Rise of the Ronin - Early Impressions

Thanks to Playstation for a copy of Rise of the Ronin.
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.
As a masterless samurai - a Ronin - your destiny is your own. See the story unfold in different ways depending on the choices you make and the characters you ally with along the way. Face critical mission decisions, like whether to assassinate or protect key figures, and shape the course of history through a rich multi-choice system.
The “Bakumatsu” period heralds the end of the Shogunate as a new era begins and East and West collide. Experience this cultural revolution across an open world where you’ll meet the key figures who’ll shape the course of history, and the ordinary citizens seeking a guiding light in the darkness.
From the veteran developers of Nioh and NINJA GAIDEN, Rise of the Ronin offers deeply engaging yet accessible combat with layers of complexity suitable for any playstyle. Face your foes with a selection of close-quarters weaponry or engage from afar with authentic period firearms.
#RiseoftheRonin #Impressions #FightinCowboy
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About FightinCowboy:
Content Creator, variety streamer, and professional weeb. I like to play games and make people laugh.
FightinCowboy
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[@FightinCowboy]

So to elaborate on the stance system and my initial concern with the "one-button combat", all of your attacks involve square. Hold square for a charge attack, press forward and square for an advance attack (gap closer) or jump and square for a plunge. No sprint attack. Hit square 4-5 times (or 1 with accessibility on) to do your combo, typically follow up with R1 and a face button for an martial skill (abilities), by this point enemy is gonna block or parry you most likely, so you need to hit triangle and get multiple consecutive parries (called Counterspark in game) to panic them, at which point the process repeats. Martial skills are mainly used as follow-ups after panicking an enemy to cause more Ki damage. Stances fall into one of 3 types: Ten, Chi, and Jin. The in-game descriptions are below. Ten is effective against katanas and other normal weapons / ineffective against sabers and other lightweight weapons. Chi is effective against odachis and other heavy weapons, ineffective against katanas and other normals weapons Jin is effective against sabers and other lightweight weapons, ineffective against odachis and other heavy weapons. Having the correct stance will cause more stagger/ki damage or less with the wrong stance. Because of this you don't really swap between stances to carry combo strings, or if you really want to you're swapping between Advantage/Neutral/Advantage. The main combat loop is spam square, parry until you cause panic, use a martial skill, repeat process. Expect to repeat this 4 to 5 times against bosses on hard, 3-4 on medium, and usually twice on easy. It's simple. For a casual audience this sounds great. If you're looking for advanced depth like the differences between light/medium/high in Nioh or even flashy follow-ups or weaving magic like in Wo Long you won't get it however. This is the core of my problems with the combat loop. It's simple and casual user friendly, but it's not what I expect in a Team Ninja game. In fact it's the opposite of what I expect in their games.

[@nathanielchapman7675]

Sekiro combat was fewer moves but was praised beyond belief. I don’t get why someone should be so critical of accessibility options. It just opens the game up to those people who need it. If you abuse it, well that’s just your choice. Play the game how you want.

[@FettsFrequency]

@@nathanielchapman7675 first that was a game from 2018 and almost the first of its kind and this game is after both nioh and wo long in the year 2024. Also sekiro had plenty of combat with just one sword type and everthing you can do with the prosthetic.

[@FightinCowboy]

The tightness and flow of Sekiro's combat and weaving in your ninja tools is significantly preferable to what we have here. This isn't a dig at accessibility, it's a dig at how overly simple they made it while losing the spark of what made their games unique. You don't have the ebb and flow of Sekiro here. No big monsters to fight. It's spam square, parry until you cause panic, use a martial skill, repeat process over and over against countless human enemies.

[@PupWishh]

How strange of Team Ninja ._.) Somebody hasn’t had a snickers because this isn’t them.

[@RedAlpha101]

​@FettsFrequency420 you're acting like games have a massive leap from 2018 and now. They really havent

[@angryring9517]

That horse animation is wild bro. Torrent aint even a horse and he more horse like

[@Frankumad]

lol

[@hare75]

​@@himanshupandey8771torrent has magic jump so it makes sense

[@danielreis8921]

made me laugh

[@Wes-ke7bt]

hey the horse is trying its best

[@hilly451]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@FightinCowboy]

I've continued playing since recording the impressions vid, and I will say that after getting more into it while laying in bed as opposed to recording I'm come to appreciate it as a chill open world samurai game. The combat still doesn't capture me the way Nioh, Sekiro, or even GoT did but I still think plenty of folks will find someone to enjoy here despite it's shortcomings.

[@EsopsFable]

Greatly appreciate the honest review

[@conflictedtexan4379]

Is it terrible bad or terrible good?

