Rise of the Rōnin - the BEST thing about it 

I know the reviews have been lukewarm but it seems like everyone who actually plays this game really enjoy it. **edit** so I finally picked up the game. My only complaint is it’s a little janky and unpolished but that’s nothing a patch can’t fix. The gameplay is great! I’ve been playing it non stop! I recommend personally.

I love that i can be a Samurai cowboy. The dream setting for me.

I agree with everything Jake said. You know why else I’m really enjoying this game? 17 hours in and no problems JUST PLAYING the game. Nice

swords

These extra, supplemental videos to before you buy are great dude can't believe it took RU-vid so long to recommend the channel!

The character customization options are pretty top notch

It is one of those games that is not perfect but you just can't stop playing it. I am having so much fun, I can not wait to go back to it's world everytime I get the chance. The combat is so good after you unlock the different styles for your favorite weapons, the setting, the story, the characters they are all interesting and the exploring is very well done. The map is huge and full of things to do. Amazing game!

This game was a pleasant surprise for me. I loving it so far. I really wanted a Nioh 3 and wasn't a fan of Wo-Long's combat but ROTR is a good balance between complexity and simplistic. Battles are quick yet satisfying.

i haven’t spent 5 straight hours on a new game in a long time. super surprised at how much i’m enjoying this as a non-souls guy

My favorite video game guy, Jack Baldenis

Honestly if the graphics and parts of the world didn't feel outdated, this game would be getting a lot more praise. Imo not bad for Team Ninja's first attempt at an open world game. I hope they learn and make adjustments for their next game

Its like Ghost of Tsushima but with more in depth combat and less polished visuals and i love that trade off. Plus i dont have annoying ass yellow birds trying lead me everywhere. And the addition of the glider is great for getting down from high places. I wish i had a glider in ghosts. Its clearly inspired by ghosts and thats good, that what we wanted right? But its still different enough to be considered its own thing. Its fun, and the only game thats gotten me off Helldivers 2 in a couple weeks.

You mentioned Tenchu! 😮 I used to LOVE that game!🔥

I’m loving this game personally. It feels as if they took bits and pieces from past shinobi/samurai games. It really reminds me of a new aged Way of the Samurai 4.

This game is right up my alley. I’ve been enjoying it so far. Love the setting. It’s been used for many games but it’s great

I really love everything about it. I'm having a lot of fun and the combat im obsessed with. Me and 3 friends got it and started playing at the same time so we're all sharing out adventures and encounters.

Since 2020, 21, 22, 23, at the PlayStation Wrap-Up at the end of the year, the game I played the most in the 4 years with thousands of hours, is "Nioh 2", yes, that game is my peak, my pièce de résistance, one of my ultra favorite games of all time, Nioh 2 (no 1) is the highest point, the most perfect game they can make, is Team Ninja's masterpiece and I can see myself playing it for another couple of years more... So, I know Team Ninja's style very well, how they make their games, how they build their story, how they set up their combat, I mean, Nioh 2 has some of the most difficult and extreme combat you can do in a game of that kind, and if you master that, which I think I've done in 4 years, you master the combat in any similar game, even over FromSoft games (which I have never found difficult, compared to Nioh 2) That's my level of fanaticism and love for Team Ninja products, that said, we went from a masterpiece like Nioh 2, to an extremely failed game like "Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty", a game full of problems, of bad decisions, of a very unnecessary artificial difficulty, etc. And Wo Long at the end of the day seemed more like a cheap copy of Nioh 2, than the next best thing... I play the game, finish and forget it, and continue in Nioh 2, hahaha. Of course "Rise of the Ronin" was a must to check, since I heard about it, and although I've only been playing the game for a few hours, I must say, this is not Nioh 2, it doesn't come close, beyond the character creation that is similar in both, and I mean, it is going to be difficult for Team Ninja to surpass their masterpiece, however it is definitely much better that Wo Long, way better. Finally Team Ninja tries different things, not to make another clone of Nioh 2, it leaves on Rise of the Ronin aside all fantasy elements, monsters, demons, creatures and this time the enemies are only humans and some animals here and there and that's excellent, a change, the combat is a delight as usual, not as fluid and elegant as Nioh 2, but not as complicated-artificial as Wo-Long and of course, if you have played those games, you will have no problems with this. Is a great game, totally recommended, I am enjoying it enormously for what it is (and this one has no micro transactions...) and Team Ninja does not disappoint, quietly and discreetly they have been doing their thing very well for years and they nail it, here you have a mega fangirl of them, at this point, I blindly buy whatever they put out. For the moment I would give the game an 8/10, will see. Greetings from a gamergirl in Mexico city =)

Jake you are my only go to, I respect you because you know your shit.

