Rise of the Ronin | Review Thread
Game Information
Game Title: Rise of the Ronin
Platforms:
- PlayStation 5 (Mar 22, 2024)
Trailers:
- Rise of the Ronin - The Aftermath Launch Trailer | PS5 Games
- Rise of the Ronin - Gameplay Overview | PS5 Games
- Rise of the Ronin - Pre-Order Trailer | PS5 Games
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 75 average - 57% recommended - 42 reviews
Critic Reviews
Atomix - Alberto Desfassiaux - Spanish - 85 / 100
Rise of the Ronin is a great open world game but it has many flawss in things like its mission design and graphic presentation. Although is another good reason to have a PS5.
Checkpoint Gaming - Elliot Attard - 8 / 10
Rise of the Ronin is another action-heavy success story for samurai heavy-hitters, Team Ninja. The world and setting are perfectly suited to enhance the roleplaying depth of the game’s design as your unnamed hero makes important choices in a divided world. Fun is always at the forefront, even if certain open-world tropes lead to rinse-and-repeat content. This is because the moment-to-moment gameplay, including both traversal and combat, remains delightfully engaging throughout. The dialogue can be hit or miss, but Rise of the Ronin still finds a way to satisfy, in both its big action setpieces as well as those tiny little details.
ComicBook.com - Logan Moore - 3 / 5
Rise of the Ronin isn’t necessarily an awful game, it’s just one that’s quite unremarkable. When this project was first unveiled back in 2022, I was ecstatic to see Team Ninja tackle the open-world genre and was curious to see how the studio would bring its own unique ideas to this format. Instead, virtually nothing that Team Ninja has done with Rise of the Ronin is enough to set itself apart from a growing deluge of games in the genre. With so many other titles to choose from in this space, there are far better options that warrant your time and attention.
Console Creatures - Luke Williams - Recommended
While Rise of the Ronin looks a little out-of-date as a PS5 exclusive, its robust choose-your-own-adventure system and Team Ninja’s best and fairest combat system to date make it a worthy addition to the PS5’s exclusives catalogue.
Dexerto - James Busby - 4 / 5
Rise of the Ronin doesn’t offer the photo-realistic visuals of those seen in Ghost of Tsushima, nor does it provide the nail-biting difficulty of Sekiro. Instead, Team Ninja’s samurai epic successfully forges a new path – blending adrenaline-fueled combat, fun traversal mechanics, and a loveable cast of characters, wrapping them all together in a world ripe for exploration. Just like the ronin themselves, Team Ninja’s open-world game is not bound by the old masters of the past – instead, it rises to the challenge set by Sucker Punch and FromSoftware, forging its own path to stand firmly amongst them.
Digital Trends - George Yang - 3.5 / 5
Rise of the Ronin has an excellent parrying system that makes its Soulslike gameplay feel challenging, yet fair compared to its contemporaries.
Digitec Magazine - Domagoj Belancic - German - Unscored
Rise of the Rōnin is a fascinating game. It makes up for its lack of polish with a considerable amount of charm. And this charm makes me like the game more than many other polished but soulless AAA games.
Yes, the graphics are dated, the mission design is repetitive and the enemies are dumb as dirt. But the combat system and traveling through the open world are so much fun that these criticisms pale into insignificance. When I switch off my brain and enjoy the excellent action, time flies by with the game. Rise of the Rōnin may not be flawless, but it offers a damn fun and captivating gaming experience that no fan of samurai and Japan should miss out on.
Echo Boomer - David Fialho - Portuguese - No Recommendation
While it does have an interesting and dynamic narrative premise, Rise of the Ronin fails to deliver a story worthy of awards or great praise. However, its combat stands out for its depth and for being fun, once again showcasing where Team Ninja truly excels.
Enternity.gr - Konstantinos Kalkanis - Greek - 7.5 / 10
Rise of the Ronin is an experience worth living, not only for the rich action, but also for the story itself which is interesting and offers a perspective on the Japan of that time.
Evilgamerz - Jeroen Janssen - Dutch - 8.7 / 10
Rise of the Ronin is therefore a very strong first game in a new IP. It’s the Assassin’s Creed in Japan that we’ve been looking for for years. It manages to create an epic story where choices really matter. The gameplay is deep and manages to find a nice balance in terms of difficulty and challenge. The game is extremely ambitious with sixty hours for the story and packed with various options, but this does come with a few downsides. Graphically, the game is less strong and exploring the many extra assignments and missions feels very repetitive. The many bosses and characters are similar and lack creativity. The three regions are not different enough, but the game still manages to keep you interested for sixty hours. It manages to tempt you into another mission every time. I can’t wait to dive back into the game and see what I missed because of my many choices.
