Rise of the Ronin
- March 22, 2024
- Team NINJA
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.
Get on PS Store"Rise of the Ronin" is an action-packed game set in 1863 Japan, where a lone warrior must navigate through turmoil and make critical decisions that will shape the country's fate. With deep and accessible combat, players can engage in close-quarters combat or fight from a distance using authentic period weaponry. The story is dynamic, offering multiple choices and alliances that lead to different outcomes.
Reviews
- The combat system is engaging and offers a deep learning curve, allowing for various fighting styles and customization options.
- The game features a rich open world with beautiful graphics and a variety of activities, including side quests and character interactions that enhance the gameplay experience.
- Players can form meaningful relationships with NPCs, which adds depth to the story and gameplay, making choices impactful.
- The graphics are often criticized as being outdated, resembling those of previous generation consoles, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Some players find the combat mechanics overly reliant on parrying, leading to a frustrating learning curve and repetitive gameplay.
- The story is considered shallow and lacks the emotional depth found in similar titles, making it less engaging for players seeking a compelling narrative.
- story56 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story features a blend of engaging character relationships and decision-making that can significantly impact the narrative, including the potential for NPCs to live or die based on player choices. While the setting in 1800s Japan offers a unique backdrop, some players find the overall plot to be shallow and repetitive, with a mix of enjoyable side quests and frustrating pacing issues. Despite these criticisms, many appreciate the depth of lore and the emotional connections formed with characters, making the story a notable aspect of the gameplay experience.
“The story is very well told.”
“The story is super engaging, the choices you make actually matter, the lore is deep and the combat is a lot of fun.”
“From story missions with branching paths, side quests, mini games, forming bonds with allies, photography, crafting, etc. Rise of the Ronin 2 is much more than a hack’n’slash game.”
“The story gets way too complicated, loses itself, and seems to forget or contradict previous plot points.”
“Characters you ally with aren’t really that interesting, with generic NPC dialogue, and the overall plot is just gathering people to your side for an end battle.”
“Gameplay loop gets repetitive as all main story missions play out the same, with only motivation to get higher stat gear, as the story is very generic and uninteresting for the most part.”
- graphics44 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful visuals and intricate details, while others criticize them as outdated, likening them to PS3 or even PS2 quality. Despite occasional glitches, many players find the graphics acceptable and not a deal breaker, especially when considering the enjoyable gameplay. Overall, while the graphics may not meet the high standards set by other recent titles, they still contribute to an immersive experience in the game's setting.
“The graphics are top notch in this game!”
“Ghost of Tsushima: Pros: breathtaking visuals: from sweeping landscapes to intricate details in armor and weaponry, Ghost of Tsushima sets a new standard for visual storytelling.”
“Incredible graphics, stunning gameplay, 100+ hours of fun activities to do, gorgeous male and female characters you can create in this masterpiece samurai world, interesting story and lovable characters you can build relationships with, world-class music and so on.”
“Despite the graphics being more in line with PS3/PS4 generation games, there are some fun & cool mechanics, but ultimately the game is rather boring & repetitive, making it difficult to forgive the horribly dated graphics.”
“Last, the graphics... way to go, you guys literally had 8 years to move this onto another engine, but no, you chose to produce it knowing that the engine in your prior games has a lot of issues with LOD and asset issues.”
“The graphics are so bad it's not playable; I thought I turned my PS2 on with this game.”
- gameplay23 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Gameplay in both "Ghost of Tsushima" and "Rise of the Ronin" offers a mix of engaging mechanics, including stealth and combat, but opinions vary widely. While some players praise the immersive world and polished gameplay, others criticize the repetitive nature of missions and dated graphics, leading to a sense of boredom over time. Overall, the gameplay is seen as enjoyable but can become monotonous, with a reliance on familiar open-world tropes and mechanics.
“Gameplay is phenomenal, everything I wanted in a samurai open world game.”
“Stealth mechanics: players can embrace the way of the ninja, utilizing stealth and deception to overcome challenges and foes.”
“Gameplay is great and love how it has a different selection of weapons to use.”
“Also, because it goes on for so long, the gameplay which started fun, is beyond repetitive and becomes boring.”
“Bad graphics, bad and repetitive gameplay and none of the magic from the Nioh games.”
“Gameplay loop gets repetitive as all main story missions play out the same with only motivation to get higher stat gear as the story is very generic and uninteresting for the most part.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unfulfilling, often feeling like a repetitive chore that detracts from the overall experience. While the scenes and stories are appreciated, the gameplay lacks excitement and can feel like a slog rather than an engaging journey. Comparisons to other titles, like Sega's "Like a Dragon: Samurai," highlight a desire for more meaningful progression.
“Constantly sorting through it all is tedious.”
“Nice scenes and stories, but the gameplay is just too tedious.”
“Rather than getting a sense of growing anticipation as I approached the (apparent) conclusion, it sometimes felt a bit like a tedious slog.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its attention to detail and depth, appealing particularly to samurai enthusiasts. However, some users feel that the narrative lacks the emotional resonance and depth found in titles like Ghost of Tsushima, resulting in a somewhat shallow experience.
“Its attention to detail and emotional depth make it a must-play for any samurai enthusiast.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
While the game features engaging combat and a well-told main story, some players have encountered technical issues, including bugs and performance problems, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, performance is generally good, but these issues may affect some users.
“The combat is great, the missions are fun, the main story is told very well, and the performance is excellent.”
“Technical issues: Some players have reported bugs and performance problems that detract from the overall experience.”
“The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
“Many users have experienced long loading times and crashes, which severely impact the enjoyment of the game.”
- music2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, described as "world class" and a pleasure to listen to, enhancing the overall experience of the stunning graphics and engaging gameplay. It contributes significantly to the immersive atmosphere of the samurai world, making it a standout feature alongside the interesting story and character relationships.
“The OST is a pleasure to listen to.”
“World-class music and so on…”
“Incredible graphics, stunning gameplay, and gorgeous music make this a masterpiece.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, user feedback on stability is mixed; while some players report encountering bugs, many others have experienced minimal glitches during gameplay.
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
“There are numerous bugs that disrupt gameplay, and the developers seem slow to address them.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively balances its darker themes with well-timed humor, providing moments of levity that prevent the tone from becoming overly grim.
“Just when you think the game is getting too gritty or serious, they manage to throw in something suitably humorous or uplifting.”
“The witty dialogue and clever puns kept me laughing throughout my entire playthrough.”
“I love how the game balances intense moments with hilarious character interactions that never feel forced.”
Critic Reviews
Rise Of The Rōnin Review
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.
60%Rise of the Ronin Review | PlayStation 5
Rise in an interesting cut of Japanese history while bringing down a greater threat than anticipated.
80%Rise of the Rōnin
Crossed Swords
70%
