It's A Very Good Time To Be A Samurai Fan Right Now

If you’re a video game enjoyer, which I’m assuming you are since you’re on this page now, chances are, you’re still digesting all of yesterday’s news. Between the State of Play and Nintendo Direct, there was something for everyone. Especially if you like farming games. 

In case you missed it, be sure to check out the trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

We’re not here to talk about those though (as much as I do enjoy a chill crop-tending sim myself) - the last week has been pretty dang fantastic for anyone into a traditional Japanese setting. Between yesterday’s announcements and also the Ubisoft Forward showcase last Saturday (10 September), there are three titles on the horizon which look like a real treat.

First up, of course, is Assassin’s Creed Codename Red - an upcoming premium flagship title which Ubisoft described as a “powerful shinobi fantasy”. Although details are limited right now, we do know that the game will bring Assassin’s Creed to Feudal Japan, which is something fans have been begging for for years - it’s certainly one to be excited for.

Then, in last night’s state of play, we got a glimpse of what Codename Red might end up looking like, with the reveal of Rise of the Ronin. The open-world action RPG is set in late 19th century Japan, and sees you play as a Ronin - “a warrior bound to no master and free to make choices of its own”. According to a post on the PlayStation Blog, the game will “immerse you in an historically inspired world while bringing together its renowned combat action with Katanas and the likes, with new firearm weaponry that depicts the unique personality of its time period”.

Take a look at Rise of the Ronin in action below.

Last but not least, Like a Dragon: Ishin - a remake of a Yakuza series spinoff game which previously only released in Japan, will be releasing worldwide in February 2023. The action-adventure is set in a fictional Kyoto in the 1860s, and, according to the PlayStation Blog, will allow players to “experience the story of how the iconic samurai era vanished”.

Have a peek at the Like a Dragon: Ishin trailer right here.

So how about that? The upcoming games release schedule has certainly gotten significantly more packed.