GamesOpen WorldRise of the RoninWhy Rise of the Ronin’s open world is an underrated gemWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesOpen WorldRise of the RoninWhy Rise of the Ronin’s open world is an underrated gemWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Year in Review 2024 | Why Rise of the Ronin’s open world is an underrated gem(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Make history
Rise of the Ronin’s photo mode offers some wonderful shots(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Leap of faith(Image credit: Ubisoft)Looking for more historical adventures? Here are10 games like Assassin’s Creedfor you to play.
Leap of faith
(Image credit: Ubisoft)Looking for more historical adventures? Here are10 games like Assassin’s Creedfor you to play.
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
Looking for more historical adventures? Here are10 games like Assassin’s Creedfor you to play.
Playing as the surviving member of the Blade Twins – a male or female-presenting lead, depending on your choice – you’ll meet supporting characters of various factions and opinions, making allies and enemies depending on your choices. Many of the cast are based on real people from Japan’s Bakumatsu era, such as Sakamoto Ryoma and Okita Soji, adding a welcome depth to the game’s setting for history buffs.
This period of Japanese history saw a civil war take place between the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate (basically a military government) and a collection of groups who were all dissatisfied following the opening of Japan to foreigners. Rise of the Ronin puts you in the middle of this tense time, offering up branching paths based on your choices and side quest completion. The result is a story that feelsaliveas it blends real history with player-decided fiction.
Enjoying the Pleasure District(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The main distinction is the combat, which is remarkably rich. You’re free to choose between a variety of weapons, from katanas, greatswords, spears, bow and arrows, revolvers, rifles - the list goes on. Using a looting structure, new swords and six-shooters are found constantly as you eliminate seemingly-unlimited foes placed throughout the game’s world. The range of builds is positively Soulslike, although the game is ultimately more forgiving than the likes of, say, Nioh.
The real reason I recommend Rise of the Ronin, though, is nothing to do with the combat – or even its history for that matter. Team Ninja’s 2024 title serves up a huge, inviting world to explore, ranging from small villages to dense cities, filled with beautiful views, items to collect and cats to cuddle.
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Whether riding on horseback or flying through the air on a wooden glider like some 1800s Batman, Rise of the Ronin’s depiction of Japan is as appealing as they are expansive, with the main cities of each zone based on real historical places.
Rooftop travels(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Should you persist with the campaign, you’ll eventually unlock Kyoto and Edo (nowadays known as Tokyo), giving you even more land to cover as you battle bad guys and acquire treasures. Best of all, you can return to other areas, and even previous points in the story, so you don’t have to move on until you’re truly ready. And if you do find yourself enjoying the historical plot and characters, then the game’s open world is all the richer for it.
Rise of the Ronin may not be a game of the year contender, but that doesn’t mean it’s unworthy of your time. As a title to simply load up and get lost in, you can’t ask for much more. It rewards you with enemy-infested camps to pick through, tranquil vistas to take a breather, and pairs it all with a photo mode to capture your travels through this simulated historical setting.
While it is frustratingly trapped on PS5 for now, if Rise of the Ronin ever gets a PC release then I hope it results in an influx of new players that can enjoy one of my favoritebest open world games. Sure, thebest games of 2024have enough to keep you busy for now – but Japan will still be waiting when you’re done.
The Rise of the Ronin team used Ghost of Tsushima as a “reference,” but hopes the open-world RPG’s “Japanese-ness” stands out more
CATEGORIESPS5PlatformsPlayStation
CATEGORIES
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Palworld’s Feybreak update adds a built-in Nuzlocke mode to the open-world survival game - and a taste of next year’s Terraria crossover
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Latest
26 years later, Codemasters' Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time”
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26 years later, Codemasters' Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time”
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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3
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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4
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Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”