The graphics look decent enough imo. Looks like a fun game as well.

He's right you know, the combat is seriously addictive. I've died multiple times to my blade twin right now but I feel such a strong compulsion to keep retrying which is on another level to Fromsoft games where you can begin to feel super impatient and panicked. The parrying creates so many dopamine dumps while having to stay in the flow state that I could mindlessly repeat these fights all day...

This is my favorite game I’ve played this year so far.

Holy shit the backdrop is looking slickkkk man. Also you’ve sold me on getting this when it comes to pc , I think I’ll be really into it

This is way better than what reviews have said. I’m genuinely blown away.

jake, you nailed the look you were going for with the backdrop. props to you

Im almost certain I know what one of the secret things you got to play was. I saw someone talking about an event they got to do (I don't think they were supposed to share). But when I saw it I was like "Yeah this was the thing Jake was talking about". No spoilers from me though. Want you to have your moment! Great stuff as usual man! Keep up the good work my guy!

Just picked it up with Dragons Dogma 2. Going to give Rise of the Ronin a couple weeks for patches and Dragons Dogma 2 an additional 2 weeks for patches. Lookin forward to them, though.

I was expecting the visuals to be a lot worse, to be honest. People made it sound like it was horrible-looking, while it looks really honest to me. And I love the combat animations, too. Great weapon feedback, great story so far, and really interesting setting.

I agree with you about the story and the loot. The loot does net you a lot of crafting materials and currency but it feels like a lot. I feel like we have the same tastes in games but you're a lot more articulate with your criticisms than me. This was one of the games I had been waiting for since its announcement and I pre ordered it immediately when it was available but previews and reviews made me nervous. I'm glad that the game is still very enjoyable.

One of the better reviewers. I also like that the video isnt 3 hours of repeated info

The graphics is actually good on my 55" 4K Sony TV. The combat and mechanics is what I am looking forward to and Team Ninja excels at those two. I am so hooked with Rise of the Ronin that I took a break from playing Helldivers 2.

Thanks for the extra talk about this game, I'm really on the fence to buy this.

I bought both Dragons dogma 2 and rise of the ronin. And I gotta say, I’m really enjoying Rise of the Ronin much more

remembering the video in which you were painting this room😄✌🏾

I was gonna comment in the last video but the office is definitely coming along my dude. Would love to see a tour when you feel it’s done. No rush

Finally a reviewer that really gets it. I love this game so much.

As a dark walls lover . It was worth the wait man you killed the vibes 🎉❤

Jake did a great review on the main channel if you haven't caught it. Really looking forward to Falcons birds eye review of Dragons Dogma.

I misread the title as Rise of the Robin and thought it was a Batman spinoff I hadn't heard anything about.

Brilliant video. I’ve been on the fence about buying this one but you have definitely sold me on it. The mention of Tenchu was enough alone 😂

I’ll be honest I wanted it to be more similar to Ghost of Tsushima as that’s one of my favorite games of all time, but for what it is, it’s really fun and offers a variety of gameplay styles and activities. Crank that difficulty up and put on your best weapons and armor and go at it.

Jake! You are the man to listen to when its about games! You are the man! Sorry for bad english!

U really are the greatest game analyst ever. I can listen to you talk about any game ever it’s actually crazy.

I like your honesty with everything. Your old school and I appreciate that. Good job! Also, would love to hear your take on ff7 rebirth

We need a room tour soon! I'm loving the aesthetic

Love your videos bro and you have the same genre in games as me.

WAKE WALDINO!! I was hoping you'd make a video on this!

This is literally my take. It's crazy cool due to the setting, and it's just pure fun. I have so much fun playing this game. I haven't had this much fun in a game for a while.

