Rise of the Ronin is one of the most anticipated upcoming games of the year, developed by Nioh and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty studio Team Ninja. For newcomers to the action-RPG Soulslikes that the developer is known for, it might seem like a daunting sell. However, the game is making sure to be as accessible as possible to new players when it launches next month, which includes difficulty settings. Here’s everything you need to know about Rise of the Ronin before it arrives on 22 March 2024.
Rise of the Ronin will be the first Team Ninja Soulslike to adopt an open world, partially spurred by the success of From Software’s own groundbreaking open world game, Elden Ring. Unlike Nioh and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty which featured mostly linear, segmented levels, Rise of the Ronin will deliver a seamless, sprawling world to explore that puts it more in line with Ghost of Tsushima – albeit with a greater emphasis on combat.
Story
The story of Rise of the Ronin is set in the final years of the Edo period in the late 19th century. Several anti-shogunate factions are displeased with the forced reopening of Japan to western influence, bringing innovations such as guns to the country. You play as a character caught in the middle of a civil conflict in Japan, where role-playing elements will make you face tough decisions along the way.
Character Creation
At its core, Rise of the Ronin is an RPG which means you get to create your own protagonist. Team Ninja previously confirmed that character customisation will be present in the game. If you’re familiar with the extensive character creation of past Team Ninja games, expect to spend a very long time tinkering the design of your protagonist with hundreds, if not thousands of cosmetic options. It might be possible to alter the appearance of your character throughout the game too, changing body types, hair and other facial details.
Gameplay
With the introduction of guns, Rise of the Ronin is mixing things up from Nioh and Wo Long. While the gameplay mostly remains the same from Team Ninja’s previous titles – stances, parrying, evading and striking when seeing openings – the game will also let you experiment with ranged weapons such as bayonets and powerful bows. There are even options for new gadgets like flamethrowers.
However, all of this is taken to an open world setting this time. Players can traverse rooftops with a grappling hook and catapult into the air with a gliding device. Team Ninja is giving the exploration aspects of the game a lot of attention, ensuring you have plenty of options for easier traversal. From what we’ve seen, the gameplay does resemble Ghost of Tsushima in some aspects but it’s clearly an effort to expand the formula of Nioh.
Weapons
Rise of the Ronin will feature an assortment of weapons for players to utilise, from close-ranged melee weapons to long-ranged bayonets and guns. It will cater to several playstyles that you can build around. Ahead of the game’s release, Team Ninja uploaded several videos showcasing each weapon and gameplay style:
Bayonet:
Odachi:
Great Sword:
Dual Blade:
Naginata:
Spear:
Guns/Ranged:
Difficulty Settings
On that note, unlike Nioh, Rise of the Ronin will actually feature difficulty settings. This isn’t a Soulslike that’s going to force you to get good as you can play it at your own pace and challenge, which is honestly a smart move ot improve the game’s reach to a wider audience. There will be a Hard mode for veteran players who enjoy Nioh‘s challenge, though there will also be story and intermediate difficulty options.
Co-Op Multiplayer
If you’re finding the challenge a bit too steep, there’s also the option to play with friends or other players online in four-player co-op. Team Ninja didn’t make it clear how co-op will work. In From Software’s Souls games, co-op is usually triggered by summoning players at specific points, typically before big boss fights. It’s assumed that Rise of the Ronin will follow this template and might not feature full co-op that will allow players to explore the world together.
Since jolly co-operation is the key focus, there won’t be any PvP content in the game.
Behind The Scenes
If you want to take a closer look at the making of Rise of the Ronin, PlayStation began uploading behind the scenes videos to give players a better understanding of the thought process that went into everything. The first two episodes are out which you can watch below:
Rise of the Ronin launches on 22 March 2024 exclusively for PS5. Pre-orders are available here.
