Shōgun Fan? Your Logical Next Stop Is Rise Of The Ronin On PS5

WE’RE past the halfway point of FX’s Shōgun and it’s been quite a ride so far.

In the interest of avoiding spoilers and for the uninitiated, the show tells the story of John Blackthorne, an English sailor shipwrecked in 17th Century Japan. Blackthorne becomes embroiled in the complex political machinations of feudal Japan, navigating the treacherous relationships between warring samurai clans and the Jesuit missionaries vying for influence.

As he learns the language and customs, Blackthorne rises to become a trusted advisor to the powerful Lord Toranaga, who is scheming to become the next shōgun, the supreme military dictator. The series explores the cultural clash between East and West, as Blackthorne must choose between his English heritage and the Japanese way of life he has come to embrace.

While the eponymous 1975 James Clavell novel was previously turned into a passable miniseries in 1980, the FX show takes Shōgun a step further by adding one lavish layer of grandeur and spectacle on top of another. The result is must-watch television, even if you aren’t particularly au fait with or interested in Japanese history. If, on the other hand, you are, then do I have good news for you!

Living Through The Political Intrigue

If there’s one thing I enjoy most about historical dramas — whether that’s The Crown, Vikings, Empress Ki or indeed the subject of this piece, it’s the fly-on-the-wall look (whether fictionalised or not) at the inner political workings of the time. It’s no surprise then that I was drawn to Rise of the Ronin, which not only gives you a ringside view of the shogunate (the military dictatorship), but entrusts you with taking key decisions to influence the march of history.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Developed by Koei Tecmo’s Team Ninja and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Rise of the Ronin is a PlayStation 5-exclusive action-adventure videogame set at the tailend of Japan’s Edo period. Set over two centuries after the events of Shōgun, the game provides insight into how the situation had evolved by the time the Bakumatsu era (the final years of the Edo period) rolled around.

You play a warrior without a master (a ronin) seeking his companion, while simultaneously throwing her/his weight behind the pro- or anti-shogunate movements engulfing Japan at that time. And it is this decision-making that forms the heart and soul of Rise of the Ronin — particularly in the manner choices are presented to you. For instance, a particular mission sees you tasked with infiltrating the US consulate.

It may be recalled that the 1850s saw a US presence in Japan after a gap of around 200 years thanks to the sakoku (the Tokugawa shogunate’s isolationist foreign policy). And Japan was beginning to open up — naturally there were two sides to this coin. The first was the point-of-view that embraced opening up to the world and building bridges with the West. The other was the (it could be argued, understandable) suspicion of westerners and a refusal to give them access to Japan.

As part of the infiltration into the consulate, you have to decide whether to do so in order to eliminate Townsend Harris (the first American consul-general in Japan), or to simply to meet with him. The ramifications of your decision (and others in this vein) will be reflected in how your story — and arguably, that of Japan — plays out. Did I mention there are multiple routes your journey can take, along with a variety of different endings?

Blood On The Snow

Taking place across the regions of Edo (now Tokyo), Yokohama and Kyoto, Rise of the Ronin is as much about playing around with the course of history as it is about hacking-slashing and exploring — the twin staples of any open-world action-adventure. And while Team Ninja is known for its fairly difficult and combat-heavy games, the casual gamers among you will be pleased to note that not only are there three difficulty levels and a variety of accessibility options, but the emphasis this time around is on being a cinematic adventure.

This is made clear right from the audio and visual design of the opening cutscene onwards and all the way past the way snow falls and gathers on your character, the way blood spatters out of the neck of a decapitated foe, and so on. Rise of the Ronin encourages you to traverse the length and breadth of its rather sprawling cities, and explore the flora, fauna and architecture therein. Aiding you on your journey of exploration is your faithful steed, a grappling hook and a glider that lets you travel short distances by air.

You should be warned however that there is combat and rather a lot of it (what kind of game involving a ronin would be without combat?) And if you persevere, it’s one of the more entertaining — if mildly frustrating — combat systems around, with the manner in which it utilises and allows you to swap between several fighting styles that are time period appropriate. There are katanas, odachis, spears, bows and arrows, revolvers and bayonets on offer, and a variety of associated skills that can be purchased (with experience points).

And If You Still Desire More…

Should you find yourself enjoying Rise of the Ronin, but then wondering what next in terms of scratching that samurai itch, there are two other titles that you might find quite entertaining.

Ghost of Tsushima: Developed by Sucker Punch Productions, this 2020 game is a third-person action-adventure title that Rise of the Ronin looks heavily inspired by. However, the events of the game are set in 13th Century Japan and surround the Mongol invasion spearheaded by Kublai Khan. If you had fun with Rise of the Ronin, you’ll find plenty to love in Ghost of Tsushima, which goes even further with its cinematic chops. Oh, and there’s also a Kurosawa mode that lets you play the entire game in black and white.

Like a Dragon: Ishin!: This 2023 PlayStation 5 remaster of a 2014 game from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, and is a spinoff from the hugely popular Yakuza/Like a Dragon series. The events of the game are also set during the Bakumatsu period and you encounter a number of historical characters encountered in Rise of the Ronin. The only difference this time is that game isn’t a sprawling open-world adventure, and instead is a far more linear and compact narrative-led and combat-driven romp through feudal Japan. If laying hordes of enemies to waste with the slash of your blade (and then doing it again, and again) is your idea of a good time, look no further.

Shōgun is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. Rise of the Ronin launched on March 22 on PlayStation 5