Playing through Rise of the Ronin, players will eventually come across multiple figures. And Game Director Fumihiko Yasuda says that players can establish relationships with them as the “concept of bonds” is a “central theme of Rise of the Ronin”.
Via the Game Informer, Yasuda shared more information on the topic. “So you have a lot of characters that you meet throughout the story that you can develop bonds with,” explains Yasuda.
“And a lot of side quests are also tied to these historical figures. And they’re also the system of forming bonds with lands and different locations. So, by helping out people in certain lands, you can deepen your bond with them. A lot of motivation for exploring the world is centered around these systems of bonds with characters and locations”.
Aside from the ability to form bonds, Rise of the Ronin also seems to offer decision-making options that could alter the way the game is presented to the protagonist. By the looks of it, players can expect to come across decision-making options throughout their play of the game.
However, it seems that this branching consequence is largely triggered during key story moments only, which might be fewer in number, yet powerful, in the grand scheme of things. For instance, there is an event where the player will have to pick between killing or sparing a target, with the possibility of becoming allied to the target if taking the latter choice.
Altogether, both of these features have a way of influencing the narrative of the game, and ultimately, the ending. If anything, it means more replayability for players who would like to immerse themselves completely in the world of the Ronin.
