There was already plenty of reason to be excited for Team Ninja’s upcoming Rise of the Ronin, but a lengthy new gameplay trailer shown during Sony’s State of Play teases plenty more to look forward to—especially if you’re a fan of games like Tenchu and Shinobido.
Rise of the Ronin is an open-world action RPG from the creators of Nioh, and something of a spiritual successor to that series (like Elden Ring is to Dark Souls). That DNA is clear is as clear in the new trailer as it has been since Rise of the Ronin was first announced, with spotlights on some tense encounters with deadly foes. But even more than direct combat, stealth, mobility, and navigation take centre stage this time around. Stealth attacks from the shadows, grappling into rooftops, and deadly traps all call to mind Acquire’s ninja stealth action series’ Tenchu and Shinobido.
The latter is also apparent in Rise of the Ronin‘s open-ended story. The game takes place during Japan’s Bakumatsu era, a time of major (and violent) upheaval as the Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown and Japan opened its borders after 300 years of isolation. It’s a popular setting for games and other media—Like a Dragon: Ishin!, Rurouni Kenshin, and Hakuoki, among many others—in part because of larger-than-life historical figures where “hero” and “villain” is a entirely a question of perspective.
Against that backdrop, Rise of the Ronin gives players the chance to choose how they’ll leave their mark on this slice of history; who they’ll take up arms with, and of whom they’ll make mortal enemies. The trailer teases a game where “The bonds that connect you to the people living in the Bakumatsu period will greatly influence how the story unfolds, and how it ends.”. Many games make similar claims, but this one looks like more than just a simple branching narrative. Early in the trailer, we see the player battling Nagakura Shinpachi of Shinsengumi fame; later, we see another player fighting as a member of that very group.
With all that, Rise of the Ronin is certainly looking ambitious. The best parts of Nioh, Tenchu, and Shinobido, in a fresh take on one of the most fascinating historical settings around? That’s a recipe for something great—and if anyone can pull it off, it’s Team Ninja.
Rise of the Ronin launches March 22, exclusively for PlayStation 5.
