Created by Sony Computer Entertainment
4 Stars
Rise of the Ronin is an open-world, story-driven action game where your choices matter. It was released by Koei Tecmo's Team Ninja on March 22, 2024. It takes place when Japan was forcibly opened to the world. You play as the player-customizable "Blade Twins." As the twins, you must fight to survive against difficult bosses and surprisingly challenging normal enemies as you hunt down those who killed your family and the reason why; throughout the game, you gain allies to fight alongside and an incredible lineup of weapons to exact your revenge. 
As a fan of samurai-related content, I found this game quite enjoyable; just being able to fight like a samurai gave me an unforgettable immersive experience, from the music, the dialogue, and the clanking and pinging of sword clashes. The ability to switch between the twins is a new concept that I quite enjoyed since it doesn't limit you to one playstyle while fighting enemies. Another great thing about this system is that instead of a twin, it could be a friend instead of an AI partner, which makes for an even more enjoyable game. While similar to soul-like games such as Elden Ring and Bloodborne, it's a lot more forgiving with loot and the difficulty of bosses, which can serve as a form of practice to challenge those types of games.
Despite its strengths, there are downsides: one, the upgrade system, as there were a lot of choices that resulted in me making bad choices and recreating new ones; lastly, the voice acting could have been better, and some of the dialogue irritated me enough to disrupt my immersion.
However, Rise of the Ronin is a great game nonetheless and I would recommend it to those 18+ as it does show immense amounts of blood, violence, and vulgar language.
Reviewed by Tajay
View in Library Catalogue: PS5
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