Summary
Team Ninja’sRise of the Roninputs a bit of a different spin on some of the studio’s previously more well-known designs and visions. Coming after the developer’s work on tight, demanding SoulslikesNiohandWo Long: Fallen Dynasty, among others,Rise of the Roninhas a relatively lower barrier to entry in its complexity, but still adheres to many earlier foundations to create a samurai-styled Soulslite instead that offers both tough but fair combat bolstered by an array of settings/options. This allows a much wider range of players to find a comforably working balance for themselves to enjoy it and its fascinating story about the end of Japan’s Edo era.
In its focus on core combat,Rise of the Roninprovides players with an extensive collection of melee weapons expected for a wandering samurai to wield, such as katanas, spears, etc. However, sinceRise of the Ronin’s settingis more modern, taking place during the 1860s, this means that period firearms are available as well. And though they are classed as “sub-weapons,” ostensibly being a form of backup or support to compliment the main array of bladed and related armaments, guns can swiftly outclass the traditional arms and threaten to unbalance the carefully curated dance of stances and specializations seen in the melee gameplay.
This was found to be the case in a playthrough onRise of the Ronin’s normal difficulty.
Rise of the Ronin’s Firearms Can be Completely OP
Rifles, Pistols, and Bayonets in Rise of the Ronin
As fans make their way throughRise of the Ronin’s open-world Japan, they initially have access to a range of primary bladed weapons. The options are robust in this area, with eight variations total, each with its own unique range of styles and multiple stances. However, after a few early missions, players can buy or start to find revolvers, rifles, and bayonets. Although the latter is a primary weapon, it does have a firing functionality, making it a hybrid in that sense. Additional skills/abilities of note in this area are the pistol riposte as well as a finisher which deals more damage on average than blades. Eventually,Rise of the Roninplayers can equip a rifle, pistol and bayonet all at the same time, providing triple the firepower, so long as fans keep stocked on bullets, which are themselves not terribly difficult to acquire or craft.
Certain Gun Strategies in Rise of the Ronin Can Trivialize Even Harder Encounters
WhileRise of the Ronin’s combat pushes players to engage in heated one-on-one duels with imposing enemies or skirmishes against smaller, weaker, groups that can still overwhelm the under-prepared, once the above are introduced into the mix, some unorthodox strategies can be discovered and exploited. For example, headshots from higher rooftops against unaware enemies will take off a signigicant portion of health as well as stun them, setting them up for more hits, while they usually cannot reach or even find the player. Coupled withgear that buffsRise of the Ronin’s guns, the damage bonuses can add up quickly to take down even some high-level bosses and enemy variants. Even if this doesn’t outright eliminate them, they will then start melee combat minus a good chunk of health.
Some ofRise of the Ronin’s enemiesare able to block or dodge bullets, and the method isn’t one hundred percent effective. Even so, armed with the foreknowledge of how the AI generally reacts to a situation, in a wide range of cases they can be rendered entirely incapable of effectively responding to or avoiding this trick. While this admittedly can be a cheap tactic, the fact that it is possible opens the door to temptation to utilize it more often, disincentivizing investment in upgrading and unlocking more stances and bonuses for the other weapons.
Just asRise of the Ronin’s stealthcan sometimes feel a little uneven (though in that case more limited and less powerful), players equipped with decent quality firearms, a few buffs, and some outside-the-box approaches can make short work of its many otherwise dangerous foes. Still, if fans engage withRise of the Ronin’s combat and other mechanics in good faith, they will likely find an engrossing and satisfying design both mechanically and narratively.
