Rise Of The Ronin is a combat focused open-world action RPG that takes place in Japan at a time of great change. It is the very end of a 300-year long Edo Period, commonly known as “Bakumatsu”.

Set in the late 19th century, Japan is facing the darkest of times as it struggles with its oppressive rulers and deadly diseases while western influence permeates as civil war continues to rage between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Anti-Shogunate factions.

Here in this time of mayhem, you embody a Ronin character, a warrior bound to no master and free to make choices of its own. Rise of the Ronin is a new Team Ninja experience that will immerse you in an historically inspired world while bringing together its renowned combat action with Katanas and the likes, with new firearm weaponry that depicts the unique personality of its time period.

Rise of the Ronin features an open world bristling with tense combat opportunities that are woven together with a complex storyline.

Let’s take a new look at freeform traversal options, combat mechanics, and the development of character relationships based on your actions.

Fighting like a Ronin

A variety of weapons are available for battling your enemies. In addition to Team Ninja’s signature swordplay, you can wield Japanese spears and ranged firearms, including foreign pistols. 

Hybrid Japanese-western weapons are also options. Use the the flamethrower-like Fire Pipe to roast groups and ignite flammable barrels or wield the bayonet to deflect blades and counter rifle blasts. Choosing your combat style and keeping your enemies’ armaments in mind is key to gaining advantage in battle.

As Team Ninja fans know, timing is key in melee combat. The new trailer showcases a heated battle between swordsmen where stance selection, blocking, and timed parries are critical to defeating foes. You can also wield a versatile Grappling Rope to pull distant enemies in during fights or perform a stealthy takedown on an unaware sentry. Players can also use the rope to launch themselves towards foes and close the gap.

Prepare to use every tool available to overcome the fearsome threats facing our fated Ronin.

Traversing Japan

Plenty of choices are available when covering ground in late 19th century Japan. Your grappling rope is useful outside combat to scale rooftops and other heights, allowing you to gain leverage in a flash. Mounting a trusty horse also allows you to gallop across open fields to mission objectives faster.

The ingenious Avicula is one of the traversal options we at Team Ninja are most excited about. This marvel of engineering allows you to instantly deploy a lightweight set of wings, perfect for gliding through the air. Players can sprint across rooftops, grapple to a distant height, and deploy their glider in midair, using the upward momentum to soar through the air. You can adjust your direction, speed, close wings at any moment, and get a stealthy drop on unsuspecting enemies.

Player choice

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.

Who you choose to develop a relationship with impacts how the story unfolds. However, there are no disadvantages to bonding with a character at the expense of another. Consider it even more variety for your next playthrough.

 

The Digital Deluxe edition of Rise of the Ronin ($79.99 / £79.99/ €89.99/ ¥9,980 MSRP) will include the game, all the pre-order incentives, as well as Iga Ninja’s Staff, Toyokuni Paired Swords, Bando Warrior Armour set and Japanese Formal Wear set.

Rise Of The Ronin is coming to PS5 as console exclusive (which probably means it's coming to PC as well) on March 22, 2024 at $69.99 / £69.99/ €79.99/ ¥8,980.