Games set in the Bakumatsu period must feel like buses.
You wait almost a decade for one to be made, and then two come along in successive years.
Dogs and cats to pet?
And yet it is new territory all the same for Team Ninja.
Riding on horseback with Mt.
Fuji in the background it’s clear: Cor!
Weve come a long way since Niohs identikit caverns and ransacked villages.
This beauty is balanced with brutality once you encounter unruly enemies roaming the citys outskirts or deserted settlements.
You still have to respect this mechanic.
Its not all just about mastering combat technique though.
Player progression is also more palatable, as youre not just making seemingly arbitrary stats go up.
Despite this streamlining, Ronin still falls victim to some messy UI and fiddly controls.
The latter you also switch between by holding R1 and then moving the right stick in a given direction.
It’s a lot to wrap your head around, in other words.
Japans path to modernisation has often been referred to as a bloodless revolution.
But revolution is just as much about ideas and allegiances, and so bonds play a key role here.
Thankfully, youre allowed to be fairly fickle about up to a point.
Even so, some of your decisions will result in you clashing with some bond characters.
(Conveniently this happens in a period after the games setting and so is never touched upon.)
Yet while expulsionist sentiments run high, this is as much a game about mixing and matching cultures.
The bonds that most stick with you are the ones who can also accompany you in story missions.
Wo Long also let you bring in ally characters, though it was missing a trick.
Why only have Ryoma fight with you when you might also take control of him?
Better still, these characters act as a second chance.
Its such a good time with AI-controlled pals that youre unlikely to seek help from other players.
Both axes of camera and aim can be inverted separately.
Therell also be characters you face multiple times who never really evolve with each confrontation.
Review code for Rise of the Ronin was supplied by Team Ninja.
