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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Rise of the Ronin is the best first game to play after Ghost of Yotei if you want another open-world journey through historical Japan, player-driven alliances, stealth, and a ronin fantasy. Choose Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice for the hardest, most exacting sword fights; Assassin’s Creed Shadows for stealth and two contrasting protagonists; Ghost of Tsushima for the closest overall design lineage; and Like a Dragon: Ishin! for a 1860s setting where swords and revolvers share the battlefield.
The right follow-up depends less on finding an identical game than on identifying what you want to carry forward: open-world exploration, precise duels, stealth, historical drama, firearms, revenge, or deep samurai systems. The guide below separates those priorities so you can choose confidently.
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Quick picks
| If you want… | Play this | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| An open-world historical-Japan structure | Rise of the Ronin | Late-Edo Japan, faction choices, stealth, multiple weapons, and a ronin protagonist. |
| The hardest sword combat | Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | Demanding, precise swordplay and boss encounters in a more focused format. |
| Stealth with two playable identities | Assassin’s Creed Shadows | Switch between shinobi Naoe and samurai Yasuke. |
| The closest series context | Ghost of Tsushima | The earlier game in the same lineage; it is not a required narrative prequel. |
| Swords and firearms in historical Japan | Like a Dragon: Ishin! | A 1860s Kyo story starring Sakamoto Ryoma, with four combat styles. |
| Classic, combat-forward revenge | Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remastered | Slashing, blocking, and Issen counters in a remastered samurai adventure. |
| Samurai depth plus ninja abilities | Nioh 3 | A future-facing option; availability should be checked against the February 6 launch information published in 2025. |
How to choose your next samurai game
Start with structure. If you want to roam between settlements, make political choices, and approach missions through stealth or direct combat, Rise of the Ronin is the clearest match. If you would rather concentrate on learning enemy patterns and winning demanding encounters, Sekiro is the stronger choice even though it is not an open-world game.
Next, decide whether stealth is central or optional. Assassin’s Creed Shadows places stealth at the heart of its identity and lets you alternate between Naoe’s shinobi approach and Yasuke’s samurai perspective. Rise of the Ronin also explicitly includes stealth, but its appeal is broader: exploration, faction relationships, and a range of weapons are equally important.
#1 Best Overall
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Finally, identify the historical flavor you want. The late-Edo setting of Rise of the Ronin and the 1860s Kyo of Like a Dragon: Ishin! both show Japan during upheaval, but they use that period differently. Ishin! makes the sword-and-revolver contrast a defining feature, while Rise of the Ronin frames your choices around competing factions. For a more concentrated revenge story and classic action feel, look to Onimusha 2.
Rise of the Ronin: the best all-round follow-up
Why it is the closest structural match
Rise of the Ronin is the strongest first recommendation because it combines the elements most players usually mean when they ask for another game like Ghost of Yotei: an explorable historical-Japan setting, a swordsman protagonist, stealth options, and story decisions that affect relationships with factions and characters. PlayStation’s announcement places the game in late-Edo Japan and describes a toolkit that includes swords, spears, firearms, thrown weapons, a grappling rope, and stealth.
That combination gives you several ways to approach an encounter. You can stay at range, use a polearm or sword, throw equipment, or create a stealth route with the grappling rope. The important distinction is that these are not merely cosmetic period details; they define how freely you can solve a mission. The game’s ronin fantasy also suits a player who enjoyed the solitary warrior perspective of Ghost of Yotei but wants more overt agency in the political story.
Choices and co-op
Your decisions shape whether your character aligns or clashes with story characters and their factions. That makes Rise of the Ronin the best choice if you want the next playthrough to reflect different loyalties rather than simply replaying the same route.
Rank #2
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It is also the only game in this comparison explicitly identified as supporting up-to-three-player online co-op for story missions. Choose it when shared progression matters, but do not assume that every title listed here offers an equivalent multiplayer mode; no equivalent mode is identified for the others.
