Tale of Ronin will immerse gamers in the world of a ronin in 1637 Japan. The Edo period has just begun and the great battles of the Warring States period are still in living memory. The Tokugawa regime is propping up specific sects of Buddhism as a political power play. Christianity is persecuted as harshly as banditry. All across the land, countless samurai are finding themselves out of work, out of money, and out of luck. You will be one of these new ronin.
When you embark on your journey, you’ll hit the road with what little you can carry, the clothes on your back, and your sword. You may have a goal to begin with, or you may start out drifting aimlessly. Either way, finding a reason to survive is the first step to living in this strange new world.
Danger will surround you on all sides: bandits and rogues, starvation and sickness, and corrupt officials — or worse, honest officials of corrupt systems. You may find companionship or more enemies among the anti-Tokugawa rebels, the yakuza organized crime families, and the steady flood of other ronin seeking ways to regain their lost honor. On top of these internal threats, your ronin must also struggle with the heavy burden of shame.
Each time the ronin dies, you can start up again as a different ronin and continue in the same world. In other words, the effects of your choices will remain even in subsequent playthroughs. It may even be possible to play as a ronin who was an NPC before.
As you play, you’ll step into the shoes of a wide variety of ronin with different personalities, goals, and skills. Their shared status as samurai without masters is the one aspect that binds them all together.
Eventually, a singular goal will be revealed to these ronin, and the player will have the opportunity to pursue it. Individual ronin may die on the journey, but their collective efforts will surely allow you to reach the end of the path.
Death is not the only way to end the game. Tale of Ronin is all about the culmination of many personal choices. This means the player is always free to leave a ronin to pursue his personal goals and allow him to pick a new path. Whether you choose to follow your ronin’s ambitions, roam aimlessly, or follow a road of your own making, your decisions will shape how you experience Tale of Ronin.