Rise of the Ronin
By Paul Semel,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Violent adventure game about revenge; tons of blood & gore.
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Rise of the Ronin
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What’s It About?
Set in 19th century Japan, RISE OF THE RONIN initially casts you as twin warriors who must work in secret (and for a secret organization) to make life better for those not in the ruling class. But when one of those warriors is killed, it's up to the other one to complete the mission...and get revenge for their fallen sibling. As the game progresses, you realize your actions could have profound consequences for Japan and Japanese sovereignty. This is why you spend your time in this game getting into sword and spear fights with tons of enemies as you try to complete missions and run errands for friendly villagers.
Is It Any Good?
While very similar to other games, this epic, third-person, open world, hack & slash action/adventure game still manages to be compelling. Set in the 19th century, at the end of the Edo period in Japan, Rise of the Ronin casts you as a secret warrior who's trying to make ancient Japan a better place, while also getting revenge for your twin, who's killed in battle. To do this, you use a variety of bladed and ranged weapons as you fight tons of enemies, all while freeing occupied villagers from bandits and running errands for friendly people.
While we've played games like this before, Rise of the Ronin distinguishes itself in some interesting ways. First, while other games were more serious, and more influenced by samurai movies, this is far more influenced by other games. Hence why you can do some clever combat movies to find impossibly large enemies. That said, not all of the differences are good ones. The difficulty can be uneven and the game play can feel somewhat complicated. Despite these irritations, Rise of the Ronin still manages to be an effortlessly fun and engaging game, although incredibly bloody and gory.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about excessive violence in video games. In Rise of the Ronin, players kill a lot of people and animals, and in very violent and bloody ways. What is the appeal of using such intense imagery? Where can or does the blood and gore cross the line in your opinion?
Families can talk about revenge. One of your motivations in this game is to get revenge for your dead brother or sister. But seeking revenge never ends well. Why do you think seeking revenge is fun in games but terrible in real life?
Families can talk about player choice. When making your character in this game, you can not only decide to make them male or female, and can chose their race and skin tone, but you can also make them older or younger. What kind of character did you make, and why did you make them that way instead of some other way? Do you like to play characters that reflect yourself, or one that's different?
Game Details
- Platform: PlayStation 5
- Pricing structure: Paid ($69.99)
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
- Release date: March 22, 2024
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts , Adventures , History
- ESRB rating: M for Blood and Gore, Language, Violence
- Last updated: June 7, 2024
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