Team Ninja’s PlayStation 5 exclusive got a nearly 4-minute gameplay preview during State of Play.

A lot of information was revealed on the PlayStation Blog. A variety of weapons are available to fight your enemies. In addition to Team Ninja’s signature swordplay, you can wield Japanese spears and ranged firearms, including foreign pistols. Hybrid Japanese-Western weapons are also available. Use the flamethrower-like Fire Pipe to roast groups and ignite flammable barrels, or wield the bayonet to deflect blades and counter rifle blasts. Choosing your fighting style and keeping an eye on your enemies’ weaponry is key to gaining an advantage in battle. Melee combat is all about timing. The new trailer shows a heated battle between swordsmen where stance selection, blocking, and timed parries are critical to defeating enemies. You can also wield a versatile grappling rope to pull distant enemies into the fight or perform a stealthy takedown on an unsuspecting guard. Players can also use the rope to hurl themselves at enemies and close the gap.

There are many ways to get around in late 19th century Japan. Outside of combat, your grappling line is useful for scaling rooftops and other heights, allowing you to gain leverage in a flash. Mounting a trusty horse also allows you to gallop across open fields to mission objectives more quickly. The ingenious Avicula is a marvel of engineering. It allows you to instantly deploy a lightweight set of wings, perfect for gliding through the air. Players can sprint across rooftops, grab a distant height and deploy their glider in mid-air, using the upward momentum to soar through the air. They can adjust their direction and speed, close their wings at any time, and stealthily swoop down on unsuspecting enemies.

In addition to choosing combat and traversal styles, players will also be able to influence the world of Rise of the Ronin through their actions during story missions. At one point in the new trailer, we see the player choose to help a character named Igashichi fight a group of hostile guards. This decision to help creates a bond between these characters, allows the player to get to know Igashichi better, and unlocks other game features. You’ll be able to make these choices with additional characters, such as Ryoma Sakamoto, who was featured in a previous trailer. Who you choose to develop a relationship with will affect how the story unfolds. However, there is no downside to developing a relationship with one character at the expense of another. Consider it even more variety for your next playthrough.

Rise of the Ronin launches March 22nd on PlayStation 5.

Source: Gematsu