[@FightinCowboy]

@@ZeroHayabusa My problem is the combat boils down to almost 1 button. You either mash square or put on accessibility and it does the full combo for you. You do this and work in a ability at the end of your combo and repeat until you're blocked or parried and then you counter parry until they're staggered. Repeat until you get a critical. It's staggeringly simple compared to their past titles. It will definitely resonate with a more casual fan base, but if you want high intensity combat you're not getting it here imo

[@conflictedtexan4379]

@@ZeroHayabusa agreed

[@FightinCowboy]

I've played on hard and medium so far and the difference in difficulty just seems to be how difficult it is to stagger the boss such as how much stamina they have and how much damage they deal to you. On the higher difficulty you just need to hit multiple perfect consecutive parries and then you get to do a small chunk of their health and then you repeat. Compared to nioh or stranger of Paradise where you could stunlock enemies that's not going to be the case anymore it's closer to Sekiro combat except you're going to need to get like six death blows

[@thomashooper2451]

Deflecting a bullet to set your giant sword on fire and using a grappling hook to launch yourself at the gunman like a rocket is hardcore. I may not play it, but I can admire the style.

[@prestonyannotti7661]

Yea it's a cool setting

[@christopheryanez]

It’s Team Ninja, they may not look as pretty as games like Ghost of Tsushima…but they 100% have the attitude and style

[@patdzon]

What Elden Ring and Ghost of Tsushima had was great art direction.

[@annemusekamp336]

Ghost of Tsushima is arguably the most beautiful game around. I just started another run. I’m very excited for the sequel.

[@LeeroyJelks]

@@DsgSleazyit’s a good thing art direction and graphic fidelity aren’t the same thing lmao. Congrats on missing the point entirely

[@quiltingrox]

I can definitely say that Ghost of Tsushima looks better than RDRD2 on consoles. Yeah RDR2 will look better than Ghost on PC for now, until GOT comes out on PC haha. I still think ghost of Tsushima looks better than Hogwarts Legacy and a lot of current games still. It definitely is a classic game now

[@andrewhezekiahdaniel]

RDR2 looks amazing, but I own a 4090 so like you say, not comparable.​@@DsgSleazy

[@FWÆHHHHHHHHHH]

​@@quiltingroxwhat are you on abt💀

[@rubencp93]

It's because of videos like this one that I love this channel. Free copy; big audience; a lot to lose. Still speaks his mind, and criticises the game. Thank you. I appreciate that!

[@z2kk]

Like how you get your point across without shitting on anyone. Polight'n Cowboy. You're the man.

[@pyatig]

Cowboy is the anti-dsp

[@PupWishh]

Gotta love how Cowboy never spoils anything in his first impression vids.

[@JerryCanTheThird]

Much appreciated indeed

[@lmarstonkid]

I love that cowboy tell things like it is and his honesty is greatly appreciated because in game industry there’s a lack of that , thanks for your content fightingcowboy 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@3X3Beastsu]

I agree, especially that he is considering this game as a TN game, and their fans have special expectations. Like, Nioh 2 is my best game ever, and knowing Rise of the Ronin isn't as combat-oriented is a bit of a disappointment for me. I will play it though. That said, I don't think that other reviewers aren't honest or audacious in their opinion. They just address this game as an openworld samurai action RPG for a large public.

[@austin0_bandit05]

It also makes me wonder how interesting the bosses can possibly be without fantasy elements. Its grounded in reality. Are the bosses gonna be 50 shades of humanoid enemy?

[@FightinCowboy]

So far yes

[@VansLegacy]

The story needs to be really good to compensate

[@JakenTheGreat]

Definitely would have preferred an open world Nioh in this era. At least it adds uniqueness to the bosses

[@oscaroska7613]

​@VansLegacy, they never had a good story, so no mid at best

[@ComfyPyjamas]

Ghost of Tsushima was the same, I enjoyed the game overall but the enemy variety got stale after a while. Even their legends mode had more enemy variety than the base game, due to the fantasy elements

[@ZEFFYRooo]

Unfortunate, thanks for your impressions, Cowboy. Seems like Dragon's Dogma is the game I'm 100% diving in to first. Hopefully we get a Nioh 3 in the future!

[@IncredibleLyrics]

Many other people have said the opposite

[@Garflog643]

​@@IncredibleLyricsnot at all

[@ZEFFYRooo]

@@IncredibleLyrics Like who? I've seen a few other reliable sources that say the same thing.

[@Frost11511]

lol

[@bgjerpe]

Agree ill pass on this. Everyone says bad things in a low key way.

