Rise of the Ronin is a third-person action RPG set at the end of the Edo Period of Japanese history. As the country opens to the West after a period of isolationist foreign policy the civil war between the Tokugawa Shogunate and those that oppose the Western influence intensifies.

Team Ninja and Sony have displayed impeccable timing with the release of Rise of the Ronin. The game coincides with the new Shogun TV show set in the same period.

The game casts players as one of a pair of blade twins. These are two samurai trained to act as one unit as part of the Veiled Edge clan’s resistance group fighting against the Shogunate. After a failed assassination the player’s blade twin is forced to abandon the other. Believing their twin to still be alive, the player’s character, against the wishes of their blade master, abandons the clan to find their missing sibling.

I can just imagine Tokyo-based Team Ninja sitting down and playing US-based Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Tsushima and thinking this is a game that they should have made. As good as it is, there is something slightly saccharin about Ghost of Tsushima. That’s not the case with Rise of the Ronin.

It’s a bit lazy to compare Rise of the Ronin with Ghost of Tsushima. A better comparison would be a mash-up of Assassin’s Creed with a more forgiving Dark Souls. Team Ninja has backed off a bit from the ruthless difficulty of the Souls-like Nioh games. Rise of the Ronin still retains some “Souls-lite” traits but adds a dash of Assassin’s Creed accessibility in for good measure.

Like in the Assassin’s Creed games, the world of Rise of the Ronin feels like it is just getting on with its business, whether I’m about or not. It’s not as alive as the cities in Ubisoft’s tent-pole games, but it’s close.

The gameplay is less about exploration and more about combat. The RPG elements are very similar to the latest Assassin’s games, although a lot deeper. The game will have you spending time optimising weapons, armour, and equipment to give yourself maximum advantage over your foes.

After a brief action sequence that sets the plot in motion things slow down to ease players into the game mechanics. Once the handholding is out of the way, the world opens up, offering players loads of things to do.

The main quest line propels the story, but it’s easy to lose yourself in side quests and random events. The bond system is an interesting touch, allowing you to form relationships on your travels giving the game more meaning.

The public disorder events dotted around the world can, if you are defeated, evoke a vendetta. This introduces a gamble if you decide on the rematch. If you win you get back your karma, but if defeated again you lose it forever.

Initially, the combat system was not my cup of tea. Clearly influenced by the Souls games, it’s all about the timing and combos. I can see the appeal, but there’s a learning curve to be conquered. The combat did grow on me as more abilities opened. You can adjust the difficulty settings should things get too tough. When it all does fall into place the combat offers a lot of satisfaction. The more I played, the better the game got.

With combat playing such a huge role in the game, strategy and stealth are essential. Many locations can be scouted to identify enemies, and most can be quietly dispatched without having to engage in open combat.

There’s a glider that complements the grapple. this introduces vertical gameplay and the ability to traverse long distances. Your trusty horse also helps you to get about the game’s vast world.

Visually, the game did leave me wanting. It’s not a bad-looking game, but it’s not exactly state-of-the-art. Graphics are not everything but considering the power of the PlayStation 5 and the tools afforded to publishers, Rise of the Ronin should look a lot better than it does.

Rise of the Ronin takes the best bits of other open-world games like Assassin’s Creed and Dark Souls-style games to give players a challenging, but accessible Japanese period piece. No doubt it takes liberties in pursuing fun, but it has a good story and exciting gameplay. Another great addition to the PlayStation 5 library.

Rating: Very Good