Rise of the Rōnin - Before You Buy

Transcript

(electronic chime) - [Jake] And we're back with another episode of Before You Buy, that show where we give ya some straight-up gameplay and our first impressions of the latest games releasing. As usual, it's me, Jake Baldino, and today we're talking about Rise of the Ronin. This is the newest game from Team Ninja, the folks behind so many games, mo... Read More

Key Insights

• 😮 Rise of the Ronin presents a blend of Souls-like combat within an open world, marked by significant freedom and choice.
• 👻 Character customization options are extensive, allowing players to tailor their experience through weapon selection and skill trees.
• 🎮 The game effectively incorporates stealth elements, although simplistic, that add variety to gameplay.
• 👊 Enemy variety and satisfying combat mechanics keep the gameplay engaging, despite a few frustrations with character attack patterns.
• 🤑 The narrative is set in a historically rich period, providing a unique backdrop compared to typical gaming settings.
• 🤗 The game promotes exploration through side quests and collectibles, making the open-world experience feel rewarding.
• 🤗 Although it features common open-world filler content, the fun combat mechanics often overshadow these shortcomings.

Questions & Answers

Q: Is Rise of the Rōnin worth buying?

Jake Baldino’s first impression is that Rise of the Rōnin is clearly flawed but still a lot of fun. Its strongest feature is the satisfying combat, while its open world adds quests, side quests, loot, hidden items, towns, NPCs, and collectible cats.

Q: What kind of game is Rise of the Rōnin?

Rise of the Rōnin is an open-world adventure set in 1850s Japan with Team Ninja’s spin on Souls-like combat. The review describes its basic pitch as Wo Long or Nioh combined with an open world resembling Ghost of Tsushima’s, but in a different period.

Q: How does combat work in Rise of the Rōnin?

Combat uses dodges, rolls, blocks, and a special parry or deflect mapped to triangle. Deflecting attacks weakens an enemy’s meter and opens them to a powerful strike, while the player must also manage a meter consumed by blocking, attacking, and special moves.

Q: What weapons and combat styles are available?

The game includes katanas, paired swords, longer and heavier weapons, guns, bows, and pistols, each with distinct moves, animations, and capabilities. Players also unlock swappable melee stances with different speeds and advantages against particular enemies.

Q: How difficult is Rise of the Rōnin?

Rise of the Rōnin can be brutal, especially when special-parry timing is unforgiving or enemies trap the player in long attack combinations. It offers three difficulty modes, and the reviewer found normal difficulty increasingly challenging, though less unforgiving than other games in the subgenre.

Q: Is Rise of the Rōnin more accessible than other Souls-like games?

The reviewer considers it more accessible because players can explore, complete other activities, grow stronger, and progress at their own pace. This creates a better balance between challenge and advancement, although learning enemy patterns and parry timing remains necessary.

Q: Does Rise of the Rōnin have stealth gameplay?

Yes, players can crouch, snipe enemies, perform stealth kills, use distractions, move across rooftops, and assassinate targets. The stealth is simple and could be better, but the reviewer found it substantial enough not to feel like a complete afterthought.

Q: What progression systems does Rise of the Rōnin include?

The game features skill trees, weapons, alliances, character bonds, and unlockable combat techniques. Skills can enable actions such as shooting while dodging backward, jumping on enemies, using a grappling hook against them, and throwing objects.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Rise of the Ronin combines elements from Team Ninja's previous titles, creating a unique open world set in 1850s Japan, featuring dynamic combat and exploration.

• The game has various systems and mechanics, allowing for customization of combat styles, weapons, and character interactions within a historic narrative framework.

• While the graphics are somewhat outdated, the game delivers satisfying combat and an engaging, albeit flawed, storytelling experience enhanced by character bonds and open-world quests.