Team Ninja's Rise of the Ronin represents a bold new chapter for the studio in several ways. Not only does Rise of the Ronin bring Team Ninja's unique approach to Soulslikes and its penchant for top-tier combat design into an open-world setting, it also tells a much more grounded story pulling from real-world historical events. This grounded story ends up being both a blessing and a curse for the title, as Rise of the Ronin's firm rooting in reality prevents Team Ninja from being able to flex one of the studio's most impressive talents. The complete lack of supernatural threats and monsters or demons in Rise of the Ronin's rogues gallery feels like a missed opportunity in comparison to other Team Ninja titles.