[@kuzanmaine-_-205]

I JUST CANT WAIT TO SEE MORE PHANTOM BLADE ZERO GAMEPLAY, but at the same time i just want them to take their time to work on it

[@slickfiz]

I'm with you on this. Been anticipating that game for long. Not so sure it'll come out this year though.

[@ИванИванов-н5ж6м]

That horse's run animation...

[@tomkuzik7]

Yeah....that shit was rough 😂

[@clintcarmichael6935]

They still haven't changed it since dynasty warriors...

[@paris5831]

Shits horrible 😂😂

[@DethSaniel]

Janky

[@drewbienewbie03xx81]

I noticed before he said anything. Had me questioning whether or not I actually knew how horses ran 😂😂😂

[@Jat-349]

honestly this is kinda what I was expecting, for some reason the combat trailers just didn't do it for me and this confirms my suspicions. thank you cowboy!

[@RobertSmith-tu7rl]

same im not intriegued especially with Dragons dogma coming out the same day!

[@SoulS467]

Me too

[@HattoriStudios]

Check out my game im working on, its just me at the moment. Its a traditional ninja experience, I want to stay true to the ninja genre we once fell in love with. I hope team ninja notices me one day

[@Frost11511]

lol

[@RobertSmith-tu7rl]

@@DsgSleazy facst

[@sethlaw3394]

They've never let me down yet. It will be janky, it will be ugly, but I know it will be satisfying and addictive.

[@normalguycap]

Nioh was cool too because Maria even spoke Spanish. And Hanzo spoke broken English. It was so awesome to have authentic languages and communication like that.

[@jackjohnson8305]

Seems like a good game that should be purchased when its on sale, i'll grab it during the holidays most likely.

[@henryhaynes9635]

Dogma 2 it is

[@jackjohnson8305]

@@henryhaynes9635 Oh for sure, already preordered it i can't wait.

[@AlphazXG_]

I think they made the game easier so it can be more accessible to everyone. It seems to be more story focused than a traditional nioh type of game

[@FightinCowboy]

It very much is.

[@walkbyfaithnotbysight6290]

Very much so, but should of kept a Souls/Nioh/Sekiro difficulty if people wanted it… I don’t think hard will actually be “hard”

[@FightinCowboy]

Hard is definitely hard, but the way the combat works now it just means it's going to take you longer to stagger and get a critical so I played the first few hours on hard and then knocked it down to medium because it became tedious

[@claunotrix5590]

One thing i loved about nioh 2 was how its ng+ cycles made the game harder in interesting ways.....are you gonna play dd2 for let's play series and this on livestream

[@JustxLiving909]

GoT & DD2 FTw!

[@Whitemike63]

Nioh 2 honestly had great shiny graphics. Not a RDR2 game with looks but the trippy colors and animations ruled and the mechanics were the best.

[@studmuffin3264]

It looked cartoonish

[@HattoriStudios]

Check out my game im working on, its just me at the moment. Its a traditional ninja experience, I want to stay true to the ninja genre we once fell in love with. I hope team ninja notices me one day

[@MrJambiwana]

the enemy designs were awesome in Nioh 2 and some of the bosses especially in the dlc were insane

[@MannyParadisee]

@@studmuffin3264Not every game has to look realistic man.

[@studmuffin3264]

@@MannyParadisee yeah games like Mario and Zelda can get away with it. Not these type of games.

[@oldman2324]

This is almost exactly what I expected. The early previews were kinda ok, but something just seemed a bit bland. I’m glad my expectations have been kept in check. Thank you Cowboy. I’ll still buy it and play it. But it’s nice to know the wait will be fine.

[@TeeJGoBlue]

Exactly how i feel. Even being similar to GoT is enough for me to play. Although this is disappointing for sure

[@HattoriStudios]

Check out my game im working on, its just me at the moment. Its a traditional ninja experience, I want to stay true to the ninja genre we once fell in love with. I hope team ninja notices me one day

[@MayDay0510]

Word. This is just gonna scratch my samurai itch until GoT 2.

[@HattoriStudios]

@@DsgSleazy Hanzo Hattori was a samurai before a ninja, like many other ninja in the edo era. 😃

[@ewanfraser]

@@DsgSleazybeaucoup seppukko? Sounds like there may room in this club opening up soon.

[@Bahamut998]

This game will appeal to the more general crowd that wants a game where they can feel like a Ronin/Samurai. They didn't make the game crazy difficult to appeal to a broader audience. I think it will be successful for the Ghost of Tsushima people who want that Japan immersion feel.

