Inon Zur built this entire score around cello and shakuhachi, and that combination absolutely carries. Rise of the Ronin's PS5 soundtrack from Team Ninja channels Bakumatsu-era Japan through 56 tracks of cinematic weight.
Read more
"Separation Battle" pairs those two lead instruments against aggressive orchestral hits that feel desperate and personal. "Suburbs of Edo" breathes with ambient restraint, painting a city on the edge of revolution. Then "Violent Battle" just erupts.
The score constantly shifts between contemplative stillness and raw intensity, which mirrors the game's themes of loyalty and betrayal during Japan's political upheaval. "Veiled Vow" is this slow, aching cello piece that lingers.
If you played Nioh and wanted that world with more historical gravity, Zur delivered the soundtrack for it.