Rise of the Ronin PC Review – Beautiful but Demanding

In the bustling landscape of action games, Team Ninja has carved a reputation for creating challenging, fast-paced experiences that test players’ skills and reflexes. Their latest venture, Rise of the Ronin, initially launched as a PlayStation 5 exclusive, has now made its way to PC, bringing with it the promise of enhanced features and performance options. While we previously explored the game’s core mechanics and design philosophy in our console review, this time we’re focusing exclusively on the technical aspects and performance of the PC port, answering the crucial question that PC gamers want to know: how well does Team Ninja’s ambitious open-world samurai adventure translate to the desktop platform?

New Features and Technical Enhancements

The PC version of Rise of the Ronin comes packed with an impressive array of platform-specific features designed to leverage the power of modern gaming rigs. Visual fidelity receives significant attention with support for resolutions up to 8K, compatibility with ultra-wide monitors, and implementation of DirectX 12 Ultimate alongside ray tracing capabilities. Performance-focused players will appreciate the inclusion of 120 FPS support and frame generation technologies through both AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS.

The developers haven’t neglected the immersion factor either, incorporating 3D audio support and DualSense controller compatibility for those who prefer the console experience. For keyboard and mouse enthusiasts, the game offers fully customizable controls and intuitive mouse navigation. Particularly noteworthy is how well the game’s combat mechanics, which draw heavily from the soulslike formula, have been adapted for keyboard and mouse play – an area where many similar games have stumbled.

As a comprehensive package, Rise of the Ronin on PC doesn’t skimp on features or graphical options. The question becomes whether these impressive technical specifications translate to a smooth gaming experience.

Performance Analysis

Rise of the Ronin stands as possibly the most demanding Team Ninja game to hit PC to date. The open-world design naturally increases the technical overhead compared to the studio’s more contained previous offerings, but performance issues become apparent even in the game’s limited tutorial areas.

Before diving deeper into performance concerns, it’s worth noting the official system requirements:

Minimum Requirements:

• Processor: Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 or better
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (8GB VRAM) or better
• Storage: 180 GB

Recommended Requirements:

• Processor: Intel Core i5-10600K or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X or better
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super (8GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 6700XT (12GB VRAM) or better
• Storage: 180 GB

Testing was conducted on an ASUS ROG Laptop equipped with an Intel Core i5-9300H processor, NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti graphics card, and 16 GB of RAM. While this setup falls slightly below the minimum CPU requirements, it has proven capable of running numerous demanding titles at optimized settings – sometimes even at high presets – without significant issues.

Unfortunately, Rise of the Ronin struggles considerably on this hardware configuration. Despite extensive tweaking of graphical settings, achieving satisfactory performance proved challenging. Frame generation technologies like AMD FSR did provide some performance uplift, but couldn’t eliminate persistent stuttering and frame rate drops. Even when the frame counter showed acceptable numbers around 50-60 FPS at the lowest settings with FSR prioritizing performance, character animations appeared unnaturally slow, and frame rates would frequently dip below 30 FPS.

The performance degradation becomes even more pronounced in busier areas of the game. Audio stuttering compounds the technical issues, further breaking immersion. The game also exhibits unusually long response times when displaying tutorials or accessing menus – behavior rarely encountered in other PC titles. The 16 GB RAM requirement, even at the minimum specification level, may be a contributing factor to the performance issues experienced during testing.

Gameplay Experience on PC

When the game does run well on capable hardware, the PC version showcases the strengths that made the console release noteworthy. The combat system remains the highlight, with responsive controls that benefit significantly from higher frame rates. At 120 FPS, the fast-paced combat feels remarkably fluid and satisfying.

The rich open world of Bakumatsu-era Japan, with its blend of traditional Japanese architecture and Western influences, comes alive with enhanced visual fidelity on PC. The game’s diverse activities, from clearing areas of outlaws in Public Order missions to participating in Gliding challenges, all benefit from the sharper presentation and smoother frame rates that a well-equipped PC can provide.

The streamlined RPG elements that make the game more accessible than previous Team Ninja titles remain intact, offering a solid entry point for newcomers while still providing enough depth to satisfy veterans of the studio’s previous works.

Verdict

The PC port of Rise of the Ronin presents a mixed bag of impressive features and concerning performance issues. While the game offers a comprehensive suite of PC-specific enhancements including 8K resolution support, ultra-wide monitor compatibility, ray tracing, and frame generation technologies, these benefits are overshadowed by significant performance concerns on hardware that falls below or just meets the recommended specifications.

Based on our testing, players with systems similar to our test rig (Core i5-9300H, GTX 1660 Ti, 16 GB RAM) would be advised to wait for optimization patches before purchasing. The performance issues, including severe frame rate drops, stuttering, and slow animation, render the game nearly unplayable on such configurations despite their capability to run other visually demanding titles without similar problems.

However, for players with high-end systems that comfortably exceed the recommended specifications, Rise of the Ronin on PC has the potential to offer the definitive version of Team Ninja’s ambitious open-world samurai adventure. The addition of 120 FPS support particularly enhances the responsive combat system that is central to the game’s appeal.

In conclusion, Rise of the Ronin on PC showcases Team Ninja’s ambitious vision with enhanced visual options and performance features, but requires substantial hardware power to deliver on its promises. Prospective buyers with mid-range systems should approach with caution and perhaps wait for performance patches before taking the plunge.

Rise of the Rōnin

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Developer: Team Ninja

Release Date: 2024-03-22

PlayStation 5

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.

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