Fextralife - Tyr - 8.4 / 10
While Rise of the Ronin suffers from outdated and unattractive graphics, the story and gameplay more than make up for it with a wealth of varied and interesting content available paired with good storytelling that keeps players engaged and wanting to know more. Fans of Team Ninja may be disappointed from the step down in combat quality, but nonetheless it is an enjoyable title that we can recommend at full price.
GAMES.CH - Benjamin Braun - German - 85%
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GGRecon - Ben Williams - 4 / 5
Accessible, fun, and full of ambition, Rise of the Ronin will have you hooked on its combat no matter what type of player you are - with an exciting story of engaging characters being bloodied icing on the cake.
Sure, some of its RPG systems won’t be for everyone, but Team Ninja’s first open-world effort is almost everything you could want from an action-packed samurai game set in Japan.
GamePro - Samara Summer - German - 81 / 100
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Rise of the Ronin is the most ambitious game of Team Ninja and by far. Much more narrative than its predecessors, it unfortunately takes quite a long time to become really interesting. That’s the risk when you want to create fiction when it doesn’t need to. But it is also the fault of an open world far behind a certain Ghost of Tsushima. In the end Rise of the Ronin is an open world game among many others, but with an ultra-dynamic, demanding and very deep gameplay.
Gameffine - Uphar Dutta - 93 / 100
Rise of Ronin is a mindblowing action-adventure open-world RPG set at the end of the Shogun Era. While the game may have soul-like elements, not the difficulty, allowing more people to enjoy the game. Inspired by many mechanics from Nioh titles, the game boasts to have a compelling story with the freedom of shaping your future under your control. Rise of Ronin also excels with fluid combat and amazing sights but slightly lacks in matching the current generation graphics.
Gamersky - 心灵奇兵 - Chinese - 8.5 / 10
Rise of the Ronin is undoubtedly Team Ninja’s most ambitious, detailed and mature work to date. With its rich maps, compelling storyline and exhilarating combat, it creates an unforgettable tale of the Bakumatsu period. As Team Ninja explores new design concepts, this is definitely a title not to be missed by Team Ninja fans.
GamingBolt - Shubhankar Parijat - 6 / 10
In spite of solid combat and fun traversal, Rise of the Ronin is, unfortunately, Team Ninja’s most underwhelming game in years.
GamingTrend - Richard Allen - 90 / 100
Rise of the Ronin is nothing if not ambitious, and though that ambition leads to the game not being as polished as you may expect from a PS5 release, it still manages to tell an enthralling story in which your actions truly matter, while also utilizing a unique bond mechanic, an in-depth -albeit slightly repetitive - combat system, and so much to do you’ll find yourself losing sleep in an effort to complete just one more task. Those approaching Rise of the Ronin like the next Nioh will likely leave disappointed, but those who approach Team Ninja’s latest effort with an open mind and patience will find a gem that just happens to have a few rough edges.
Glitched Africa - Marco Cocomello - 7 / 10
Rise of the Ronin has an excellent combat system and a somewhat dark narrative but the game’s dull world and mediocre quest design take away from the best mechanics on offer here. It all starts to blend together into a mindless sandbox game that offers little excitement.
God is a Geek - Mick Fraser - 8 / 10
Rise of the Ronin is a solid open world action adventure that rarely puts a foot wrong, but is unlikely to set the world on fire either.
IGN Italy - Alessandro Digioia - Italian - 7.5 / 10
Rise of the Ronin fails to impress through its open-world sandbox or graphical fidelity, but it can still provide dozens of hours of fun thanks to a great combat system, an impressive amount of content, and an interesting story.
IGN Spain - Mario Seijas - Spanish - 9 / 10
Rise of the Ronin is the culmination of the combat formula that Team Ninja has using since Nioh. A beautiful game, complex and simple at the same time, and a lot of fun. Katanas and firearms to close a a great first quarter of the year for PlayStation.
Kakuchopurei - Alleef Ashaari - 90 / 100
Rise Of The Ronin is Team Ninja’s best title to date, perhaps on par with Nioh 2. It’s not the most revolutionary title, but the developer continues to shape the Souls-like genre into their own distinctive style and that continues with this latest game. If you’re looking for a meaty historical open-world game that’s not too difficult but still provides a bit of a challenge, Rise Of The Ronin is that game.
Nexus Hub - Sam Aberdeen - 8 / 10
Rise of the Ronin’s exhilarating combat, accessibility and open world will appeal to Team Ninja fans and newcomers to the Soulslike genre, even if it’s more safe than innovative.
One More Game - Chris Garcia - 8 / 10
The good times continue to roll in 2024, with Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo’s Rise of the Ronin adding to the amazing selection of action role-playing games available on the PlayStation 5.
Whether you are engaging in its fantastic combat or diving into the rabbit hole of Japanese history, every hour spent in this world is always meaningful and fun. Just avoid looking too closely and getting stuck in tight spaces, and you will definitely have a great time as a ronin determining the course of history.
