The recent launch of the PC port for The Rise of the Ronin on Steam signifies the introduction of another PlayStation 5 exclusive to the broader gaming community. Originally made available for Sony’s console in 2024, the game’s reception was polarized—players either found it to be engaging and enjoyable or saw it as just another addition to the saturated open-world genre, riddled with common pitfalls.
Now, nearly a year after its initial release, the PC version is here, though claiming it provides a seamless experience would be misleading. The Rise of the Ronin PC port is plagued by technical glitches and performance challenges. However, if you can look past these issues, you’ll uncover a rewarding gameplay experience accentuated by one of the most thrilling combat systems available today.
So how does the Rise of the Ronin PC adaptation perform? Is it worthy of your time, especially if you have a passion for open-world action games? Let’s dive deeper into this review to uncover the answers.
Technical Challenges in the Stunning World of Rise of the Ronin
Performance Analysis: How Does the PC Port Hold Up?
Let’s get straight to the point—the performance of the PC version leaves much to be desired. Even in my original review of Rise of the Ronin, I noted several performance inconsistencies on the PS5, and the PC edition doesn’t fare much better. Team Ninja has a spotty history with PC ports, and this title showcases their ongoing challenges.
My initial experience began smoothly until I ventured beyond the prologue into the outskirts of Yokohama, where the frame rate tanked from a steady 80 FPS down to a concerning 40-50 FPS. This drastic drop affected enjoyment and immersion.
To make the game more playable, I adjusted several options, such as capping the FPS at 60 and enabling AMD’s FSR 3 Frame Generation along with XeSS Upscaling. While this adjustment improved performance, it unfortunately compromised visual fidelity, resulting in noticeable texture issues and blurriness.
After Team Ninja released a patch, the experience improved dramatically, stabilizing frame rates between 70-80 FPS and significantly reducing stuttering. Yet, minor texture issues remain due to the upscaling techniques used.
My PC specifications are:
- Ryzen 5 5600X
- AMD RX 6600 with 8GB VRAM
- 32 GB RAM DDR4
Overall, while my experience was generally satisfactory, I cannot assure prospective buyers of consistent performance. For those with less powerful setups, be wary of potentially poor performance. The prevalence of incomplete PC ports in today’s gaming landscape highlights a crucial need for developers to enhance their products before launch.
The technical aspects of Rise of the Ronin warrant careful consideration. With time, I hope Team Ninja can continue to refine the performance, allowing more players to experience this beautifully crafted game.
Combat Dynamics: The Perfect Fusion of Styles
The combat system in Rise of the Ronin is undoubtedly its standout feature. Drawing inspiration from Nioh’s stance mechanics, you’ll frequently switch between various stances to gain advantages over adversaries. The game encourages players to diversify their weaponry, adapting strategies for the dynamic challenges you’ll face.
Players can engage in dodging, blocking, and parrying, with stamina management playing a key role. Depleting an enemy’s stamina renders them vulnerable, allowing you to deliver devastating blows to finish them off or significantly diminish their health.
Boss encounters provide exhilarating thrills, reminiscent of classic gaming challenges. Each boss fight ratchets up adrenaline levels, and an array of obtainable weaponry ensures that combat feels consistently engaging.
Narrative and Characters: A Mixed Bag
Unfortunately, the narrative falls short of expectations. The tumultuous Bakumatsu period in Japan’s history serves as the backdrop, introducing various pivotal historical figures. However, the character motivations are underdeveloped, especially for those aligning with pro-Shogunate forces. The game offers scant explanations for why the protagonist shifts allegiance, which undermines character depth.
The story occasionally shines, yet overwhelmingly it feels underwhelming, making it one of Team Ninja’s lesser achievements.
Exploring the Open World: Aesthetic Yet Predictable
The depiction of late Edo Japan is visually appealing, showcasing Team Ninja’s graphical abilities. However, the open-world design succumbs to genre clichés, often feeling like a checklist of repetitive tasks across its expansive environments.
You’ll encounter various side activities—enemy outposts, shrines, and optional quests that evoke the synchronization mechanics found in Assassin’s Creed. Although the world is beautifully designed, the redundancy of the tasks quickly turns monotony into a game-breaking issue.
Visual Appeal: A Step Up, Yet Somewhat Familiar
The visuals of the PS5 iteration received criticism for appearing outdated, but the PC release shows marked improvement—assuming your hardware can support it. While the graphics are impressive in parts, they don’t surpass some of the more visually striking titles on the market today.
Character models and environments have been enhanced compared to the PS5 version, with improved shadowing and lighting effects. Although the aesthetic does not push boundaries, it remains competent enough to deliver an enjoyable visual experience.
Final Thoughts
The PC port of The Rise of the Ronin is far from flawless, yet it offers an engaging experience for fans of open-world samurai adventures. While the narrative lacks depth and suffers from pacing issues, players will appreciate the ability to explore a historically significant period in Japan.
Engaging with various historically noted characters enriches the experience, though the plot often lacks moral complexity, easing the significance of pivotal decisions. Combat, however, excels, providing a satisfying array of weaponry to enhance the gameplay loop.
Although the open-world design is trapped in repetitive patterns familiar to the genre, the breathtaking landscapes captured by Team Ninja deserve praise. Technical issues remain a significant drawback, but discerning players might still find enjoyment in the game, especially if their hardware is robust.
Game Overview: Rise of the Ronin PC
Reviewed on: PC (Key provided by KOEI TECMO Games)
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: KOEI TECMO
Release Date: March 11, 2025