Team Ninja is well known for dead or alivebut also for its action games Ninja Gaiden and nioh. The Japanese studio was talked about again this evening on the occasion of the PlayStation State of Play in order to reveal Rise of the Ronin, an action role-playing game set in the past, in Japan.
Rise of the Ronin will take us back to 1863, alongside a masterless samurai, in a Japan in the throes of cultural change. Here is a small presentation of the game:
It gets dark before dawn. In Rise of the Ronin, you’ll explore a changing world as you fight to forge a new era in Japan.
You are a ronin, a warrior without masters or ties, and as you cross paths with essential characters, you will take part in an action experience focused on immersive combat.
Fumihiko Yasuda, director and president of Team Ninja add:
Everyone at Team Ninja is thrilled to bring you our latest action-RPG that takes you on an epic adventure without limits, in which you play as a ronin at the dawn of a new era for Japan. We started this project seven years ago. Since then, development has progressed slowly and freely, just like a ronin’s mind. It is with great pleasure that we finally release this title, and we are very grateful to be able to make this announcement with PlayStation who have supported us, this project and us, all these years.
Rise of the Ronin is an open-world RPG that focuses on combat. The story is set in Japan at a time when the country is going through great changes. We are at the end of the Edo period which lasted 300 years, which is more commonly called “Bakumatsu”. The story takes place at the end of the 19th century, when Japan faces dark times. The country struggles with its oppressive rulers and deadly diseases, while Western influence gains ground and civil war continues to rage between the Tokugawa shogunate and anti-shogunate factions.
In this troubled time, you play as a ronin, a warrior answerable to no master and free to make his own choices. Rise of the Ronin is a new experience from Team Ninja that will immerse you in a world inspired by history while bringing together the combat action you love so much, where katanas and other blades meet firearms, a mix that illustrates the unique characteristics of this era.
At Koei Tecmo, we have already published many story-based games. But with Rise of the Ronin, we’re really going to take it to the next level. Using all the skills and knowledge we have gained over the years, we really wanted to evolve in trying to paint accurately the most important revolution in the history of Japan, including the darkest and most awful chapters that many prefer to avoid. This is undoubtedly Team Ninja Studio’s most ambitious and challenging project. And yet, we will let our experience in creating samurai and ninja action games guide us in this adventure.
Beyond the action elements, we will stay true to our efforts to create a multi-layered story that showcases the world of the Bakumatsu period and the revolution that took place. The characters you will meet all have their own vision of justice and their motivations, and you can decide to ally with them or to confront them… Each decision will have consequences. With new combat and a limitless open-ended gameplay experience, we can’t wait to see you roaming our world as you immerse yourself in the life of a ronin.
Rise of the Ronin is expected in 2024 on PlayStation 5it will be a console exclusive, so a PC release is to be expected.
| Clint008 Writer – Tester |