[@isbergen]

But it looks like absolute garbage compared to GoT. Which is mind blowing for a PS5 only game. I was excited but after seeing this footage it’s a hard pass.

[@davidd.6448]

This will appeal to virtually no one. Dumbed down combat mechanics will turn off die hards and the presentation is too outdated to bring in new casual fans. If I was Team Ninja i would honestly be embarrassed asking $70 for this

[@Jupa]

Doubt it. Got fans mostly like it for its graphics and animations. Also the UI. This game doesn’t appeal on those fronts.

[@annemusekamp336]

@@JupaGoT is my all time favorite video game and I concur. The world is beautiful, the whole guiding wind is genius and I love the sword stance system.

[@mattnoce7558]

Me. This is me

[@3WDon]

Seems like it will be a solid 7/10. And that's OKAY. People have just been used to yearly bangers that anything below an 8/10 feels like a 5/10 these days.

[@FightinCowboy]

Yeah I expect lots of 7/10 scores tbh

[@TheTrentkent]

Yeah not every game has to be genre defining sometimes it can be just good and that’s it

[@raulcferraz]

I'm fine with that, but it also means it's not a day one purchase

[@8minato]

No it’s not ok they shouldn’t be making worse games than they’ve made b4 especially when it follows such a similar formula that suppose to build and change on the past work.

[@JamesPSmith-lk7gg]

not for a PS5 70 dollar exclusive. for a PS3/PS4 era game. 40-50 dollars max.

[@Dr.UldenWascht]

Thanks for the honest impressions as always. Your descriptions mirrors my concerns upon seeing their direction in Wo Long. It appears that after Nioh 2, they opted to streamline every mechanic to appeal to a wider audience. However, as the scope broadens, depth often diminishes. This would've been a divisive game were it not a timed PS5 exclusive. But right now, it aims to cater to a broad audience while being a console exclusive. I predict history will be kinder to Rise of the Ronin than the initial reactions it will receive.

[@pacman5800]

yeah I guess I could see why this wouldn't live up to the hype. Well, I still want to play it. But you give the most authentic reviews and honest opinions from any streamer I've watched. After watching more,I think I might just cancel my physical pre-order of it and wait to get it on sale. In the meantime I can go back and play ghost of tsushima legends since it's really good. Also stellarblade is gonna be good with the demo and everyone that played it looks like it will live up to the hype.

[@anthonymangiarciana]

Definitely Nioh 3 would have been preferred, the trailer I seen didn't get me going right from the start. But this review from you means I'll be playing this when I can play it with my PS5 game membership plan down the road.

[@N84-f3k]

I agree. They should have went for Nioh 3. We already have ubisoft for boring open world games.

[@ViperFox_]

Woah totally didnt expect this. Must have been hard for you to make this review but thanks for the insight! unbaised as always. GG

[@FightinCowboy]

I still love Team Ninja but I'm not about to glaze over them taking steps backwards on combat.

[@ViperFox_]

@@FightinCowboy yup I agree and that’s why we all value your reviews so much. Honest reviews regardless of the dev.

[@schubertrivasdogsoldier]

Matthew Perry huh it made me remember the great Chandler Bing 😢

[@davidgolke8856]

Odd name choice honestly with his death being so recent Edit: Looked it up and seems to be a real historical Naval Officer

[@TsukiRaiki]

@@davidgolke8856yup he was a real person

[@QuantumTelephone]

​@davidgolke8856 team ninja killed Matthew perry and uploaded his consciousness into the game. Source: I just looked it up

[@joeyjones9041]

Yeah it was a real guy from History lol

[@DarkMatter2525]

Never thought you'd upload footage of Matthew Perry's death.

[@lestercheng1454]

woah i didnt expect jeffrey to be in here hahhahahaha, makes sense i guess since god was playing nioh and dark souls in your vids. (i watched all of your vids btw, great content)

[@marcogarafalo769]

Always appreciate your honest impressions.

[@rayromano6249]

Yeah appreciate it as well. As a huge fan of nioh 2 being my 1st or maybe 2nd favourite dark souls game with elden ring up their it was disappointing to hear his feelings on this. I think the only thing this game might have going for it is how fun it is. Still think they shouldn't have made it open world and concentrate more on linear levels.

[@SwiFTDBL]

It’s hard to judge combat systems after playing nioh 2 man. Nioh 2s combat is just a masterpiece and very few games even come close to it (even from the same studios). We need nioh 3 asap bro

[@studmuffin3264]

Nioh 2 is overrated

[@Mikupigeon]

@@studmuffin3264 why you think it's overated? which game do you think is better or the best in terms of combat system?

