Just over 12 months since its initial reveal, developer Team Ninja's Rise of the Ronin was given a release date of March 22, 2024 at the recent Game Awards, which is sooner than some may have expected. The open-world action RPG has been described as Team Ninja's most ambitious game to date, and considering the developer's rich pedigree in the genre, this is an exciting admission. Its release comes in the midst of a somewhat stacked Q1 for 2024, but details and footage released so far have given fans every reason to believe Rise of the Ronin can hold its own against some of the other big titles being released during the same period.

With titles such as Ninja Gaiden, Nioh, and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty under its belt, Team Ninja knows a thing or two about developing Samurai games with robust and rewarding gameplay systems. That being said, none of the aforementioned games are considered to be open-world titles, with each containing relatively linear narratives usually featuring self-contained missions. Rise of the Ronin represents the developer's first foray into an open-world setting, and this comes with its own set of unique opportunities and pitfalls. How Team Ninja's brand of tough, gritty combat translates into this open-world setting could be the difference between Rise of the Ronin's success or failure.

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All Confirmed Features for Rise of the Ronin

• Customer character creation
• Vast open-world set in late Edo-period Japan
• Various weapons from the period including swords and guns
• Long and short-ranged combat, featuring parrys, backstabs, and other staple mechanics of the genre
• Player choices will determine key parts of the story
• Traversal options including a horse, grappling hook, and a glider

Is Rise of the Ronin a Soulslike Game?

Except for 2021's Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection, which was a compilation of Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, each of Team Ninja's last three games have been Soulslikes. Nioh 2, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty all share the same core Soulslike mechanics in one way or another. The developer clearly has an affinity for this sub-genre, so it seems reasonable to speculate that Rise of the Ronin will follow suit in this regard.

There has been no confirmation of this yet, however, and despite trailers showing footage of what appears to be a familiar combat system, this could prove to be very different in reality. Ghost of Tsushima took a similar approach with its own Samurai open-world setting, with developer Sucker Punch opting for more accessible combat, far less challenging than the likes of Sekiro or Nioh. Depending on the type of gamer that Team Ninja wants to attract, a less punishing experience can't be ruled out at this stage.

Rise of the Ronin is Team Ninja's Most Ambitious Game Yet

The exact scope of Rise of the Ronin isn't known yet, but it's fair to say that what's been shown so far has been super impressive. As well as a fully customizable protagonist, the game has shown glimpses of its ambition, with a gorgeous game world to explore that seems to use every ounce of the PS5's strong graphical capabilities, and combat that looks as exciting and engaging as fans would expect. Despite this, it's in the game's narrative where Team Ninja's true ambition may lie. In all its previous games, a branching and intricate narrative has never been at the top of the Japanese developer's agenda.

Rise of the Ronin looks to flip this on its head though, by giving players control of key choices throughout the story, which should shape the narrative. This is an area in which Team Ninja has little previous experience, so it will be interesting to see just how well it is executed. If the delivery of these choices is handled correctly, and is married with Team Ninja's signature combat style, it's easy to see how Rise of the Ronin could break new ground for the developer.

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Rise of the Ronin Could Be More Like Open-World Nioh Than Elden Ring

In some ways, Rise of the Ronin echoes the developmental progression on display in Elden Ring, which is seen as the culmination of years of experimentation with Dark Souls titles. While the Dark Souls trilogy, as well as Bloodborne and Sekiro, gradually became less linear while stopping short of becoming open-world titles, it was with Elden Ring that FromSoftware finally released all shackles and dropped players into a huge open-world. The Nioh series, as well as Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty are also fairly linear affairs, with a mission-based structure that usually starts from a menu screen.

Using an open-world format means it is highly unlikely that Rise of the Ronin will feature individual missions, but other elements of Nioh will probably feature, such as mechanics like multiple combat stances and varied weapons, including the use of guns. Taking place towards the end of the 300-year-long Edo period in feudal Japan, a time of great upheaval, Rise of the Ronin's setting has the potential to be a bloody and brutal one. Fans will be hoping that Team Ninja fills its world with meaningful activities and side-content that actually adds to the game, rather than filler that is purely designed to pad out the run time, which is something that many open-world games fall victim to. All things considered, in a year that is already looking like it will be filled with exciting new games, Rise of the Ronin should not be overlooked.

Rise of the Ronin

Platform(s)

PS5

Released

March 22, 2024

Developer(s)

Team Ninja

Publisher(s)

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Genre(s)

Action RPG

See at Playstation Store