Rise of the Ronin

TL;DR: A flawed but enjoyable open-world action RPG carried mostly by Team Ninja’s excellent combat system. The story, visuals, open-world structure, and PC optimization could be better, but the weapon variety and fighting mechanics make it worth playing if you enjoy samurai action games. Rise of the Ronin is one of those games I can recommend while fully understanding why many people have mixed feelings about it. It is not Team Ninja at their absolute best in every area, but when the combat clicks, the game becomes very easy to enjoy. The strongest part of the game is definitely the combat. Team Ninja knows how to make fighting feel satisfying, and that is still true here. There are many weapon types, multiple combat styles, counters, stance-based decisions, and enough variety to keep encounters interesting for a long time. If you enjoyed the combat depth and weapon variety in games like Nioh, you will probably find a lot to like here as well. It is not exactly the same kind of game, but the Team Ninja DNA is obvious in the best way. The setting is also a big part of the appeal. The game takes place in a fascinating period of Japanese history, and even if the execution is not always perfect, I liked exploring this version of Japan. Visually, the game is inconsistent, but there are still many beautiful locations, landscapes, temples, streets, forests, and quiet natural moments that capture the beauty of Japan surprisingly well. It is not a graphical showcase, but it can still look very pleasant in the right scenes. That said, the game definitely has issues. The story could have been stronger. The historical backdrop is interesting, and some major characters are well-designed and memorable, but the writing does not always give the plot enough emotional weight. There are choices, factions, and important historical figures, but the narrative often feels less powerful than it should. It has good moments, but it rarely reaches the level of drama or character depth that the setting deserves. The presentation is also uneven. Important story characters usually look good, and some of them are genuinely well-made, but facial animation and general character expression can feel stiff or outdated. This hurts some dramatic scenes, because the game clearly wants you to care about its characters, but the animation does not always support that emotion. The open world is another mixed point. There is a lot to do, but not all of it feels equally meaningful. Some activities and missions can become repetitive, and the structure sometimes feels more like a checklist than a truly organic adventure. The traversal is enjoyable and the world has charm, but the overall design is not as strong as the combat. Performance is also worth mentioning. My experience was stable, but the PC version clearly has a mixed reputation for a reason. Many players have reported optimization problems, stuttering, and inconsistent performance, so I would not blindly recommend it to everyone without checking how it runs on your hardware first. Overall, I still enjoyed Rise of the Ronin. It has flaws, and some of them are hard to ignore, but the combat carries the experience. The weapon variety, fighting styles, historical setting, and occasional beautiful views of Japan make it worth playing, especially if you are already a fan of Team Ninja’s action games. Recommended, but mainly for players who value combat systems more than story, graphics, or polished open-world design.

Giving it a positiive review just due to how good the combat is. If you aren't on a high end pc this can run like ♥♥♥♥, 5x worse optimization than wo long fallen dynasty. Honestly, there should be regulations preventing studios from releasing games or ports in such an unoptimized state.

Rise of Ronin is a game I really like despite its flaws and rough edges. I recently purchased the game on sales and after finishing the game and getting all the achievement i would say it is an enjoyable experience. The Pros : Great combat. This is not much of a surprise since Team Ninja has always been known to delivers in this department. It is satisfying and rewarding and for sure it is the best aspect of the game. There are 6 distinct melee weapons type and 3 ranged options and they all feel fun and unique. In addition the game style/stance system further add complexity and customization making and i greatly enjoyed it. There also a stealth attack in this game and while its is basic it still help the game since i found myself balancing between being sneaky and picking off enemy first before running in murder hobo style. The game difficulty are also tune well offering 3 choices for the 1st playthrough being : Dawn (Easy), Dusk (Normal), and Twilight (Hard). I played on Twilight (Hard) where the game is challenging but fair and i enjoyed it greatly. The game setting is also another strong part since it is set in the late Edo / Bakumatsu period where Japan undergoes a lot of changes due to their interaction with western nations. Not many games cover this era of Japan so for someone like me I really enjoy all the historical details as well all the characters featured in it. The game character creation system is also a plus for me since you can customized both of the blade twin. The system is easy to use and you can make a good looking character or an abomination based on your preference relatively fast and painless. ( Also the game surprisingly feature romance options with no gender restriction which is a first for Team Ninja) Cons: The visual of the game is inconsistent just like the dev previous game Wolong. The game can look pretty good at some locations but it can just decide to flip the switch some time and look blurry with jagged edges textures. The performance of the game is highly dependent on your PC. I first tried this game when it launch with an I5 12400f CPU , 32gb or ram and a RTX 2070 and it was not enjoyable. Now in 2026 with better optimization and much better pc the game ran smooth for me at a stable 100-120 fps at max setting + DLSS at Quality. Things that can be improved: (Things mention here are neither pros or cons) The story for me is okay. Despite me praising the game interesting time period it doesn't have enough impact to be consider fully great. You can choose to be either pro shogunate or anti shogunate in the game but both story branch need more time in the oven imo . In my playthrough i just end up flip flopping between the 2 factions until the very end of the game since i don't feel attached enough toward either one. I would consider myself to be a fan of open world type game and while i mostly enjoyed it in this game there is a decent amount of repetition in its random event and side quest. This is the first time Team Ninja made an open world game though so i won't harp on this too much. Overall like i said at the start i still enjoyed Rise of Ronin greatly so in my personal opinion I would recommend the game and give it a score of 8 out of 10. If you are on the fences about it i highly suggest you buy the game on sales like me at 50% off since its a bit pricey at full prices. I hope Team Ninja will consider making a sequel to this game and improved further cause i see a lot of potential here.

