Rise of the Ronin

Rise of the Ronin isn’t always great, but when it’s switched on, it’s really switched on. The combat system is dense and rewarding, the missions are exciting, and minus some missteps in the open world and with NPCs, this is still a tight experience that feels very good.

Rise of Ronin really likes its players, and that’s what I love most about it. While its world features a lot of busywork, it’s also a joy to explore thanks to how easy and versatile movement is. An enthralling combat system openly traces the best of Sekiro and Nioh, serving the extract in a more accessible fashion with a huge variety of ways to fight. While co-op is restrictive, it’s still really funny to go online and turn bosses into confetti, plus you can run a cat rental service...Excellent stuff.

As a historical game set during the end of Japan’s Edo Period, Rise of the Ronin is an absolute masterpiece that can not be praised enough. At the same time, as an open world game, Rise of the Ronin is a dated experience that I have many complaints about. For most players who are simply looking for an open world action game, knock one or two points off this score. That being said, its immersive storytelling is something truly exceptional, to the extent that your view on historical games will probably change after playing Rise of the Ronin. As someone fond of history, Rise of the Ronin is a game I won’t forget.

With a clear identity, a charming setting, and one of the best combat systems out there, Rise of Ronin is indeed Team Ninja’s best Action RPG so far.

Rise of the Ronin is the culmination of the combat formula that Team Ninja has using since Nioh. A beautiful game, complex and simple at the same time, and a lot of fun. Katanas and firearms to close a a great first quarter of the year for PlayStation.

While it is an open world game and therefore part of a tired and tiring genre, Rise of the Ronin makes it worth sticking with, thanks to incredibly strong historical fiction storytelling. With any luck, it will inspire some people to learn the more factual side of the era and, hopefully from there, come to a better understanding about where modern Japan came from. Despite being relatively recent, the Boshin War is a relatively under-utilised period of Japanese history, and Rise of the Ronin acts as a good introduction to it. Like with any historical fiction, the emphasis is firmly on the “fiction” side of things, but Koei has done a superb job of depicting the dynamics, tensions, conflicts and personalities of the era, making it as good an introduction to the era as any.

Rise of the Ronin is a massive gamble for Team Ninja, known for its more linear action games, but it's one that has paid off. Rise of the Ronin has a lot of depth to it from the satisfying combat, to all the side activities across three broad regions, and the plethora of excellent characters. This game should mark the start of a grand new era for Team Ninja.

An ambitious open-world action-RPG with fast-paced combat, choice-based storytelling and a variety of gameplay systems that keep the experience fresh.

Rise of the Ronin is nothing if not ambitious, and though that ambition leads to the game not being as polished as you may expect from a PS5 release, it still manages to tell an enthralling story in which your actions truly matter, while also utilizing a unique bond mechanic, an in-depth -albeit slightly repetitive - combat system, and so much to do you’ll find yourself losing sleep in an effort to complete just one more task. Those approaching Rise of the Ronin like the next Nioh will likely leave disappointed, but those who approach Team Ninja’s latest effort with an open mind and patience will find a gem that just happens to have a few rough edges.

The story unfolds at a nice pace that allows you to dip out and into side quests throughout the map to become a part of a wider nation-shaping arc. Rise of the Ronin is another cracking PS5 exclusive.

Rise of the Ronin was the near-perfect samurai/ronin open-world RPG that I have been starving for, and offers players a lot of choice in their playstyle.

Rise of the Ronin shows that Team Ninja knows perfectly well what they are doing. The game presents you with an engaging story with interesting characters where your choices affect the course. The gameplay is excellent thanks to the accessible but in-depth combat and there is plenty to experience in the game world. Only graphically the game is not very impressive compared to other PS5 exclusives, but that should not spoil the fun. Rise of the Ronin is yet another recommended game this year.

Rise of the Ronin is an immersive open-world historical epic that values its players' time, and it’s also Team Ninja’s best game in recent memory.

Between its solid combat, varied open world, and enjoyable characters, Rise of the Ronin sets a new tier of excellence in Team Ninja’s game design.

Rise of the Ronin is not only a terrific soulslike, but it presents a possible turning point in being the first high-profile entry in the genre to give difficulty choices. Even without that, it is still a fun game that anyone can get into and enjoy, as the combat is worth mastering because nothing beats the feeling of a perfectly timed Counterspark. Plus, this is an excellent way to learn about an important time in Japanese history if you didn't already know it.

Rise of the Ronin is much more than an action/adventure soulslike. The accessibility stands out, as Team Ninja makes it more friendly for every gamer (although it's still really challenging) and the narrative brings a more realistic approach than ever. Unfortunately, though, the visuals don't live up to the expectations for a PS5 game and it also has some performance issues.

