Rise of the Rōnin

Rise of the Rōnin (ライズオブローニン, Rise of Ronin) is an action RPG developed by Team Ninja that focuses on the Bakumatsu era of Japan. Sony Interactive Entertainment is in charge of marketing and publishing the game, having previously done so for Koei Tecmo when they released the Nioh series.

Fumihiko Yasuda serves as the game's director and producer.

Plot

During the waning years of the Edo period in 1863, a number of anti-shogunate groups formed a rebellion against the Tokugawa shogunate following three centuries of tyrannical rule and the sudden reopening of their country to foreign influences. A lone rōnin, otherwise known as a samurai with no master, must navigate their way throughout this time of unrest and make decisions that shape both their life as well as the fate of Japan itself.

Gameplay

Similar to Nioh 2 and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, players can customize their own character's appearance however they like.
Open-world exploration is made possible by traveling on foot, riding by horse, or moving in the air with a gliding device.
Players are able to take on a plethora of side quests in exchange for rewards.
Various weapons from the Boshin war can be used to fight against enemies. These include katanas, spears, firearms, etc.
New abilities and techniques can be learned via skill tree feature.
Multiple story branches are available with key decisions affecting which players may fight for. Some of these decisions may involve protecting important figures or targeting them for an ideological cause.
Players can form a romantic bond with certain characters.

Characters

Navigation

Trophies

Name	Unlock Method	Type
Rise of the Ronin	Obtain all trophies.	Platinum
Friendly Neighborhood Ronin	Complete all Bond Missions.	Gold
Midnight Crossing	Complete optional ronin mission with "Midnight" difficulty setting enabled.	Gold
A Veiled Edge's Future	Seal the fate of own Blade Twin.	Silver
The Dawn of a New Japan	Clear Chapter 3.	Silver
Veiled Vow	Start first romantic relationship.	Silver
Shadow Stalker	Succeed in carrying out 100 assassinations.	Silver
Keeper of the Peace	Defeat 50 fugitives.	Silver
Social Climber	Take part in missions with all available allies.	Silver
Sightseer	Complete all photograph spots.	Silver
Cats Over All	Collect all cats.	Silver
Tears of a Blue Demon	Manage to beat the Blue Demon aboard the Black Ship.	Silver
Flying the Nest	Clear the Prologue.	Bronze
Curtain Falls, Curtain Rises	Learn that own Blade Twin is still alive.	Bronze
Infiltrate the Prison Complex	Make way to Shoin Yoshida.	Bronze
A Happy Memory	Take a photograph at the request of Taka Murayama.	Bronze
Black Ships, Long Shadows	Clear Chapter 1.	Bronze
Meeting Kaishu Katsu	Speak with Kaishu Katsu at the Sumida River.	Bronze
A Show for the Shogun	Learn the identity of the mysterious samurai at the duel.	Bronze
Strange Bedfellows	Broker a truce between the Roshigumi and the Choshu clan.	Bronze
Cities of Darkness	Clear Chapter 2.	Bronze
The Satsuma-Choshu Alliance	Persuade Takamori Saigo.	Bronze
The Battle of Toba-Fushimi	Bring the Battle of Toba-Fushimi to an end.	Bronze
Threads of Fate	Establish first bond.	Bronze
One Good Turn Deserves Another	Give first gift.	Bronze
Fateful Encounter	Achieve first Level 4 Personal Bond.	Bronze
Home Sweet Home	Achieve first Level 3 Area Bond.	Bronze
Collector	Earn first Completion Reward.	Bronze
Good to Go	Upgrade armor, weapon, and sub-weapon.	Bronze
Transfer of Power	Perform first Bond Transfer.	Bronze
Resonance	Equip four or more pieces of equipment with same set bonus for the first time.	Bronze
Fresh Start	Remodel longhouse for the first time.	Bronze
Traveling Through Time	Retry a mission for the first time using Testament of the Soul.	Bronze
Striver's License	Receive the highest rank (Master) at the dojo.	Bronze
Horseback Hero	Receive the highest rank (Master) in horseback archery.	Bronze
Winged Warrior	Receive the highest rank (Master) in gliding training.	Bronze
Firearm Genius	Receive the highest rank (Master) in firearms training.	Bronze
Cheater Beater	Catch 5 cheaters while playing Odds and Evens.	Bronze
Style Guru	Master three combat styles.	Bronze
A Jack of One Trade is a Master of All	Master one of the four stat types.	Bronze
Contraption Creator	Conduct Technology Development 15 times.	Bronze
Fancy Meeting You Here	Have 50 Chance Encounters.	Bronze
Moneybags	Save 150,000 sen.	Bronze
Well-Rounded Ronin	Reach Level 55.	Bronze
Martial Arts Maniac	Defeat enemies using every weapon.	Bronze
Solitary Ronin	Complete a mission without allies.	Bronze
Life Saver	Complete a No-Kill Mission's objectives.	Bronze
The Greater Opportunity	Save Shinsaku Takasugi's life.	Bronze
Farewell, Black Cat	Save Soji Okita's life.	Bronze
Twilight Fencer	Save Ryoma Sakamoto's life.	Bronze
Dive of the Ronin	Glide from the elevated deck at Kiyomizudera Temple.	Bronze

Development

According to the game's director, the project's development started on 2015 with PlayStation Studios' XDev providing assistance. Their goal was to produce a game that portrayed Japan during one of its moments of upheaval. Development initially progressed at a slow and leisurely pace since the studio prioritized more on other projects. But eventually, both the director and Koei Tecmo decided it was time to take things to the next level by making the game their most ambitious project while drawing on the experiences gained from creating Nioh and Ninja Gaiden. The company expressed its hope that the title would be able to sell 5 million copies in its lifetime as part of their mid-growth strategy.

Related Media

Rise of the Rōnin was first revealed during a State of Play livestream in September 13, 2022.

Gallery

March 28, 2024 Weekly Famitsu issue cover

Teaser preview video

External links

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