Assassin's Creed fans are in love with new Ghost Of Tsushima-style open-world RPG

For years, fans of the Assassin’s Creed series have been desperate for a game set in ancient Japan and they will soon be getting their wish.

We already know that Assasin’s Creed Red is on the way, a game set in Feudal Japan which promises a “very powerful shinobi fantasy” according to the current vice president executive producer of the series, Marc-Alexis Côté. What’s more, we also have Ghost of Tsushima on PlayStation consoles, but what if there was another? Enter Rise of the Ronin from Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden and Nioh developer, Team Ninja.

Check out the Rise of the Ronin trailer below!

“Delve into the historical period of late 19th century Japan, a time marked by profound conflicts and upheavals,” reads the description of Rise of the Ronin. “You will incarnate a Ronin, a masterless samurai as you fight to shape history.”

Despite seeing some very impressive gameplay trailers, we still do not know a lot about the open-world action RPG, Rise of the Ronin, even though its release is just a few months away. Thankfully, media outlet Game Informer has an exclusive inside scoop.

Set in Japan in the year 1863 during the “Bakumatsu” period, the story of Rise of the Ronin takes place during the Boshin War and players take control of a nameless “work-for-hire” Ronin. Game director Fumihiko Yasuda told Game Informer that Rise of the Ronin transpires the events of conflict between the East and the West, causing political unrest in what he claims is the “most exciting and eventful handful of years” in Japan’s storied history.

Unlike the Nioh series which was set in the Sengoku period, the developers at Team Ninja wanted Rise of the Ronin to be more modern. For example, Nioh is set during the 1600s, whereas Rise of the Ronin takes place during the 1800s. What’s more, with Nioh as well as the studio's most recent game, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty having supernatural elements, Rise of the Ronin is said to be more of a grounded game, so to speak and players can expect to meet real-life historical characters, including the likes of Sakamoto Ryōma and Yoshida Shōin.

To some extent, players will be able to forge their own story in Rise of the Ronin by making certain choices in the game which can impact the outcome, whether it be conversational or deciding whether or not to kill a certain NPC. Ultimately, players can expect “one of several endings.” You can even improve bonds with some characters through main missions and side quests.

The open world of Rise of the Ronin will also take place over three major cities, Yokohama, Kyoto and Edo (now known as Tokyo), featuring a blend of countryside and rural areas for the player to explore. As we’ve seen in previous trailers, players will be able to traverse the lands on foot, horseback or even via a glider. In terms of combat, Yasuda explained that Rise of the Ronin will be challenging similar to Nioh with an emphasis on swordplay and parrying enemy attacks. It will also have levelling up and skill-tree systems, and custom character features. Much like FromSoftware titles, enemies will respawn and players will have to claim XP at the location of death.

At the time of writing, Rise of the Ronin will be released exclusively for the PlayStation 5 on 22 March 2024.