Rise of the Ronin review: parrying has never been more fun
MSRP $69.99
“Rise of the Ronin has an excellent parrying system that makes its Soulslike gameplay feel challenging, yet fair compared to its contemporaries.”
Pros
- Thoughtful sidequests and supporting characters
- Great combat and parrying mechanics
- Amazing quality of life features
Cons
- Branching story paths don’t have as much impact
- Dual character structure falls a bit short of potential
At the end of Rise of the Ronin’s prologue, I was given the choice of whether to spare a villain or kill him. I chose the latter. This led to what I thought was an interesting divergence in the game’s story. It wasn’t until after I finished the game that I went back in the timeline to change my choice that I saw how little of an impact it had on the story.
It felt like wasted potential. Not only were some of the plot twists predictable, but I also failed to resonate with the game’s two central characters, as one was a blank slate while the other felt underdeveloped.
