With Helldivers 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth providing a memorable February for PS5 players, it’s now Team Ninja’s turn with Rise of the Ronin. Launching on March 22nd for PS5, the open-world action RPG has seen seven years of development and is the team’s biggest title yet.
It’s set in Japan during the later years of the Bakumatsu era, with the Shogunate in upheaval and foreign powers looking to make their mark. As a Veiled Edge free to make their way, your actions could dictate the flow of history. Here are 15 new things about Rise of the Ronin, including how its combat works.
Major Cities and Areas
Players will explore three major cities – Yokohama, Kyoto and Edo (which would become Tokyo). Each has unique sights and locations to explore, from the Foreign Settlement in Yamashita, Yokohama, where soldiers from other countries are stationed, to Chinatown with “various trinkets for sale and unique architecture characteristic of Chinese cultures.”
Kyoto has the Gosho district, where the emperor’s palace resides, and you can even venture to the Shinsengumi’s training ground. Edo is the base of the Shogunate, with the Kojimachi district full of samurai that protect the castle. Of course, you can also visit Nihonbashi, a famous bridge over the titular river, which has become a modern tourist attraction. The countryside is open, with threats like bandits about, but the cities should make for the most intriguing locations.
Combat
Those versed in Nioh and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty know the drill – attack an enemy to reduce their Ki and break them to execute damaging critical hits. You can dodge with Circle and block with L1, but keep an eye on your own Ki. Once it depletes, you can’t attack or even sprint, making you just as vulnerable to attacks.
Counterspark
Occasionally, enemies will execute unblockable attacks where guarding is useless. Thankfully, you have Counterspark, a parry that reduces their Ki while allowing for a quick follow-up. Counterspark can be used to parry normal attacks as well and seemingly in mid-air, allowing you to turn the tables in the blink of an eye.
All Known Weapons
Whether you favor melee attacks, long-range firearms or something in between, there’s quite a diverse range of weaponry in Rise of the Ronin. Among the melee weapons, you have the all-rounder katana, suited for almost any situation (with the saber likely to be similar); heavy weapons like the odachi and great sword; longer-range choices like the spear and naginata; and quicker weapons like the dual blades and Oxtail sword.
You also get the bayonet, which can strike like a spear and fire from mid-range. Ranged weapons include a bow (perfect for quiet kills), shurikens, flamethrowers, muskets and revolvers. Interestingly, you can fire ranged weapons from your Avicula, the glider-like device, and rain death down on enemies.
Combat Styles
Combat Styles provide techniques associated with certain weapon types. Four Styles have been detailed till now – Mumyo-ryu, described as “versatile martial art combat style performed in pairs”, with those mastering it becoming a Veiled Edge (like the player character); Hokushin Itto-Ryu meant to “overwhelm foes with a series of attacks”; Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, a style used by the Tokugawa clan and its shoguns; and, briefly spotted during “The Fight” video, Shinto Munen-ryu, described as “a combat style that values raw attacking power and charging headlong at the enemy.”
Style Types
That’s not all, though, as each Style has one of three Types – Ten (Sky), Chi (Earth) and Jin (Human). It appears to be a rock-paper-scissors dynamic, especially since countering an enemy’s Style Type can be advantageous in many ways – like parries knocking them back further. Depending on the Style and Type, the techniques for a weapon can change drastically.
Martial Skills
As seen in “The Fight” behind-the-scenes video, each Combat Style has a Normal, Charge and Advancing Attack alongside Counterspark. They also get four Martial Skills, accessed by holding R1 and pressing one of the face buttons. As for the skills themselves, they range from springboard kicks with the katana to rushing towards an opponent, firing haphazardly with the bayonet. There is a lot to uncover, complete with stylish finishers.
Grappling Hook
You also have the Grappling Hook, a wild card good for more than just exploration. It can grapple explosive barrels and toss them at enemies to wipe out a crowd or propel the player towards them for attacks. You can also use it for stealth kills, grappling enemies from high ground and breaking their necks. Based on gameplay footage, it’s also possible to whip enemies from afar with the Grappling Hook, grapple them towards you, toss them like ragdolls and much more.
Combos
It wouldn’t be a Team Ninja title without combos, and Rise of the Ronin thankfully delivers. You use a revolver to open up your opponent from afar and then close in with katana strikes; fire with a musket to briefly stun a foe, pull them forward with the Grappling Hook, and stab them with a spear before planting them in the ground. The Combat Vignette trailer more or less confirms switching Styles on the fly and performing actions like grappling towards an enemy from mid-air to continue a combo.
Character Creator
If you enjoyed creating your character in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty or Nioh 2, good news – Rise of the Ronin is confirmed to have one. You can adjust the face, hair, voice, body shape, etc. How extensive it is compared to the developer’s previous titles remains to be seen, but if it’s anything similar, then expect a wealth of options.
4 Player Co-op, No PvP
Featured in Nioh 1 and 2 and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, online co-op is also available in Rise of the Ronin, with up to four players capable of venturing into main story missions. However, PlayStation Plus is required, and sadly, there’s no PvP for those keen on fighting other players a la Dark Souls.
Difficulty Options
If there’s one thing that the developer’s titles are known for, it’s their difficulty. In a throwback to the days of Ninja Gaiden Black, Rise of the Ronin features multiple difficulty options. There are three in total – Dawn (Easy mode), Dusk (Normal mode) and Twilight (Hard mode), which you can change anytime. Dawn also allows for modifying options in your favor, like Medicine grants more health recovery or less Ki lost from attacks. For less combat-centric players, it should be suitable for enjoying the story.
Bond System and Benefits
The Bakumatsu era features opposing factions and historical figures with their own agendas. You can build bonds with characters like Sakamoto Ryoma, which will affect the story’s direction and result in different endings. Bond missions are available for the same, but you can also train with some characters, which allows for enhancing your Combat Styles. Reaching Bond level 4 “Fated” even provides buffs to Charm Points and Intelligence.
Allies on Missions
Depending on the allies recruited thus far, you can bring them into missions to back you up. Each has different stats and bonuses that can benefit you – like Shinsaku Takasugi’s Kihei Craft, which increases the attack power of sub-weapons.
Character Switching
However, perhaps the biggest game-changer is being able to switch to your allies during combat. It opens up even more opportunities, whether it’s different combos or just switching to an ally with weapons that may be beneficial in a given situation.
Inon Zur as Composer
While all the combat and Bond aspects sound great, players should also enjoy the music, with Team Ninja bringing composer Inon Zur on board. Zur is known for his work on many big RPGs, including Fallout 3 and 4, and more recently, Starfield. If you’re a fan of the soundtracks from any of those titles, Rise of the Ronin should provide a quality audio experience.