Highlights

  • Rise of the Ronin borrows from various action-stealth titles but stands out with focus on combat over stealth mechanics.
  • Stealth gameplay in Rise of the Ronin feels somewhat lacking, with limited options compared to other similar games.
  • Despite some shortcomings in its stealth aspect, Rise of the Ronin shines in combat mechanics and weapon variety.

Team Ninja's recent take on a samurai-flavored third-person action RPG, Rise of the Ronin, itself takes more than a few cues from a pool of other action-stealth open-world titles, with Sucker Punch's 2020 release Ghost of Tsushima among them. Though similar in some ideas, Rise of the Ronin distinguishes itself from Ghost and other adjacent samurai-inspired adventure games in a range of other ways. One of which is it owing a larger debt to Team Ninja's previous productions, from the hack-and-slash action of its work on Ninja Gaiden entries to the more Soulslike philosophy of the Nioh series.

And though it has a lot going for it in many areas, from putting Team Ninja's penchant and expertise for incorporating a plethora of weapon styles and stances on full display, to its companion system and Rise of the Ronin's open-world level design, there are a couple of stealth mechanics and ability options that seem lacking compared to the robustness found in some of the titles it takes inspiration from, as well as within its own design principles.

Rise of the Ronin following dog-1
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One of Rise of the Ronin's Stealth 'Takedown' Skills is Ironically Adorable

Rise of the Ronin includes some classic stealth moves against its varied foes, but one in particular puts a lighthearted spin on an old standard.

Rise of the Ronin Sells its Stealth Mechanics a Little Short

Rise of the Ronin's Stealth Gameplay is Solid But Lacks Some Key Components

While Rise of the Ronin's combat loop is tight and engaging, designed to set up cinematic dance-of-death duels or sets of intense battles with larger groups, its stealth suffers slightly from some small but noticeable absences. As fans hone their martial skill mastery and unlock new abilities in Rise of the Ronin, it eventually sticks out that subterfuge-related approaches seem to fall more and more by the wayside. Players can creep around concealed in thick underbrush, but this almost feels like it was included out of a sense of having to be there. Combined with this, Ronin omits a staple seen widely elsewhere - enemies can't be distracted or otherwise thrown off their patterns, other than simply rushing into and alarming them, provoking a standard fight.

While stealth can be viable in Rise of the Ronin, it also isn’t necessarily a core focus in the way it is in other titles, as the dueling stances and combo flows take much more precedence, rendering many of its stealth-based options more limited comparatively. This is made more pronounced given the fact that players can perform assassinations, as has also come to be expected in titles like this. Thus, it seems like an obvious natural complementary element for enemy distraction and/or other similar skills to have been part of its stealth game. Instead, what is there can feel token or undercooked at times.

Rise of the Ronin Including More Polished Stealth Options Would Have Elevated It Further

Though stealth is a component of its gameplay loops, Rise of the Ronin steers players toward tackling its combat scenarios head-on in most cases. For example, there is a variety (arguably an overabundance) of utility items in Rise of the Ronin that convey status ailment effects and other debuffs on enemies. Paired with the all-important mechanic of matching weapon stances and attack combinations to overcome enemy configurations and move sets, it's apparent that Rise of the Ronin's stealth more often than not takes a back seat to these designs.

As a case in point, there are only a handful of equivalent tools designed specifically for stealthy approaches. Rise of the Ronin's historical setting sees a few interesting inventions factor into its narrative and gameplay. Fans can acquire a "sonic locator" which, when upgraded, provides essentially x-ray vision, as also featured in a broad scope of games. However, its range and usefulness can still feel stifled, and it's usually more expedient to scout areas manually, and make tactical decisions about which foes can possibly be silently eliminated before open battle inevitably breaks out. Though it is a relatively minor issue in the broader view that doesn't detract too much from the best of what Rise of the Ronin has to offer, it could have achieved an even more immersive experience if it had rounded out its stealth-related aspects a bit further.