Rise of the Ronin is Team Ninja’s first crack at an open-world RPG, and while its various systems are mostly self-explanatory–with an in-game encyclopedia of tips available at all times–there are some aspects of its design that are a bit opaque. To get you started on your epic journey across the Bakumatsu era of Japan, we’ve compiled a list of tips that should help you gain an understanding of all the game’s idiosyncrasies.
Transmog is a thing… eventually
Being able to transmog your outfits was a prominent feature in Team Ninja’s past games, so its initial absence in Rise of the Ronin is puzzling. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend the whole game wearing a random assortment of kimonos, US Navy Caps, and leather boots. After arriving in Yokohama and doing a few missions with the legendary samurai Ryoma Sakamoto, you’ll come across a quest called “An Encounter with a Geisha.” As part of this quest, Sakamoto gives you access to a Longhouse where you can speak to characters, rest, and, crucially, use transmogrification to outfit your ronin in any style.
There’s a way to reveal every icon on the map
Even if you’re not a completionist, going through the checklist of shrines, cats, treasure chests, and fugitives in each region can be a worthwhile endeavor. Each one rewards you with various items and skill points for achieving 100% completion, and the regions are small enough that it doesn’t take too long to tick off everything.
While activating Veiled Edge Banners and restoring public order reveals the locations of these collectibles and activities on the map, you’ll sometimes find yourself missing one or two, with no clue where they might be. When this happens, simply head to that region and ride around on your horse for a short while. Eventually, a flag symbol will appear, leading you to a civilian in danger. By rescuing them, they’ll reveal the final collectibles on the map, making it easy for you to go and grab them.
Red barrels can only be destroyed by the Fire Pipe
Occasionally you’ll find a treasure chest inside a small building with no way in. The conspicuous placement of a red barrel just inside the building, surrounded by pieces of wood, would indicate that you can simply shoot the barrel with a rifle, revolver, or even your bow, to blow it up and create an opening. For whatever reason, this isn’t the case. Instead, you need to get your hands on the Fire Pipe, which you can unlock by completing a Bond mission for the inventor Igashichi Iizuka called, “A Lucky Find Put to Use.” Once you have your hands on the Fire Pipe, you can use its flames to blow up any red barrels you find, letting you create openings to grab every treasure chest.
You can revisit past missions and alter your choices
Once you’ve made your way to Edo towards the end of chapter one, you gain access to a book known as the Testament of the Soul. This item is eventually added to your Longhouse and lets you replay previous missions and even alter the choices you made during them, giving you an easy way to see how events can play out differently depending on your actions.
Cats serve a purpose beyond being cute
The cats you find and pet throughout Japan may initially seem like little more than collectibles for those hoping to 100% every region, but these felines serve a greater purpose than mere cuddles. Partway through chapter one, you’ll meet Rise of the Ronin’s resident cat lady in Yokohama’s pleasure district.
Usugumo Dayu is a geisha who asks you for help rescuing all of the stray kitties. By doing so, a Cat Concierge service is added to your Longhouse, letting you send the cats you’ve gathered off on missions for various rewards like weapons, armor, and consumables. It’s worth finding every cat before the game gives them a useful function because it will pay off later.
You can get one of the best combat skills early on
Even if you don’t like being particularly stealthy, the Rapid Assassinations skill is a useful one to have. You can purchase it early on from the Dexterity skill tree and further enhance it by unlocking the Ranged Cowering Effect (Assassination). The initial skill allows you to stealth-kill two enemies in quick succession, while increasing the range of the cowering effect means it’s possible to sneak in a few more kills on top of this as your foes quiver in fear. It’s a great way to trim the enemy’s numbers or deal significant damage to a formidable foe while taking out a couple of their underlings.
There’s an item called a detector that lets you see enemies through walls
By procuring books and giving them to the inventor Igashichi Iizuka, you can unlock a device called a detector that produces a high-pitched sound, giving you a sense of where enemies are located, even if they’re obscured by buildings and other obstacles. If you’re having trouble navigating enemy compounds without being seen, the detector is a useful item to acquire for those who favor a stealthy approach. It’s not a flawless gadget since the range it can detect enemies at is fairly small, and the high-frequency sound it emits can be heard by animals, alerting them to your presence, but it does provide an advantage when trying to remain in the shadows.