Rise of the Ronin

Rise of the Ronin brings late 19th century Japan to the table, as players traverse the vibrant landscape and battle adversaries in tightly crafted melee action combat courtesy of developer Koei Tecmo. As a PlayStation title, this has drawn many comparisons to the publisher’s Ghost of Tsushima game. However, it manages to introduce its own aesthetics and gameplay style to deliver something fresh for fans.

What is Rise of the Ronin about?

Released on May 22, 2024, it is an open-world action RPG set in mid-19th century Edo-era Japan. Players will explore a sizable sandbox with new areas to explore, exciting historical figures to meet, and powerful foes to best in combat. With the combat expertise from games like Ninja Gaiden and Nioh, developer Koei Tecmo aims to deliver an experience like no other.

What is the story of Rise of the Ronin?

Stepping into the shoes of the customizable avatars of the Blade Twins in the 1850s, players explore a dramatized depiction of Japan’s Bakumatsu Period, over 300 years after the tyranny of the Tokugawa shogunate. This is an era of great political unrest with Japan’s borders open to civil war and foreign influences. The protagonists must tread carefully as they are caught in the crossfire with the fate of Japan on their shoulders.

Rise of the Ronin Gameplay

Rise of the Ronin is a third-person hack & slash game and will be very familiar to fans of past Team Ninja titles. Players will explore various maps over several years, and complete story objectives and levels with distinct set-pieces to progress. As a combat-oriented game though, players evade foe attacks via defensive and evasive maneuvres like blocking, countering, and dodging. Skill trees to hone stats and traits in a specific playstyle are also available.

Like in Nioh, depleting the foe’s Ki leaves them open to damage, so managing stances, using the correct weapon type and more is important. The open world features various encounters, side missions, and upgrades to find. The sandbox environments are also traversable on foot, on horseback or simply using a glider. A grappling hook for further inter-level interactivity also makes it in. Many missions can also be enjoyed in co-op with other players for a dynamic gameplay experience.

Rise of the Ronin Weapons

There is a huge variety of rarity-tiered loot to discover in Rise of the Ronin as players can expect to spend a lot of time managing their inventory to maximize the weapons and playstyles they prefer. Divided into Primary (melee) weapons and secondary (ranged) ones, players must experiment to see what ticks, The primary weapons are categorized into eight unique weapon types which are as follows:

• Spear
• Polearm
• Longsword
• Greatsword
• Saber
• Katana
• Oxtail
• Dual Sword
• Bayonet

Secondary or ranged weapons consist of:

• Bows
• Pistols
• Rifles
• Fire Pipe

Rise of the Ronin Tips and Tricks

Here are some handy tips and tricks to help out players who have just begun their Rise of the Ronin journey:

1. Counter Sparks are key to victory: While the game features a rock-papers-scissors rhythm to manage and enemy attack patterns to study on a fundamental level, Counter Sparks is what will pave the way to a win. Players can use the Triangle button on the DualSesne controller to deflect incoming attacks, leaving the foe wide upon for a retaliation - but beware, as the window for countering is small and also leaves the player vulnerable if poorly timed.
2. Martial Skills cannot be blocked: Just like in Sekiro or Nioh, when enemies glow red, their incoming Martial Skills attack cannot be blocked. Players must be prepared to dodge these attacks or Counter Spark them as they deal a lot of damage.
3. Practice combat and Styles at the Yokohama Dojo: Unlocked a few hours in the story, this practice arena allows fighting foes and allies so players can get used to the gameplay basics and prepare for what’s to come. Each weapon type also has three Styles or stances which appear as blue (best), white (neutral), or red (poor), which determines how easy it is to deplete their Ki using Counter Sparks.
4. Stealth can make life easy: With various enemies milling about in bases and locales, thinning the crowd can make the challenging combat easier to manage. Stealth is handy here as players can grapple onto rooftops and assassinate foes from above - however sneak attacks by approaching foes from behind also works. Alternately, the grappling hook can also be upgraded to pull enemies towards the player for a kill.

Rise of the Ronin Plot System Requirements

Since the game is PlayStation exclusive at the moment, a PC version does not exist - meaning there are no system requirements to detail

What platforms is Rise of the Ronin Platforms on?

Rise of the Ronin is a PlayStation exclusive and only on the latest PS5 platform.