Rise of the Ronin PC Interview – Team Ninja's Fumihiko Yasuda and Koei Tecmo's Yosuke Hayashi on the Steam Release, PC Gaming in Japan, & More

Ahead of Rise of the Ronin launching on Steam today, I had a chance to talk to Yosuke Hayashi, Producer and Executive Vice President at Koei Tecmo, and Fumihiko Yasuda, Development Producer & Head of Team Ninja, about the game’s PC version, potential story DLC, working with PlayStation Studios, Inon Zur’s soundtrack the state of the industry in Japan, coffee, and more with translations done by Koei Tecmo America.

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This interview has been slightly edited for clarity.

RPG Site: Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do at Koei Tecmo.

Yosuke Hayashi:

I’m the producer of Rise of the Ronin, Yosuke Hayashi.

Fumihiko Yasuda: I’m the development producer and director, Fumihiko Yasuda of Team Ninja.

RPG Site: Rise of the Ronin debuted on PS5 last year and will be releasing on Steam in the coming weeks. What learnings from the PS5 release have helped make the game better for those who buy it today?

Fumihiko Yasuda:

We progressed through development by incorporating the user feedback and our own development experience from the PS5 version. While the game content has not changed significantly for the PC version, it has been designed to allow a wider range of players to enjoy it across various PC environments.

Yosuke Hayashi: Koei Tecmo has been focusing on PC versions in recent years, and we worked on this title with the same commitment. We hope you and everyone will enjoy it on their own PCs.

RPG Site: Rise of the Ronin is a very different game than what players expected from Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo after Nioh and Nioh 2. It was also a game in development for many years. Can you comment on whether you were able to implement everything you wanted to get into the game for its release?

Fumihiko Yasuda:

This title presented a significant challenge, differing greatly from previous Team Ninja titles with its open world and romance elements with characters. While there were certainly trade-offs, we were able to implement many elements to reach the concept we aimed for in this game.

Yosuke Hayashi: Right from the start, the concept of this game is “Team Ninja’s newest challenge.” It was designed to be accessible for players who have never played our titles before, so we hope players will give it a try.

RPG Site: As Team Ninja’s first true open world game, what challenges did you face on the design and technical fronts bringing it to PS5 and also with the PC release?

Fumihiko Yasuda:

There was a vast amount of data, such as stages and characters, but we focused on ensuring a seamless experience with a stable frame rate so that players can especially enjoy the action.

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RPG Site: Rise of the Ronin arrives about a year later than PS5 just like both Nioh games. I expected it to come to PC after it gets any DLC. Is there any story DLC planned now that the game is available on PS5 and Steam?

Fumihiko Yasuda:

Currently, there are no plans for DLC.

RPG Site: How has the response been for you from across the world (not just in the West) to PC releases? I’m curious how these releases have been received in Asia and Japan on the PC platform.

Fumihiko Yasuda:

Given that Team Ninja has released various PC versions, there may not have been many surprised by this announcement, but we believe we have received a positive response. Particularly in Asia and Japan, the number of PC players has been increasing, leading to a response that was bigger than we anticipated.

RPG Site: While both Nioh games were published by Koei Tecmo in Japan, they were handled by Sony Interactive Entertainment in the West. For Rise of the Ronin, the game was a PlayStation Studios title worldwide including Japan. Can you comment on how the experience has been working with them for this title and how it differed to the Nioh games?

Fumihiko Yasuda:

We received support in publishing and localization for the Nioh series, but for Rise of the Ronin, in addition to that, PlayStation Studios was involved in almost the entire PS5 version development process. They shared valuable insights on various aspects, including accessibility and improving onboarding accuracy, which not only enhanced the value of the title but also provided a significant experience for Team Ninja.

Yosuke Hayashi: This project would not have started without the support of PlayStation Studios. We are extremely grateful to the PlayStation Studios team for lending their strength to this new challenge.

RPG Site: I love the Nioh games’ soundtracks, but Rise of the Ronin sees you work with Inon Zur who also did music for Fallout and Starfield. How was this experience?

Fumihiko Yasuda:

In depicting the captivating world of 19th century Japan during the Bakumatsu period, the music composed by Inon Zur has been indispensable, and the implementation of his tracks during development significantly enhanced the overall feeling of the game. It was an honor to have Inon Zur participate in this project, especially since he has worked on outstanding open-world titles like Fallout, which is a soundtrack I personally love.

RPG Site: Rise of the Ronin is the most accessible Team Ninja game yet with its difficulty options. Is this something players should expect going forward, or was this a one off situation?

Fumihiko Yasuda:

In Rise of the Ronin, we prioritized a more accessible game to ensure that a wide audience, including those who are not action gamers, could enjoy the game. For core gamers, we plan on considering the approach we’ll take according to title or series.

RPG Site: While I enjoyed my time with the open world and combat, the highlight of Rise of the Ronin is the narrative. I loved the Bakumatsu era story here, but how did you decide to not involve any fantastical elements or supernatural things compared to prior games?

Fumihiko Yasuda:

This game revolves around the theme of connections with various characters centered around the protagonist who is a free-spirited ronin. Since the story is inspired by historical events, we aimed to create a grounded impression through the setting and design. However, we have also incorporated Team Ninja’s signature style in the action elements.

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RPG Site: What are your thoughts on games like Like a Dragon: Ishin! and Ghost of Tsushima with how they handle their stories and worlds compared to Rise of the Ronin and were games like that inspirations in any form?

Fumihiko Yasuda:

Including Rise of the Ronin, each game has its own unique design and intent, but they all share the common theme of Japanese history and samurai swordplay, so I enjoy playing each of them and take inspiration from the character and weapon designs, as well as the depiction of the game worlds.

RPG Site: What are your thoughts on the current state of console and PC gaming in Japan?

Fumihiko Yasuda:

In terms of consoles, there has been a long-standing situation in Japan where there is a significant number of Switch players, and I am closely watching how this will change with the release of Switch 2. For games like the ones we create, there are many PS5 players, but I also feel that the number of PC players has significantly increased in Japan over the past few years.

Yosuke Hayashi: I have a strong impression that the divide between console and PC gaming is getting smaller. I think we are entering an era where players no longer consciously think about which platform they are using to play a game.

RPG Site: How do you like your coffee? If you don’t like coffee, what is your favorite beverage?

Fumihiko Yasuda:

I enjoy thinking about game design while drinking black coffee and having a smoke.

Yosuke Hayashi: I’m addicted to coffee to the extent that I bring coffee to the office every morning. I usually have it black. Speaking of black, please also check out Ninja Gaiden 2 Black.