Rise of the Ronin, a new open-world action RPG set in Japan from developer Team Ninja, has been announced as a PS5 console exclusive. The announcement also brought alongside a first look at gameplay, even though the game is still a ways off.
Rise of the Ronin is described as combat-focused by Team Ninja President and the game's director, Fumihiko Yasuda. Yasuda, who also directed action games like the Nioh series and Ninja Gaiden, went on to detail this game as the most ambitious project Team Ninja has ever made in a blog post after the game's reveal. The announcement may come as a surprise to some, as Team Ninja is also working on the upcoming Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
In the reveal trailer shown during the September 13 State of Play, a bird leads viewers through crowded streets and up to a cliff and the game's setting is confirmed: Japan in 1863. The reveal trailer also drops hints and some information regarding the game's narrative. While the main protagonist narrates the trailer, the character's name is not revealed. A brief glimpse of gameplay shows sword combat and a glider to fly in the air and traverse the open-world, similar to Breath of the Wild's glider. The end of the trailer is a montage of action carnage, featuring swords, grappling hooks, and guns.
Though it might appear that this game is in early development given Team Ninja's current workload, Yasuda has stated that the game has been in development for seven years. The trailer also reveals the release window, which is just sometime in 2024. Additionally, the game will be a PS5 console exclusive. Whether the game is a timed exclusive and will eventually be released on other platforms, such as Sifu releasing on Nintendo Switch later this year, remains to be seen.
Rise of the Ronin is setting itself up to join the ranks of similar games focusing on sword combat and open worlds on PlayStation, such as the beloved and acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima. The recently announced Assassin's Creed Red will also feature a Japan setting, so Japan is becoming a popular setting for PlayStation titles. While Rise of the Ronin is definitely set in a more modern era than a game like Ghost of Tsushima, there definitely seem to be some similarities between the titles. The game is still a long ways away, though, and a lot can change between now and release, so it will be sometime before players can feel what it is like to step into the shoes and duties of the Ronin.
Rise of the Ronin will release for PS5 in 2024.