It will be some time before we see the next flagship PlayStation exclusive on the level of something like a God of War or a Ghost of Tsushima, but there are still some noteworthy PlayStation Studios games to look forward to on the PS5.
Sony has stated that it will not be releasing any new major titles in existing franchises until at least April of next year. One in particular that has been on everyone’s radar for a while is Rise of the Ronin, an open-world action role-playing game created by Team Ninja in association with Sony that is scheduled to release soon.
With titles like Nioh and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty under its belt, Team Ninja has undoubtedly produced a number of outstanding games recently (not to mention the studio’s storied past from earlier times). As a result, any new project the developer works on is sure to garner attention.
And while the game’s history undoubtedly contributes significantly to the hype surrounding Rise of the Ronin, it has also greatly helped that each time the game has been shown off, it has looked more and more promising. As a result, we’re optimistic about the game’s chances of ranking among the highlights of 2024 (barring an unimaginably dire scenario).
Beyond the obvious fact that Rise of the Ronin is being developed by Team Ninja, there are plenty of other reasons why the game has appeared to be so intriguing. Naturally, the fact that this is Team Ninja’s first attempt at an open-world game of any kind is one of the more notable ones.
The company has always been great at creating more stage-based, linear games, so it’s interesting to think that its upcoming title will venture into new territory and attempt to provide an experience that we wouldn’t typically associate with it. Of course, having an open world does not ensure that a game will be engrossing and keep you from putting down your controller; in fact, just the opposite.
because of how badly some games manage to integrate its open world concept, but based on what we’ve seen so far, Rise of the Ronin’s open world looks to be one of its main advantages.
While it’s unclear how well Rise of the Ronin will accomplish that, what Sony and Team Ninja have shown thus far gives hope that the game will garner a sizable fan base if it enables players to fully immerse themselves in an authentic and detailed historical setting. For example, the open world of the game will have three main cities: Yokohama, Kyoto, and Edo.
Beyond those major hubs, there will be countryside, rural areas, and natural landmarks to explore. Team Ninja promises to provide an engaging portrayal of the changes Japan was going through at the time, as its long-standing customs and practices began to meld with new influences from Western powers. That might give the game a really distinct aesthetic identity and sense of location, and from a gameplay one, it would be fantastic to be able to handle both rifles and katanas simultaneously.
Rise of the Ronin is also attempting to handle traversal mechanics in a way that makes intriguing use of its open landscape. A grappling hook that can be used to haul oneself up to rooftops and higher points will be available to players in addition to the ability to explore the world on horseback.
The Avicula is a flying device that allows you to glide around at any time by pressing a button. The gameplay footage that we have viewed thus far effectively demonstrates how the game will enable players to chain together gripping and using the Avicula in a swift and fluid manner.
Smoothly transitioning from running on the ground to scaling rooftops to flying through the air to landing on your horse and charging off, this kind of traversal cycle has the power to take an open world game to completely new levels when done well.
There are plenty of reasons to be enthusiastic about Rise of the Ronin at this point, around a month away from the game’s release. From the developer Team Ninja’s stellar history to the game’s alluring features—such as its open world layout, traversal techniques, and setting—
Undoubtedly, Rise of the Ronin has aroused our interest sufficiently. It remains to be known if it can make the landing, but fortunately we won’t have to wait long to find out.
Note: This article’s opinions are the author’s own and should not be ascribed to Gaming Bolt as a company. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Gaming Bolt.