Rise of the Ronin represents new territory for Team Ninja, with the title serving as the studio's first foray into open-world game design. Prior to Rise of the Ronin, most Team Ninja titles have traditionally relied on a mission-based structure, with both Nioh games, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty adhering to this kind of model. One of the main gripes players have with the studio's past games is their seemingly uninspired level design, and it's a studio curse that Rise of the Ronin definitively breaks with its art direction and environmental diversity.