With games like Ninja Gaiden, Nioh, and most recently – Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo's approach to “action games” is well defined. He always refers to action games with a high level of difficulty where timing to parry will determine how big your strategic advantage is when fighting, which also sometimes comes with an abundant loot system. However, there are new challenges that are ready to approach the latest title they created together with Sony for the Playstation 5 – Rise of the Ronin. No longer just an action game that moves from one level to another, Team Ninja has finally dived into the open-world concept.
From the various screenshots and trailers they released, Rise of the Ronin does look like an interesting evolution from the cool hands of Team Ninja. Moreover, they now also seem to be starting to focus on offering quality stories rather than just “passing” ones like NioH, for example, which was never the main attraction. Rise of the Ronin is even ready to build the story based on one of the most critical eras in Japanese history, which also involves several well-known figures and all kinds of conflicts in it. This is certainly an interesting and worrying combination at the same time.
So, what does Rise of the Ronin actually offer? Why do we call it a game that will show you a Japan burning on the sword of a wanderer? This review will discuss it in more depth for you.
Plot
You play as one of the members of Veiled Edge.
Rise of the Ronin will allow you to choose one of two characters whose stories are tied to each other. Regardless of which character you choose, male or female, he will still follow the same main storyline.
You will act as one of the twins who had to find their village burned down because of the actions of the Shogunate at that time, which also took the lives of their loved ones. Raised and cared for by a swordsman who carries the name “Bladesmith”, the two of them were then given the task of eliminating the Shogunate as “Veiled Edge” which made it their main mission. However, one of the missions you have to carry out is actually the beginning of a tragedy. You had to separate from your twin brother – the Blade Twin and lost your village.
Your contact with several characters means you cannot avoid the vortex of Japanese politics which is currently heating up.Your knowledge of Blade Twin's survival immediately makes it a priority for your mission.
Now that you no longer have a home, you wander as a Ronin. However, as you can predict, your meetings with many characters, especially Ryoma Sakamoto, actually make you drawn into the vortex of Japanese political war at that time, which was just opening itself up to western influences. You are also one of the spearheads of the struggle of many parties, both those who are pro and anti the Shogunate. However, all of this ended up only being a stepping stone to rediscovering the Blade Twin who, it turns out, was still alive.
What is Ronin's role here?
So, what was your role in Japanese politics at that time? Who are the characters you will meet, support or oppose? What was the fate of your meeting with the Blade Twin? Of course you have to play Rise of the Ronin to get the answers to these questions.