[@adnansaleem6167]

​@@TrompetenThomastell me you're bad at the game without telling me you're bad at the game

[@luhhtee2547]

@@adnansaleem6167I mean I don’t agree with the guy but that’s just a terrible counter argument and it’s getting old lol

[@SwiFTDBL]

@@studmuffin3264 your valid to have your own opinion but for me I’ve literally never seen another game provide a better combat system when it comes to these similar type games. Nioh 2’s level of depth is crazy, and not just depth but execution, it feels GOOD mastering a weapon- it can take many many many hours to master a specific weapon and since each weapon has a unique skill tree- it makes each weapon type vastly different in the way you approach fights, chain combos, and become confident with the weapon type. Plus it’s got one of the best NG+ (and beyond) systems out there, enemies change locations, get stronger buffs, get new move sets, dark realms change, and more, it makes your repeated play thrus more interesting that’s forsure. I could go on and on about everything I love about nioh 2 but it sounds like your minds already made up so there’s really no point. Have a good one tho 👍🏽

[@JackMelius]

thanks for the honesty. kind of unfortunate that team ninja keeps taking steps back after nioh 2, which was a complete banger

[@evanpetelle5669]

Damn…. Nioh 2 had such bomb combat, especially being able to customize your moveset. I really expected some deeper combat with this one.

[@mags6172]

Thank you for being so genuine. This is a great impression and the objectivity I was looking for is at the rendezvous. I think I’ll not pre order and will definitely wait for your full review.

[@TroutMaskReplicaa]

Appreciate the open and honest critique. As a Nioh fan, the fact this game is a departure in terms of complexity/difficulty is enough for me to swerve it.

[@schottiCB66]

Why am I sure that Cowboy will have the Playthrough ready when it's the 22rd of March?

[@OrenFrost]

We are at that detrimental point in gaming where companies are trying to make their games accessable to everyone, and in doing so making their games too slow, easy, or outright boring for the gamers who actually look forward to and potentially put tons of time into these titles. Very interesting subject

[@dustinmartell3642]

Oh this is super concerning if cowboy cant get behind it that worries me. His opinions on soulslikes is law for me

[@mywallet7367]

😂😂😂 Too much glaze on that donut.

[@cody3335]

Going from FF7 Rebirth’s open world look with all the awesome vistas and variety to this visual direction is a shock lol

[@FightinCowboy]

Yeah definitely didn't help my opinion at all

[@jotaiyokai]

thank you for helping me make the hard choice between Dragons Dogma 2 and Rise of the Ronin. I think choosing to launch this one on the same day as Dragon's Dogma is really going to hurt it. Thanks as always for your great reviews and impressions, and congrats on getting to host the live shows for Capcom!

[@shawnzinator]

Some video previews says the game has blown them away like what culture gaming saying it gets way better deeper into the game but doesn’t give off a good first impression

[@FightinCowboy]

I don't even know who that is but I'm sharing my perspective as somebody that typically platinum's games from Team Ninja.

[@Segaholic2]

Looking forward to your impressions! And looking forward to this game, let's go Team Ninja.

[@TheAmpov]

You said exactly what i was thinking when i watched the first gameplay video months ago. I am a Nioh 2 veteran, so i UNDERSTAND exactly what you mean. Thanks.

[@daniel____4236]

so now my question is why doesn't Team Ninja go back to making Ninja Gaiden?

[@tlungu962]

prob wouldn’t even be as good as Black or 2

[@doctorWHO_ey]

i want tenchu remake...

[@hare75]

​@@doctorWHO_eyask fromsoft betch (no offence)

[@xXxHUNG0VERxXx]

@@doctorWHO_eyI think fromsoft owns Tenchu name now but I might be wrong

[@binhvan4893]

​@@xXxHUNG0VERxXx yup, tenchu belongs to fromsoft

[@Krixstal_Zagukarexst]