Release and platform
Rise of the Ronin released on March 22, 2024 for PlayStation 5. That date and platform apply to the released version, not to a general multi-platform edition.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: for the hardest sword fights
What makes it different
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the recommendation for players who want combat to be the main event. Its swordplay is demanding and precise, and its boss encounters require close attention to timing, spacing, and enemy behavior. Compared with an open-world samurai adventure, it is more focused: you spend less time wandering for its own sake and more time learning how to overcome a carefully designed opponent.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThat focus changes the rhythm of play. In an open world, a difficult encounter can often be postponed while you explore elsewhere. In Sekiro, progress is tied more directly to improving your execution. If the part of Ghost of Yotei you valued most was the tension of a one-on-one duel, this is the natural next step. If you mainly want broad exploration, faction choices, or a large historical map, choose Rise of the Ronin instead.
Rank #3
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- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Who should choose it
- Choose Sekiro when you want the most demanding combat in this list.
- Expect a concentrated experience rather than an open-world sightseeing game.
- Pick it for boss learning and precise sword encounters, not for firearms or historical faction role-play.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows: the stealth-first option
Two protagonists, two approaches
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the best fit when stealth is your primary reason for looking beyond Ghost of Yotei. Its defining feature is the ability to switch between Naoe, a shinobi, and Yasuke, a samurai. Those identities let you approach the same broad historical setting from contrasting perspectives: one centered on infiltration and the other on the direct force of a warrior.
This makes the game useful for players who do not want to commit to a single pace. You can choose a stealth-oriented solution when patience and concealment are the priority, then move to the samurai protagonist when you want a more direct confrontation. The contrast between those protagonists and the game’s stealth emphasis are clear, but no single definitive difficulty ranking against the other recommendations is established.
When it is a better fit than Rise of the Ronin
Choose Assassin’s Creed Shadows over Rise of the Ronin if switching between protagonists is more important to you than faction-based role-playing. Choose Rise of the Ronin if you want the explicitly described late-Edo setting, grappling-rope mobility, firearms alongside traditional weapons, and up-to-three-player story co-op.
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Do you need to play it first?
Ghost of Tsushima is the most obvious companion to Ghost of Yotei because it is the earlier game in the same series lineage. It is the closest choice for someone who wants the same broad design language and atmosphere before moving on to other interpretations of samurai fiction.
Rank #4
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You do not need to treat it as a required narrative prequel to understand or enjoy Ghost of Yotei. The useful reason to play it is continuity of design and context, not a mandatory story checkpoint. If you have already completed it, move to Rise of the Ronin for a new open-world historical-Japan structure or to Sekiro for a sharper combat challenge.
Who should return to Tsushima
- Players who want the nearest overall series experience.
- Players who prefer an earlier entry over a mechanically different spin-off.
- Players who want context rather than a radically new combat or protagonist system.
Like a Dragon: Ishin!: historical swords and revolvers
A 1860s Kyo revolution story
Like a Dragon: Ishin! moves the action to 1860s Kyo, where widespread inequality forms the backdrop for one samurai’s search for justice. You play Sakamoto Ryoma, and the story presents a historical adventure during a period when traditional swordsmanship and modern firearms existed side by side.
That premise makes it the clearest answer to the question, “Which historical Japanese game has both stealth-era swordplay and firearms?” The game’s signature contrast is explicit: you can draw a blade, load a revolver, and take part in a revolution. It is not simply a sword game with a ranged option added as an afterthought; the four named styles make weapon choice part of the identity of the combat system.
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The four combat styles
| Style | Core idea |
|---|---|
| Swordsman | Traditional blade-focused combat. |
| Gunman | Revolver-based ranged fighting. |
| Wild Dancer | A combined sword-and-gun style. |
| Brawler | Unarmed combat. |
The four-style structure is the main reason to choose Ishin! over a more conventional samurai action game. It gives you a deliberate answer to the question of how a warrior adapts when firearms enter the historical picture.
Best Value
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- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
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- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Release and platforms
PlayStation’s product information lists a February 21, 2023 release and editions for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Those platform listings make it the most accessible recommendation here for players who still use either generation of PlayStation hardware.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remastered: focused revenge combat
Why it belongs on the list
Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remastered is a combat-forward alternative for players who want a direct revenge adventure rather than a large open world. PlayStation describes it as falling on the samurai side of the spectrum, and its defining actions are straightforward: slashing, blocking, and landing Issen counters.
