Plenty of stories have been told about Japan's first encounters with the outside world. Fewer focus on the impact the decision had and how it changed Japanese society.
Team Ninja's Rise of the Rōnin does exactly that, as we get to see Japan shaped by the influence of other nations like the UK, France and the United States.
The story begins with US ships looming off the coast of Yokohama as US naval officer Matthew Perry and his fleet have returned to strike a deal with the ruling Tokugawa shogunate.
On your journey you meet larger-than-life characters like Ryoma Sakamoto (named after a real life samurai), Igashichi the Tinkerer and famed geisha Taka Murayama.
Your character is a Rōnin (a samurai without a lord or master) who escaped with their Blade Twin as their village burned to the ground.
You and your female companion train together under the tutelage of a seasoned blacksmith who teaches them how to fend for themselves.
Things get hairy for a moment, leading you to become separated, and thus your journey begins to try and reconnect with your kindred spirit.
Restoring order
The character customisation is fairly extensive, so you can make your Rōnin and Blade Twin exactly how you want. While you can choose a voice for both of them, the characters very rarely talk so it is quite pointless.
Once your character is created, you are thrust out into the open world and can attack things how you see fit. There are various side missions and activities to tackle along with cats you can pet for animal lovers.
While most of the map is covered in fog from the start, you slowly start to unveil the map as you discover new areas and restore order.
Each section of the map has a group of outlaws that have taken control, and you are tasked with restoring public order. Once you do, the townsfolk can move back in and other activities appear on the map.
While it feels rewarding the first few times, it loses its lustre when you do it for the tenth time. Overall, the way the open world is constructed is not particularly groundbreaking, but there is enough variety to keep it interesting.
The real shining light of Rōnin is its excellent combat system
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The real shining light of Rōnin is its excellent combat system. Developer Team Ninja are known for their satisfying gameplay with the likes of Ninja Gaiden, Nioh and more recently, Wo Long: Fallen Destiny.
Ki system
In comparison to the Soulslike combat of Nioh, Rōnin is a much more approachable experience and takes everything they have learnt from those games and refines it.
Similar to Nioh, you have a stamina system called Ki, which is central to gameplay. Every attack or movement depletes your Ki so you have to be very careful with just spamming attacks.
If you use up all of your stamina, it leaves you open for a few seconds, meaning your foes can get a powerful hit. Finding that balance between being aggressive and conserving your stamina is key.
In terms of the weapons you can choose from, you will be flooded with them after a couple of hours of playing the game. There are katanas, spears, great-swords, sabres and dual swords for you to try out.
This arsenal of weapons is complimented by more modern weapons (at the time), like the bayonet, rifle, revolver and even a fire pipe, which is essentially a flamethrower.
The way you mix melee and ranged combat is what elevates the combat, so you are always thinking on your feet during fights. What enhances this is the various combat styles you can learn throughout the game.
Each type of weapon has a combat style that you can learn, and you can seamlessly switch to them on the fly by simply holding R1 and moving the right analog stick either left, right or down.
Getting about the world is just as satisfying as having a grappling hook to reach high places and a pair of wings which allow you to glide around different locations.
Death from above
Both of them dovetail as you grapple up to a rooftop and then grapple again to vault yourself into the air and glide. The wings can also be used in combat; you can even fly above your enemies and then drop down to assassinate them.
It is not only the combat that offers an element of choice, the story revolves around numerous choices both big and small.
It is not only the combat that offers an element of choice, the story revolves around numerous choices both big and small.
In one side mission early on in the game, I encountered a bandit leader named Gonzo who was causing trouble for the local populace.
After taking down his crew, I had the choice to either kill him there or hear him out. After deciding to let him go, I encountered him again in another side mission about an hour later.
I could have killed him straight away, but instead, after having a heart-to-heart, he actually became an ally. Because of that choice, I can now use him and other allies in any main mission.
Your allies are part of the game's bond system, which is a crucial part of the experience. As you meet various historical characters, you grow a bond with them which allows you to learn new combat stances and unlock new gear.
Each of your allies has various abilities, which means some are better suited for stealth missions and others for going all guns blazing.
The game does have numerous different elements to it, but not everyone feels vital. The photography missions are painfully mundane and some of the minigames, while fun, feel like an afterthought.
Rise of the Rōnin has a lot to offer and, while its open world is extremely formulaic, its characters and story offer a fascinating opportunity to be part of Japanese history.
If you pair that with the game's challenging yet satisfying combat, it makes for an impressive new IP with plenty of room to evolve.