Rise of the Ronin is a great game for everyone who's looking for a new Samurai adventure to sink their teeth into. With a great historical story, impeccable and spectacular combat and amazing visual style, Rise of the Ronin delivers everything you would expect from a Team Ninja title. Add to this classic formula an interesting open world and some fun co-op and you have a great game on your hands. Some small technical issues hold this game back, but they will no doubt be fixed in the future.

Rise of the Ronin isn't the dream entry into the realm of open world games that Team Ninja might have hoped for, but it delivers a very competent gaming experience. The open game world is completely dedicated to the blood-curdling combat, so there is more than enough to discover. Add to that Team Ninja's clear love for national history and you have a wonderful piece of entertainment that also immerses you in an interesting, historical setting.

Rise of the Ronin will delight fans of feudal Japan and samurai. Team Ninja presents an action game with sublime combat and an attractive narrative that is only marred by its technical aspects. Its open world is nothing to write home about, but it emphasizes the ambition to go one step further. The path of the samurai is marked.

An ideal game for samurai and history lovers, or simply for those who want to enjoy a combat system as varied as fun.

Rise of the Ronin is undoubtedly Team Ninja's most ambitious, detailed and mature work to date. With its rich maps, compelling storyline and exhilarating combat, it creates an unforgettable tale of the Bakumatsu period. As Team Ninja explores new design concepts, this is definitely a title not to be missed by Team Ninja fans.

Rise of the Ronin is a great open world game but it has many flaws in things like its mission design and graphic presentation. Although is another good reason to have a PS5.

Rise of the Ronin is not merely an amalgamation of open-world tropes with punishing combat. While its side activities may be unremarkable and its serene world more barren than alive, each system feeds into itself. This is done in service to further expand upon Team NINJA’s character-driven combat fantasy, one supplemented by a narrative housed in cultural and political intrigue during one of Japan’s most turbulent periods. Whether looking for a casual, open-world jaunt or a ferocious action-adventure, Rise of the Ronin is steeped in choice.

Rise of the Rōnin is a great action RPG with an intense combat mechanic, a strong and captivating story line and a huge and diverse open world. The weak spot is the balancing. Because despite there being three difficulty levels, some missions and especially some boss fights are too hard, even on the mid and the lowest difficulty setting.

Team Ninja once again shows its quality by further improving an excellent combat system and adapting it to an open world game. Masterfully representing Japan in one of its most troubled periods, in addition to delivering a complete quality package, Rise of the Ronin only fails in technical aspects and in some design decisions that can compromise in the end.

Rise of the Rōnin takes Team Ninja’s formidable combat system and lets it revel in a large open world. Swinging your blade has never felt better due to the number of options available to annihilate your opponent. Even though it follows the expectations of the genre and the visuals are mixed, each step in feudal Japan is exhilarating and pulsates with the spirit of the samurai.

Combat in Rise of the Ronin is far more nuanced than in Ghost of Tsushima, so even after many hours of gameplay you may discover a new aspect to it that will come as a pleasant surprise. [Issue#264,p.68]

Rise of the Ronin is a great action-packed open-world experience that starts very strong but as time goes on, it definitely starts to become repetitious; mostly due to its lack of variety and memorable boss fights. It's still generally a lot of fun, though.

Rise of the Ronin is a challenging open-word souls-like with versatile and flexible combat, as well as a fresh setting.

Great samurai action, set in an average open world.

An open-world game that harnesses the tight pace of Team Ninja’s previous adventures. Smart storytelling that balances historical accuracy with narrative flexibility. [Issue#40, p.80]

Rise of the Ronin surpasses Ghost of Tsushima in many aspects (with the exception of graphics), while offering a highly entertaining slice of Japanese history. And the high level of variation and the plethora of options make Ubisoft managers cry in the closet.

Rise of the Ronin is quite an enjoyable samurai title thanks to the complex combat developed by Team Ninja, which provides ample room for experimentation. Additionally, it features a rather interesting story that keeps you intrigued and eager to reach its conclusion. Although it falls short in its open world, there are many things to appreciate, especially if you're a fan of these sword-wielding warriors.

Fans of developer Team Ninja will enjoy Rise of the Ronin. Everyone else should think beforehand about what exactly they expect from an action RPG. If your answer is an excellent combat system, then take the journey as a Ronin.

Rise of the Ronin is a robust and enjoyable open-world adventure across 19th-century Japan. It features superb combat, an intriguing Bakumatsu-inspired setting, and a world with so much to do. However, its identity feels a little unclear at times and some repetitive missions, plus bumpy visuals, hold it back.

Team Ninja delivers yet another game inspired by the “soulslike” genre. While some of the narrative mechanics and world design feel obsolete, the characters and especially the action are stars of the show. Fights carry the weight of most of the game’s appeal, and if you can see through many of the design downsides, you will probably have an unforgettable action experience.

