You can now try out one of the PS5’s biggest 2024 exclusives for free

By Carli Velocci July 24, 2024

Rise of the Ronin's character on a horse. — Team Ninja

If you’ve been on the fence about playing Rise of the Ronin, Sony is here to help you make a decision with a new free demo released on Wednesday.

The demo for this PlayStation 5 exclusive covers the game’s first chapter, which features the battle with Gonzo and offers you your first major choice. If you’re ready for the full experience, you’ll be able to port your demo save data over. There are also four free avatars for your PSN ID now available.

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The demo was announced in a PlayStation Blog post that also broke down some statistics on player choices from launch through June 20. There are some spoilers in there for people who haven’t played, so get in on that demo if you can. For everybody else, here are some quick highlights.

Around 65% spared Gonzo instead of killing him.
38% sided with the anti-shogunate
30% started romances
51% played on medium Dusk difficulty, while 13% played on the hard Twilight difficulty and 36% played on the lowest
18% played on the hardest difficulty
16% collected all 100 cats

Rise of the Ronin was touted as one of PlayStation’s biggest 2024 exclusives earlier this year. Developed by Team Ninja, known for action-heavy games like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Ninja Gaiden, and Nioh, the action open-world RPG offers plenty of chances to parry, make game-changing choices, form relationships with NPCs, and engage in optional three-player co-op. If you’ve been looking to scratch that Ghost of Tsushima itch with another open-world game inspired by Japanese history (Ghost is set during the Mongol invasion while Rise of the Ronin takes place during the Edo period), you might want to check it out.

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Contributor, Games

Carli is a technology, culture, and games editor and journalist. They were the Gaming Lead and Copy Chief at Windows Central…

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