Rise of the Ronin: What Happens Next?

Key Highlights

• Rise of the Ronin struggles to carve a distinctive identity in the overcrowded action RPG genre, feeling like a patchwork of borrowed ideas.
• Team Ninja’s portrayal of the Bakumatsu period is hampered by historical clichés and overemphasis on the chaos of war.
• The expansive open world lacks the intricate depth seen in games of higher caliber.
• Gameplay mechanics primarily recycle elements from Ninja Gaiden and Nioh, with minimal innovation.
• Promises of impactful choices fall flat as most critical mission decisions lead to redundant outcomes.
• While the action RPG elements are satisfactory, they fail to surprise or leave a lasting impression.

Introduction

Rise of the Ronin, made by Team Ninja, is an action RPG that takes place in 19th-century Japan. The game’s story happens during a time of great turmoil and change. Team Ninja has stepped into a new space by making an open-world game this time. But, the ronin adventure doesn’t feel fresh. Instead, it uses gameplay patterns many people have seen in other games before. The story tries to mix real history with action RPG elements, but it doesn’t do this very well. Everything feels too familiar. Because of these things, Rise of the Ronin looks like another game just like many others in the action RPG world.

Story Recap: The Journey So Far

The story in Rise of the Ronin shows a masterless warrior lost in the confusion of the Bakumatsu period. This was a time in Japan full of political unrest and saw the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate. You play as a nameless ronin, or protagonist, caught up in this part of history. Different groups in the country fight for power, and the chaos is everywhere.

You see the main theme is about big change in the nation and the struggles to start something new. But the story can feel muddled and you might think it is easy to guess what will happen next. There are a lot of the same old ideas, like betrayal, wanting revenge, and people trying to claim power. These do not give the player much that is new or truly exciting about the ronin or the backdrop of Japan during this time.

Setting the Stage in Bakumatsu-era Japan

The Bakumatsu period is often used for stories about change and big shifts. The action RPG Rise of the Ronin uses this time to tell its story. During this era, the long Tokugawa Shogunate started to fall apart. Japan started to open up to the West, and there was a lot of political unrest and cultural revolution. It seems like this would be a great moment for a game, with the country in a real state of turmoil.

But the ronin game does not do much that is new. It tells a story about Japan in turmoil, but it feels like something you have seen before. There is not much focus on the different layers of what made the Bakumatsu period so unique. The game cares more about big, loud action and simple character moments. This makes the story lack the depth that the time and its political unrest really had.

The makers of this action RPG try to show what life was like in 19th-century Japan. But they only make things look right on the surface. The deep changes, power struggles, and real story of the shogunate and that era are left out. So, what could have been a rich and real look into the Bakumatsu period only ends up feeling like another dry lesson from history.

Key Plot Developments and Major Characters

The story brings in key figures connected to the end of the shogunate. It mixes real people from history with made-up ones to move the main story ahead. But big moments in it are easy to see coming and do not have much emotional power.

• The protagonist is a masterless warrior. He has little depth, and it is hard for people to connect with him.
• Some of the key figures from history, like Commodore Perry, show up, but they do not get to do much. It feels like they are just there to move the story along.
• The Veiled Edge clan, an anti-shogunate group from your past, is supposed to be an important part. But it feels forced as the emotional core of the story.
• You can choose between missions for or against the shogunate, but these choices do not really matter much. They pretty much bring you to the same story path.
• Blade Twin, who seems like a big deal at first, soon gets pushed to the side for plain political choices.

There are many different characters, but it feels like they do not fit together. Because of this, it is hard for us to feel for them or become invested in the story. This takes away from what could have been a great main story about the end of the shogunate, the protagonist, and the Veiled Edge clan.

Exploring the World: Gameplay and Open World Mechanics

The key thing that stands out in Rise of the Ronin is its open world, but the way it is done can let you down. Players get to move through a huge map that is packed with side quests and spots that try to show the world, but the things you do there can feel dull.

The side quests are the same most of the time, to just fetch an item or beat a group of bandits. Roaming around the world does not offer a lot to the experience, and a lot of the places feel empty or plain. The open world and the action RPG parts do not come together well, so you just get broken moments instead of one strong, good story in the ronin’s journey.

Traversing 19th Century Japan

Finding your way through 19th century Japan can be hard. This was a time when the Tokugawa shogunate kept a tight hold on the country. Their oppressive rule made life tough for many. The ronin, who are masterless warriors, have to face strong foes. At the same time, they try to make their own path in this world.

