First Look

Rise of the Ronin First Impressions

Forge Your Fate

Published

March 12, 2024

If you’ve been yearning to play a challenging Samurai adventure since Ghost of Tsushima, the Rise of the Ronin is on the horizon to quench your thirst. Releasing exclusively for the PlayStation 5 on March 22, 2024, GadgetMatch had the privilege of playing the early hours or so of the game.

Character creation

The first thing that caught me off-guard was the character creation at the start of the game. Prior to getting this preview opportunity, I’ve only really seen a handful of clips of the game paying little attention to the details. That’s not to say I wasn’t interested. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. But it’s been a hectic last two months that I haven’t had the chance to really dig into it. I digress.

So, character creation. This was… fun. Upon learning that this can be done– and for two characters too–my mind immediately went in two directions: Kenshin Himura and my favorite Japanese person–Momo Hirai of TWICE. I know, it’s quite the variance but those two are the “designs” I went with at first.

Character creation is pretty detailed. You get to choose whether your male or female and the customizations have decent depth to them. Enough for me to recreate some version of actual characters and people many might be familiar with.

You might be able to go crazy with it if you really wanted to but I simply didn’t have the time. Like most games with character creations and customizations, I am very interested in what the larger community player base will come up with.

The first few hours

Team Ninja was very specific with what we were allowed to talk about, but even then, I wasn’t able to reach that point. Because of certain story elements, I decided to redo my characters, shifting from Kenshin Himura to Sana Minatozaki–another member of TWICE. And that is all I will say about the story.

The first section of the game is all about teaching you the combat basics all while setting up the game’s story premise. Combat is challenging. I personally hit an early wall and decided to go from Dusk (normal difficulty) to Dawn (easy) just so I can progress. Skill issue, sure, but I also have a ton of other things on my plate, don’t @ me.

That may not give you a gauge of how difficult the combat is. After all, this will vary depending on your own skills and preferences. I’m not too familiar with Nioh and other Team Ninja games. I will say this is certainly a little tougher than Ghost of Tsushima, at least at first.

Open world

After the gripping opening chapter, you are thrown into the open world. You will again slowly be introduced to the open world mechanics, which, once again reminded of GoT. You’re probably going to hear that same comparison throughout other previews and reviews but it really does give off that vibe.

That changes a little bit when you get into a city. As seen in one the later gameplay trailers revealed for the game, the traversal and weapon arsenal of Rise of the Ronin offer a far wider variety than GoT.

In terms of open world visual cues, GoT does it more subtly. Rise of the Ronin feels more game-like with waypoints showing up as you level up through combat and quests.

Oh and… you can pet cats.

Action RPG

Speaking of leveling up, the game has all the trappings of a good Action RPG. Combat is challenging and will open up even more as you grow in four different skill trees.

The skill trees deepen your combat, traversal, exploration, and crafting skills. And then there are the weapons and weapon styles. In the beginning, you’ll be asked to choose what weapons you’ll have the best affinity with. It’s not too daunting a choice. However, it does impact your combat play a little bit, especially in the early game.

You’ll also encounter shops where you can craft weapons, medicines, and many other stat buffs and debuffs, giving you somewhat of an idea of the type of enemies you’ll encounter as you go along.

Should you be excited?

Yes. Absolutely. Rise of the Ronin will quench your Samurai power fantasy thirst. Even in just the early goings, you’ll be hooked instantly. The combat offers a good challenge, the exploration just right, and the story pretty darn gripping. We can’t wait to tell you more.

Rise of the Ronin is set across war-torn 19th-century Japan in this combat-focused open-world action RPG from Team NINJA, the veteran studio behind Nioh and NINJA GAIDEN. It will be available exclusively on the PlayStation 5 on March 22, 2024.

Here’s a brief excerpt of the story from the game’s online page.

Japan, 1863. After three centuries of the Tokugawa Shogunate’s reign, the Black Ships of the West descend upon the nation’s borders and the country falls into a state of turmoil. Amidst the chaos of war, disease and political unrest, a nameless warrior forges their own path, holding the very fate of Japan in their hands.

Related Topics:Koei TECMO PlayStation PlayStation 5 PS5 Rise of the Ronin Team Ninja

CES 2026

Spotlight: ASUS Zenbook at CES 2026

Did They Perfect the Dual-Screen Laptop?

Published

January 15, 2026

GadgetMatch

THE Michael Josh just got back from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas — the annual tech event that attracts all the biggest tech brands.

One of which is none other than ASUS, Taiwan’s biggest computing giant. They have launched the first wave of Windows laptops for 2026. There’s a full lineup — models for everyday folks, creators, and gamers.

However, we are focusing on these Zenbooks favorites the show: the updated 2026 Zenbook DUO and Zenbook A14, as well as a bigger Zenbook A16 model.

Eager to know more about them? Here’s our Spotlight on the three power-packed ASUS Zenbooks at CES 2026.

First Look

First Look: Apple iPhone Air, 17, and 17 Pro

The Most Important iPhone Lineup Ever?!

Published

September 13, 2025

GadgetMatch

Apple just dropped four new iPhones!

There’s the base iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Pro series, and the much-anticipated iPhone Air.

Which model should you get? Should you even upgrade this year?

And which is your GadgetMatch?

Here is a comprehensive First Look with the new iPhone Apple announced at its September event.

First Look

Match Pulse: Infinix HOT 60 Pro+

Getting to know the super-slender slab for 60 hours

Published

September 11, 2025

Vincenz

Two months ago, Infinix unveiled the latest HOT 60 Pro+.

