First Rise of the Ronin review published in Famitsu

The first Rise of the Ronin review has been published in Japanese magazine Famitsu.

According to Ryokutya2089, Famitsu gave Team Ninja‘s PS5 exclusive a combined score of 37/40, with its four reviewers scoring the game 10, 9, 9 and 9.

The review says the way the game changes the player’s story and fate depending on which forces they support is extremely satisfying.

It also says the experience of making choices in an open world set at the end of the Edo period of Japan is both immersive and enjoyable.

It notes that the visual impact of teaming up and fighting alongside historical figures is fun, and that the game’s difficulty options make it accessible to a wide range of players.

The game’s hack-and-slash and Souls-like feel is praised, but the review does also note that game is somewhat cumbersome and rough around the edges, and that the visuals are a little bland.

The score puts Rise of the Ronin in line with Team Ninja’s previous title Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, which scored a 36/40 in Famitsu (9, 9, 9, 9).

The general reception to Wo Long was largely positive, with the game receiving Metacritic scores of 81 on PS5, and 79 on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

It remains to be seen if the Rise of the Ronin’s Famitsu score will be similarly reflected in the western media’s coverage once the review embargo lifts.

Further reading

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Review: Rise of the Ronin's great combat can't elevate a pedestrian open world

Team Ninja delivers a jack of many trades, but it fails to double down on any of them

In VGC’s Rise of the Ronin hands-on preview earlier this month, we said it “feels like a lot of other games” but that it feels fun, if unremarkable.

“So far, while we’re enjoying our time with Rise of the Ronin, we’re waiting for its standout moment,” we concluded.

“Other than some dated-looking visuals, every element of the game is fine to great, nothing so far is best-in-class.”