1. They did a good job with the story and side quest, It's so awesome seeing our character creators being the villain and the hero. But they should of been smarter and let us choose the villain story or the hero story, instead of just choosing one. It was also nice to hear our character voices in the cutscene, they need to do that an whole lot more often tho, cause to me that is rare and awesome. 2. I have the same problem with this game just like Nioh 2, they need to look at Dragon Dogma about character creator mode and learn from it. 3. When we be low on stamina or Ki energy, we can no longer swing our weapon. but when the NPC be low on stamina or Ki energy, they can keep swinging their weapons forever, They need to learn about balance. 4. Why is gambling even in the game? you can only bet an thousand, you can earn more money by defeating enemies and collecting all their weapons and armor , Than you can go to the flag or whatever it's called and reset everything and do it again till you can't carry anymore. 5. Its almost impossible to parry a few moves in this game, even when you do it just right, it still doesn't work. Than later on in the game all of a sudden almost everybody in the game has a special grab, as soon as you swing one time the enemy be like "to late, grab" sometimes you have no choice but to sit there and try to parry everything, And yes I completed the whole dojo and gotten everything. 6. Flying is fun but sometimes it don't wanna come out, it might just be me. 7. Why does the horses have anything? like speed or other stuff? the enemies don't even care about horses. I didn't even bother to buy a new horse in this game. 8. You can't put anything on your armor till Midnight mode, you can only change one thing and that's a big no. I want to change everything on my armor right now instead of waiting that long. 9. I don't like the stealth in this game 10. Your team or partners are terrible in this game, just like Nioh 2, everybody need to learn from Dragon Dogma 100 percent when it comes to teams, In Dragon Dogma they don't play that. They gonna have your back for sure. But I see this in way to many games, when your team barely does anything and only try when they're going up against you, Dragon Dogma is the king when it comes to teams. 11.This is what they did better than Dragon Dogma, you can teleport to any save point in the game without using anything. now that was a very good one 12. Unless I'm doing something wrong, I don't see movie mode like Nioh 2, just replay missions. 13. You run out of materials to fast, I was playing on normal mode and didn't even bother to level up anything because they ask for to much, so i just went around the world and collect stuff that way. I give this game a 7.9

[@jonsnell8959]

Great review, thank you. This is also my worry with combat for Black Myth Wukong

[@angelgomez7081]

Yeah I hope that game is good because it looks too good to be true

[@gfslamguitar]

It's all about the style swapping to use styles that are better than the opponents. I found the combat very deep and fun once it clicked. I think I'm 33 percent through the game now. I love it. It's like GoT and Elden Ring had a baby.

[@tomkuzik7]

My backlog for games is already fuckin stacked beyond my time available 😂 all I gotta say is damn....I was really hoping this would be good enough to fight for my attention with Dogma 2 but now it's clear I'll still check it out cause I was hyped for it but it won't compete with my time for Dogma 2. I'll end up gettin to it later on. I appreciate ya doin a impressions video brotha 🙏🙌

[@amitchahal5836]

The most honest and appropriate preview on the net. All that has been said is evident from the videos released so far yet other channels had wild praises for this game. I too wish that Ninja Theory would have gone for Nioh 3 or even Nioh 2.5 for that matter. :(

[@steelyphil4859]

I think it's fair to say it was expected the open world would be subpar. Nioh has labyrinthy, below average level design at best. Team Ninja excels at combat, and only combat. Nothing wrong with it as Nioh kept me hooked for quite some time due to its build variety and high octane action. Nioh 3 would have been a better route.

[@JayBarty]

3:36 the voice over sync with the sword swings was dope lol

[@1Igglepiggle2000]

I’m getting the impression this game is going to be more geared to casual players who just want a chill rpg

[@FightinCowboy]

Ive been enjoying it in bed just killing shit, its fun as a casual game it's just not what they're know for

[@1Igglepiggle2000]

@@FightinCowboy its definitely one I’ll use as a cooldown game between more intense rpgs i think. Little disappointing but I guess theres been worse flops over the years

[@daethmer7834]

I mean it's not called Nioh

[@diandrea4]

It was a tuff choice I’m a huge Nioh 1 fan but I picked DD2 first. I’ll still play it tho ❤

[@paulcoffield2102]

Never thought I'd be squaring off against Chandler from Friends in a Samurai video game.

[@DrWifePipe]

Been subscribed for a long time man appreciate the review I wasn’t too sure about this title personally

[@whiplash1994]

As someone who doesn't like or have time for souls-like games, I'm very excited about the accessibility of this game.

[@ciphdaprophet1344]

@FightinCowboy I felt like the wolves you were fighting were mini bosses, damn😂😂😂

[@christopherway2546]

Idk the more I watch this gameplay the more I think maybe it’s done this way purposely. I see a lot of posts of people who quit Sekiro because it’s too hard, or Nioh is too hard etc but this game ,while not being as hardcore, does toy with these mechanics enough that it could give plenty of people the taste of these mechanics it would take to get them to go back to Sekiro or Nioh.

[@DanielJohnson-z8u]

Team ninja has never let me down. Combat looks fun. Hard to judge with only a few hours of playing. Glad to see the stances coming back.

[@TJuice1986]

Every time I preorder a game, I think I curse it. I preordered cyberpunk, preordered lords of the fallen, now I preordered this. Sheesh, I need to just stop preordering physical copies 😔

[@hangingon]

I'm almost don't LOTF and I'm loving it. Maybe the updates???

