Summary
Assassin’s Creedfans have been requesting a Japanese-themed installment for years, so naturally, the news of the upcomingAssassin’s Creed: Codename Redinstallment set in feudal Japan has had them chomping at the bit to experience Ubisoft’s take on Japan. However, apart froma recent leak detailing a possible release window forCodename Red, news regardingCodename Redhas largely been kept under wraps, so fans may need a placeholder until it arrives. Judging by what was just revealed during PlayStation’s 2024 State of Play, it appears they might have one inRise of the Ronin.
Team Ninja’sRise of the Roninis one of 2024’s most anticipated titles, so fans were genuinely thrilled to witness a gameplay overview for the upcoming action RPG during this year’s State of Play. The gameplay overview showcased several ofRise of the Ronin’s features, including its open world, traversal mechanics, and combat. In some ways,Rise of the Roninappears reminiscent of classicAssassin’s Creedtitles. While it certainly conjures elements of games likeSekiro: Shadows Die Twice,Ghost of Tsushima, andNioh, there is an undeniableAssassin’s Creedinfluence at play, particularly in its parkour and stealth.
Rise of the Ronin’s Parkour and Stealth Resemble Classic Assassin’s Creed
Rise of the Ronin Appears to Mimic the Parkour Mechanics of Classic Assassin’s Creed
Aside fromAssassin’s Creed’s often accurate representations of historical settings, Ubisoft’s longstanding franchise is known for its satisfying parkour mechanics. While the series' parkour has continued to evolve over the years, it remains one ofAssassin’s Creed’s most iconic features. As such, it’s fairly easy to discern when other games are inspired by it, and it appearsRise of the Roninis no exception.
As soon as the gameplay portion ofRise of the Ronin’s State of Play gameplay overview begins, there are noticeable similarities between its parkour and that of the early days ofAssassin’s Creed. However, even before the protagonist begins engaging in parkour, longtime fans oftheAssassin’s Creedfranchisewill likely notice the character’s sprint animation is nearly identical toAssassin’s Creed’s — an animation that has remained fairly consistent throughout the series.
WhenRise of the Ronin’s protagonist begins engaging in parkour, he grapples onto a roof and then proceeds to traverse the city, either by rooftop, a glider, or on foot. The most significant difference between the parkour shown inRise of the Ronin’s gameplay overviewandAssassin’s Creed’s is that while players can climb up most walls inAssassin’s Creed, it can be assumed that scaling any walls taller thanRise of the Ronin’s protagonist can jump will require a grappling rope, as the developer says, “The protagonist can climb onto rooftops using a grappling rope.”
Rise of the Ronin’s Stealth Gameplay May Appeal to Assassin’s Creed Fans
Historical settings and parkour are only two of the three iconic features theAssassin’s Creedseries is known for, with its stealth gameplay being the third. In recent years, however, the franchise has largely abandoned its stealth origins — that is, until the release ofAssassin’s Creed Mirage, which revived the series' roots. It appearsRise of the Roninwill also feature stealth gameplay, though it’s impossible to determine the extent of its mechanics in the gameplay overview alone. Still, if Team Ninja was inspired byAssassin’s Creedat all inRise of the Ronin’s parkour mechanics, the same will likely be true of its stealth.
Rise of the Ronincertainly looks like one of Team Ninja’s most ambitious projects yet, especially considering the wide variety of features it seems to be pulling from other popular franchises. At the very least,classicAssassin’s Creedfans who may be waiting for the release ofAssassin’s Creed: Codename Redshould keep an eye onRise of the Roninas more information regarding it is divulged before its release in March.
