations that feel oddly constricting.
During exploration, you’d be hard pressed to care though. When Rise of the Ronin works, it delivers an expensive and immersive look at historic Japan they rivals all competitors.
From quiet city streets to distant mountain temples, there is immaculate attention paid to detail. The landscape changes with the climate, and every area provides new gorgeous vistas to take in. Bandits roam the countryside, and stray cats need someone to help their way back home.
There’s a lot to do, as well. Though the variety is limited, as is the nature of open world games. You clear out towns from bandits, help out strangers on the road, find lost artefacts, and better yourself in random hobbies.
None of the above is boring, but it does feel tedious at times. Especially as you reach a new territory and realize the missions are repeats of those you just finished.
Almost all of the side quests can be ignored, so it’s not like you’re ever forced into busywork. The main story took me around 35-40 hours to complete, and probably would have taken longer had I gone off the trails to help out compatriots.
Don’t get me wrong, friend mechanic, where you build new bonds and affiliations, is fun. But it’s yet another layer to an already mammoth whole, and I just ran out of time.
Those willing to put in the effort to make friends, learn their past, and flesh out the world of Rise even further, will discover a wealth of great writing and character work. Especially once you’ve worked past the first dry few hours. As far as writing goes, Rise of the Ronin is Team Ninja’s finest effort to date.
Then there’s the combat. A visceral blend of martial arts and multiple blade styles, it’s an impressive display of Team Ninja’s strengths. No area feels less developed than the others, and it’s a joy to discover how different fighting styles change the flow of combat.
Combined with pleasing stealth mechanics – arguably the best we’ve had since Tenchu – and Rise of the Ronin delivers a terrific combination of play styles that should suit even the most demanding action gamer.
Put together, and Rise of the Ronin is a happy and welcome surprise in the genre. Whatever limitations it has, mostly due to its budget, are really ignored thanks to a well written story, beautiful open world, and fantastic action.
If this is the new direction for Team Ninja, and by all accounts it is, it’s a welcome one. Whether it’s the more inclusive difficulty settings or game mechanics, each one signifies a major leap ahead for the company.
In a crowded field, Rise of the Ronin stands out as one Team Ninja’s best game in years, and one of the finer additions to the genre.
Toisto 