There have been a lot of quality open-world games in 2024 already.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas redefined not just theFinal Fantasy 7universe but the entire series with how diverse the world is both environmentally and mechanically.Dragon’s Dogma 2is also getting good buzz for those who have been waiting over a decade for a true sequel.
Then there isRise of the Roninwhich is not as critically acclaimed according to Metacritic. However, there are things this game does both for the open-world and action genres that other games should copy from. Some things are not mind-blowing but they are interesting mechanics and features to keep in mind for the future.
8Creating Two Characters
The Secret Of The Blade Twins
There are not a lot of games, let alone open-world games, that allow players to create two characters at the start of their adventure. These protagonists are known as The Blade Twins and that is the moniker they will get.
The biggest rival toRise of the Roninalso allows players to create multiple characters at the jump:Dragon’s Dogma 2. Players will create a lead and then an AI-driven Pawn to follow them around in that game. ForRise of the Ronin, creating two Blade Twins is more significant but that would require a story spoiler but suffice it to say it is a cool idea.
7A History Lesson
Is This How It Really Happened?
If a developer is makinga samurai game, chances are they are going to base it on historical events. That’s the case withRise of the Roninbut it’s not like this game is the only open-world adventure with historical data. The king amongst historical games has to be theAssassin’s Creedseries.
There is a twinge of futuristic technology behind those games though whereasRise of the Roninis more grounded. Sure, samurai could not deflect bullets to imbue their katanas with fire, butRise of the Roninis still a bit more true to form thanAssassin’s Creedas one example.
6Diverse Weapons With Leveling Up Systems
Even Your Fist
Players will get a plethora of classic samuraiweapons to play with inRise of the Ronin. From katanas to spears and even to pistols. Players can also go unarmed in combat to be like a destructive monk on the battlefield.
Most of these weapons will level up combat styles the more players invest in certain types. These levels can unlock bonuses like increasing HP. The only open-world game that comes close isThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimwhich leveled up certain traits the more players used them butRise of the Ronin’scombat overall is wildly better than that decade-old game now.
5Countersparks
It’s More Than A Deflect
Rise of the Roninteeters on the edge of being a Soulslike like many of Team Ninja’s other games. One thing most Soulslikes have are countering system. With these systems, players can counteract enemies to deal heavy blows.
That’s all these parry systems are though, counters. The deflect prompt inRise of the Roninis mapped to the Triangle button on the PS5. This will also deal damage to enemies so even if players can’t counter inRise of the Ronin, which is called a Counterspark, their effort will at least do some damage and that’s a fairly novel idea for these types of games.
4A Good Stealth System
Assassin’s Creed Aside
To bring upAssassin’s Creedagain, those games are all about stealth. Well, they were until RPG elements were introduced inAssassin’s Creed Origins. At that point, stealth became a secondary mechanic and players couldn’t even fully assassinate most foes since levels and equipment numbers played a big role.
WhileRise of the Roninalso has limitations with certain kills, stealth overall feels like a more viable option than most of the newerAssassin’s Creedgames. Players were raised as a samurai inRise of the Ronin, but they are also capable of being ninjas who can kill from the shadows. How many games allow for glider-based stealth assassinations?
3An Auto-Guided Horse
Horsing Around
One of this game’s best features is also not perfect. Players can tap anywhere on the map after they get their horse fromRise of the Ronin’sfirst side missionto have said horse automatically carry players to that destination. Sometimes the horse will be smart and avoid roads to make travel time faster and sometimes it will be confused and not know how to get to the marker on the map.
Again, it’s not perfect but not all systems in the best games are 100% perfect all of the time.Assassin’s Creed Originsallowed players to have their horses or camels follow roads for them automatically, butRise of the Ronin’simplementation of the auto-horse feature is more refined than that game.
2Collectible Cats
And They Go On Missions
Open-world games are plagued with collectibles and sometimes they are fun and sometimes they are excruciating. For example,Rise of the Roninborrows a lot fromThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildso this point seems relevant. In that game, players can collect Korok Seeds which can upgrade Link’s gear by meeting adorable Koroks in the world.
They are cute, but they can’t be used as partners in the game. InRise of the Ronin, players can collect cats to unlock gear too but more importantly, cats can be sent on missions to gather even more materials which is quite beneficial.
1The Testament Of The Soul
Replayable Missions
The first area of the game is in the Yokohama region. Beyond that is Edo and here players can unlock an item called The Testament of the Soul. With this, players can go back and attempt main missions and some side missions. This goes beyond what is available for theco-op options inRise of the Ronin.
The only recent open-world game that comes close to this idea isFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthwhich allows players to go back to certain chapters after they beat the game. It doesn’t allow players to go into individual missions like The Testament of the Soul though, so that’s a win forRise of the Ronin.