You may remember Sony’s last samurai-set game, Ghost of Tsushima in 2020. The similarities are legion – both are built on the same open-world template. The US-made Tsushima triumphs on a technical level thanks to sumptuous visuals and Hollywood-like polish. Rise of the Ronin looks at times like something out of the late PS3/early PS4 era, a bit glitchy and twitchy. Yet its intense swordplay and native authenticity imbue it with an absorbing playability that’s hard to ignore.

While Team Ninja's first open-world game felt dated and same as other open-world games in some ways, incredibly successful gameplay, which the team has now mastered, and the fun-to-follow script and characters made me overlook these shortcomings.

Ready your katanas! Rise of the Ronin is a good game that has made some concessions from the Team Ninja quality we are used to to reach different players, but offers it with an open world and advanced storytelling.

The compact world invites you to explore without it feeling like endless work. The complex story branches and the variety of missions between stealth and attack invite you to experiment. Rise of the Ronin might be technically outdated, but it's very entertaining in terms of gameplay.

Rise of the Ronin doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does remove all the thorns that were still there in Nioh's time.

While it is not loaded with the fine depth of Red Dead Redemption 2 or the amazing variety of missions of The Witcher 3, Team Ninja's first open-world take is still an excellent experience, mainly because of its spectacular combat system.

Rise of the Ronin is not a perfect game and has its fair share of flaws, but it still is really impressive. Its landscapes and many scenarios paint the amazing picture of the Edo era in Japan masterfully, and you can add on top of that a gameplay that is incredibly solid mostly thanks to its flawless battle mechanics. Overall, Rise of the Ronin is a game that will satisfy an incredibly wide range of audiences.

Set in mid-19th century Japan, Rise of the Ronin offers an intriguing historical backdrop with solid combat mechanics and engaging side missions. However, its open-world design feels uninspired, lacking meaningful exploration and offering repetitive optional activities. Nevertheless, the game shines in its intense and satisfying combat system, which provides a thrilling samurai experience despite its shortcomings in world-building.

When you look at the complete package, Rise of the Ronin is such a fun and rewarding experience. It might not have the most cinematic narratives or jaw dropping visuals around, but it delivers on everything it attempts. The melting pot of gaming influences makes for a product that is more than the sum of its parts. Much like a lone samurai wandering without a master, Rise of the Ronin cuts its own path while paying homage to the spirit of those who came before it.

Rise of the Ronin really demands that you give it a fair go. It starts off slow and takes a while to get running. Once it does, it's quite fun, with engaging and exciting combat that feels more demanding and intense than I'm used to from an open-world game. It's a big investment up front to find out if the game works for you, and enjoying previous Team Ninja games doesn't necessarily guarantee that you will.

Rise of the Ronin is a solid action RPG that provides a thorough look into the Bakumatsu era of Japan. I enjoy stories about that historical period, so I think a lot of my enjoyment of this game’s narrative stems from that foundation. It is relatively much more grounded than Team Ninja’s previous action RPGs as it contains no mythical, supernatural, or fantastical elements; Rise of the Ronin is a story about humans all the way through. While this title retains the awesome action combat that Team Ninja is known for, its open-world activities lack variety, and much of what it has to offer in that regard has been done before, and even better, in other open-world titles.

It’s safe to say that Rise of the Ronin is perhaps Koei Tecmo’s largest and most ambitious game yet. There’s tens of hours of fun to be had here, living out your fantasy life as a Ronin. Who you ally yourself with and how you develop your character is up to you, and with so many options, you could have a very different experience compared to a friend who is also playing. It’s just a shame that its open world areas aren’t a little more interesting; it ends up diluting the experience on the whole. Still, whether you love open world games, action RPGs or simply like the idea of being a samurai, Rise of the Ronin is worthy of your attention.

Despite some rough patches, it's easy to forgive Rise of the Ronin after how far it's come from its predecessors. It retains many loot-heavy Soulslike traits, but redefines itself as an action-RPG that cares for its world, characters, and player-driven narrative. Whether a Ronin finds themselves perfecting an overpowered build straight out of Nioh 2, giving gifts to raise NPCs’ affections, sniping at an enemy base from their glider, or catching cheaters in a betting game, there's rarely a dull moment. Team Ninja has proven that it can do more than just iterate on Nioh, and fans who get invested in Rise of the Ronin should find plenty to enjoy.

Another memorable samurai fantasy, in which Team Ninja brings its intense combat to the open world. With a much more accessible difficulty and a more believable tone, Rise of the Ronin continues the ideas seen in Nioh and Wo Long.

Rise Of The Ronin has a slow start, but pays off immeasurably for those who stick with it. Few titles can match the frantic thrill of its sword fights, while Bakumatsu proves to be the perfect setting for a choice-driven narrative.

