Without a doubt, Nioh will appeal to many Dark Souls aficionados. The gameplay is similar at times, but there are some big distinctions. However, the surrounding world’s ambiance is less compelling, and the developers concentrated mostly on perfecting the gameplay. We still deal with gloom, but in a very different way than in previous From Software releases. There is no sense of dread or despair here. We take on the role of William, from whom a strange person steals something precious. The hero must track down the evil and try to locate him in Japan. On the spot, he becomes embroiled in the samurai’s personal turmoil and contends with demons. The tale is mostly backdrop and is not really exciting. At times, the scenes provided between missions appear random. After a long game in a certain place, we completely forget about the storyline until, after fighting the boss, the cinematic reminds us of numerous NPCs. There was little place for intriguing mysteries either. We know a lot about the globe as well as our opponents. Nioh is unlikely to match our expectations if we wish to explore the interesting mysteries of the cosmos and learn about a simple plot. However, all of the story and plot components are only one aspect of the game, and are probably unimportant to many. That’s why I’m delighted the game’s fundamentals are just fantastic, well-thought-out, and a lot of fun.
We will feel at ease if we are familiar with the Souls series. Save points are shrines that may be used to resurrect the basic opponents in the area. We level up by spending the essence that foes drop, and after death, we can return to the location of death to resurrect the spirit. The fighting system is broad and interesting, and it remains entertaining even after several dozen hours. The warrior’s attitudes, which we may modify at any time, separate Nioh from other sources of inspiration for creators. We have several blows at our disposal depending on the active position like low, medium, or high. This leads in a vast variety of distinct forms of attacks, which allows us to be more flexible and tailor the offensive approach to a certain enemy. An intriguing variation is also tied to the arsenal of talents that we discover along the trip. It can be a kick at the conclusion of a sequence of punches, a jump behind the opponent’s back, or a jumping blow following a series of assaults. The amount of potential tricks is huge, yet some of them are risky to employ because the animation of such talents cannot be paused. Nonetheless, they let you experience the essence of Ninja Gaiden here, along with the succession of punches. We also have access to so-called live weapons thanks to the guardian spirit. When we have accumulated enough energy from defeating foes, we may activate our spirit – to pick from several, received during boss bouts, ensuring additional perks. We are essentially invincible for a few minutes, which is incredibly important in dire emergency scenarios.
There are also concerns about the quantity of weapons – we only receive five, including bows and rifles. It’s hardly much, but the aforementioned slew of varied blows compensates to some extent. A simple magic system has also been developed, although it is mostly centered on the creation of talismans that imbue weapons with the power of various elements. Even a combat with just one opponent may be difficult. The most essential element is to be aware of your opponent’s movements and blows in order to know when to strike and when to block or duck. Mistakes are harshly punished – we frequently die in three or four hits, and occasionally one powerful one is all that is required. It is critical to monitor the level of Ki energy, which is the equivalent of stamina. We utilize it to avoid and block assaults. Unless we are standing in smoke circles of evil forces made by demons, the green bar regenerates quite rapidly. battling monsters is typically more difficult than battling people. A significant diversity is also the ability to trigger Ki impulses immediately after the assault, which allows us to swiftly replenish energy. Death is a necessary element of learning the game and opponent attack patterns, but a few clashes in Nioh may be rather bloody – especially during the second boss fight, it’s difficult to gauge the distance of an attack’s potency and forecast the amount of strikes in one sequence. It is also possible that the game may compel us to fight in a somewhat too tight or limited region, although this does not happen very often.
In case of emergency, we may always invite another player to assist. However, this approach appears to be quite cumbersome. To attack someone else’s game, we must first choose the relevant option on the global map menu and then wait. Fortunately, a method for finding and inviting others to the game has already been developed. Boss fights are plenty of emotions, and fatalities aren’t too bothersome because we generally unlock a shrine that is several dozen seconds away from the ultimate combat arena. Such battles are also unequal, with some clashes being more forgiving than others. The designers of the locales did an excellent job; they are not very gorgeous or physically spectacular, but they are well thought out and non-linear. One road goes to the goal, but we may frequently detour from it to gain the loot, new adversaries, or, most importantly, unlock a shortcut to the shrine, making the fear of death less oppressive. It is also varied. We go to Japanese villages, mines, undergrounds, abandoned ruins, fortresses, cemeteries, or a port town, where we rip our hair out and feel sorry for ourselves as we fall into the ocean again, because the hero can’t swim. The world is not linked. We go to the next level of the map, where we identify a specific objective to complete. We may stick to the main storyline at our leisure, but the creators have also prepared a plethora of side tasks, which are a great method to get experience; it’s always preferable to “arm in supplementary missions.
Optional excursions are diverse, however they occasionally take us to locations familiar from the primary goal. There are, however, whole new locales. Sometimes the aim is to defeat a miniboss, other times it is to obtain an item, and there are arena missions where all we have to do is withstand the onslaught of additional demons. It ultimately boils down to fighting, which is always at the heart of the enjoyment. A loot system is also included. We are constantly receiving new armor, weapons, amulets, and other technologies. There are techniques to improve your arsenal’s effectiveness, but they are restricted. We can’t significantly boost the attack power of a sword or spear, and we never hesitate to destroy any weapon if we locate a slightly better one. The option to “save” the appearance of your favorite outfit and give to another is a wonderful feature. The significance of equipment weight has also been carefully considered. The carrying capacity is represented by colored numbers, and we only notice the character going slower when the indicator is red. As a result, we can conduct swift dodges not just in light clothing.
Nioh offers dozens of hours of enjoyable in a unique way gameplay for lovers of fun in the Souls series. A wonderful battle system and consistent challenge keep us immersed in a thrilling journey at all times.