This is the worst running game I have ever played. I've played hundreds of games over the last 30 years, and none of them have run this bad. It is incredible that anyone would spend all of this time developing a game, and then release it in such a poor state. Cyberpunk 2077? 60 fps is no problem. Rise of the Ronin? Literally less than 10fps with DLSS and reduced resolution. I will give this game exactly one more try before refunding, but I am deeply pessimistic.

I waited all these years for this game to be playable.... I really needed it to be a nice and polished game... loved the gameplay and concept... but THE GAME runs really BAD, sound cuts off, stutters, NPC load really slow... how tf did the devs leave the game in a state like this .... SHAME ON YOU DEVS

It's ok. If you need more nioh I would recommend but it's just nioh with a ton of padding. Very basic you've played it 20 times open world action game. It starts slow aswell and the fun doesn't start until midgame and a lot of the fun stuff is locked away behind collectathons which exasperates the overstayed welcome feeling in the last area. I would recommend it if Nioh 2-3 and Sekiro didn't exist, this games biggest flaw is the time wasting in between the fun. No performance problems runs ok on my machine.

I held off getting this game because of reviews like Fighting Cowboy's. I've now played it for just over 20 hours and I think Cowboy couldn't be more wrong; this game is awesome. The game starts great and just gets better and better. The combat is excellent, it's varied, complex, and provides a lot of player freedom without being as complex as Nioh or Ninja Gaiden. The graphics are beautiful. I don't know how Cowboy could say they look like PS3 graphics at times because I'm sure he has an even more powerful PC than mine, but I guess the graphics will depend on your system. The open world is great to explore and offers so much to do, all of which is enjoyable. the difficulty level is just right for me and can be changed. The open world also allows you to seek more challenge or buff up before progressing if you want to. The traversal is fantastic - the horse riding, gliding, and the grapple hook. The story is engaging. The loot isn't as much as Nioh and you don't have to spend time managing it nearly as often as in Nioh (I haven't yet actually done so, 22 hours in). Altogether, this is what I wanted Ghost of Tsushima to be in many ways. I don't love Nioh but have put a lot of time into it and so far I absolutely love this game, so I can see myself pouring many, many more hours into it. Highly recommend for anyone who likes Samurai games.

This game has a lot too offer sadly it is reall poorly optimized , I recommend looking at the online guide for fixes also getting a reshade as well, but other wise this game is really well made and if you look past the bad optimization you have a nice looking open world and tons of diffrent weapons and styles.

If there ever was a game deserving the attribute "flawed gem" it's RotR. Many negative points raised by other reviews are very true (performance, graphics, AC-style busywork). However, despite all its shortcomings, it's a great game. The story is captivating and even thought-provoking with it's focus on how to deal with colonial issues and foreign influence. Characters are all well written and likeable. Combat is flashy and stylish, even the non-lethal way, also: bonus points here, for making non-lethality a viable choice for going through the game. To make it short: Definite recommendation for those who want "realistic" (in a broad sense) game focused on characters, story and combat.

Rise of the Ronin isn't just another open-world samurai game—it feels like the spiritual successor to Tenchu that I've been waiting decades for. Ironically, while many expected Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice to carry that legacy because of its stealth and ninja themes, it ultimately became something entirely different: a fast-paced action game centered on relentless sword duels and boss encounters. Rise of the Ronin, on the other hand, embraces the deliberate, methodical style of infiltration and assassination that made Tenchu so memorable. The stealth mechanics are where the game truly shines. Assassinations feel meaningful instead of being an afterthought. Scouting enemy positions, using rooftops and tall grass, quietly eliminating guards, and striking from the shadows all create a satisfying gameplay loop. The tools at your disposal complement stealth rather than replace it, and clearing an entire compound without raising an alarm feels every bit as rewarding as it did in the classic Tenchu games. Combat is equally impressive. It strikes a balance between accessibility and depth, with multiple fighting styles, satisfying parries, and fluid weapon switching. Unlike games that force every encounter into a punishing duel, Rise of the Ronin lets you approach situations your own way. You can be a silent assassin, an honorable swordsman, or seamlessly blend both styles depending on the mission. Comparisons to Ghost of Tsushima are inevitable, but I found Rise of the Ronin captured the fantasy of being a masterless samurai far more effectively. Jin Sakai's story is deeply tied to protecting his homeland and reconciling honor with necessity. In contrast, Rise of the Ronin places you in the role of someone truly without a lord, navigating a fractured Japan where loyalties shift constantly and every decision feels personal rather than dictated by duty. The freedom to choose allegiances—or reject them altogether—makes the title "ronin" feel earned rather than symbolic. The historical setting also reinforces that identity. Instead of presenting a straightforward tale of defending one's home, the Bakumatsu era offers political intrigue, competing factions, and moral ambiguity. You're not simply fighting invaders; you're carving out your own place in a nation undergoing immense change. That makes every alliance and every betrayal carry greater weight. No game is perfect. The open world occasionally falls into familiar genre conventions, and some side activities become repetitive over time. Visually, it doesn't always match the breathtaking presentation of Ghost of Tsushima. But those shortcomings fade into the background because the core gameplay is consistently engaging. Ultimately, Rise of the Ronin succeeds where I personally felt Sekiro chose a different path. Rather than simply featuring a shinobi protagonist, it captures the essence of stalking targets, planning assassinations, and giving players the freedom to tackle missions with patience and creativity—the qualities that defined Tenchu. Combined with combat that rewards experimentation and a compelling interpretation of life as a true ronin, it stands as one of Team Ninja's most enjoyable games and one of the strongest modern samurai experiences available.