PS5’s Most Overlooked Samurai Game Gets A Free Demo

Team Ninja’s ambitious (and slightly clunky) open-world RPG, Rise of the Ronin, now has a free demo on PS5, so you have no reason to not check it out.

Released earlier this year to generally positive reviews from critics and fans, Sony and Team Ninja’s Rise of the Ronin is a large PS5-exclusive open-world samurai game that might look a bit like 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima, but is a very different experience. This RPG has already been forgotten by many, it seems, as I don’t really know anyone who has played it. In a busy year like 2024, with awesome games arriving every week, it’s easy to see why players may have overlooked Rise of the Ronin. But now, you can check out this Team Ninja open-world action game for free via a newly released demo.

Buy Rise of the Ronin Full Game: Amazon | Best Buy 

The Rise of the Ronin demo, available now on PS5, lets players get a taste of the open-world RPG, which is set during the Bakumatsu period, a time in Japan’s history that marked the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Expect lots of swords and samurai. The demo lets you take on Gonzo, a boss who you can either kill or spare.

Team Ninja has confirmed that progress from the demo can be carried over into the main game if you decide to buy Rise of the Ronin and keep playing.

Former Kotaku writer Levi Winslow was mostly positive about Rise of the Ronin in their review from earlier this year, even though the game has dated visuals and some lackluster writing. From Winslow’s review:

I’m here for everything Rise of the Ronin is serving because I’m still having a great time with Team Ninja’s latest game. I’m enjoying the combat, which is approachable, deep, and varied. I’m enjoying the setting, which is inspired by IRL events I’ve studied for years. I’m enjoying the characters, all of whom are three-dimensional and memorable. (I’ve teared up a few times when some of my fave characters died.) Hell, I’m even enjoying the uninspired side content simply because I get to swing my sword.

For better and worse, Rise of the Ronin is Team Ninja’s “Greatest Hits” RPG. There might be a dud or two in the tracklist, but on the whole, this record—I mean, game—bangs.

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