Rise of the Ronin Reviews
Despite its shortcomings, trust me when I say it: Ronin’s gameplay, bosses, and traversal mechanics keep you hooked until the end.
Rise of the Rōnin is certainly not the masterpiece we were hoping for, but it’s extremely close to being one. What you’re already getting with the intriguing story, outstanding weaponry, excellent combat, refined mechanics, and so on are more than enough to provide a phenomenally gripping, historical, action-packed RPG experience.
Rise of the Ronin is turning out to be a great souls-like with endless potential and a brilliant story to match. There’s a beautifully detailed world to explore and the unforgiving combat that all hardcore gamers crave, but there’s also so much room for improvement, and a lot of pruning is needed. The cluttered map and the neverending junk loot are two of the biggest factors that dull the experience, but if you can overlook those issues, there’s a massive world to see and a lot of new challenges that await you in Japan.
After many hours playing The Rise of Ronin, it is undeniable that it bears many similarities to titles such as Ghost of Tsushima, Sekiro Shadows Die Twice and Nioh. It may be inferior to them in certain aspects, but it also surpasses its peers in several aspects. More than that, it offers an original and rich experience, full of unique and competent elements. Not only is the adventure engaging, but it can be shaped according to the player's decisions. The gameplay is even more flexible and satisfying, with many types of weapons, combos, projectiles, items and equipment to obtain and master, all of them well implemented. There are many activities to entertain yourself, from photography to hunting powerful bandits. The few flaws are (far) outweighed by the positive qualities, making the title a practically mandatory addition to your gaming library.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Rise of the Ronin may not become the benchmark game of this generation, but it offers a more than interesting experience. The title offers a combat system that is difficult to master, and which should satisfy even the most demanding players. Neophytes, meanwhile, are not left out in the cold, as the game remains very accessible, whether through cooperative play or the ability to choose the difficulty level at any time. All in all, the story of this period plunges the player into an entertaining adventure that blends numerous genres to our great delight, despite a few minor flaws.
Review in French | Read full review
Rise of the Ronin puts you into the role of a masterless samurai amidst the chaos of war, disease and political unrest of 19th century Japan. Reviewed on PS5. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes. Rise of the Ronin is a fusion of many influences aimed at creating something more than the sum of its parts. A game that stands tall, echoing the spirit of its predecessors while carving its own path.
Rise of the Ronin is a fantastic adventure with a branching story, challenging combat that rewards mastery, and a beautiful open world. The stunning visuals, entertaining characters and world filled to the brim with engaging quests will keep you hooked, but beware the uneven voice acting and overflowing loot!
Rise of the Ronin genuinely disappointed me. It was, above all else, BORING, which is a cardinal sin of video game design. The disjointed mechanics and inability to step firmly into a genre or style hamstrings what could have been a solid game, and leaves it feeling incredibly disjointed and unpleasant to play. Every time I sat down to boot up Rise of the Ronin was a chore, and video games should never feel that way.
Rise of the Ronin is another cracking PS5 exclusive.
Rise of Ronin was a game that started at a slow pace and opened up as you progressed, combining a more simplified version of Nioh 2's awesome combat system with an open-world formula, which fell short of my expectations, but I still had a good time.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Rise of the Ronin presents a deep and complex combat system set against the backdrop of Japan's Bakumatsu period, offering a unique blend of historical immersion and challenging gameplay. However, its ambitious mechanics are somewhat overshadowed by an overwhelming tutorial system, lifeless urban environments, and inconsistent voice acting. Despite these drawbacks, the game rewards players who persevere with a richly rewarding combat experience, especially through its intricate parry system.
The latest from Team Ninja is an ambitious period adventure in which the rigorous approach to combat is once again the highlight, and the most enjoyable.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Rise of the Ronin is an experience worth living, not only for the rich action, but also for the story itself which is interesting and offers a perspective on the Japan of that time.
Review in Greek | Read full review
The good times continue to roll in 2024, with Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo's Rise of the Ronin adding to the amazing selection of action role-playing games available on the PlayStation 5. Whether you are engaging in its fantastic combat or diving into the rabbit hole of Japanese history, every hour spent in this world is always meaningful and fun. Just avoid looking too closely and getting stuck in tight spaces, and you will definitely have a great time as a ronin determining the course of history.
Rise of the Ronin is therefore a very strong first game in a new IP. It's the Assassin's Creed in Japan that we've been looking for for years. It manages to create an epic story where choices really matter. The gameplay is deep and manages to find a nice balance in terms of difficulty and challenge. The game is extremely ambitious with sixty hours for the story and packed with various options, but this does come with a few downsides. Graphically, the game is less strong and exploring the many extra assignments and missions feels very repetitive. The many bosses and characters are similar and lack creativity. The three regions are not different enough, but the game still manages to keep you interested for sixty hours. It manages to tempt you into another mission every time. I can't wait to dive back into the game and see what I missed because of my many choices.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
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.
Review in German | Read full review
Rise of the Ronin has an excellent combat system and a somewhat dark narrative but the game's dull world and mediocre quest design take away from the best mechanics on offer here. It all starts to blend together into a mindless sandbox game that offers little excitement.
Rise of Ronin is a mindblowing action-adventure open-world RPG set at the end of the Shogun Era. While the game may have soul-like elements, not the difficulty, allowing more people to enjoy the game. Inspired by many mechanics from Nioh titles, the game boasts to have a compelling story with the freedom of shaping your future under your control. Rise of Ronin also excels with fluid combat and amazing sights but slightly lacks in matching the current generation graphics.
Rise of the Ronin takes you to an exciting time in Japanese history. However, that says it all. Rise of the Ronin borrows many elements from well-known games such as Assassin's Creed and Nioh. The combat can be relatively frustrating due to the different styles you have to learn. There is also a lot to experience in the open world, but it is not always beautiful or challenging. Rise of the Ronin is therefore primarily a game where you can enjoy yourself for a short time.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
"Rise of the Ronin treads too closely with games we have already experienced."