Rise of the Ronin may not win any beauty contests, and Team Ninja could use a crash course in UI design, but this Japanese adventure is a fantastically fun action ride with plenty of swords, severed heads, and political intrigue. And as a bonus - cuddling with kittens!

Rise of the Ronin is certainly Team Ninja's best project to date. A complete game full of good ideas, it could have been rated even higher if it hadn't been so graphically poor - a frustrating flaw, given the game's maximum potential, which makes it hard to justify the price tag. Nonetheless, it remains a good experience, with its qualities and faults, well worth exploring, in a captivating universe faithful to 19th-century Japan, as well as a rather qualitative gameplay that may not suit everyone.

Fans of overcoming obstacles will be happy. If you liked previous Team Ninja games (and Sekiro), don't think twice. A higher accessibility enabled Rise of the Ronin to be one of this studio's best games. If not the best!

As I watched the credits roll, a series of scenes began to play. Some acted as epilogues, informing me of the latest goings-on of my surviving comrades. Others acted as eulogies for those I’d lost, recounting their final moments. While I don’t claim to understand every decision that Team NINJA made, with Rise of the Ronin in need of some refinement, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t moved by the overall experience, perfectly epitomised in those final few moments.

Rise of the Ronin doesn’t offer the photo-realistic visuals of those seen in Ghost of Tsushima, nor does it provide the nail-biting difficulty of Sekiro. Instead, Team Ninja’s samurai epic successfully forges a new path – blending adrenaline-fueled combat, fun traversal mechanics, and a loveable cast of characters, wrapping them all together in a world ripe for exploration. Just like the ronin themselves, Team Ninja’s open-world game is not bound by the old masters of the past – instead, it rises to the challenge set by Sucker Punch and FromSoftware, forging its own path to stand firmly amongst them.

As a Sony-published release, Ronin isn’t quite Team Ninja’s Elden Ring, even if it does evolve its Nioh-like formula, with the help of existing open world formulae. Still, while it’s been great to witness the renaissance of Japanese games these past few years, there’s something special about seeing a Japanese developer stepping up to reclaim the AAA open world samurai game for itself - especially one that cares more about being a video game than a Kurosawa film.

It's difficult to think of Rise of the Ronin as an epoch-making game. Perhaps it will even leave its influence on future soulslikes with its difficulty selector, but it is easier to predict an impact similar to that of Ghost of Tsushima: a game that will be well received by the majority of players, but should not aim for higher flights in terms of awards and lists of required titles.

Rise of the Ronin is another action-heavy success story for samurai heavy-hitters, Team Ninja. The world and setting are perfectly suited to enhance the roleplaying depth of the game’s design as your unnamed hero makes important choices in a divided world. Fun is always at the forefront, even if certain open-world tropes lead to rinse-and-repeat content. This is because the moment-to-moment gameplay, including both traversal and combat, remains delightfully engaging throughout. The dialogue can be hit or miss, but Rise of the Ronin still finds a way to satisfy, in both its big action setpieces as well as those tiny little details.

Rise of the Ronin is going to draw a lot of comparisons as more people get their hands on it, and even though it does take inspiration from a lot of successful games, Team Ninja's work in creating a great action RPG packed with addictive combat, excellent traversal, and a story that keeps you hooked throughout should not be diminished.

Rise of the Ronin takes the right step by offering us an open world along with the Soulslike gameplay that Team Ninja has been implementing in their recent games. It is not an Assassin's Creed since the game points in another direction, but we will have a world full of activities and a fun but challenging combat system. Graphically it is not wonderful but it has enough details that make it look good.

For a game that largely revolves around hunting goons and swinging a sword, Rise of the Ronin presents a surprisingly layered and compelling story, one based carefully on real-life history. There’s a real sense of drama and cinema brought to the game’s depiction of the late Edo period, with each quest drawing you further into its tale.

Accessible, fun, and full of ambition, Rise of the Ronin will have you hooked on its combat no matter what type of player you are - with an exciting story of engaging characters being bloodied icing on the cake. Sure, some of its RPG systems won’t be for everyone, but Team Ninja’s first open-world effort is almost everything you could want from an action-packed samurai game set in Japan.

Rise of the Ronin is a solid open world action adventure that rarely puts a foot wrong, but is unlikely to set the world on fire either.

Rise of the Ronin aims to deliver an epic story filled with well-rounded characters, an open-world adventure, action-filled combat and a presentation taking advantage of current-gen hardware. For the most part, it succeeds. The story is indeed epic, with plenty of intrigue delivered by well-rounded characters, even at the cost of the player character.

Although there are still a few shortcomings, Rise Of the Ronin takes us on a delightful historical journey, with enjoyable gameplay and generous, well-crafted content. We validate this rewriting of Bakumatsu.

