Solid all the way through. Good in all the predictable ways: design, story, aesthetic, momentum. And yet...

As cool as it is to wade through an open world feudal Japan, there was something to be desired in that respect. Though its narrative justifies this decision by having the mainland in disarray, it felt a little unlively to travel through the lands with little bystanders and commonfolk. Even Assassin's Creed had crowds. And I get it, but it just had me pointed to missions as opposed to immersion.

As it stands, it's a perfectly fine, playable action film, but I'd love to see something improve upon what it does in the future.