Rise of the Ronin Review – A Bloated But Bloody Good Time

The developer responsible for Ninja Gaiden and Nioh has taken their extensive knowledge of brutal, bloody combat and affixed it to an expansive open-world adventure set in 19th century Japan. Rise of the Ronin pitches a combo that evokes excitement, blending a violent crossing of blades with a well-realized fictional recreation of the late Edo period. There’s much to love about what Team Ninja have put together, even if certain components shine far brighter than others.

Japan finds itself brimming with tension and conflict as it reopens itself to foreign powers, such as the United States. The political friction borne from the situation is immense, and it sets the stage for the impending Boshin war between the Tokugawa Shogunate and anti-shogunate factions opposed to the effects of foreign influence. That’s where a group known as the Veiled Edge comes in. Two of their members, the player-created Blade Twins, are believed to be the solution to the problem and are directed to assassinate a prominent American figure. However, this endeavor goes awry, leaving the Veiled Edge eradicated and only one surviving Blade Twin. Or at least they initially believe they are the sole survivor, but new mysteries arise that make them question this belief and seek definitive answers.

Live by the Blade

From here, the protagonist ventures out, no clan to their name, as a sword for hire, and there’s no shortage of work. It doesn’t take long for our wandering ronin to get roped into the tug-of-war between the shogunate and anti-shogunate factions. You’ll meet a wide variety of characters, many of which you can form Bonds with. Bonds are essentially a reputation system, but Rise of Ronin raises the stakes. Not only will you create allies and enemies throughout the story, these fragile relationships add weight to the decisions made. I often found myself questioning which course of action was best based on how it would affect the friendships I had spent time cultivating through side missions and gift giving. Gaining extra face time with these digital buddies was also heightened by their ability to be selected, and directly controlled (if desired), in certain missions.

The missions themselves range from stealthy assassinations to all-out showdowns to procuring special bourbon for the purpose of facilitating political favor. The gameplay flow is reminiscent of Ghost of Tsushima, albeit less focused, with the staple combat stylings of Nioh. Combat is fast, frantic and flows well once the various mechanics are understood. Basic attacks can be augmented with Martial Skills, special moves that can help change the outcome of a battle. Of course, enemies can use these maneuvers, too. When a red aura surrounds a foe, that’s the signal that one of these attacks is imminent.

Such powerful offensive abilities often cannot be blocked with simple guarding. Instead, timely dodging or the parry system, labeled as Counterspark, must be used. A successful Counterspark deflects the would-be devastating assault and takes a chunk of the enemy’s Ki. Ki is both a stamina bar and a stagger gauge, and it limits both the player and their opposition. Swinging wildly will spend Ki needlessly and failing to effectively use the Blade Flash ability at the end of combos to regain Ki both result in opening up the protagonist to being stunned. Likewise, a target’s Ki can be fully depleted through melee and ranged attacks, Martial Skills and successful Countersparks. Once depleted, the foe’s stance is broken and they become vulnerable to Critical Hits, which play special animations depending on the wielded weapon.

There’s a lot of depth to Rise of Ronin‘s combat, although it does become a bit unwieldy at times given how much is going on. Two melee (ex: katanas, sabers, paired swords, spears) and two ranged weapons (ex: revolvers, rifles, bows, shuriken) can be slotted at the same time. Swapping between these requires holding a bumper and using the up or down arrows on the D-pad to switch. Additionally, performing that swap mid-combo results in a Flash Attack that seamlessly transitions to the other primary weapon. Add in the fact that each primary weapon can have three combat styles slotted and swapped between using a combination of a bumper and the right stick—much like Flash Attacks, well-timed execution of stance swapping initiates a Violent Gale—and there’s a lot to keep in mind in the heat of battle. This is without even touching on the other options, including a battle-ready grappling hook, aerial takedowns (both via jumping and an early glider unlock), various status ailments, flaming sword affinities stemming from countered gunfire and explosives, and more.

Overused and Overdone

Needless to say, Team Ninja has outfitted Rise of the Ronin with numerous bells and whistles to make combat as deep as you’re willing to explore. It may be cumbersome at first, but eventually a rhythm sets in and the finger gymnastics taking place on the controller begin feeling like second nature. That excessive approach, while appreciated at points, also extends to the open world design. Here, the offerings are less exciting, as the game falls into the common and tired tropes of open world design. The map is littered with a plethora of icons designating busy work, most of which fails to possess the engagement found in the main missions. Repetitive activities span the entirety of the large zone, as do a host of collectibles. It evokes the trends of the PS3/Xbox 360 era of game design, specifically that often found tied to exhausting Ubisoft games.

The other egregious offender comes in the form of the loot system. I mean, sweet lordy, you’d think Team Ninja was aligning Rise of the Ronin with looter shooters. The sheer amount of gear the game throws at you every second is absurd, and all but guarantees you’ll be spending ample time clearing a maxed out inventory at regular intervals. Worse yet, the flood of loot isn’t all that exciting. Visually, there are some standouts for those pursuing the fashion endgame, but it’s mostly digging through incremental stat boosts and/or aligning set bonuses to hone a particular playstyle. It’s excessive, to say the least, and it draws attention away from the more compelling parts of the game.

Even though Rise of the Ronin throws so at the board, a fair portion still sticks. After overcoming the learning curve, the combat system provides a deep, engaging experience. Throw in the fact that allies can be swapped out for a real-life co-op partner on countless missions and the good times only increase. It may not be the most imaginative use of an open world to date, but its strengths do shine through the pile of filler.

Rise of the Ronin Review Verdict

[Editor’s Note: Rise of the Ronin was reviewed on PC, and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.]