Another Samurai Enters the Ring
When Team Ninja announced Rise of the Ronin, it instantly drew comparisons to Ghost of Tsushima—and who could blame anyone? Samurai, sweeping landscapes, dramatic sword duels... it checks all the same boxes. But where Ghost romanticized the samurai code, Rise of the Ronin seeks to deconstruct it, placing you in a morally complex world teetering between tradition and modernity.
So, the million-yen question: Is Rise of the Ronin just a copycat, or does it carve its own legendary path? Strap on your katana—we’re diving deep.
🗡️ 1. Story: A Nation Divided, A Ronin Torn
Set in late-Edo period Japan, Rise of the Ronin drops you into the chaos of the Bakumatsu—the twilight of the samurai era, as Western influence clashes with ancient traditions. Unlike Ghost of Tsushima’s heroic revenge narrative, this story is far more grey and morally ambiguous.
You play a customizable ronin who’s neither a noble hero nor a cold mercenary. Your choices—who to ally with, who to betray, and which ideology to support—shape not just your fate but the world around you. Think Witcher 3-style branching consequences but with more katana and less kaiju.
🧠 What makes it hit? It’s not about honor. It’s about survival, politics, and legacy. A deep dive into Japan’s identity crisis—told through your sword and soul.
⚔️ 2. Combat: A Symphony of Steel
Let’s cut to the chase—the combat slaps. Team Ninja (famed for Nioh) brings its signature difficulty and fluid mechanics to Rise of the Ronin, but tones it down just enough for a wider audience.
You can:
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Switch between multiple combat stances
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Parry with pinpoint precision
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Equip a deadly arsenal of melee and ranged weapons (yes, rifles and shurikens coexist)
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Engage in intense 1v1 duels reminiscent of classic samurai cinema
🎯 The duels feel intimate and deadly. Every swing matters. Every parry can save your life. The AI is aggressive and reactive—expect to be punished for sloppiness.
But here's the kicker: no stamina bar. Instead, a posture system governs the flow of battle, forcing you to stay aggressive yet measured.
Compared to Ghost of Tsushima, Rise of the Ronin is more tactical and challenging—closer to Sekiro in soul, but with more player freedom.
🧭 3. Open World: Gritty, Grounded, and Gorgeous
Gone are the mythical fox shrines and wind-guided trails of Tsushima. Rise of the Ronin presents a grittier, more grounded Japan—complete with bustling port cities, crumbling villages, treacherous forests, and foreign legations.
Highlights include:
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Kyoto’s cobbled alleys, pulsing with political tension
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Yokohama’s industrial docks, crawling with foreign emissaries and shady deals
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Snow-capped mountains where monks and mercenaries coexist
🌅 Day-night cycles and dynamic weather play more than aesthetic roles—they impact patrols, NPC schedules, and stealth opportunities.
🐎 Mounts and gliders add verticality and speed, while grappling hooks bring a Batman-meets-samurai flavor to exploration.
This is not a postcard version of Japan. It’s dirty, divided, and dangerous—and all the more compelling for it.
🧩 4. RPG Systems: Deep Customization, Real Consequences
Unlike the relatively linear Ghost of Tsushima, Rise of the Ronin goes full RPG.
🛡️ You can:
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Create your own ronin (appearance, voice, gender, fighting style)
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Choose your faction alliances: shogunate loyalists, imperial rebels, foreign traders
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Develop relationships with key characters (romance included!)
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Upgrade skills, weapons, and armor across massive talent trees
Choices matter. Choosing to side with the British might get you a cutting-edge rifle—but alienate local allies. Sparing a corrupt noble might open a door later—or haunt you down the line.
🎮 Think Mass Effect meets Assassin’s Creed: Origins, but with more haiku and decapitation.
👥 5. NPCs and Side Missions: No Filler Here
The side content in Rise of the Ronin is where its soul really shines. Instead of “collect 10 bamboo sticks,” you’re getting:
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Helping a farmer spy on corrupt landowners
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Unraveling a love triangle between a geisha, a British soldier, and a wandering poet
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Investigating murders that seem mystical—but have political roots
These quests aren’t distractions—they’re world-building tools, fleshing out the emotional cost of Japan’s cultural fracture.
Major NPCs—like the idealistic revolutionary, the war-weary general, and the American diplomat—are well-written and memorable, offering moral nuance instead of good vs. evil simplicity.
🎨 6. Visuals and Presentation: Beauty in Brutality
Let’s talk eye candy. Rise of the Ronin runs beautifully on PS5, with:
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4K fidelity mode and buttery-smooth 60 FPS performance mode
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Highly detailed facial animations
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Blood-splattered duel cinematics worthy of Kurosawa
The art direction balances realism with visual flair. Cities glow under lantern light. Blades shimmer in the rain. Fireflies dance over battlefields soaked in crimson.
🖼️ While Ghost of Tsushima leaned into painterly elegance, Ronin is more raw and visceral. It’s a stunningly ugly-beautiful game, if that makes sense.
🔊 7. Audio: A Battle Cry in Every Note
A strong samurai game lives or dies by its soundscape—and Rise of the Ronin delivers.
🎧 Highlights include:
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A traditional Japanese soundtrack laced with Western instruments
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Authentic voice acting (Japanese, English, and regional dialects)
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Satisfying sword clashes and gut-wrenching death sounds
The dual-language option is particularly well-done, letting players experience cultural immersion without losing clarity or emotion. And the ambient sound design—buzzing markets, chirping insects, distant gunshots—makes the world feel truly alive.
🧱 8. Technical Performance: Mostly Solid, But Not Perfect
Let’s address the katana in the room—it’s not flawless. At launch, Rise of the Ronin does suffer from:
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Minor pop-in issues in crowded cities
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Occasional animation clipping during fast-paced combat
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A few bugs tied to quest triggers (Team Ninja has already rolled out one patch)
That said, none of these problems are deal-breakers. The load times are fast, crashes are rare, and overall polish is high—especially considering the scale and ambition.
Team Ninja seems committed to ongoing updates, which should smooth out the edges over time.
🏁 Final Verdict: More Than a Ghost – A Warrior With Its Own Soul
Rise of the Ronin isn’t just trying to be Ghost of Tsushima 2.0. It’s carving its own path—grittier, more complex, more RPG-driven. Where Ghost was poetry, Ronin is philosophy written in blood and steel.
This game invites you to ask: What does it mean to fight for a nation that’s changing beneath your feet? What do you protect when everything you knew is fading?
It's not perfect—but it’s brave, bold, and unforgettable.