It seems like we are getting multiple games this year that take some time to get used to and Rise of The Ronin is one of these games. However, once you nail it, then it can be an absolute blast if you are in these types of games. While not being a complete souls-like game, it still borrows concepts from souls-like which can result in some brutal combat sequences from time to time. The first few hours are not good since players won’t have a grip on the controls and the way the combat system works. Once you figure out the basics of combat then it can turn into a fun experience.
Character focused missions are some of the best that the game offers. These missions can be a treat once players get invested in the game. Once you get invested then it is possible that you will get back into it just to see the story alternatives of the missions and story. The game focuses on telling small character driven stories that combine to create a huge history shaping narrative. All this makes you wonder, Is Rise of The Ronin Worth It? Let’s find out.
Premise (Spoiler Free)
Rise of The Ronin puts you in the shoes of a samurai trained alongside another warrior since childhood to be the unstoppable sword-wielding Blade Twins for a group called Veiled Edge. It is 1860 and Japan is opening up to foreigners which results in the creation of political strife.
While on a mission to assassinate a powerful American, things go sideways. You Blade Twin sacrifices himself so that you can escape. Shortly after the rest of the Veiled Edge is whipped out for revolting against the Japanese government.
You set out as a Ronin without a clan and come to know a rumor that your Blade Twin has survived. With no clan to serve, you become a sword for hire. After that, you will face a lot of politics, intrigue, and adventure. Lots of people want your help in exchange for leads to help you find your Blade Twin.
Missions and Bond System
A huge part of Rise of The Ronin is built upon the Bond system. Doing side quests both big and small will build relations with people from different provinces. The game has a massive open world so you will meet many characters in it. The bond system is not too different than building faction reputation and liberating map segments or growing relations with both historical and fictional characters.
The focus on inventing all these things and people shows the developer’s approach to the game. Personal connections to different characters make the system work. All these things are some of the reasons to learn the game and go through less interesting levels in the beginning.
Combat
While combat is not the central focus of the game, it can still play a huge role in how the missions play out. The main part of your mission revolves around assassination and duals which are direct confrontations against enemies. Combat is fast-paced and feels like a combination of Ghost of Tsushima and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
The emphasis in combat is mostly on parrying enemies at the right moment and using different fighting styles to counter opponents. Fights can be fanatic and early on, it can be frustrating as well. The combination of weird control and enemies unleash an overwhelming amount of force against you in Rise of The Ronin.
You and everyone you fight against have a health bar and stamina bar. Your stamina bar is used in any attack you use. There is the option to dodge and block. Getting hit while stamina is out will leave you dazed. The goal is to strike while parrying and attacking.
Breaking the rhythm of enemies can stagger them. Most normal enemies can be executed once they are staggered while tougher enemies and bosses will only take a powerful hit. Such a thing is normal for souls-like games and Rise of The Ronin takes inspiration from soul-like games. These tactics put a new spin on the mechanics. It takes a while before you build up enough skill to enjoy Rise of The Ronin.
Defense is As Much Important as Attacks
There are two different elements to sword fights which include Martial attack which is a powerful special move and Counter spark which is gentle parry. The goal is to parry enemies until you stagger them. Counter spark can feel strange, especially in the beginning. It is not just a simple parry but a short ranged attack as well that has its own momentum. Missing parry still hits opponents but opponents will hit you back. At times the Counter spark can move past enemies which creates a strange flow to fighting moves that takes time to get used to.
Like other soulslike games, enemies can power through your attacks with their own attack animations. You have to know when to attack and when to defend. At times, the game wants you to fight aggressively even when defending. Counter strike on certain attacks knock the enemy and open them up for a brief and short counterstrike. These attacks are usually the last attack in the enemy’s combo so you have to block and be ready for that specific attack when the time comes.
The More You Play The Better It Becomes
Rise of The Ronin gives you chances to parry so at times, you have to resist this urge and use parry when the result outweighs the risk. Sometimes parry works against you while other times a slash will reward you. Spending time in the first battle against a tough opponent will help you realize how important knowing the combat mechanics is. The first battle can absolutely destroy you with quick strikes.
This entire system of attacks and parries is not bad and can be enjoyed once you know how it works. Its motion and timing are different than other games so you have to unlearn some things. Early on combat can be brutal due to pacing. However, the game gives you the choice of changing the difficulty at any point. If you are getting destroyed, reduce the difficulty, if you are absolutely slaying opponents then increase the difficulty.
To top it all off the control scheme makes combat even stranger. You will block from the trigger but parry from the triangle. Practice is required so you can tap these buttons at the right time or use both when needed.
General Aspects
The Blade Twin story is not a compelling one. The main drive of your character doesn’t get that much screen time. Once you start investigating, you become friends with different people whose beliefs can conflict. They can want the stability of the Shogunate or a new government and stuff like that. As time goes on, these people develop factions that will require your help from time to time should you choose to aid.
All of this leads to an open-world setup that is not that impressive. A lot of open-world feeling of Rise of The Ronin is that of 2010s era games. There are some repeatable activities that will pop in front of you. These include collectibles to chase down, and side missions that are just about killing some random person. Story missions are interesting but get repetitive. Most are about infiltrating locations, sneaking around, assassinating normal soldiers, getting seen by enemies, and then defeating the boss.
One of the things that Rise of The Ronin suffers during a confrontation is stealth. The stealth of the game is not good. Sometimes you will spotted from afar and other times enemies will not spot you even when you are fighting behind them. Stealth is not the main option, it is just a side function that can be used to add more diversity to an encounter.
Missions always end with a challenging boss fight in the end. Once you get good in combat and dueling, every fight becomes a combat puzzle. The mix of twitch reactions and strategic responses will keep you excited for more.
Bond Missions
The best missions in the game are Bond missions. You will meet many Samurai and you can take many of them on missions as allies which lets you create ongoing relations and enhance friendship with these characters. Completing these side missions will reveal the story of these characters. You will be engaging in conversation with them and giving them gifts.
Building a stronger bond will unlock a new fighting style. Bringing these characters along on missions will give you passive bonuses that vary depending on the character you are bringing in. The interesting part is how the story of each character expands across mission which adds to the overall narrative. Characters are well-drawn and deal with their own principles and motivations. The stories of these characters are worth experiencing on their own. Having personal ties to characters makes these stories deeper.
Rise of The Ronin offers a fictional version of the historical end of the Shogunate in the 1860s. Characters and events you engage with eventually push Japan to a civil war. Your own principles and relations also switch, causing you to switch sides multiple times. It means that an ally you brought in for one boss could be your enemy in another. Your connections to characters do a lot to raise stakes which makes the entire narrative feel personally important.
Verdict (Is Rise of The Ronin Worth It)
Rise of the Ronin has some frustrating elements that require some time to get used to. Combat is one of its key pillars which leaves many of its other aspects hollow at best. It takes some time to get used to things and other elements will stop you from doing so. Weaker elements like open-world design come as outdated. The repetition in level design and the way it handles side activity are decent at best.
It does a great job of getting you involved in what is going on in the story. Bond missions are standouts of personal struggles and politics on a large scale. It has a historical story all the way. The longer you play the more the characters you meet. The more you learn about combat the better the world becomes. It takes a while for the Rise of the Ronin combat to find rhythm. The speed and intensity make up for a good fight. It takes a while to get good at the game but once you do it can be worth your time.
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