Assassin’s Creed Shadows vs Rise of the Ronin: Which Is Better?

Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Rise of the Ronin share several core aspects. In this guide, we’ll explain which one’s better.

With the recent launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, players are noticing the many similarities between it and Rise of the Ronin. The game from Koei Tecmo made its original debut in 2024, although a PC version released earlier this month. The comparisons between Shadows and Rise of the Ronin stem from the fact that both games are set in Japan and both titles deal with fictionalized versions of historic events. However, when you have to choose, you need to understand both their similarities and distinctions.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at both games in great detail to understand which one you should play if you had to make a choice.

Which Game is Better: Assassin’s Creed Shadows Vs Rise of the Ronin?

You can only decide which of these games you prefer by understanding the four core aspects – gameplay, plot, visuals, and open-world activities. So, we’ve outlined how both games fare when it comes to these core pillars.

Gameplay Comparison

The gameplay of AC Shadows and Rise of the Ronin is quite distinct from each other. In AC Shadows, you take on missions and complete quests, mostly how you’ve done for previous AC games. Completing quests and activities will help you earn XP and Knowledge Points, which are tied in to the overall progression of both protagonists. This is a form of linear progression that doesn’t penalize you if you need to retry missions or activities after failing the first time.

In Rise of the Ronin, you’ll need to interact with Veiled Edge Banners throughout the world. Hoisting a banner will make a fast-travel option available in the area. Interacting with any of these banners will also heal you completely. However, similar to souls-like games, doing so will also revive all the enemies you’ve killed in the area. Another similarity to some souls-like games is how Rise of the Ronin handles player death. You’ll lose all your current level progression and get one chance to reclaim it by striking against the enemy that killed you before. If you fail again, those progression points will be lost forever.

Both games involve a dense world with lots to explore and uncover. You can use a horse to traverse the world quickly in both titles, with Rise of the Ronin having an auto-run mode where your horse will automatically gallop to your chosen waypoint. Combat too can feel similar in both games in certain aspects. For instance, both titles will require you to time your blocks and parries perfectly when taking on an enemy. You can upgrade your weapons and armor before taking on tougher opponents.

However, in Rise of the Ronin, you’ll find an overwhelming amount of weapons and armor pieces throughout the game. On the other hand, Ubisoft has shifted drastically in this regard when it comes to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. There are fewer weapons and armor options in the game. Instead, each piece of equipment has several tiers of upgrades to unlock, which makes them more valuable to hold on to for later use.

Also Read: Can You Hide Armor in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

Plot Comparison

Even though both games are set in Japan, they are based on completely different time periods. AC Shadows deals with the events in Japan during the 16th century. Marking the final phase of the Sengoku period, the new game is set on the backdrop of a fierce civil war. So, you’ll come across a vast range of real historical figures from that point of time, including one of the protagonists, Yasuke. He is the first Assassin’s Creed playable character that’s based on an actual person in history. Both Yasuke and Naoe must navigate the troubled waters to uncover deep hidden secrets, which eventually brings them face to face with the Assassins and the Templars.

Rise of the Ronin, on the other hand, begins during the mid-19th century. You start off as Blade Twins tasked with an assassination that goes awry. One of the Twins is injured severely and separated from the other. The story begins with the other Twin searching for their partner, believing them to be still alive. The game’s plot relies greatly on the politics of the time, weaving the narrative around the evil western influences that ran rampant in Japan. Although you’ll likely enjoy it, the story isn’t particularly memorable.

Also Read: Assassin’s Creed Shadows Best Graphics Settings for Xbox Series X|S

Visual Comparison

This is one area of the comparison where the competition between the two games isn’t even close. Rise of the Ronin’s visuals are nothing to write home about, even at their highest settings. Textures often look dated and blurry, with frequent pop-ins too. We’ve also seen tons of games doing foliage graphics much better than what Koei Tecmo manages here. So, the visuals aren’t particularly impressive when compared to many open-world modern titles.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows vastly improves on the graphics when compared to its previous installment. Many of the major characters are motion-captured, which means they have much better animations. The world itself looks beautiful, thanks to the vibrant colors and changing seasons. The world includes plenty of vistas and towering points where you can climb up and simply gaze at the distance.

World Activity Comparison

Both open-world games have plenty of side and optional activities for you to pursue. For instance, you can go exploring secret tombs in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Or, you might start looking for lost scrolls. If you want access to legendary loot and resources, the game encourages you to clear out castles. Besides these, you can also come across NPCs that provide you with secondary quests. Each of them is unique and worth completing to unlock a wide range of rewards. Even though there’s a lot to do, the game never overwhelms you with these activities. Instead, it lets you find and do these at your own pace.

Your world map gets populated every time you hoist a new Veiled Edge Banner in Rise of the Ronin. Some might be as simple as going to a certain place to pet a cat, while others require more time and effort. You can also take on Bond Missions, where you get to partner with a companion. Completing these can help improve your bond with that companion, unlocking more dialogue options with them and rewards. Also, we’d suggest completing all side missions in the game, as every one of these ends with a mini boss fight. These fights are unique and offer much more of a challenge than cutting down normal foes.

Which Game Should You Play?

In both of these games, you’ll find vast open worlds where you can get lost for dozens upon dozens of hours. If you’re someone that loves the idea of a souls-like game set in Japan (and you’ve already played Sekiro), we’d suggest Rise of the Ronin. Although not a true souls-like, its challenging and well-fleshed out combat makes the game feel like it’s closely related to those types of games. Also, the ability to fight using a variety of weapons, including katana, rifles, bows, and shuriken, might also impact your decision. You might also enjoy the Bond system in the game, building strong friendships with NPC companions.

On the other hand, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a game that clearly learns from its predecessors failings. It offers a polished combat system that involves finesse and timing. The story itself isn’t the greatest you’ve witnessed but works well in certain parts. And the world and the side activities feel meaningful thanks to weapon upgrades being tied to them. So, you don’t feel like you’re just clearing the map markers for no apparent reason.

Also Read: Assassin’s Creed Shadows vs Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Which Is Better?

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We provide the latest news and create guides for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Meanwhile, you can check out the following AC Shadows articles or catch us playing games on Twitch and YouTube:

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