Rise of the Ronin Reviews
Rise of the Ronin is one of those games that is filled with many strengths and weaknesses. Combat is extremely engaging and fun, but on the other hand, its world is too shallow, story is disappointing and visuals are outdated. You can enjoy it, but keep your expectations low.
Review in Persian | Read full review
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.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
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 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 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.
A successful attempt by Team Ninja to make a game in an open world. Even though there is little innovation here, it is not boring to follow the story (and influence it) and fight in fierce battles for dozens of hours.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Rise of the Ronin provided the best encounters and combat system Team Ninja ever provided in a recent memory, but it's open world is devoid of life or points of interest
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Team Ninja's open-world experiment with Rise of the Ronin leaves a bittersweet taste, but the studio's inexperience in that journey is understandable. In short, the delivery is far from what this type of game is today and its great exponents; However, the Japanese studio manages to get away with its polished combat system delivering impressive duels on several occasions. As I warned, the niche is here for the duels and, in that sense, you won't 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.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Rise of the Rōnin is a very solid game though it still suffers from open-wrld-fatigue and a feel of repitition after spending enough time with it. Still, the Bond feature and the ability to alter the course of the story are a very welcomed additions to this type of game.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
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 the Ronin. Freely roaming huge open world districts with trusty horse companion, gliding throughout architecturally stunning cities of 19th century Japan, switching around diverse combat stances, making bonds with true friend and have epic duels against mighty foes. Moreover this grounded adventure from Bakumatsu period sprinkled with various creative liberties let's you experience Japan's grand opening to the world.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Team Ninja once again shows its quality by further improving an excellent combat system and adapting this to an open-world game. Masterfully representing Japan in one of its most troubled periods, in addition to delivering a complete package of quality, Rise of the Ronin only fails in technical aspects and in some design decisions that can compromise in the end.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Rise of the Ronin, in its entirety, is a Jack of all trades and master of none. It is a sampler platter of many design ideas stitched together, held in place with a captivating story and likable characters. If you are a fan of Team Ninja’s unique blend of combat and/or the time period this game takes place, then you are in for a treat. Just know that combat won’t be forgiving and you probably won’t like all the busy work. But barring all that, it is worth a couple of playthroughs just to see where the story possibilities go even if you can’t change history in the way you would’ve liked.
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. 🏯
Despite some flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Rise of the Ronin. It’s an excellent action RPG, especially for fans of the Nioh series and Wo Long, and it avoids the content bloat that plagues many other open-world titles. The main story can be completed in around 20 hours, but overall, there’s easily four to five times the amount of content to explore. Additionally, it serves as a great entry point for those who have wanted to try a Team Ninja game without immediately throwing their controller towards the wall. Personally, I can’t think of a better starting point!
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Rise of the Ronin is a game created from a concoction of our favourite Samurai-inspired games. While it can give you a sense of déjà vu during your playtime, the game ultimately carves its own path and follows its own direction in the soulslike genre. The game is held back graphically but is redeemed through its enjoyable story and gameplay.
After my time in the Bakumatsu period, Rise of The Ronin reminded me of the often-overlooked Days Gone. Like the Bend title, Team Ninja's latest work shares many strengths and weaknesses: a derivative structure and questionable technical polish, but it’s incredibly fun gameplay hides some of its uncertainties. Crossing blades with other ronin and historical figures offers palpable joy, making up for the less impressive visuals and a weak enemy AI. If you're ready to compromise with a familiar structure, this journey in late 19th century Japan can surprise you. It may not be perfect, but it's undeniably fun.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
Rise of the Ronin is certainly not an ideal title. The developers, in their attempt to create an open-world game, should have looked towards a better authority than Ubisoft for inspiration. An open world shouldn't be an excuse to inundate players with a hundred identical activities. It has strong-points, and it's not a bad game, but there was definitely the potential to create something excellent and memorable.
Review in Polish | Read full review
There is a lot to love in Rise of the Ronin and it is a valiant first crack at an open world for Team Ninja. The gameplay and combat shine the brightest here. It does a good job of keeping you in the flow of combat. The side content is a checklist of things to do, but it serves its purpose to supplement the combat, which is a frenetic and brutal dance.
Discussing "too much of a good thing" in a review of an open world game can lead to misunderstandings, especially for those who only pay attention to the final comments and score. For this reason, we want to clearly emphasize the point. The open world of Rise of the Ronin is incredibly well-crafted. What feels excessive are the ludo-narrative variables related to the choices and freedoms given to the player. It may not be Team Ninja's most focused title (Nioh and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty are more structured and precise in what they offer). It won't be the definitive crowning achievement of the studio in the pantheon of developers because the highlighted criticisms stem from "immature" choices that limit the proverbial "next step" in their growth. However, if there’s one thing the Japanese team excels at, it’s creating increasingly satisfying and exhilarating combat systems. Even starting from mechanics we’ve seen before, they manage to deliver something new and more enjoyable every time. And Rise of the Ronin is precisely that: the most satisfying, exhilarating, and fun title from Team Ninja, despite everything.
Review in Italian | Read full review