Sony and Team Ninja have released a new Rise of the Ronin story trailer, and it's showing off the game's three key factions, all of whom you'll be interacting with over the course of the narrative.
In previous trailers, we've seen the historical action-RPG's range of weapons and massive open world, but this latest trailer is all about the story, which will be told against the backdrop of the tumultuous Bakumatsu period.
During this time, Japan was undergoing rapid modernization, and the country's isolationist stance was being tested. As such, you'll meet both traditionalist and modern characters, many of whom will have their own agendas.
First up, the trailer introduces us to the Obei, the faction representing Western interests in Japan.
The key players of this faction include the stern naval officer Matthew Perry, the French military officer Jules Brunet, and the British Japanologist Ernest Satow. All three are real historical figures, and it looks like Rise of the Ronin will be pretty faithful in depicting them.
Next up, it's the Sabaku pro-shogunate faction, which includes proud warrior Naosuke Ii, geisha Taka Murayama, and stern swordsmen Isami Kondo and Kaishu Katsu. This faction is dedicated to the preservation of the Tokugawa shogunate, which was under threat from outside influence and internal strife.
Lastly, we get to meet the anti-shogunate Tobaku faction. Key characters in this faction include the samurai Ryoma Sakamoto, Genzui Kusaka, and Kogoro Katsura, two of whom you may have heard of thanks to last year's Like a Dragon: Ishin!.
Rise of the Ronin is an open-world action RPG created by Nioh and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty studio Team Ninja. Unlike those games, however, it's not a Soulslike; rather, it's a historical open-world epic with shades of Ghost of Tsushima and Assassin's Creed about it.
The game arrives exclusively for PlayStation 5 on March 22nd. Watch this space for more.
