THIS month is set to see the release of Rise of the Ronin and just like 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima, the game is a big release for the PlayStation 5 (PS5).
Set in 19th-century Japan, Ronin will see samurai clashes during the introduction of firearms into Japan during the Edo period.
Like in films, samurais and ninjas have long been in video games, drawing fascination from gamers towards the Japanese culture and history from those feudal times.
As we hurtle towards the release of Ronin, here are some extraordinary games featuring samurais and ninjas that you can try out before developer Team Ninja releases their big historical action game on Mar 22.
The Ghost of Tsushima
The cream of the crop, Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Tsushima, was released exclusively on the PlayStation 4 (and then PS5) to critical acclaim.
Thrusting players into the sandals of lead character Jin Sakai, players were given a massive open-world to explore, collect weapons and defeat strongholds controlled by the Mongolian army, as Jin fights towards freeing the island of Tsushima and reclaiming his clan’s lost honour.
Players have the option of using Sakai in whichever way they want. One can choose to fight as a samurai with honour in direct fights or take the path as a “ghost”, using ninja-like tools such as smoke bombs and throwing knives to fight the Mongol soldiers with dirty tactics.
It has a strong, deeply emotional story and it is visually stunning while running or riding a horse through the Japanese countryside and forests.
While it has elements taken from games that came before it, Ghost of Tsushima removes their weaknesses, while perfecting what works.
