Last night during the PlayStation State of Play event, developer Team Ninja debuted an extensive new gameplay trailer for its upcoming PS5 exclusive, Rise of the Ronin. The gameplay focused on traversal and combat in the game’s open-world set in the final years of the Edo period in Japan, on the brink of an industrial revolution in the country. This will give you access to not only swords but guns as well.
The gameplay trailer for Rise of the Ronin opens up with a bit of exploration. The custom-created protagonist can traverse rooftops quickly with a grappling rope then launch themselves into the air with a gliding device, seamlessly transitioning into horseback riding. Combat was highlighted next and if you’re already familiar with Team Ninja’s past action-RPG’s like Nioh and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, you’ll instantly recognise the patterns here.
Combat is a dance of blocking, parrying and striking when you have openings, giving players multiple different stances to tackle enemies. In addition to the sword-based combat, players can also use a variety of new gadgets including a flamethrower device and even a bayonet to easily stagger foes. Combat looks bloody, stylish and quite challenging – though for the first time, Rise of the Ronin will include difficulty settings. The Hard mode is seemingly meant for players who enjoyed Nioh‘s challenge, though it will also offer story and intermediate difficulty options.
Team Ninja also put an emphasis on the role-playing aspects of Rise of the Ronin. Game director Fumihiko Yasuda explained:
“In addition to choices of combat and traversal styles, players can also impact Rise of the Ronin’s world with their actions during story missions. At one point in the new trailer, we see the player choose to help a character named Igashichi fight a group of hostile guards. This choice to help establishes a bond between these characters, lets players get to know Igashichi more deeply, and unlocks other game features. You’ll be able to make these choices with additional characters, such as Ryoma Sakamoto highlighted in a previous trailer.”
Players can use a variety of different weapons in combat including katanas, spears, long swords and more, opening up the door for multiple playstyles and potential builds. The game will also have a character creator so that dream of making Samurai Jack or Blue Eye Samurai in an awesome video game might become a reality here.
Rise of the Ronin launches on 22 March 2024 exclusively for PS5. Check out the gameplay trailer below:
Source: PS Blog
