“Does improve on Team Ninja's formula but not by enough..."
PC | PS5
HOW I PLAYED: I was gifted a copy of Rise Of The Ronin via Steam on PC. I played on my R7 7800X3D, RTX 3080 gaming PC. I played at 1440p Maximum settings.
STORY — 13/20
INTRO -4
I want to start by stating this: I’ve never been a huge fan of Team Ninja games like the Nioh series or Wo Long.
As a self-proclaimed “Souls snob,” I should love every soulslike out there… but I don’t.
When I saw the previews for Rise of the Ronin in 2024, I’ll admit I was initially intrigued. But I quickly remembered my past experiences with Team Ninja games, and my intrigue turned to caution. Then Rise of the Ronin dropped on PlayStation 5, and… my caution was spot-on. The game launched to unremarkable reviews and faded fast from the gaming radar. What went wrong? Was it Team Ninja’s dated visuals? Or was it just too similar to their past titles in all the wrong ways? Let’s dive in and see if the PC release of Rise of the Ronin changes anything.
As a self-proclaimed “Souls snob,” I should love every soulslike out there… but I don’t.
When I saw the previews for Rise of the Ronin in 2024, I’ll admit I was initially intrigued. But I quickly remembered my past experiences with Team Ninja games, and my intrigue turned to caution. Then Rise of the Ronin dropped on PlayStation 5, and… my caution was spot-on. The game launched to unremarkable reviews and faded fast from the gaming radar. What went wrong? Was it Team Ninja’s dated visuals? Or was it just too similar to their past titles in all the wrong ways? Let’s dive in and see if the PC release of Rise of the Ronin changes anything.
CUTSCENES -3
Team Ninja’s cutscenes have improved a bit, but it’s barely noticeable. The dialogue and character animations still feel cringe, like a low-budget dubbed anime flick. All the cutscenes are basic side-to-side pans and back-and-forth yap fests. Nothing stellar here, but nothing outright awful either.
WORLD BUILDING -3
Rise of the Ronin is based on real history, like other Team Ninja games (Nioh, Wo Long). But it felt like I was stuck in a grade 10 history class, slogging through a textbook instead of living the events. I don’t know how “lore-accurate” it is, but a lot of it could’ve used a trim.
You get world building and lore through dialogue, cutscenes, and some scattered notes that flesh it out a bit more.
You get world building and lore through dialogue, cutscenes, and some scattered notes that flesh it out a bit more.
OVERALL STORY -3
Like I said, the story falls flat. I know it’s trying to stick to historical events, but I was bored most of the time. I didn’t connect with any characters, so the big moments just didn’t land for me.
GRAPHICS — 7/15
CHARACTER MODELS -2
These character models look rough...they’re weak for PS5 standards and even worse for PS4. I’d peg this game’s visuals on par with high-end PS3 or low-tier PS4 titles.
Team Ninja’s NPCs have had the same low-fidelity look for three-plus games now… it’s time for an overhaul.
Team Ninja’s NPCs have had the same low-fidelity look for three-plus games now… it’s time for an overhaul.
ENVIRONMENTS -3
Most modern games have at least one setting with killer visuals, and Rise of the Ronin has its moments. But the majority of the game looks bland. The earthy color palette (mostly browns) gives everything a dry, muddy vibe. It gets stale after a while.
SPECIAL FX -2
The special effects are dated and bare-bones. Everything in this game just screams “old.” Weapon effects and buffs look cheap, like placeholders for an indie game. Team Ninja isn’t indie, and they partnered with Sony here...you’d expect way sharper visuals than this.
Also, it’s hilarious how NPCs basically repeat endlessly. The game doesn’t even try to hide it! You’ll literally run past the same copy-paste NPC one after another.
Also, it’s hilarious how NPCs basically repeat endlessly. The game doesn’t even try to hide it! You’ll literally run past the same copy-paste NPC one after another.
AUDIO — 9/15
AMBIENCE -3
The ambience in Rise of the Ronin is surprisingly stripped-down. I’m let down, especially since Team Ninja partnered with Sony on this. I see little to no improvement over their past titles (Wo Long, Nioh 2, etc.).
BOSS MUSIC -3
It’s generic, barely better than faster-paced background beats. I couldn’t tell if each boss had unique music or if it was the same track on loop...that’s how forgettable it was. It does the job but isn’t memorable. I love intense boss tracks, so it’s a bummer they skimped here.
SOUND DESIGN -3
Team Ninja’s notorious for weak English voice acting, and Rise of the Ronin is slightly better than their past games… but not by much. The female protagonist’s English accent borders on offensive...it sounds like someone mimicking a Japanese english accent... Im NOT EVEN JOKING!
BRUUUUTAL!!!