Rise of the Ronin masterfully combines a rich historical fantasy narrative with intricate combat mechanics, creating an immersive experience that respects and challenges player choices. Its expansive world and character-driven story offer a depth that goes beyond traditional action games, despite minor traversal issues and graphical hiccups. The game's strength lies in its narrative, testing loyalties and allowing for genuine exploration of its thematic divides. Team Ninja's venture into open-world design showcases their prowess in blending engaging storytelling with rewarding gameplay. Although it faces comparisons to visually stunning titles like Ghost of Tsushima, Rise of the Ronin stands out for its compelling narrative and strategic combat, making it a significant achievement for players seeking depth and complexity.

In feudal times, ronin was a samurai without a master. Being your own master is the feeling delivered by Team Ninja’s newest title Rise of Ronin. Freely roaming huge open world districts with a trusty horse companion, gliding through architecturally stunning cities of 19th century Japan, switching around diverse combat stances, making bonds with true friendS and having epic duels against mighty foes. Moreover this grounded adventure from the Bakumatsu period sprinkled with various creative liberties lets you experience Japan’s grand opening to the world.

Features like Bond and the ability to affect the course of the story do inject new blood into this genre, but despite this Rise of the Rōnin do still suffers from open-world-fatigue as repetition kicks in with time.

Rise of the Ronin may not be the most original or beautiful game, but it has solid combat and a captivating cast of characters. While the gameplay tends to be easy most of the time, I had an overall experience with fun confrontations and a balanced challenge.

A compelling story and a great combat system suffer from a generic open world that offers nothing new or exciting. The change hasn't been good for Team Ninja, but Rise of the Ronin can still delight samurai fans with its characters and battles.

Overall, Rise of the Ronin is assuredly a case of the pros outweighing the cons, but the cons can be tough to brush aside when they arise. For its first major open-world action game, Team Ninja has done a fantastic job here, and the amount of quality-of-life additions present that many similar games add after launch with patches is truly commendable. Having an abundance of fast-travel points and the ability to sprint in and out of combat without draining your stamina, for instance, may seem trivial but they make all the difference.

A refined Team Ninja's action met an open-world experience. While the story unfolds like a grand drama of Japanese history, the limited impact of player choices is a drawback. The inclusion of sensitive real-life figures and the system for building rapport with them may justify the cancellation of the official release in Korea.

Rise of the Ronin is undeniably the largest project of Team Ninja, however, the transition from a linear structure to an open world design is not always for the best. Unfortunately, the element of exploration and discovery is lacking, but at the same time, its combat system is deep and incredibly satisfying. Overall, this marks a first step in a new territory for the company, which has the potential to evolve in something greater if they continue in this path.

Team Ninja's experiment in the open world with Rise of the Ronin leaves a bittersweet taste, although the studio's inexperience in these endeavors is understandable. However, the Japanese studio manages to get away with it thanks to its polished combat system that provides, on several occasions, impressive duels. As I warned, the niche is here for the duels and from that sense you will not be disappointed, apart from that, there are several forgettable elements, but it is a fact that the 2 incentives that I considered during my experience, the development of the story and its combat proposal, are enough to give it a chance.

Rise of the Ronin is bursting with ambition: it wants to tell an important moment in Japanese history in a compelling way in an open game world in which you can lose yourself endlessly. Unfortunately, this does not always work out well and the game feels messy and colorless. Fortunately, Team Ninja's excellent combat saves the day with razor-sharp precision and memorable fights.

Rise of the Ronin fails to impress through its open-world sandbox or graphical fidelity, but it can still provide dozens of hours of fun thanks to a great combat system, an impressive amount of content, and an interesting story.

If you have taken the time to read our article, you have noticed that there are many negative points with Rise of the Ronin, but the game also has good arguments for its defense and to assert itself in relation to the competition, starting with its gameplay, which is the main thing in a video game. Obviously, the game will suffer from comparison with Ghost of Tsushima, which, whatever anyone says, redefined samurai games. Sucker Punch's game was not perfect, but its open world was much better controlled, more enchanting, more captivating and above all more interesting to explore. Rise of the Ronin is a test attempt on the side, with an empty open world, quite flat and ultimately not very interesting to discover. Technically too, it doesn't keep up, and it's even very weak, especially when we know that it is a game developed exclusively on PS5 and that it still required 9 years of production. Team Ninja still has a lot to prove in the field of open world games, but manages to interest people through the richness of its gameplay and its numerous possibilities. We hope that this first attempt will allow the Japanese studio to do better next time.

Rise of the Ronin is a sort of amusement park for samurai, an open world adventure with an excellent combat system, in which the abundance of activities could distract you from a compelling and well-told plot. It's closer to an Assassin's Creed than a Souls-like or one of Team Ninja's previous games and could have been even better if it had been less technically problematic.

