Rise of the Ronin reinvents hack-and-slash in a remarkable open-world Japan

As I crept through the neglected ruins of an empty cemetery, I crouched through a hole in a wall with my katana in hand, ready to strike. I spent about a dozen hours playing Rise of the Roninthe latest open-world action RPG from Team Ninja, and I had already left the beaten track of the game’s main mission, which is to track down fugitives terrorizing the countryside.

I was closing in on my final target, a notorious grave robber. I focused my gaze on the body of a man lying in a corner being ravaged by a pack of dogs. I didn’t quite understand what was going on until I heard a growl from my surroundings and the telltale sign of a health bar appeared at the top of the screen. Suddenly everything fell into place: damn, the grave robber wasn’t a man; it was extremely rabid dog.

Rise of the Ronin is full of such surprises. Just when you think you’ve gotten your hands on everything it has to offer, the game introduces another curveball or mechanic that organically builds on an already existing one, offering a depth of variety that feels exciting but rarely intimidating. After last year’s success Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and 2020 Nioh 2Team Ninja has taken its design philosophy of precision-based hack-and-slash combat and applied it to its most ambitious project yet: an open-world action-adventure set amid the political tumult of the 19th century Japan, a period known as the Bakumatsu.

Players take on the role of a ‘Veiled Edge’, a swordsman and assassin trained from an early age by a village of anti-shogunate conspirators to fight alongside a partner known as their ‘Blade Twin’. After a disastrous mission where the player is separated from their partner, your village is slaughtered by shogunate forces. With no home to return to, you become a ronin and embark on a quest to be reunited with your lost Blade Twin. From there, your journey takes you to the farthest reaches of the country, where you’ll encounter an eclectic cast of characters, including historical figures like Ryoma Sakamoto and Marcus Samuel, each with their own part in Japan’s future.

Rise of the RoninTeam Ninja’s gameplay feels as indebted to Team Ninja’s aforementioned forays into the Soulslike genre as it is to contemporary titles like Sekiro: Shadows die twice And Ghost of Tsushima. Players customize their Veiled Edge and associated Blade Twin appearance before selecting their starting weapons and blade grinding technique (i.e. starting stat boosts). From there, the game introduces the basics of the combat system and mechanics before setting you off to roam the plains of Japan as you please.

There are four primary skill trees, each with its own selection of skills focusing on strength, agility, charisma, and intellect. In addition, every weapon type that you encounter everywhere Rise of the Ronin comes with its own unique movesets and up to three alternate combat stances, which can be unlocked by how often you use that weapon or by learning from characters you meet throughout the game and build a ‘bond’ with over time .

As if that weren’t enough, you also have a grappling hook, which you can use to climb buildings and roofs via interactive perches, close the gap between yourself and your opponents during combat, or even throw objects at opponents. You can even unlock the ability to perform stealth kills, using the hook to hoist your enemies up and slit their throats without being noticed. At one point I was tasked with tracking down a pair of fugitives responsible for terrorizing a rural village. I can’t tell you how satisfying it was to catch these villains, knowing that the last thing any of them would see was the business end of my hook.

As you progress Rise of the Roninyou will encounter different types of enemy bandits, mercenaries and naval officers, each with their own difficulty level, depending on your own level. Players gain two types of experience: EXP, which applies to their overall level and base stats, and Karma, which can be exchanged for points that can be spent on upgrading their various skills.

Karma is represented by a bar under the player’s EXP meter, which is filled by successfully defeating enemies. Once the bar is filled, you can light one of the Veiled Edge checkpoint banners located around the world to convert your Karma into points. Herein lies Rise of the Ronin‘s Soulslike twist: If you are defeated by an opponent in battle, all your unredeemed karma is lost, creating a ‘vendetta’ between you and that enemy. You get one chance to regain your karma by defeating that opponent, but if you lose, you lose all that karma.

The combat itself is great, and the vendetta system is a big part of it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thrown myself at a group of bandits whose level was higher than mine just to get my Karma back, changing my tactics from crossing swords to ambushing them from afar lure my opponent with a barrage of flaming arrows and gunfire.

One of the coolest elements of Rise of the RoninThe player’s battle is the Counterspark mechanic, an alternate attack that, when timed correctly, allows the player to parry an opponent’s oncoming blow and temporarily knock them off balance. A single successful Counterspark parry can buy the player crucial seconds of reprieve if they’re in the background of the battle, but a successive series of Countersparks will drain your enemy’s stamina, known as Ki, allowing you to unleash a devastating attack that will leave a good chunk of damage, if not outright killing your opponent.

However, that is easier said than done. Performing a Counterspark parry is more complicated than simply pressing a button in time with an on-screen prompt. You must anticipate your enemy’s movements, which vary depending on their respective weapon type and combat stance, and strike just before they land a blow. It’s hard to master, but it’s satisfying to get it done. You can even Counterspark deflect incoming arrows and bullets, which, if done successfully, not only deflects the projectile, but temporarily sets your bladed weapon on fire, providing a much-appreciated damage buff in the heat of battle. In action, it’s an exciting move that highlights Team Ninja’s inimitable talent for stylish swordsmanship.

I haven’t even mentioned the game’s diverse story system yet. Rise of the Ronin‘s story unfolds in an elaborate tapestry of relationships, with each of the main characters you encounter offering their own unique missions that determine the course of the plot as a whole. You can choose to side with the anti-Shogunate in their attempt to repel Commodore Matthew Perry’s Black Ships from Japan’s shores, or you can choose your fate with the Shogunate as they continue their campaign of sedition eradicate it and make a pact with the American forces. Those ‘bonds’ I mentioned earlier? These have a direct impact not only on the combat styles you can learn, but also on your ability to call for help during combat during missions or to redeem discounts at shops and merchants around the world.

I’m about 25 hours into it Rise of the Ronin and I feel like I’m only just beginning to understand the enormity of what it has to offer. From striding through hills atop a galloping horse to flying above Yokohama using a prototype wing glider, the game’s version of Bakumatsu-era Japan feels as limitless in scope as it is abundant in possibilities. Rise of the Ronin is an adventure worthy of Team Ninja’s pedigree, and a world I’m excited to lose myself in for many more hours.

Rise of the Ronin will be released on PlayStation 5 on March 22. The game was reviewed on PlayStation 5 using a pre-release download code from Team Ninja. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased through affiliate links. You can find Additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy can be found here.