PSX Brasil - Portuguese - 85 / 100
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Play Watch Read - Sylvano Witte - Dutch - 6.5 / 10
Rise of the Ronin takes you to an exciting time in Japanese history. However, that says it all. Rise of the Ronin borrows many elements from well-known games such as Assassin’s Creed and Nioh. The combat can be relatively frustrating due to the different styles you have to learn. There is also a lot to experience in the open world, but it is not always beautiful or challenging. Rise of the Ronin is therefore primarily a game where you can enjoy yourself for a short time.
Post Arcade (National Post) - Chad Sapieha - 7 / 10
Team Ninja’s historical samurai epic lacks visual dazzle and a compelling protagonist, but it’s also pretty darned playable. Keep reading.
PowerUp! - Adam Mathew - 7 / 10
Providing Team Ninja iron out some of the creases in a post-launch patch, this could still be seen as a retainer—possibly a worthy companion piece to anybody hooked on the Shogun miniseries.
Press Start - Harry Kalogirou - 7 / 10
While still an apt Souls-like experience, Rise of the Ronin struggles to find its identity amongst Team Ninja’s catalogue. It feels like it’s being pulled in different directions, and starts to collapse under its own ambition in the third act. In saying this, the DNA of Nioh and Wo Long is palpable here, and I have no doubt that fans of Team Ninja will enjoy this first foray into open world design despite its shortcomings.
Push Square - Liam Croft - 6 / 10
Rise of the Ronin isn’t a bad game; it’s something debatably worse: completely forgettable. With dated open world design and a monotonous narrative, the cracking combat of a Team Ninja title is left to try and pick up the pieces. It manages to get the title in acceptable shape, and with its Bonds system and culture clash, just about forms an experience one could enjoy. Where it falls apart is the fact the open world is so intrinsically linked to all these features and mechanics that it’s impossible to find pleasure in them for any respectable length of time. Rise of the Ronin is designed to attract a wider audience than Team Ninja titles past; what they find might put them off for good.
SECTOR.sk - Oto Schultz - Slovak - 8 / 10
In feudal times, ronin was a samurai without a master. Being your own master is the feeling delivered by Team Ninja’s newest title Rise of the Ronin. Freely roaming huge open world districts with trusty horse companion, gliding throughout architecturally stunning cities of 19th century Japan, switching around diverse combat stances, making bonds with true friend and have epic duels against mighty foes. Moreover this grounded adventure from Bakumatsu period sprinkled with various creative liberties let’s you experience Japan’s grand opening to the world.
Spaziogames - Italian - 7 / 10
Rise of the Ronin brings the typical game structure of Nioh into a barren open world full of boring fetch quests and repetitive missions. The combat system is once again top notch, but the overall quality of the game certifies a step backward for Team Ninja.
TechRaptor - Isaac Todd - 6.5 / 10
Rise of the Ronin dilutes the gameplay of Nioh and Wo Long to accomodate for an open world that offers little of worth. Combat is still great despite this, but it could have been so much more
The Game Crater - Jayden Hellyar - 7 / 10
“Rise of the Ronin treads too closely with games we have already experienced.”
The Games Machine - Daniele Cucchiarelli - Italian - 7.5 / 10
Rise of the Ronin is a samurai amusement park, an open-world adventure with an excellent combat system, in which the abundance of activities might distract you from a compelling and well-told storyline. It is closer to an Assassin’s Creed than a souls-like or any of Team Ninja’s earlier games and could have been even better if from a technical standpoint it had been less problematic.
TheSixthAxis - Aran Suddi - 9 / 10
Rise of the Ronin is a massive gamble for Team Ninja, known for its more linear action games, but it’s one that has paid off. Rise of the Ronin has a lot of depth to it from the satisfying combat, to all the side activities across three broad regions, and the plethora of excellent characters. This game should mark the start of a grand new era for Team Ninja.
TrueGaming - Arabic - 8 / 10
Rise of the Rōnin is a very solid game though it still suffers from open-wrld-fatigue and a feel of repitition after spending enough time with it. Still, the Bond feature and the ability to alter the course of the story are a very welcomed additions to this type of game.
VGC - Jordan Middler - 3 / 5
Rise of the Ronin is a fine open world adventure that never elevates itself to greatness. Fun Team Ninja combat will drag you through, but pointless open world fluff and questionable visuals sadly result in just another open world game.
VideoGamer - Jack Webb - 6 / 10
Rise of the Ronin is a competent open-world game that suffers from too much bloat. While there are story pacing problems and too many meaningless interactions, Rise of the Ronin is the best iteration of Nioh’s systems translated into an open-world game.
WellPlayed - Kieran Stockton - 6 / 10
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.
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