Team Ninja’s Rise of the Ronin has been a hot topic in the gaming community. Not because it’s extremely good, but not because it’s a terrible game either. No, the issue falls somewhere in the middle—people think it’s either a really boring but okay-ish game, or they find it a good, average game.
The reception of the game has been so mixed and lukewarm, that even fans coming to its defense have been defending the game from criticism in an interesting way. But this also opens up an interesting conversation on what makes a game ‘good.’
Rise of the Ronin Players Defend It for Its Simplicity
In the gaming industry, there’s a common motivation across companies to relentlessly pursue innovation, groundbreaking gameplay, and mind-blowing plots. And you’ll see this reflected in a game’s fans too, who often praise games by claiming they’re the best at something, if not everything.
Rise of the Ronin fans has taken an interesting turn away from that trend. Instead of singing praises of its revolutionary mechanics or gripping narrative, they’re defending the game for its simplicity and entertainment value.
Thank you for saying this! I'm glad games like this exist (I recently said something similar re: Rise of the Ronin) – not every game needs to break standards. If I'm having fun and being entertained then I'm good! I'm happy! I think we sometimes forget that.
— Brittney Brombacher (@BlondeNerd) March 27, 2024
The title isn’t being held as the pinnacle of gaming excellence.
In fact, many people who like the game have been taking dunk after dunk on its graphics, but that doesn’t mean they’re not enjoying it.
Rise of the Ronin is sooo 2014.
It has that asian (mmo)rpg stink, it's ugly, it runs like crap and feels outdated design-wise.
BUT because of that it's also super straightforward, gameplay-focused and does not care about tiniest details or a movie-like experience.
It's fun. pic.twitter.com/lQp7XfBLE8— Zos (@Zosovy) March 24, 2024
When I say people are dunking on the graphics, I don’t exaggerate. Some players have compared it to a PS3-era game.
Dragon dogma 2 bad
Or good i dunno havent played it
Ive been playing rise of the ronin which kinda looks and feels like ps3 game, but you know like a good and fun ps3 game so fuck it we ball— ˢʰʸ (@QuiteShallow) March 22, 2024
The game has stacked a ton of average ratings on game review sites, but that hasn’t stopped fans from recommending the game. It did stop some people from trying out the game, though.
Just saying that a game doesn't need to get a perfect score to be fun.
Seems like a lot of folks didn't love that Rise of the Ronin got that average on metacritic and cancelled their preorders.
— Silent Dad Plays Games (@silentdadgaming) March 21, 2024
This sparks an interesting debate about whether a game that’s fun but not innovative or groundbreaking in any way can still be considered good.
Is Rise of the Ronin Worth Giving a Shot?
After all the criticism from the players themselves, you might be wondering, why even give this game a shot? Many say the visuals aren’t good, and the jury is still out on the plot.
RotR fans have approached the game with a completely new mindset. It might not challenge conventions or push boundaries, but for them, it’s undeniably great at providing a fun and engaging experience for players.
Plus, there’s a ton of praise for the combat and its fluidity, which is arguably the one thing everyone can agree on.
When you have high-budget blockbusters and ambitious indie projects coming out every second, RotR is a reminder that not every game needs to reinvent the wheel to be enjoyable.
It embraces its limitations and delivers on its promise of simple, unadulterated fun.
Do you feel Rise of the Ronin fails at being a good game, or should people be more open-minded to giving it a try? Wherever you stand in this debate, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