Excellent video. As a new father I have to know how these big games will treat my time and Souls-likes have just become impossible for me (I was brute forcing Elden Ring and then I played BG3/FF7 Rebirth and haven't gone back). So I am glad to hear that this game has some leniency with its difficulty, as I haven't picked up a team ninja game since beating Nioh. Excited to pick this up.

seems under appreciated especially compared to dd2

I'm keeping an eye on this one for when it comes to pc, not because it's another Team Ninja game I might enjoy, but because I saw something that reminded me of another game during the 'Before You Buy' video, and that was the weapon styles. I've only ever seen that in Way of The Samurai games, and their 4th entry was in the Bakumatsu Period as well. WotS 3 and 4 were done by ACQUIRE as well who made the Tenchu games, along with the same music composer.

Thanks for the video. Definitely made me interested in the game.

JAKE BALDINO WOOOOOOOOOOO YEAH another great review You've helped cement my decision as to whether or not to give this game a go

So weird because while the graphics are last gen, I honestly think it looks really beautiful at times, they managed to figure out how to do GOT's foliage and render it out to the horizon which really softens the landscape, combined with the theme and lighting and it really pleasing to m eye.

I love this game so much! At first during the tutorial, I didn't think I would like it but I kept playing until I reached the open-world and from there it's been amazing.

I liked ghost of tashima ! Loved It. I’m really interested in playing this. I always watch your videos to get great insight and your opinions always help me decide .

Been loving it!!

I hope more games in the future will use this as a setting for open world games. This era of Japan seems like a great setting for a lot of RPGs.

love this guy's reviews because he genuinly gives his honest non-biased opnions

As always jake you have echoed my thoughts almost exactly

"I will take anything that vaguely reminds me of Tenchu" I wholeheartedly agree with this and the overall sentiment in this video!

During combat FLASH your sword (R1) between your combos which i ignored. After mid game i found it is one of the most important things in this game together headshotting bosses with a flint rifle :)

This game has Way of the Samurai written all over it. Played that series so much and can’t wait to finally get this game.

Love your content :)

Im going to get this game. Not now but, eventually. Same with Alone in the Dark and DD2. I’ll own them all someday

The room looks amazing

Ronin is an underrated gem for me. I wouldn't even say the graphics are dated because it looks slightly better than all previous Team Ninja games (wo long, nioh)

I love the Edo period because it reminds me of Samurai Champloo. I also love the mixture of different nations and older and newer technology and fashion. It's like a clash of different worlds.

Starting out I was so unsure about the combat especially with how sensitive the counter system is. Once I started getting more combat styles and unlocked more abilities, the game has been a ton of fun. I’m in the same boat as absolutely having to brute force battles but I definitely feel myself getting better.

I was reluctant at first but when I do get a chance, I can't wait to dive into this one.

I'm 20+ hours in and enjoying the game very much. Combat is a little weird and graphics could be better, but, still a great game. Traversal is a lot of fun and smooth. Great review, Jake!

Youre a great reviewer jake, other games need love to

I am glad you did this video Jake. Totally agree with a lot of your points. I think some folks slept on this game. Sure, the graphics aren't the best but damn, the gameplay is fun, decapitations are fun. They are hidden bosses that are not shown on the map. There are tons of options in the game to make it more user friendly. Yes, the game does throw a ton at you. I had to go back and re-read certain things to understand it better. For example, I didn't know you needed to hit R1 once your weapon icon flashes full. I had no idea why it was flashing. Well to tell you that you need to clean the blood off your blade.

Yes the graphics suck, the pop in sucks, the open world activities are very formulaic… but damn is that combat fucking great and makes up for it.

Aragami 2 has been the best Tenchu Successor I've played

That’s funny, I’ve watched several reviews of this game already but I’m still undecided wether it’s a game for me or not, and when I saw your video pop, I knew I was about to find out

I'm really looking forward to this game. The price is a bit steep, but there's no rush, I'm still on my first playtrough with Ghost of Tsushima on PS plus. As I'm getting older I feel less and less drawn towards difficult games. Just let me chill and customise my character.