BRUUUUTAL!!!
PERFORMANCE — 7/10
FRAME RATE -3
The game runs decently on PC, but with visuals this dated, it should be hitting 300 FPS on semi-modern hardware. Consoles should have a 120 FPS mode, yet it caps at 60 FPS and doesn’t even hold that consistently. Team Ninja games always struggle with graphics, and that’s fine if the gameplay is hype… but it’s not. So, there’s no excuse for how this performs.
STABILITY -4
Aside from a few cosmetic glitches, I didn’t hit any game-breaking bugs. But this is the PC version. From what I recall, the console version launched with some pretty hilarious issues.
GAMEPLAY — 24/40
CONTROLS -4
If you’ve played other Team Ninja games (Wo Long, Nioh), this feels familiar. Movement can feel a bit clumsy, but overall, it’s solid enough.
MECHANICS -5
Rise of the Ronin packs a ton of mechanics. I was impressed with how approachable Team Ninja made the gameplay. Their games are known for hardcore stamina management and recovery, and that’s still here, but it’s refined and more forgiving for newcomers.
I also liked the mobility options: glider, horse, grappling hook. They gave you more ways to tackle different situations. I’m not a fan of their loot system for weapons and armor, but it’s better here. Still, the weapon upgrade system felt pointless—I’d always find a better weapon right after upgrading, like clockwork.
I also liked the mobility options: glider, horse, grappling hook. They gave you more ways to tackle different situations. I’m not a fan of their loot system for weapons and armor, but it’s better here. Still, the weapon upgrade system felt pointless—I’d always find a better weapon right after upgrading, like clockwork.
PACING -2
The pacing in Rise of the Ronin is awful, just like in Wo Long and Nioh. Team Ninja tries to stay historically accurate, but that’s a problem when story moments feel meaningless to me as a player. There were so many times I thought, “Wait, I’m fighting these guys now? Weren’t they my allies?” It felt like a slog. Maybe I didn’t fully grasp the story, but I never felt invested, so missions got tedious fast.
UI/UE -4
The UI/UX is actually pretty solid, a nice change from other Team Ninja games. Their menus and systems are usually an eyesore and overcomplicated, but Rise of the Ronin’s are easier to navigate.
BOSS QUALITY -2
When your game’s grounded in a realistic, historical story, boss battles can suffer. They all felt samey...either a normal-sized NPC boss with fast combos or a big, hulking boss with telegraphed, devastating attacks. I can’t name a single memorable boss fight from my playthrough.
ENEMY VARIETY -2
Just like the endlessly repeating NPCs in towns, enemies are the same three or four types the whole game. Some get reskins based on the faction you’re fighting.
(The British soldiers were hilarious-looking, though.)
(The British soldiers were hilarious-looking, though.)
GAMEPLAY VARIETY -3
You can clear bandits from town to town, kinda like Ghost of Tsushima, and do story missions. There’s also a mechanic where you hunt for hidden cats in villages to collect.
Great… that’s what we needed in a soulslike, right?
Finding different kinds of cats...
Finding different kinds of cats...
REPLAYABILITY -2
This is a one-and-done for me. I have zero desire to replay those missions ever again. Switching weapon types doesn’t shake up the gameplay enough, unless you’re into self-imposed challenges.
BONUS — 0/3
Being a title that was partnered with Sony on I am COMPLETELY surprised that there are basically NO accessibility options in Rise Of The Ronin. I am actually in disbelief right now... wow
OVERALL — 60/100
Rise Of The Ronin Does improve on Team Ninja's formula but not by enough... I didn't find myself as fatigued or frustrated like I would in their previous titles, but many of the previous issues are even more glaring now. The dated graphics and poor pacing with "questionable" story telling. Rise Of The Ronin came and went and I don't think anyone will be singing it's praises 10 years from now or even in 6 months. If someone gives you a copy for free... maybe put down the controller and go touch grass until something better comes out.
PROS
✅ Better traversal mechanics
✅ Better combat than previous Team Ninja titles
✅ Character customization
CONS
❌ Dated Graphics (even for PS4 / Xbox One era)
❌ Bad voice acting (English)
❌ Sluggish pacing
❌ Un memorable boss fights
TLDR: 61/100 (FAIR) Rise of the Ronin on PC tweaks Team Ninja’s formula with approachable mechanics, slick mobility like gliders and grappling hooks, and a cleaner UI, but it’s bogged down by dated graphics, bland environments, and weak special effects that feel like low-budget indie fare. The historical story drags with sluggish pacing and forgettable characters, while generic boss music and repetitive enemies kill the vibe. Decent PC performance can’t salvage the tedious gameplay and zero replayability...not worth your time unless it’s free.
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