You can take on side quests and fights that will remind you of games like Ninja Gaiden and Nioh. But, some players may see that the gameplay has you doing the same things over and over. This loop can cover up much of the real history in the story and make it feel not as deep.

Side Quests, Exploration, and World Building

Side quests and exploring in Rise of the Ronin do not stand out or feel exciting. There is the promise of a big and open world, but the game does not do much to make these parts feel special. Many of the missions just repeat old RPG ideas, so they are not memorable.

• The missions where you collect items for different clans do not really add anything to the big story.
• Some side quests are made for certain playstyles, but many will not push you or feel good to finish.
• When you explore to find more of the world, you notice the lack of details in how everything looks. This makes it hard to truly feel like you are in 19th-century Japan.
• The game tries to make the ronin feel part of each clan and build their world, but these parts of the story feel plain and don’t make you want to get more involved.
• The weak look of the game also takes away from any fun of exploring or new discovery.

At the end, all the side content in the ronin game feels like a long, tiring list to check off. It does not help bring enjoyment or make you want to play more.

Combat Evolution and Playstyle Variety

Combat in Rise of the Ronin might excite you at first, but it can get dull after a while. The fighting styles in the ronin game are built around parrying and counters. This gameplay does not let you try out many new things.

Boss fights look great, but you need to use the same moves over and over. The game’s accessible combat does not reach the depth fans may want. Battles often feel the same, even after some time with them. While the ronin can use both melee and ranged ways to fight, the system feels stuck in one way of doing things. The boss fights and combat do not change much as you go forward in the game.

Weapon Systems and Customization Options

The game’s weapon systems offer a wide array of tools, but their implementation feels unsatisfying. Here is a breakdown:

Although customization is available, its underwhelming influence on gameplay ensures that any attempt to experiment with setups feels futile.

Stealth, Strategy, and Player Choice in Battle

The stealth part of Rise of the Ronin does not fit well with the rest of the gameplay. There is little reason to use stealth in battles. You can go for stealth kills, but the way stealth works is awkward. It feels more like something that was added later and not an important part of how the game works.

The game makes critical mission decisions look important, but the choices you make do not really change what happens later. In the ronin, your choices almost always end up going the same way. This takes away the idea that you can play the ronin with different strategies. What could be a moment to make real choices becomes just another normal battle.

Impactful choices are missing from the overall combat as well. This makes it hard for players to play the ronin using more than one plan. Fights end up being about timing your moves instead of thinking ahead. This way of doing battles takes away the fun for people who want to play again to try out new things in the ronin.

Character Progression and Skill Trees

The way you get better in Rise of the Ronin does not give the game much depth. When you level up your character, it feels like something you have to do, not something that brings big changes. The skill trees in the ronin game do not bring strong or clear bonuses, so you might not even notice them most of the time.

The game says it has many different abilities, but they usually look like the same old moves with a new look. Building your ronin does not feel exciting, and that takes away from the main reason people love RPGs. You do not really feel close to the protagonist as you go through their journey.

Levelling Up Your Ronin

Character progression in the game is very basic. The skill trees mainly give some small stat boosts instead of special or unique upgrades. You can put points into Strength or Charm, but these upgrades do not do much in fights or when you explore.

There are not many exciting moments when you level up, so many players do not feel good about it. Even the ways to change your character are not many, and they do not make your game different in a real way. Overall, the RPG features seem weak here and do not help make the game feel interesting.

Unique Abilities and Special Moves

Unlocking special skills like the Veiled Edge or getting higher levels in Destiny can give a quick rush. Still, like much of the gameplay, these don’t keep you wanting to play for a long time.

Some abilities, like the Veiled Edge’s Critical Hit Boost, do not add much, because the fights in the game can seem the same over and over. The special moves look like they were just stuck into the game—not a natural part of your character’s toolkit. At first, it seems like you can build the playstyle you want, but that feeling goes away fast, and you are left with just another regular part of the game.

Visuals and Audio: Bringing History to Life

The game’s graphics promise a historical feel, but they do not make a strong impact. The places you see in the game can look big and grand at first. If you look again, though, they are not very well made. The graphics could do more to show real life of the 19th century and fit the story in the ronin.

The audio also does not match the big style that the game aims for. The soundtrack fits battles, but the voices sound different and do not always work well. This takes away from the emotion in the story. Rise of the Ronin has a hard time making its world feel real through its visuals and sounds.

