Rise of the Ronin Reviews
While Rise of the Ronin suffers from outdated and unattractive graphics, the story and gameplay more than make up for it with a wealth of varied and interesting content available paired with good storytelling that keeps players engaged and wanting to know more. Fans of Team Ninja may be disappointed from the step down in combat quality, but nonetheless it is an enjoyable title that we can recommend at full price.
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 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
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 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.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
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 Ronin is a great open world game but it has many flawss in things like its mission design and graphic presentation. Although is another good reason to have a PS5.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Rise of the Ronin is Team Ninja's first open-world game and arguably their most ambitious title to date. We will travel through a part of Feudal Japan during the last years of the Edo period and we will be indirect participants in one of the most turbulent historical periods of the country of the rising sun while we pursue our own objective. Team Ninja has known how to tell the story and introduce us to it brilliantly, and has given us its best combat system to date, however the open world that it offers us beyond being historically achieved, only fulfills and visually does not take advantage of the system power. Despite this, Rise of the Ronin is still a highly recommended and enjoyable game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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
If you're not careful with a sharp katana, you risk cutting yourself. Luckily, Rise of the Ronin unsheathes itself with a sublime combat and a very attractive story for lovers of the most samurai Japan. There are significant shortcomings, but Team Ninja makes a much more precise cut than imagined with this ambitious game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Rise of the Ronin is an immersive open-world title that does a lot of work to value the time of its players, making for a rewarding journey.
Rise of the Ronin uses exciting combat and character-driven story scenes to tell the story of one of the most interesting periods of Japanese history. Between slightly different combat and an open world with a ton of extra activities, it doesn't quite fit into the soulslike mold and is a far more accessible game for it.
Rise Of The Ronin is a deep insight into the history of Japan from the perspectives of many individuals while also carrying its own parallel narrative of your character. A massive feat in itself. The open world is full of things to do and the combat is strategically paced but also refreshing as you upgrade it with your stances, equipment and skill trees. Any issues I had with this title were very surface-level and didn’t ruin my time at all. Rise Of The Ronin was an intriguing horse in the race of games so far this year, and I lapped up everything it had to give. It might be more subtle from Team Ninja but it’s just as impressive.
Rise of the Ronin’s blend of thrilling strategic combat and intriguing player-driven storytelling ensures it stands out as another hit for the PlayStation 5. It can be a bit guilty of being by the numbers with its open world design, but at the same time offers a satisfying sense of discovery as well as plenty of excitement to ensure it doesn’t grow tiring for the player. And come on, who doesn’t want to use a grappling hook or glider to get around? It’s definitely not as pretty to look at as some of the other big PlayStation 5 console exclusives, but it always delivers where it matters most: the gameplay. The combat is some of the best we’ve seen from Team Ninja, the world is enthralling to uncover, whilst the decisions you make will genuinely shape how your journey unfolds in satisfying ways.
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 is another cracking PS5 exclusive.
Rise Of The Ronin is Team Ninja's best title to date, perhaps on par with Nioh 2. It's not the most revolutionary title, but the developer continues to shape the Souls-like genre into their own distinctive style and that continues with this latest game. If you're looking for a meaty historical open-world game that's not too difficult but still provides a bit of a challenge, Rise Of The Ronin is that game.
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.
An ambitious open-world action-RPG with fast-paced combat, choice-based storytelling and a variety of gameplay systems that keep the experience fresh.
