Team Ninja's Rise of the Ronin is resonating with fans of both Soulslikes and open-world action games thanks to its careful balance between both, and the title also happens to be an uncharacteristically grounded tale for the studio. Rather than introduce any supernatural elements or demons that the studio has a penchant for including in its decidedly Eastern-themed approach to the Soulslike genre, Rise of the Ronin tells the tale of the close of Japan's Edo period and the dismantling of the Tokugawa Shogunate. It's a tumultuous and transformative era in Japan's real-world history that makes for some compelling political drama and intrigue, and it's also one that was covered in last year's Like a Dragon: Ishin!