How to Romance Ine Kusumoto in Rise of the Ronin

In the highly anticipated samurai action game Rise of the Ronin, players won’t just be slicing through enemies on the battlefield. When not engaged in visceral sword combat, they’ll have opportunities to kindle romantic relationships with a variety of characters. With 13 potential love interests to pursue, gamers will need to carefully navigate dialogue choices and complete character-specific missions to win over their chosen paramours.

Leading the relationship roster is the intriguing Ine Kusumoto, a mixed-race doctor of Western medicine who players meet in Edo. To spark a romance with the caring physician, players must increase their Bond level and Favor bar through key decisions and missions focused on Ine. 

The Path to Ine’s Heart

 

Ine features in a few of the game’s main story missions, but her personal narrative primarily unfolds across three dedicated Bond Missions that are critical for maxing out your relationship:

• Fruit from Distant Shores (Level 24) – Unlocks after the “It Hurts to Be Good” main mission
• Ine’s Worries (Level 25) – Will be unlocked after “Fruit from Distant Shores” is completed. This requires collecting Western medical texts to advance Ine’s cholera research 
• Cultivating the Cure (Level 26) – Unlocks after “Ine’s Worries” once you reach Bond level 3 with Ine

Clearing all of those missions is essential for making serious headway with Ine. But you’ll also want to capitalize on two key conversation opportunities that can further boost your standing:

The “A Doctor’s Duty” discussion unlocks after the first Bond Mission. When Ine says she wanted to thank you, respond with either “I just wanted to see your face” or “Let me help you with something right now” for maximum Favor gains.

Then, after the final Bond Mission’s completion, Ine will invite you to purchase medicine with her. When a stray cat runs off, choose “You should be that nice to me” for the best Favor boost.

Seal the Deal with the Perfect Gifts

In addition to making all the right dialogue choices, gifting Ine’s favorite items can be the difference between friend-zoning and romancing. The ideal presents to give her include:

• Western Medical Texts 
• Frankenstein (Private Pressing)
• Milk Chocolate
• Yew Koboku

You can find Western medical texts at the Satsuma Clan’s Edo estate, for example. Meanwhile, the rare book Frankenstein and some milk chocolate are available at the Katsu Kaishu estate, also in Edo. For the botanical gift Yew Koboku, check the Koishikawa garden after the Robert Fortune Bond Mission or trade with a merchant in Kyoto’s Gojo district.

Shower Ine with those thoughtful gifts alongside making all the proper dialogue choices and mission completions, and you’ll rapidly raise her Bond to the coveted “Fated” rank. At this point, you can trigger a cutscene to officially enter a “Veiled Vow” relationship – but be warned, Ine expects monogamous devotion, so you may have to spurn another love interest.

A Field of Potential Partners

Of course, Ine is just one of many romantic prospects in Rise of the Ronin’s vibrant world. Other intriguing characters you can pursue include:

• Ernest Satow – A British explorer and writer 
• Fumi Sugi – A ninja and former member of the Kusaka clan
• Ryoma Sakamoto – An influential samurai and pro-imperial activist
• Soji Okita – The captain of the Shinsengumi military force
• Usugumo Dayu – A highly skilled female ronin

Each of these characters has their own unique Bond Missions, dialogue opportunities, and preferred gifts to unlock a maxed-out relationship. So if the pragmatic Ine doesn’t capture your heart, you have plenty of other romantic avenues to explore across the game’s multiple regions like Edo and Kyoto.

No matter which character you wish to pursue, raising your Bond and Favor levels through judicious choices will slowly pave the way to a deeper connection. With patience and an understanding of their interests, you can turn scorching battles into smoldering romances in Rise of the Ronin’s immersive re-creation of late-Shogunate Japan.

Gaming’s latest prestige action title deftly blends historical authenticity with open-world role-playing depth. As you carve your legend across its acclaimed Japanese landscapes, don’t neglect to also let love blossom between the cracks of societal upheaval and war. Just mind your manners, bring fitting gifts, and always put your partner’s needs first. After all, the greatest bonds are forged through respect and mutual understanding.