Im enjoying the first mission boss ever since i got the house i put in 2 3 hours doing coop online its very fun im trynna get a legendary qeapon and gun or bow

I really enjoyed Evil West and that was mainly scored a 7 and reckon I’ll enjoy this too given I love games with katanas in! Also loved Ninja Gaiden Black, 2 and both Nioh games!

Loved it, finished it last night, if it was on PC would’ve have got alot more invested in the side content, let’s hope it comes in a few years

The horse animation is the one thing that is comedic to no end.

I chose this over dd2 and I don't regret it im like 10 hours in and having alot of fun

This games been fun so far, not getting dd2 until it’s fixed or on sale, after ROTR I’ll most likely play stellar blade.

1:28 I sentence "this was a thing" phrase to death row

Gliding and grappling reminds so much of Batman games

These games desperately need a handful of factors to be fantastic In addition to the classic block perry/ dodge system you must have the ability to grab, shove, trip and throw enemy characters in addition to hand to hand capability like punching kicking and strangles A tighter third person view so it feels more realistic rather than like you're playing a game Absolutely no camera orientation unless you use the dash button... this actually functions as a quick glance system as well 100% reliable intercepts, if someone is trying to hit you and you hit them first it stops their blow or causes it to miss Block and stamina gauges rather than fantasy unblockable attacks where you're forced to dodge or perry... the only attack that should be unblockable should look unblockable like a giant swinging a club, a fast attack with a light weapon should never be "unblockable" it should just take down your gauge A grab commmand that's totally independent, your character should never automatically stick to or grab ANYTHING especially ledges during climbing sequences This also goes for cover systems you should never automatically enter cover only off a button prompt Icon hunting is another major problem, allow the player to hold the action command and simply walk into the field for the action to take place not walk into the field and wait for the command prompt. This is a very tired old trope that consistently reminds you you're playing a video game They must slow down the overclocked Kung Fu action in order to be taken seriously, frankly when prattling on about historical significance then giving me a kung fu fight scene they really take me out of the experience, characters should never move around like an agitated molecule but instead have weight and inertia, this is especially important for your heavy characters Characters should never slide across the ground or spin in mid air... hitboxes need to be religiously accurate and you must always have a save anywhere feature skippable cutscenes and the ability to turn off the gauge over your enemy telling you their exact health, the best games would simply replace the health bar with obvious posture and form deterioration GHOST of Tsushima came the closest to all these features and that's why it's a superior title

is this a good game to put 200-300 hours in while I wait for Shadow of the Erdtree? or is there no build diversity or stroy differences to keep you pkaying?

Definitely waiting for a DEEP discount for this one.

Cool setup dude.

Nice, I was hoping you'd elaborate a bit. Thank you

You had me at “easier than Wo Long”👍🏾

So far I like it. Seems underrated

I'm a sucker for parry based combat and this game feels great to play

Great video 😊 Is RotR will have season pass like Nioh 2 or Wo Long ?

I'm happy to see Team Ninja try something new even if it's built on top of some out of fashion game design. It's been a long time since I've played an open world game so I'm enjoying following my curiosity. Ronin has beautiful artistic composition so it is kind of a bummer that it doesn't push the visual fidelity. It's also nice to play a game where I get my ass kicked learning new combat mechanics. I keep playing it really aggressively like Nioh or Wo Long and that doesn't work well. It's interesting to see TN develop a more defensive approach to combat. Also, I need to stop dodging arrows and bullets. I keep forgetting I can do the dramatic parry flame sword!

Wasnt expecting much. I played it almost 15 hours this weekend. Great game

I've been loving the game so far, but damn i can't deny that the amount of pop in for a ps5 game is EGREGIOUS. But the setting, the gameplay, that kinda makes up for it

I can’t wait to play it.. looking at the videos, honestly, the graphics don’t look that bad but I’ll definitely find out..

Whats difficulty did you play it on jake

I would love a new or remaster of Tenchu from team Ninja or From software! ❤

I had to do a head take when I was walking thru a city and I heard several people speaking English since my settings are set to Japanese with English subtitles. I even when into my settings to check. lol. As I got closer, it made sense since there are quite a few Westerners there walking around and socializing with folks. Especially in the "pleasure" district. Ha