Team Ninja Aims Higher with Next Project, Inspired by 'Rise of the Ronin'

Team Ninja aims to improve upon its latest title, Rise of the Ronin, in its next project, according to director Fumihiko Yasuda. Despite the game's generally favorable reception, Yasuda acknowledges the challenges faced in creating an open-world environment while maintaining the studio's signature action gameplay. He expresses a desire to build upon the lessons learned and explore further possibilities in future titles.

Rise of the Ronin Director Sets Ambitious Goals for Team Ninja's Next Project

Following the recent launch of "Rise of the Ronin" on PlayStation 5, director Fumihiko Yasuda and producer Yosuke Hayashi have shared insights into its development and aspirations for the future.

Yasuda explained that "Rise of the Ronin" was conceived as a departure from Team Ninja's customary output, aiming to balance a sense of freedom with a compelling narrative. Inspired by games such as "Assassin's Creed" and "Red Dead Redemption," the team sought to create an open-world environment where players could embody the role of a ronin and influence the unfolding story.

Despite realizing this concept, Yasuda acknowledged challenges in creating the open-world environment. He expressed hope that the studio's next project would leverage lessons learned from "Rise of the Ronin," particularly in terms of expanding freedom and narrative depth while maintaining the core action gameplay.

Hayashi emphasized the iterative nature of Team Ninja's development process, whereby knowledge gained from past projects is applied to subsequent ones. "We're always trying to utilize what we learned in the past on what we work on next," he said. "We're going to utilize what we learned with Rise of the Ronin to further expand our work going forward."

While acknowledging his personal preference for level-based games similar to "Nioh," Yasuda expressed confidence in "Rise of the Ronin's" appeal to fans of both open-world and linear structures. "We wanted players to have both sides of the coin," he said. "There are still main missions that have boss battles and things like that which are far more straightforward in terms of their design."

Despite offering a distinct experience from previous Team Ninja games, Yasuda maintained the game's adherence to the studio's signature action gameplay. "I strongly believe Rise of the Ronin will be able to satisfy what [fans] come to expect from us," he said. "With that said, there are a lot of new elements that weren't in our previous titles, so I think a lot of players will be surprised at what's waiting for them."

"Rise of the Ronin" has been met with generally favorable reviews since its release, with a current Metacritic score of 76. However, critics have noted its familiar gameplay and dated open-world design in comparison to contemporary releases.

Despite these criticisms, Yasuda remains enthusiastic about the potential for the game to engage players with its unique blend of elements. "I know our fans have played our games and they have certain expectations when it comes to our action gameplay," he said. "I strongly believe Rise of the Ronin will be able to satisfy what they come to expect from us. With that said, there are a lot of new elements that weren't in our previous titles, so I think a lot of players will be surprised at what's waiting for them."

As Team Ninja continues its journey, the lessons learned from "Rise of the Ronin" will undoubtedly shape its future endeavors. The studio's commitment to innovation and player feedback ensures that its next project will be eagerly anticipated by fans eager to experience a refined and elevated game-playing experience.