In Rise of the Ronin, your character can play both sides of a war for the majority of the game. However, there are times when you must make a choice. We’re going to listen to some allies, and answer the question: should you take Genzui, Shinsaku, or Ryoma’s approach in Rise of the Ronin?
Rise of the Ronin — Genzui, Shinsaku, or Ryoma’s approach?
During the fifth main mission, “Those Who Know Shoin,” once you’ve dealt with Shinsaku’s challenge, you’re new task involves breaking into a prison. Head to the Sakura Inn and tell Ryoma you’re ready to start planning the rescue operation for Master Shoin.
You’ll then hear from Genzui, Shinsaku, and Ryoma about their ideas for getting inside the prison. On the one hand, Genzui wants to forgo any subtlety and march straight through the front gates. Shinsaku however, suggests that you persuade the prison warden into letting you inside the complex. Ryoma wants to take an aerial approach to the situation by scaling a watchtower and going “swoosh” into the prison.
There are upsides and downsides to every option, and some might be influenced based on your weapon and combat style. But if you’re not sure which one to pick, we’re going to give you the rundown of all the choices:
- Genzui’s Approach – Storm the gate of the prison complex
- Shinsaku’s Approach – Coax the Warden into letting you enter the prison complex
- Ryoma’s Approach – Enter the prison complex from the watchtower
Rise of the Ronin — Genzui’s Approach
Genzui’s approach is probably the easiest and least time-consuming of all three ideas. I say least time-consuming since you won’t have to complete a side mission before heading to the prison, and easiest because all the enemies will be right in front of you. They’ll be charging right at you, which is a perfect opportunity to invite some friends and take on this approach together.
Head to the eastern side of the prison complex, and get ready to enter a bloodbath. Immediately, enemies will be alerted of your loud presence, and you’ll have to shoot or slice your way through them all. Once they’ve been taken care of, head towards the western side of the prison, and you can search for Shoin.
Rise of the Ronin — Shinsaku’s Approach
Should you choose to go with Shinsaku’s approach, you’ll have to deal with the biggest amount of extra work before getting into the prison. You get “The Manhunt” side quest after talking to Shinsaku outside of the inn, along with the location of a guard that will help you get in.
The guard will tell you to locate one to two escapees from the prison. This is the only way you’ll be able to bribe your way in so you must do it.
What’s more, you must bring proof of your kills, that way the guard knows the deed is done. The first prisoner can be found south of the prison guard, but be careful with this one. He’s not alone, and dealing with him most likely means dealing with his compatriots. Once they’re taken care of, go up to the body, and loot the “Bandit’s Pipe” item.
The second escapee is away from people but has a trusty dog by his side for any hostile people. He can be found by the far left bridge that goes towards Yoshida-Shiden. Take care of these two, and make sure to grab the “Samurai Dagger” on his body.
Once one or both enemies have been dispatched, head back to the guard and show him the proof. Along with a handful of quest rewards, he’ll tell you that everything is in place for you to enter the prison.
Rise of the Ronin — Ryoma’s Approach
Finally, we have Ryoma’s enigmatic approach to getting into the prison: fly in from a watchtower with gliders. Choosing to side with his idea will start the “Watchtower Repairs” side quest, asking you to talk to an NPC outside the prison. The NPC should be located right under a watchtower near the complex.
Unfortunately, the ladder to reach the top of the watchtower is broken, and you must bring the person Resinous Wood to fix it. Follow the location marked on your map, and you’ll find a small building guarded by some enemies. Sneak past them or kill them, and take the wood in the small house back to the builder. He’ll take the wood, and then you’ll be able to report to Yumi to start the actual mission.
Besides these initial changes and a variation as to how you get into the complex, each route plays out almost the same. However, you also strengthen your bond with whoever’s plan you recommend, which could alter your choice depending on your plans to romance any of these characters.