Art Direction and Environmental Design

Environments in Rise of the Ronin do not stand out and may seem a bit plain. The game tries to show its place and time with red leaves and historical spots, but the look of the graphics can sometimes take you out of that world.

Character models in the ronin look dull at times. The movement is stiff, and this takes away the smooth feel you want to see. At first, the big design of the world makes it seem lively. But bad graphic work makes it lose its charm. If you expect a world in ronin that is full of life and detail, you might be let down.

Soundtrack and Voice Acting

The music in the game is not very special. There are some big moments, but they get lost because many parts sound the same. The mood that could be built often breaks. This happens because the voice acting changes too much, and sometimes it even feels flat.

One good thing is the DualSense controller. Its haptic feedback lets you feel small touches while playing. For example, you can notice the click of your matchlock rifle. But even this does not hide the bigger problems with how the game sounds. The game could be much better if it used sound in a stronger, more connected way to make players feel more involved.

What Could Happen Next? Speculation and Theories

Looking ahead, people think there could be new DLCs or extra content to make Rise of the Ronin better. The game’s creators seem to want to improve the way it works now and also listen to what players say about it.

Many expect new story updates that might fill in missing parts of the story and close off any unfinished pieces. Still, it’s not clear if these new additions to the ronin game can really fix the main problems that some players found disappointing.

Potential Story Continuations and DLC Ideas

Future DLCs could help fix old gaps in the story. There are a few things they could do:

• They could talk more about the stories that were not told yet about Blade Twin. This could make this character more important.
• The team could add new groups. This would mix up the pro- and anti-Shogunate part of the game.
• They might add mythical elements. This would help the game feel less much of the same and more fresh.
• The boss fights could also get better if they make different ways you have to fight.
• They might also make more parts of Japan you can travel and find new things in.

If Team Ninja adds these things, it could give the game more life and fun. We will have to wait and see if they pick up on these ideas.

Fan Demands and Developer Hints

Fans of Rise of the Ronin feel like the game could be much better. They talk about a lot that they want to see changed. Many people ask for the ronin to have more fun side quests, fair fights, and better ways for what you do in the game to really change the story.

Right now, Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo have given hints that the ronin game will keep getting better after launch. They plan to work on fixes and updates. But, looking at how Team Ninja has handled feedback in the past, some people do not feel sure about what will really change. The team says they will listen, but fans of the ronin know this has not always happened before. There is hope, but also doubt, about what the team will do this time.

Conclusion

In closing, “Rise of the Ronin” gives us a story in a world that looks and feels well made. Still, the gameplay and the way the story is told do not work as well as they could. The team behind the ronin game aims high, and that is clear, but parts of the journey miss the mark. There is hope that the future of the ronin saga will be good, but there are still worries about how fast the story moves and how the people in the story grow as characters.

As fans of the ronin, we wait to see if the next updates or future games will fix these issues and offer the rich and fun gameplay we expect. For now, the journey the game gives us feels both good and disappointing. It makes us think about what the game could have been.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rise of the Ronin connected to Team Ninja’s other games?

Yes, Rise of the Ronin is made by Team Ninja, who also created games like Nioh and Ninja Gaiden. This game uses some things from those older games. But it does not bring much that is new, and does not do things as well as them. Because of this, the ronin game feels a lot like those other games, and not in the best way.

Are there multiple endings in Rise of the Ronin?

Even though Rise of the Ronin says there will be a dynamic story shaped by what you do, the endings in the main story feel a lot the same. There are some changes in how the main story goes during certain missions. But in the end, the ronin will see things come together in almost the same way. This makes it so your choices do not have much effect on how the game’s final outcome turns out.

Will the game come to PC or other platforms?

Rise of the Ronin can now only be played on the PlayStation 5, but the game will also come to PC. Koei Tecmo said this is happening. When the ronin arrives on PC, people should get ready for technical issues on the first day. Team Ninja games often have these problems when they first come out.

How challenging is the gameplay for new players?

The gameplay in Rise of the Ronin gives you accessible combat. But, the control system is hard to use. If you are new, you might find the game tough to get into. The fights are hard, and it gets tiring when the same combat keeps coming up. The ronin in this game could be fun to play, but these things change how people feel about the gameplay.

Is multiplayer or co-op planned for future updates?

While Rise of the Ronin lets you play simple co-op missions with others, there is not a big multiplayer part in the game. Team Ninja has not said if they will update this later. For now, the ronin game’s co-op features seem to be something extra and they do not look set for much growth.