by: Nabila Rhapsodios
PLOT
The Player's Protagonist
In Rise of the Ronin, the player assumes control of a samurai taught from childhood forward with another warrior to become an invincible sword-wielding fighting pair for a group known as Veiled Edge. In the 1860s, Japan became more open to outside countries, such as the US, UK, and France, which caused a political conflict. In order to escape, the player's "blade twin" renounces their life and sets out on a mission to kill Matthew Perry. Following the action on the ship, the remainder of the Veiled Edge is soon destroyed for rising against the shogunate. As a Ronin combatant without a clan, our selected protagonist sets off on their own, but they soon uncover that our sword twin is rumored to have survived. Many politics, intrigue, and incidents occur in the hunt for the player's other half.
MY IMPRESSION
The visuals section is where the real comedy lies. Oh man, Rise of the Ronin's graphics are so old that it appears like it was released on the PlayStation 3. Compared to most modern games, the graphics could be better quality. Poor graphics will diminish immersion. It should be evident that graphics must keep up with the current age standard. Even if the gameplay is already excellent or unsatisfactory, people are twice as likely to play anything attractive to them.
There's also awkward combat in this game. How assaults are launched, dodged, moved, and countered appears incredibly jerky. The field and fight camera also look strange. Because the character models also have flaws, I'm not a fan.
This game's attempt to emulate a Dark Souls game by combining elements of Ninja Gaiden and Sekiro is another defect that makes it indecent for Rise of the Ronin. The game feels like a pest to play, so Souls veterans might not have time for this imitation, but it fits my sweet spot of being both challenging and incredibly enjoyable. Since I'm terrible at Souls type, Rise of the Ronin is what I refer to as a "baby version of Souls."
The English dub is the final powerful matter. It's unsettling, and listening to the voice actors was uncomfortable. Instead of being completely silent, I had hoped that my protagonist would have more dialogue lines.
Isami Kondo vs The Player's Protagonist
Remember that this game has a tremendous chronological portrayal, even though it has a lot of significant foundation issues for a single game. The Bakumatsu period is explored, and many vital characters from 1860s Japan are featured, including Matthew Perry and Kiyokawa Hachiro, who was responsible for founding Roshigumi. However, after the group arrived in Kyoto in 1863, Hachiro shockingly revealed that Roshigumi would benefit Imperialists rather than the Tokugawa Shogunate, which had ruled Japan for more than 200 years, and the group disbanded. Isami Kondo, Toshizo Hijikata, and Soji Okita are Shinsengumi's principal founders; yes, they are also included in the game. But all those names have been reinvented as fierce swordsmen for boss bouts. Although they have some flashing techs in the game, I wonder whether they have ever used a sword or any other weapon in combat. I'm unsure if I would describe this game's portrayal of history as respectful, but it's enjoyable.
Ryoma Sakamoto's Bond Mission
The game's foundation is this "Bond Mission," I'm unable to stop "wow" at it, where doing extra tasks strengthens my selected protagonist's bonds with everyone, from the various locales in the expansive open world of Japan to the numerous people she encounters (note: My protagonist is a girl). "Bond Mission" gives everyone gifts, participates in dialogue, and elaborates on the grand cast's personal stories. When you bring them on missions, strengthening ties with them opens up new fighting styles and passive bonuses. Still, the most exciting part is I learn how they are dealing with their principles and motivations, and each of their stories is well-drawn and worth experiencing on their own.
This game has many small details that save me time, and I am happy. Some of the best experiences I've had include the horse instinctively leaping into the saddle when it approaches, the horse figuring out the route after I click my destination on the map, a button that allows me to bypass any previous cutscenes, dotted with numerous fast travel checkpoints, and an endless running stamina meter that lets me run anywhere without worrying about running out of puff. I admire the developer who reduces monotony with its ingenious design.
Rise of the Ronin Scenery
As my pilgrimage persists, I understand that the game is more than just a personal quest to find my blade twin; it's also a paramount appraisal of Japan's struggles with change and the price of progress. Because of this, Rise of the Ronin's open world is unbelievable, offering a vast canvas of tenaciously created areas that beg for exploration. Each domain has side objectives and exciting world events from every curve.
Even after playing for over 100 hours, I will try to fight for an anti-shogun narrative (note: In my first playthrough, I chose to side with the shogunate), change history, and complete a ton of post-game stuff. Although it could take some time to get used to the fighting rhythm and the dramatic narration, winning the game feels fantastic. Unfortunately, for the overall experience, Rise of the Ronin never truly lived up to my enjoyment of it, although it does have depth or thrilling out-of-the-box aspects.
Rise of the Ronin receives a 7.8 out of 10 from me.
-The End-
*Disclaimer: Courtesy of Google Images. The material published on this website is intended solely for general information and reference purposes and is not legal advice or other professional advice.
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