In the end, Rise of the Ronin is probably not the Japanese action-adventure game that everyone is waiting for, but it is a solid experience and has more than one trick up its sleeve. The fights are successful (and rely on some pretty crazy richness), the exploration is not very organic but remains enjoyable, and Team Ninja exploits the “Bakumatsu” period well, particularly in its writing… Despite everything, we remain hungry, in particular because of Nioh-like levels which have difficulty making us experience the issues at work! The studio focuses above all on its achievements, even getting tripped up in its quest for balance between requirements and accessibility. Rise of the Ronin remains, however, a good experience.

Rise of the Ronin is satisfying! It offers rich gameplay full of depth, always with a real challenge. Its open world nevertheless remains quite classic and its quests repetitive. Despite everything, we enjoy discovering it throughout the game. A good game overall but which does not revolutionize the formula.

While I don’t think Ronin reinvents the wheel, it has enough style and substance to make me feel like a slick samurai, and if that sounds fun to you, then it’s worth a go.

Rise of the Ronin is a very interesting Action RPG with fun and intense combat, besides a generic open world and repetitive sidequests.

Rise of the Ronin is undoubtedly the most ambitious of the titles developed by Team Ninja up to this point, as well as the riskiest. This is because the vision modeled by the studio led it to face unprecedented challenges in terms of design and technical implementation, deriving from the choice to opt for an open world that frames a more complex narrative structure than that of the previous productions of the Japanese collective. Unfortunately, the aspects that go beyond Team Ninja's "comfort zone" are also the least convincing, in the face of a playful core that reaffirms the developer's talent for creating layered and satisfying combat systems, this time with an eye towards accessibility. The combat system itself is the element that vigorously raises the qualitative balance of Rise of the Ronin, capable of offering hours and hours of martial contests that are as intense as they are exciting. Such is the merit of the combat-progression combo, that it is easy to establish how a more linear structure focused on clashes would have given greater impetus to the proposal, perhaps limiting the technical compromises that the game clearly manifests. Overall, therefore, Rise of the Ronin offers a worthwhile experience, as well as more accessible than the average of Team Ninja's productions, although the route towards the open world has limited the potential of the proposal.

It’s dubious whether the various iniquities of the game are good enough to justify where it goes, especially knowing that all that effort can’t change which way the wind is blowing for Japan by the end.

Whether you are a history nut or an action RPG lover, Rise of the Ronin should be your next choice in a game. You’ll have fun dicing up your enemies while learning about Japan’s rich culture. It’s the perfect combination of the two, and I hope to see more entries like this to dive more into historical content.

Its super fun and smooth gameplay is never repetitive, although the level design could be better. Visually, it is an average ps4 game.

The combat is brutal and amazing to master, but it's bogged down by excessive loot requiring you to be locked into menus for far too long. The setting is interesting and genuinely fun to learn about and explore, but your character's involvement feels almost secondary. It's like a fast-food meal. You'll enjoy the experience while engaging with it, but won't think back on it afterward or get any real nourishment from it.

Rise of the Ronin struggles to find its identity in ways that hinder what would otherwise be one of Team Ninja's finest works. A compelling story told against the backdrop of the 1850s Bakumatsu Period is instead overshadowed by a vapid and uninspired open-world setting and a narrative that rarely feels like the player has agency.

Rise of the Ronin offers an enticing, streamlined take on complex Team Ninja action, but it will prove somewhat disappointing if you're a fan of mechanically rich combat.

Thanks to this brisk pace of play, a constant stream of skill points used to unlock new abilities, and a steady deluge of new equipment and armour that you can use, sell, or disassemble for crafting resources, the sense of progression is both real and satisfying. Once I was on the train, I didn’t want to get off. Still, it does feel like a game with unrealized potential. Players have been spoiled for choice over the last year when it comes to visually breathtaking, narratively rich games with huge and interesting open worlds. Rise of the Ronin is on the outskirts of that conversation rather than in the middle of it. Worth considering, especially for fans of historical epics and solid action, but the competition is stiff.

With great combat, Rise of the Ronin falters trying to be bigger than it should, which ends up taking the focus away from its positives and distracting us with a series of things that don't really matter.

An enjoyable counterpart to Ghost Of Tsushima, with some truly excellent combat, but the bloated open world elements can often suffocate your enjoyment.

In an attempt to expand its player base, Team Ninja ends up diluting the formula it spent so many years refining. Rise of The Ronin stands out for its incredible and precise combat experience, combined with an enticing level design that stands out in an open world stuck in an overly familiar and beaten structure, without any major surprises in store. The story has its ups and downs, caused above all by an inconsistent pace, with characters constantly entering and exiting the stage. The game's performance also leaves something to be desired, especially considering that it's a PlayStation 5 exclusive released in 2024.

