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Rise of the Ronin: Everything We Know

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If you thought Team Ninja was preparing for some well-needed respite in light of the Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty launch, then you were sorely mistaken. Turns out, the Koei Tecmo division has another open-world action RPG up its sleeve, and according to game director Fumihiko Yasuda, it is “undoubtedly the most ambitious and challenging project” the studio has ever put up against the chopping block. Question is, what is Rise of the Ronin, and why should you be keeping it in your peripheral vision as we move towards 2024?

Sadly, we are still a ways off from seeing the Samurai RPG spring to light, as made clear by the rather vague 2024 launch window that Team Ninja announced back in 2022. In spite of this, you can still get your hands on a whole bunch of details surrounding its story, gameplay, and setting. And so, if you are even the slightest bit interested in Team Ninja's latest venture, then be sure to read on. Here's everything you need to know about it.

What Is Rise of the Ronin?

Ronin, otherwise known as wandering Samurai warriors who had no lord or master to abide by, were once, at least in the Code of the Samurai, perceived as dishonourable and waylaid strays. Rise of the Ronin, while keeping in line with this Code, will center its world around a wandering ronin—a forgotten soul who bears no moral binds to any particular territory or kingdom.

Set during the height of Japan's Edo period, Rise of the Ronin will take you to the 19th century, a time during which Japan suffered from mass outbreaks of disease, a growing feud with the American Embassy, and civil war. According to Team Ninja, the RPG will feature “the most critical revolution in the history of Japan,” which means, rather than shy away from such taboo subjects, Rise of the Ronin will embrace them with open arms.

Story

To echo, Rise of the Ronin will cast its focus on the 19th century, a dark period during which Japan struggled with an ongoing civil war, overseas feuds, and an unforgiving thread of diseases. It is here, during the peak of the country's crucial moments, that you will assume the role of a ronin—a stray warrior who follows no particular code or master—as you navigate an open world lost in turmoil.

As it currently stands, not a great deal more is known about the actual story. Apparently, though, players will have a fair amount of opportunities to shape the narrative via a series of vital choices. Makes sense, of course, as you have no lord or land to call your own. And so, it appears a great portion of the story will be based around finding a future of your own—a world in which you can brand home and regain the honour that you once lost.

Gameplay

It comes as no surprise that Rise of the Ronin will revolve most of its gameplay around combat, primarily melee and stealth, with just a sliver of ranged. It will also open the book up on open-world exploration, which will give players a multitude of landmarks to unearth, artefacts to scout, and territories to plunder. Think Ghost of Tsushima, perhaps, but with a heavy helping of Team Ninja's core ingredients, and you'll have a vague image of what we're talking about.

Development

Team Ninja, the studio behind Rise of the Ronin, has an outstanding history of developing well-orchestrated action-packed RPGs—Samurai chapters by the dozen, too. And to add a little extra meat to those bones, the well-known studio will also be working to conjure Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, yet another piece that will reportedly bring players to a fantasized version of the Three Kingdoms period.

Rise of the Ronin was officially revealed during the State of Play showcase back in September 2022. Since then, not a whole lot has come to light, other than the fact it will be releasing on PlayStation 5 at some point in 2024. Going by that, it could be some time before we receive a clearer picture of the ronin in question. Q3 2023, perhaps?

Trailer

Rise of the Ronin - State of Play Sep 2022 Reveal Trailer | PS5 Games

In case you missed the State of Play event last September, we included the reveal trailer for Rise of the Ronin in the embed above. Since its initial sneak preview, Team Ninja has kept most of its footage under wraps, which of course includes a lot of its gameplay, too. Nevertheless, if you're curious to know what the game looks like in its current state, then be sure to check out the trailer above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Rise of the Ronin will be launching exclusively on PlayStation 5 at some stage in 2024, meaning Xbox and Switch users aren't likely to be getting even the slightest snippet of Team Ninja's specialty at any point in the future. This is subject to change, though, as the studio certainly isn't a stranger to sharing its work on other platforms; Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, for example, will be coming to Xbox Game Pass as a day-one exclusive on March 3, 2023.

It hasn't been confirmed yet, but if Rise of the Ronin is under some form of timed contract, then chances are it will indeed shed its PS5 exclusivity in the year or so following its initial launch. And this of course includes seeing a potential PC port, too, which is arguably one of the most wanted platforms, in general.

For more information on the Rise of the Ronin launch, be sure to check in with the official social handle here. If anything even remotely intriguing drops between now and its eventual 2024 release, we'll be sure to spill all of the details right here on gaming.net.

 

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Rise of the Ronin when it eventually drops? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

Jord is acting Team Leader at gaming.net. If he isn't blabbering on in his daily listicles, then he's probably out writing fantasy novels or scraping Game Pass of all its slept on indies.