[@Ubercubertuber]

Thanks for the honesty. Pc gamer only but I was still looking forward to this game being a big fan of Nioh 2 and all.

[@SuperSickMedia1]

Seeing Mathew Perry as a realistic looking anime character is crazy. *By anime character, I mean the way he moves and acts*

[@happysappy7851]

How is it that Team Ninja made better looking games 12 years ago than games they release now? They need to work on their atmosphere, because if their worlds matched their combat they would be top tier.

[@totorosdad7965]

Bummed to hear that it might not live up to expectation. Nioh is incredible, not sure how that magic doesn’t carry over to their subsequent games

[@Mark_T57]

Yup this confirms i will wait for a sale before purchasing. DD2 for the win

[@IsraTheBlack]

Remember that this game was in development for 8 years, so it's safe to assume that it was made with last gen in mind until they decided to make it current gen.

[@CrazyxEnigma]

I was wondering how long it was in development for. It certainly looks like it was being made for PS4 instead of PS5.

[@PersonofInterestGr]

Oh my God it's happening. Can't wait for your first impressions.

[@dylanburkardt1113]

Welp, this answers what I’ll be starting first between this and Dragon’s Dogma 2 lol

[@mrspacely76]

Cant wait should be good

[@oreoshakebuddy8605]

I feel bad that I feel good about Cowboy not vibing with this game, because that hopefully means more Dragon’s Dogma 2. Nothing against Team Ninja, I’ve just been waiting 12 years for DD2, and they decided to launch on the same day.

[@jamesfigueroa2756]

Or course he's in dd2 as a pawn why would he promote this over the game he in. He gonna get paid good for sales off dd2. I think both games are gonna be good. Dd2 will be better after some updates

[@ChefAndyLunique]

Watching this makes me want the game so much more. It's easy to see what's going on, and my issue with Nioh/Nioh 2 was the meta was around buffs and builds over actual combat. I'm down

[@FightinCowboy]

It's definitely a more fun casual experience. It's been chill to lay in bed and just cut down random ronins. Just scratches a different itch from what Team Ninja usually does.

[@Eogard]

Game looks incredibly fun. And that's why I play games. Your concerns are objective on the horse animation and the graphics but the fun factor seems to be very present here and that's what I'm looking for in a game. The price tag seems a bit high tho for the quality it offers.

[@cranil]

First thing I noticed was the horse riding was so choppy!

[@AP90x]

I cant get over all the pop in

[@AntAskew]

Nice to see genuine thoughts even when provided footage from Playstation it felt unbiased and honest.

[@wolflarson71]

Stoked for this

[@dowdpride1]

I almost thought I was looking at a new way of the samurai game when I first saw the footage. I love the setting and the team Nioh take on the 1800s but it just feels a bit like... is this it? Hopefully they are still working on upping some of the detail and such but yeah some of the design decisions you've pointed out leave me scratching my head.

[@c-mo313]

I hope Ghost Of Tsushima 2 doesn't take too long to finish, because this game is simply an appetizer to that.

[@daethmer7834]

I mean one button to attack is not a big problem, Sekiro won goty and is an excellent game while you mainly press one button there

[@daethmer7834]

⁠well I can understand it, I think it's going to be a solid 7/10, people should stop expecting Nioh 3 every time team ninja makes a game, it's not called Nioh

[@FirstPlace97]

I told you a few months ago that I didn't see anything that indicated Nioh 3 to me from this, and like you, Nioh 2 is my gold standard for Souls-likes. I think Team Ninja has been kind of leading us astray for the last few years with hopes for a Nioh 3 or a next evolution. I still believe in Fumihiko Yasuda as a director but he might have peaked with Nioh 2 for now.

[@mendedharpy4209]

Bland was the first word that came to mind when I first saw gameplay. Just my opinion, I just started Ghost of Tsushima on my ps5 and it is absolutely stunning! Anyways I am still stoked for it and will pick it up but i agree with you cowboy! Great video and thanks as always!

[@OD91MJ]

Ghost is an experience for sure. It is one of those Sony Game/Movie experience. Only complaint is enemy variety lacking. But it doesn’t have demons or mystic shit. So humans is what you get.

[@mendedharpy4209]

@@OD91MJ I totally agree about the game/movie experience, it transitions so beautifully from gameplay to cut scenes. But yea I do like the mythical shit.

[@-Taerar-]

Famitsu gave it a 37/40. I’ll probably still wait until I have put some serious time into Dragon’s Dogma 2, but I’m definitely picking this up.

