I was lucky enough to visit China and Japan in late fall last year. To be able to visit these Asian nations that have inspired great games such as Ghost Of Tsushima, Aragami or Ghostwire: Tokyo was a great gift indeed. I especially looked forward to Tokyo, because I felt so intrigued when playing Ghostwire, truth be told, what really blew me away was the Summer Palace in Beijing and everything in Kyoto.

Kyoto is one of the key locations of Rise Of The Ronin, a historically inspired, combat-heavy RPG by KOEI TECMO GAMES. Set at the end of the Shogunate and right on the precipice of Japan opening up towards the West, our hero will face a multitude of challenges, explore historic sites and cities and, above all, fight. And, yes, there will be SPOILERS.

The Story

Our once part of a hidden order turned outcast assassin hero is swiftly roped into the brewing conflict between Shogunate loyalists and the anti-Shogunate faction. During Act 1 we will encounter several factions and colourful characters that we can become friends with or even lovers. Yet, as the conflict escalates, we will soon have to choose sides. Do we embrace the country opening towards the West or do we choose isolationist views? Do we work with our friends or turn against them?

The fact that you cannot, in fact, change history is, in my mind, a great bonus. Other games, not to name names, might use the historical subplot and change it via some outlandish plot device to fit a more heroic narrative. This way, it means that you knowingly choose the losing battle. While I have yet to finish that storyline, I am looking forward to the end.

There is a separate sub-plot that is on a more personal level for our protagonist, though, truth be told, the setup is not ideal. See, our protagonist is twin to either a man or woman, who will be lost during the very first mission of the game. It will become apparent early on that their sibling will be an antagonist to their cause. Which could have the makings of a great redemption arc, but you spend far too little time with that character on the beginning to even care. At least that was what I thought.

The Protagonist

Our protagonist is of the Veiled Edge, an order of assassins. In the very beginning you will be able to customise your character and choose an origin. There are seven of them: Killer, Breaker, Seducer, Sapper, Beginner and Unsharpened. Origin comes with recommended weapons and stats.

Apart from the personal subplot you can shape you hero with your own actions and choices. Of which there are a lot.  

Supporting Cast

Throughout your journey you will be meeting historical figures, various factions and ordinary people alike. They all give you quests that will help shape your ultimate decision whether to embrace the newcomers from the West or reject them. Which means that among your potential allies and enemies you will find Westerners as well as Japanese from all walks of life. Also, there are a very many potential companions, so many, in fact, that I could not even remember their names. The exception is Ryoma Sakamoto, a very likeable samurai with a zest for life. He is your companion almost through the entire game and I genuinely enjoyed his company. Another, geisha Taka Murayama, is an interesting character you unfortunately will have to part ways with far too soon. I would have loved to have more interactions with her.

You can also invite other companions to your base and converse with them, visit them at their own bases and give them gifts, or begin a friendly duel. Which is, actually, one of the funniest things about the game: social interaction through fights. I swear, every other minute it’s like: You want to flirt with me? Let’s fight! You want to earn my respect? Let’s fight! You want to become friends? Let’s fight! And so on.

The Settings

There are different world maps that will unlock upon reaching certain points in the story, like Yokohama and Kyoto. And while the graphics cannot compare to master piece Ghost Of Tsushima, the landscapes are beautiful, from lush forests and hills to small hamlets and grand estates.

Your missions will have you infiltrate prisons, construction sites, an embassy and even the Shogun’s palace in Kyoto.

The Combat

There are two different combat settings. First is the mission-based combat. During main missions, you can pair up with one or more companions (or other players) to get you through. Depending on the mission it will be more or less combat-heavy. Second, when exploring the world maps you will be able to freely choose combat and decide whether to be stealthy about it or go on the offensive.

As mentioned, your origins comes with recommended weapons, You will always have two of those, be it rapiers, swords, bows, guns or spears. All of them have to be mastered and doing just that helps immensely, since combat can be tough. You will frequently have to switch weapons and techniques during a battle, so stay on your toes! This is, by the way, one of the reasons for your frequent friendly duels. Your companions have preset weapons that you can test yourself against. Doing so will increase your mastery. You can also fight bare-handed, by the way. Visit dojos to perfect your craft and you will be just fine!

Activities

You can spend hours in this game. Bounty-hunting, solving crimes, brawling, saving citizens, collecting pictures, practising archery or gunslinging… And you can support the cat distribution system. Which is ultra cute. In case you do not know what that is, the cat distribution system is based on the belief that when a cat is needed in someone’s life, the universe will provide. In case of Rise Of The Ronin, you will have a Meiko in Yokohama introduce you to that system and will be able to loan out cats to people in need of one, which in turn results in benefits for you.

The Verdict

Rise Of The Ronin is a fun game and you can never go wrong when the story is set in Japan! I enjoyed is very much, and even though the multitude of characters with long Japanese names was a little exhausting, the fun missions certainly made up for that.   

Next up is Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Until then, keep on playing!

Cheers
Vanessa