Ultimately, Rise of the Ronin will be a mixed bag for people. The combat will carry it for many, but the lack of variety in the open world, messy story, and performance issues will take away from others.

Rise of the Ronin doesn’t have the production values of something like Ghost of Tsushima, but it’s mechanically and thematically superior. If you can handle the choppy frame rate, flat visuals, and stilted performances, you’ll find an open-world game with a lot of heart, a true identity, and plenty of nuances to master.

Rise of the Ronin is charged by Team Ninja’s beloved combat gameplay from recent years, with a politically-charged story where decisions actually feel like they matter. Unfortunately, Team Ninja’s talents lie within gameplay, and the open world design leaves a lot to be desired.

It feels like nobody in Rise of the Ronin is connected to the world or its events, much in the same way most mechanics of the game don’t feel connected to each other. The game is inconsistent and unpolished. Annoying stat-crunching, a poorly handled story, and some really awful boss fights make it feel like a bad Soulslike was bolted on to something that could’ve been so much better. But its traversal mechanics, top-notch side missions, sublime open world, and the varied and likeable characters you can build relationships with all help prop up its weaker elements.

Rise of the Ronin is the most ambitious game of Team Ninja and by far. Much more narrative than its predecessors, it unfortunately takes quite a long time to become really interesting. That's the risk when you want to create fiction when it doesn’t need to. But it is also the fault of an open world far behind a certain Ghost of Tsushima. In the end Rise of the Ronin is an open world game among many others, but with an ultra-dynamic, demanding and very deep gameplay.

In recent years Team Ninja focused on soulslikes, a somewhat niche genre among big-budget games. Rise of the Ronin builds on this previous output, but at the same time opens up to the mass consumer, thanks in part to its open-world structure and lower difficulty level. Although the developers didn't succeed in everything, this attempt can be counted as successful.

Rise of the Ronin is the result of Team Ninja's desire to evolve its pure action-based formula through an open-world structure: at its core, the great strengths remain the same as always, but the paradigm shift has not brought the hoped-for benefits. The combat system is indeed a deep, layered, and accessible amalgamation that delivers excellent sensations, in some ways akin to a fighting game, yet the framework in which it is placed never really manages to serve its purpose. The world-building is classic, the activities are very simplistic, the graphic section and technical execution are absolutely not up to date, while the historical setting is extremely interesting but ends up limiting the scenery and aesthetic design.

Almost nothing in Rise of Ronin is outright bad, but it is Exhibit A in any argument about why action games are not dozens of hours long or why open-world designs do not fit every mold. For all the inspirations the game wears on its sleeve, it never rises above them, and thus feels like a title in search of an identity and desperate for a specific kind of player. It’s sometimes a good time, just not for a long time.

Rise of the Ronin brings the typical game structure of Nioh into a barren open world full of boring fetch quests and repetitive missions. The combat system is once again top notch, but the overall quality of the game certifies a step backward for Team Ninja.

Its combat is fun, its world is worth exploring, and the game itself does a fine job of showing you just (and only just) what it needs to at any given moment. The problem is, it brings very little that's new to the table. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, of course, but it definitely doesn't match a game that clearly had ambitions to be something greater.

It's not without some flaws, but I finished Rise of the Ronin with much more left to do, and even after 50 hours, I want to head back in to see what I'd missed and attempt to change history. The parts of the game that work more than balance out its weaker elements. And while it took a while to find the rhythm of Rise of the Ronin's combat, its speed, complexity, and intensity make for some phenomenal fights that always feel great to win. Rise of the Ronin is a game that might take a bit to get good, but the commitment is worth it.

Rise of the Ronin marries a cool historical setting, Team Ninja’s mastery of tough-but-fair combat, and some smart RPG design to make a game that is immediately compelling, and even more fun with friends. It’s full of cool little touches, whether it’s throwing something at an enemy with the grappling rope or dropping from your glider onto your horse. Unfortunately, it’s also a game full of map clutter, bloated systems, and a truly absurd amount of junk loot, and the time I spent clearing out everything that didn’t spark joy and dealing with all these non-essential systems made me pine for a leaner, meaner, more focused game. Rise of the Ronin is excellent when it has the courage to be itself and lean into its challenging, rewarding fighting; too often, however, it feels stuck in indecision, torn between what it wants to be and what it feels it’s expected to be, and not even the best samurai can overcome that.

Rise of the Ronin has an excellent parrying system that makes its Soulslike gameplay feel challenging, yet fair compared to its contemporaries.

Rise of the Ronin is a fun game that takes so much inspiration from the best in the genre that it doesn't find its own personality or offer anything new.

Rise of the Ronin is a curious blend of Nioh and other similar titles, offering a fresh take on samurai action in the signature Team Ninja style. Despite its somewhat dated technical and design aspects, its phenomenal fast-paced action and combat system will surely resonate with fans of this genre.

