Like most Dark Souls-inspired games, Rise of the Ronin has a whole host of multiplayer features, both active and asynchronous. You can invite two other friends to take on missions with you directly, replacing the AI allies you normally recruit. You’ll see avatars of other players wandering the world, and you can even rescue them in camps where they died and they’ll help you clear the area. All of this is great, and right in line with what I’d expect out of a modern connected action RPG.
But only Rise of the Ronin has the Pilgrim Dog.
A few hours into the game, depending on how quickly you progress through the story, you’ll be granted a player house in one of the main towns — and you’ll also get your own Pilgrim Dog. This dog is a super cute Shiba Inu who carries a little sack around its neck. You put money in said sack and then dispatch it out into the Internet — and into other players’ games. Those players can then pet your pilgrim dog, and it’ll give them a silver coin, which is the game’s rare currency. When the dog returns to your house, you get a whole bunch of rare items. The more money you put in the dog’s cute little bag, the more items you get back.
This is super adorable, delightful, and amazing. It’s my favorite asynchronous multiplayer mechanic in…
