Rise of the Ronin was my first Team Ninja game, so going in, I didn’t know what to expect. As someone who isn’t the biggest Souls-like fan, it could’ve easily not been for me. It was the opposite. The story, being a sucker for 19th-century historical nonfiction (with some player choice thrown in there), is quite good. However, I felt as if there were too many allies, a little over 30, with most of them being pretty bland, with a few exceptions. I can’t do this review without mentioning the frame drop and how dated the PS5 already is. Frequent dips into the 30s for an action-heavy game can be off-putting, but it was helped by a patch after launch that stabilized it mostly.

Where the game really shines is the combat. Boss gauntlets, stealth, parrying, a variety of weapons and builds to play around with—the whole nine yards. Once you get the parrying down pat, it’s one of the more satisfying games I can remember playing. The stealth doesn’t feel forced, the gunplay is excellent, and the main antagonist is fun and difficult but has a good balance.

Overall, this was a good game. The beautiful setting of Japan during the Edo period, decent characters all around, and masterful combat. If that’s what you’re looking for in a game, I say go for it.