An Issen-focused system rewards reading an incoming attack and responding with exact timing. That makes the game a good bridge between traditional action design and the precision many players seek after a modern samurai title. It is a different proposition from Sekiro: its emphasis on counters and blocking is clear, but no claim is made that it matches Sekiro in overall difficulty.
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Platforms
The remaster is listed for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. Pick it when a compact, combat-led revenge story sounds more appealing than faction management, co-op, or an expansive map.
Nioh 3: a future-facing choice
Why wait or verify availability
Nioh 3 is aimed at players who want deep samurai gameplay with ninja abilities. It is the most forward-looking recommendation in this guide rather than a title you should assume is available in every store today.
PlayStation’s December 2025 roundup gave it a February 6 launch date. Because that statement gives February 6 without specifying the year, check the current platform listing before planning your purchase or play order. Treat the date as launch information published in that roundup, not as a guarantee that every region, edition, or service has the same availability.
Who should keep it on the shortlist
Choose Nioh 3 if the combination of samurai systems and ninja abilities matters more to you than a settled release history. If you want a confirmed, already released option, select Rise of the Ronin, Sekiro, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ghost of Tsushima, Like a Dragon: Ishin!, or Onimusha 2 instead.
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Comparison by the questions players actually ask
| Question | Best answer | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| What is the closest open-world samurai game? | Rise of the Ronin | It is explicitly presented as an open-world late-Edo adventure with stealth, choices, and a ronin fantasy. |
| Which game has the hardest sword combat? | Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | Its defining focus is demanding, precise swordplay and boss encounters. |
| Which game emphasizes stealth and contrasting protagonists? | Assassin’s Creed Shadows | You switch between shinobi Naoe and samurai Yasuke. |
| Which game combines swords and firearms in a historical setting? | Like a Dragon: Ishin! | Its 1860s Kyo story includes Swordsman, Gunman, Wild Dancer, and Brawler styles. |
| Which game explicitly supports story co-op? | Rise of the Ronin | Up-to-three-player online co-op is specified for story missions. |
| Which game is the closest series companion? | Ghost of Tsushima | It is the earlier title in the same lineage, without being a required narrative prequel. |
A practical play order
If you want the nearest overall follow-up
- Play Ghost of Tsushima if you have not already, because it provides the closest series context.
- Move to Rise of the Ronin for a new open-world historical-Japan setting with choices, stealth, and co-op.
- Choose Sekiro afterward when you want combat that is more concentrated and demanding.
If combat difficulty is your priority
- Start with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice for precise swordplay and boss encounters.
- Try Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remastered for a more focused revenge experience built around slashing, blocking, and Issen counters.
- Keep Nioh 3 in reserve after confirming its current availability and launch status.
If you want historical change and firearms
- Begin with Like a Dragon: Ishin! for its 1860s Kyo setting and four combat styles.
- Follow with Rise of the Ronin to explore late-Edo faction conflict, firearms, thrown weapons, and stealth.
- Choose Assassin’s Creed Shadows if you want to revisit the period through two contrasting protagonists and a stronger stealth identity.
Final decision guide
- Pick Rise of the Ronin for the most complete match to an open-world samurai adventure, especially if choices, stealth, varied weapons, and online story co-op all matter.
- Pick Sekiro when mastering difficult sword combat is more important than exploring a large map.
- Pick Assassin’s Creed Shadows when you want to alternate between a shinobi and a samurai.
- Pick Ghost of Tsushima when you want the closest series context or have not played the earlier entry.
- Pick Like a Dragon: Ishin! for a historical 1860s Kyo narrative in which revolvers and swords are equally central to the combat premise.
- Pick Onimusha 2 for remastered, combat-first samurai revenge built around counters.
- Pick Nioh 3 only after checking current availability, if deep samurai systems and ninja abilities are your deciding criteria.
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