Rise of the Ronin

Great combat but disappointing open-world with weak narrative. Hollow story choices.

A solid open-world action RPG carried by a unique late-19th-century Japan setting, strong storytelling, and an engaging Persona-style Bond system, arguably Team Ninja's best narrative to date. The combat offers good fundamentals but stumbles in execution and falls short of Nioh, and the experience is weighed down by subpar graphics, washed-out visuals, stiff face animations, and frame drops. Despite that, the wealth of content makes it comfortably worth buying.

Flawed but fun Souls-like open world set in 1850s Japan with satisfying combat and exploration, held back by outdated graphics and forgettable story.

A samurai action game that takes its time getting good, but the investment pays off once you adjust to its unusual parry-and-counter combat and read enemy attacks. Early hours suffer from convoluted controls, a punishing difficulty spike, undercooked stealth, and dated open-world busywork. Its strengths are character-driven Bond missions and excellent boss duels that tie personal stakes to a compelling historical narrative.

Rise of the Ronin is a solid open world action adventure with engaging story and satisfying combat, but falls short of the sophistication of Team Ninja's recent releases like Nioh 2 and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Best approached with realistic expectations rather than as a demanding souls-like.