PlayStation Plus has revealed its new monthly lineup of games to look forward to, and subscribers who have an affinity for RPGs with great fighting will want to give Rise of the Ronin a try. Other titles, like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Dying Light, are bringing other great options to PlayStation Plus this month, but Rise of the Ronin is a game that didn’t get the attention it deserved at launch. Even though it isn’t a perfect game by any means, fans of Japanese history and strong combat mechanics could have a diamond in the rough on their hands with Rise of the Ronin.
One of the big reasons that Rise of the Ronin failed to get a lot of attention at launch is because it released alongside a pretty big contender. Rise of the Ronin came out on the same day as Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma 2. With the two being RPGs, many gravitated towards the Dragon’s Dogma sequel that had been anticipated for a long time. The Team Ninja-made RPG may have struggled to make a splash back in 2024, but its place on the new PS Plus games list could help give it a second wind.
Rise of the Ronin Is Worth Another Look
It’s important to at least mention that Rise of the Ronin definitely has its drawbacks. Some of the biggest criticisms that the game faced at launch were that it felt dated for a PS5 game. This isn’t wrong, but that also shouldn’t keep RPG fans away. The graphics and open-world design are where it feels the most dated, but other mechanics shine through. Rise of the Ronin‘s gameplay, especially when it comes to combat, is on par with other modern RPGs, making it well worth looking past the dated graphics.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
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Rise of the Ronin Is All About Choices, Bonds, and Intense Combat
The game takes place in 19th-century Japan and follows an unnamed protagonist who players get to customize and make their own. Gamers who love an RPG with good character creation will be happy to learn that, but there are even more great features to look forward to.
Rise of the Ronin‘s gameplay, especially when it comes to combat, is on par with other modern RPGs, making it well worth looking past the dated graphics.
Fans of RPGs like The Witcher 3 may not be blown away by Rise of the Ronin‘s narrative, as the storytelling can sometimes be a little awkward and downright confusing at times, but the choice-based mechanics can be a lot of fun to play around with. In-game choices are incredibly important in Rise of the Ronin, as the game is focused around the era’s violent political turmoil.
Rise of the Ronin‘s character creator has a unique take on the mechanic. Throughout the story, the game’s protagonist is working to avenge their dead twin, so the character creator has players design both the protagonist and their twin for the opening prologue. The customization that the character builder allows is very in-depth, which is great for gamers who love to spend a lot of time building their ideal protagonist.
Beyond the choices in Rise of the Ronin, the strongest features of the game are found in the Bond System and its combat mechanics. Rise of the Ronin‘s Bond System tracks the protagonist’s relationships with allies and factions. Connections can alter alliances and outcomes, so it’s a great game for those who love some political drama. Combat is fast-paced, brutal, and satisfyingly fluid, and it ties everything together with an awesome parry system. So, even when the story fails to hit its emotional beats and feel cohesive, the Bond System and combat mechanics pick up the slack and save the game.
Gaming’s Feudal Japan Trend May Be Slowing Down, But Rise of the Ronin Can Satisfy Fans Who Crave More
There have been tons of great games set in Japan over the years, but the 2020s in particular have seen an uptick in titles based around the country’s history. Even though a lot of gamers who are fond of Japan’s feudal era have probably played most of the recent titles to jump on this trend, there are still plenty out there who have yet to experience them all.
Biggest Medieval Japan Games of the 2020s
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Ghost of Yotei
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Like a Dragon: Ishin
- Nioh 2
Those who were fond of Like a Dragon: Ishin‘s setting will definitely want to check out Rise of the Ronin, since both games are set in the Bakumatsu era. This period of time in Japan’s history is the perfect blueprint to build a game from, and seeing how the two approach the same era in different ways is fascinating. Rise of the Ronin might not hit the same highs that games like Ghost of Tsushima and Yotei do, but Sucker Punch’s take on feudal Japan is going to be hard to beat in general.
Even though it was released a year before in 2019, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice also helped kickstart the feudal Japan trend.
Rise of the Ronin‘s rough appearance may have deterred some gamers from checking it out, and that’s understandable. However, adding the RPG to the PS Plus game list is giving subscribers a golden opportunity to see what the game is all about without having to take a risk in buying it. As gaming continues to get more expensive, taking a chance on a game that you aren’t completely sold on can be daunting. Even though subscription fatigue is real, it’s moments like this that showcase how beneficial platforms like PS Plus can be.
Fans of Japanese history and strong combat mechanics could have a diamond in the rough on their hands with Rise of the Ronin.
This RPG may be a little rough around the edges, but Rise of the Ronin has enough good things going for it gameplay-wise that it’s a great way to experience another world set in one of Japan’s most compelling periods of history. Since it’s now part of the PS Plus catalog, there really isn’t anything to lose. Rise of the Ronin is a game that deserves to get a fresh audience, so it’s time on the platform will hopefully get it in front of new players who can appreciate the RPG for what it is.
- Released
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March 22, 2024
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