Rise of the Ronin has the same tight combat that we have come to expect from Team Ninja. Unfortunately, the action takes place in an empty, sterile open world that even an incredibly fascinating setting cannot breathe life into.

Rise of the Ronin is a case where more isn't always better. It's got varied and challenging combat, a wealth of content, and a wide variety of mechanics in a story that spans over a decade. But while most of the individual components work, many feel unrefined, and their sheer volume doesn't elevate the experience.

While still an apt Souls-like experience, Rise of the Ronin struggles to find its identity amongst Team Ninja's catalogue. It feels like it's being pulled in different directions, and starts to collapse under its own ambition in the third act. In saying this, the DNA of Nioh and Wo Long is palpable here, and I have no doubt that fans of Team Ninja will enjoy this first foray into open world design despite its shortcomings.

The phenomenal combat system is not enough to rave about Rise of the Ronin. The chaotic storyline, boring open world, clunky gameplay and outdated graphics distract too much from what works well in Team Ninja’s latest game.

Rise of the Ronin is defined by that divide. Its combat system and historical setting give it a strong foundation, with occasional moments that genuinely stand out. At the same time, its formulaic open-world design and weak character development fail to build on those strengths. RPGamers should expect a game that offers rewarding combat and an engaging setting, weighed down by a predictable structure, pacing issues, and an incoherent story.

Direct comparisons don't do Ronin any favours. Its grappling is reminiscent of Sekiro, but the procedure never feels as urgent or dynamic as it does in From's game. Its combat follows rhythms previously explored in the Nioh series and also Wo Long, but it rarely feels any more refined, nor more satisfying... But it is consistently charming. [Issue#397, p.102]

I wanted to love this game, anyone who knows me knows that I love samurai, ninjas, swords and the like, I was just bored by this game sadly. Rise of the the Rōnin doesn’t feel like a game that is worth $70 in my opinion, it is a hodgepodge mix of some of gaming’s biggest trends lately but never amounts to the sum of those parts.

Anyone wanting a semi-RPG, semi-hack and slash, semi-historical epic, semi-action adventure game will probably find something to enjoy here. I was just never able to find that spark within Rise of the Ronin, and am glad that I am finished with it now.

Rise of the Ronin is a competent open-world game that suffers from too much bloat. While there are story pacing problems and too many meaningless interactions, Rise of the Ronin is the best iteration of Nioh’s systems translated into an open-world game.

Much of what you can experience in Rise of the Ronin has been done better elsewhere. Team Ninja picked the wrong edges to smooth off. Rather than go down the Elden Ring road of allowing freedom of exploration and discovery to balance out the challenge of combat, Rise of the Ronin instead takes a step backwards to the era of rigid open-world games that put players on treadmills, and train them to expect rewards when the bell rings. It's a disappointing change of stance from Team Ninja, and one that could leave them open to an unfortunately mortal blow.

In spite of solid combat and fun traversal, Rise of the Ronin is, unfortunately, Team Ninja's most underwhelming game in years.

Rise of the Ronin isn't necessarily an awful game, it's just one that's quite unremarkable. When this project was first unveiled back in 2022, I was ecstatic to see Team Ninja tackle the open-world genre and was curious to see how the studio would bring its own unique ideas to this format. Instead, virtually nothing that Team Ninja has done with Rise of the Ronin is enough to set itself apart from a growing deluge of games in the genre. With so many other titles to choose from in this space, there are far better options that warrant your time and attention.

Rise of Ronin is not a bad game, but a mediocre one. Everything it does, from world building to combat system, story and mechanics both in and out of combat is well made and works. But there's nothing here that hasn't been done better in other games, or that you won't find a better version of elsewhere.

Rise of the Ronin isn't a bad game; it's something debatably worse: completely forgettable. With dated open world design and a monotonous narrative, the cracking combat of a Team Ninja title is left to try and pick up the pieces. It manages to get the title in acceptable shape, and with its Bonds system and culture clash, just about forms an experience one could enjoy. Where it falls apart is the fact the open world is so intrinsically linked to all these features and mechanics that it's impossible to find pleasure in them for any respectable length of time. Rise of the Ronin is designed to attract a wider audience than Team Ninja titles past; what they find might put them off for good.

Rise of the Ronin is a fine open world adventure that never elevates itself to greatness. Fun Team Ninja combat will drag you through, but pointless open world fluff and questionable visuals sadly result in 'just another' open world game.

Rise of the Rōnin's open world is vast and content-rich, but it's a case of quantity over quality that's only partially rescued by the unambitious but technically adequate combat.

Rise of the Ronin is a much better game in theory than it is in practice, falling short with outdated graphics, hackneyed combat and painfully generic characters.