It’s out there not just for being a sexy slim smartphone, it’s a record-breaker in the history of Guinness World Records as well.

Now that the device was introduced to me, it’s the perfect time to know exactly what it’s like being with it 60 hours after unboxing.

First Look

At first glance, you’d be surprised how the Infinix HOT 60 Pro+ managed to be this oh-so-thin. With its thinnest point capped at 5.95mm, it’s one of the slimmest smartphones out in the market.

Interestingly, it’s a bit thicker compared to the 5.8mm Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and the newly-revealed iPhone Air at 5.64mm — which is, by far, the world’s thinnest.

But, with a frame sandwich by a curved screen and a fiberglass back, it gives you the illusion of being the slimmer smartphone. The other two have flat edges around, making them look otherwise.

Revealing its back will remind you of something that will satisfy someone’s sweet tooth. Dubbed as the “Coral Tides” colorway, it exudes shades of pink in a gradient manner.

Although it’s not the something I’d pick, it’s personally more pleasing than the plain ol’ Sleek Black and the ultra-flashy Sonic Yellow choices.

As you’ve noticed, there are three camera lens cutouts. Despite that, it’s only a single-firing 50MP shooter. The rest are just auxiliary lenses that honestly give nothing but aesthetics.

Speaking of, beneath that third cutout is where Infinix’s Active Halo Lighting resides. Though not as evident as you see it on its GT and NOTE cousins, that light-up feature can still be useful for important notifications and reminders.

The eye-candy satisfaction doesn’t end there. Flipping it gives you a bedazzling 6.78-inch curved screen with bezels that are narrower than my patience.

While the heydays of curved displays are slowly fading away, this type of display is where it makes more sense as it harmoniously blends together along its thin trims.

That’s then protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 7i alongside an IP65 water and dust resistance rating for utmost durability.

These are all something one wouldn’t expect to have in a budget smartphone if we’re gonna predict it five years ago.

First Date

What does the Infinix HOT 60 Pro+ and government officials have in common? They both exist but, you’ll barely feel ’em. Moreover, holding Infinix’s thinnest phone felt surreal — just like their “effective” flood control projects.

Even so, the HOT 60 Pro+ is still effectively thin and light even when you slap on its bundled Rimowa-inspired clear case. At the end of the day, only the Nepo babies get the real Rimowa treatment.

Now, despite the category it belongs to, its display is honestly top-notch and never a slouch. That AMOLED display tech surely gives the best visuals possible.

Colors pop, blacks are deep, whites are effectively blinding when pushed to the extremes. Much like politicians and their ~innocent children~ being blinded by greed when shown heaps of taxpayers’ money.

Elizabeth Helga Müller cleansing our eyes against all anomalies

Its 144Hz refresh rate takes it to the next level. And, I’m not speaking solely by numbers. You can actually see and feel its overall buttery smoothness.

Thanks to the upgraded MediaTek Helio G200 chipset paired with an 8GB memory (virtually extendable up to 16GB), breezing through apps and multitasking in-between felt snappy — unlike the sluggish and incompetent officials out there.

The experience was never the same when I held numerous lag-fested G99 phones two to three years ago.

The downside, however, is using this phone past its performance limits — particularly hardcore gaming. You can obviously play your favorite games but at the expense of medium to low quality graphics and gameplay stuttering.

Additionally, the inclusion of stereo speakers are unexpected.

For a phone this price and thin, I’m not expecting anything grand. However, the HOT 60 Pro+ delivered desirable sound output that’s adequate to the ears.

They’re not like the hypocritical individuals in the senate who are excessively loud and sound irritating in the long run.

Gladly, its entry-level SoC didn’t hinder me from downloading and listening to Lossless audio tracks. More so, the YouTube playback limit of Full HD (1080p) finally gets pushed to a clearer 2K (1440p) resolution.

Overall, these make the HOT 60 Pro+ undeniably great for a full-on entertainment experience.

Back to its lone 50MP camera, I’ve managed to take more than enough to show how it performs.

1x Wide vs 2x Lossless Zoom

1x Portrait ON vs 1x Regular

I even tried it with some delectable munchies and coffees paid by me and my colleagues’ self-earned money.

Lastly, night-time shots that looked as sharp as any crocodiles’ 🐊👀 night vision.

After all that moderate usage, the Infinix HOT 60 Pro+ was able to last at the end of the day. More than that if you don’t exhaust it.

For its size, 5160mAh sounds more than enough in today’s standards. If it totally dies down, its packaged 45W charger will totally fill it in around 70 minutes.

That’s still faster than applying for a single government-issued ID or document, if I must say.

First Impressions

If you’ve been clamoring for a super-slim smartphone without breaking the bank (literally and figuratively), the Infinix HOT 60 Pro+ is a match made for you.

Considering the hardware it possesses, it’s a no-brainer that it belongs to the budget segment.

To get this exclusive colorway, you need to shell out PhP 9,555 (below US$ 170) in the Philippines. Other variants are being offered at a cheaper price tag under PhP 9,200.

Then again, being affordable doesn’t mean bad quality. The Infinix HOT 60 Pro+ proves to be just one among the quality-tested smartphones that provides ample performance for most users.

Just don’t expect it to run your favorite games nor take images with its camera at the bestest quality possible.

After all, the phone being impossibly thin and featherweight without compromising the Android experience is the reason why it exists in the first place.