[@CrazyCorz]

Thank you for being honest CB. You are amazing at reviews!

[@kaize666]

I am definitely getting this game it's just behind a couple of other similar games. Your impression reminded me of the old samurai games in japan. Janky, but fun.

[@CammyinJapan]

Can we all agree to mass dislike this bro should never be allowed to review games again 🤣😭

[@thespectralights2072]

That cat LAUNCHED himself from that tower 😂

[@alwayzfitshaced]

Damn. I’ll probably wait for it to be on sale then.

[@Kingtoby1981]

I agree

[@sygyzy0933]

Thanks for your unbiased and honest first impressions, I couldn't find any genuine criticisms anywhere yet until now because I was considering getting this game but it's coming on the same day as dragons dogma 2 and I've already got that pre-ordered. I'll wait til this goes on a deep sale

[@bromanchoo9863]

Can’t wait to play despite anyone’s review lol. Wish more people would play games instead of “this person said game bad - I can’t play.”

[@Ronuk1996]

Yeah only 3 people have said it. People are sheep

[@TheAkecheta]

Thanks for your honesty. Like yourself Nioh 2 is also my favorite game. I had high hopes since this was Team Ninja's biggest project. It really hurts to see so much to fall flat. My excitement for this game was added on by the TV show Shogun. I planned on buying this over Dragon Dogma 2 on release, but now I will buy Dragon Dogma 2 instead.

[@Frost11511]

lol

[@tomkuzik7]

Damn....this should've delivered A LOT better....

[@walkbyfaithnotbysight6290]

Yeah, I kind of thought that from trailers also, only gives a couple cool looks, but doesn’t measure up at all to any of their other games, and esp not other devs w similar and inspired by. Truly disappointing

[@Frost11511]

LOL@@walkbyfaithnotbysight6290

[@cloudsurfertom3268]

Nioh 2 is the pinnacle of what team ninja are capable of, I really enjoyed stranger of paradise and I love all things final fantasy but Nioh 2 was incredible. I still play it today. Nothing comes close.

[@chasegaetze4507]

Dope!

[@patrickm6623]

loool the commodore matthew perry bossfight is absolutely cracking me up. So fuckin goofy. I wonder what he'd say seeing himself in a game like this.

[@WornWoody]

Is that NPC's name really Matthew Perry?

[@stefnosora]

😂

[@noooname2568]

Should have really called him Matthew C. Perry to avoid any confusion with the great Chandler Bing

[@planetxaudio1699]

Literal historical figure. Commadore Matthew Perry.

[@dadwittrup2040]

I watched Cowboys take on the game first. After watching other previews I'm still stoked for this game. Japanese studios have always been a bit behind with graphical improvements compared to western studios. That's a known fact, also the difficulty settings is to appeal to a larger audience. Ghosts of Tsushima had a similar option. I'm looking for a fresh take on the genre, with new enemy types, environments, story, etc. DD2 is going to take up most my time in a 10 days, but Rise of the Ronin seems to be very intriguing to me. Not worried about graphics, or a simplified combo system. It has tight controls and a great parry system then I'm good!

[@SavageGameHawk]

Hell ya let’s go cowboy!!

[@klausKiNte]

Thank you for the insight. IMO even Wo Long was a step back from Nioh. I really hope Team Ninja get there spirit back with Nioh 3.

[@Macktube]

The problem is you keep comparing it to other series instead of just reviewing it on its own, no one cares if it compares to other games. Just get judged it for what it is. Most people playing this game won't have played those other games and have no reason to hold that against it.

[@FightinCowboy]

It's a perfectly normal expectation to hold a game against its peers considering it's taking influence from those games, especially against games in that studios own portfolio. Imagine saying you can't compare Dark Souls 2 to Dark Souls 1 or bloodborne against Dark Souls

[@Macktube]

@FightinCowboy Yeah, but I feel like people who never play the games you are mentioned are excited about the game will still enjoy it. Everyone has different taste.

[@rhaasty1]

​@@Macktube When people come to cowboy they're looking at it from the perspective of someone who loves the souls/nioh type games. We don't want the perspective of someone who is new to these games. Not every review is for everyone.

[@Macktube]

@@rhaasty1 I get that, i'm just getting my opinion on his opinion 😅 That's what the comment section is for

[@xander7099]

Hey man just wanted to say thanks for always providing great content for games. Always enjoy your content

[@WizzWins]

The game will be forgotten about within 1 week of release

[@DayglowRed]

Being a step back in combat complexity from Wo Long feels like a real issue since I'd argue it was already too big a step back from Nioh.