Summary
Despite the perception of them being solitary experiences, the truth is that multiplayer has always been a core component of the Soulslike genre. Team Ninja’sRise of the Ronincontinues the studio’s unique spin on the Soulslike formula with its challenging-yet-rewarding combat and encounter design, but it also features both AI and human co-op as a core part of its gameplay loop. In many ways,Rise of the Roninrepresents the culmination of several ideas that Team Ninja laid the foundation for in its previous games, and the title’s Ally system bears a striking resemblance to the companions fromWo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
UnlikeRise of the Ronin,Wo Longadheres to Team Ninja’s usual mission-based structure, with players able to explore a hub area and finalize gear and ability upgrades before departing on the next major part of the game’s story. One of the more critical aspects to consider was which ofWo Long’s AI-controlled alliesto bring along with the player character, as spending more time with one specific companion that complements the player’s approach to combat sees the bond (and the bonuses that bond provides) improve.Rise of the Roninsuccessfully iterates on this system, improving it by letting the player actively switch between any combatant on the field and providing specific Bond-strengthening missions to grow the party.
Controlling Allies in Rise of the Ronin is the Next Logical Step After Wo Long
Where most Soulslike games only enable co-op as part of a complex summoning system before challenging boss encounters,Wo Long: Fallen Dynastyincorporated having AI-controlled companions as part of its core gameplay. Every mission that the player undertakes inWo Longrequires choosing one or more allies to accompany the player ahead of time, and having these allies handy during challenging encounters can be a lifesaver.Wo Long’s companion charactersare great at drawing aggro from foes, and can even hold their own in battle thanks to some competent AI programming.
Rise of the Ronin’s inclusion of its own multi-faceted Ally andBond systemsis the next logical step from companion characters being essential to the experience of playingWo Long. WhereRise of the Roningoes a step further, though, is in allowing the player to actively switch between either the protagonist or their AI companions at any point during a mission. Not only does this allow the player to take advantage of certain enemy weaknesses to specific weapon types, it basically gives players a fighting chance to keep fighting where they otherwise would have met the Game Over screen.
Rise of the Ronin and Wo Long Prove Soulslikes Don’t Need to Be Solitary Experiences
Rise of the Ronin’s Ally and Bond systems offer up a natural progression fromWo Long’s companions that sees non-player characters take on a much more profound level of importance in the title’s gameplay. Further, both titles prove that having someone else along for the adventure in no way makes the experience ofplaying a Soulslikeeasy. While there’s certainly a much greater challenge present when not relying on another character to draw an enemy’s focus, bothRise of the RoninandWo Longgive incentive to bolster bonds with companions while also maintaining a tough but fair challenge.
Thanks to the difficulty it would likely present in trying to adequately balance a game’s challenge, it’s unlikely thatthe Soulslike genrewill ever fully embrace more traditional co-op and multiplayer mechanics. But for now,Wo LongandRise of the Roninshow the merit in allowing the player to have some help readily available if the situation calls for it. And, by takingWo Long’s companion system and building on it in meaningful and rewarding ways,Rise of the Roninfeatures perhaps the best implementation of co-op (human or AI) of any Team Ninja game.
Rise of the Ronin
WHERE TO PLAY
FORGE YOUR FATE IN THIS EPIC NEW SAMURAI ACTION ADVENTURE Embark on an epic journey across war-torn 19th-century Japan in this combat-focused open-world action RPG from Team NINJA, the veteran studio behind Nioh and NINJA GAIDEN.Japan, 1863. After three centuries of the Tokugawa Shogunate’s reign, the Black Ships of the West descend upon the nation’s borders and the country falls into a state of turmoil. Amidst the chaos of war, disease, and political unrest, a nameless warrior forges their own path, holding the very fate of Japan in their hands
