Platform: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardChange
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on March 5, 2017
Review from a LONG time Soulsborne player - I've spent hundreds of hours in Souls, and was in disbelief playing the Nioh beta/trials; could it really be THIS good? I waited to write this review until I had finished Nioh, or at least spent a decent amount of time in the end game. After doing so, taking well over 100 hours, I've concluded that this IS NIOH. It's not Souls, it's not Bloodborne, it's not Ninja Gaiden. THIS IS NIOH. And it's so damn good! Nioh has opened my eyes to what I was missing from Souls, and what I didn't know I needed - qualities that I really do need, and love. The looting is an evolved diablo-like system that is so, so, oh so great. The combat is complex and precise - my god, the hit boxes on myself and enemies are amazing. I have seen spear thrusts go over my shoulder almost touching my ear, but missed, and I took no damage. The co-op is jolly to the max, the "glamurai" dress up play is massive with dozens and dozens of armor sets, and the skill tree per weapon you favor is varied. I play co-op a lot - I stick around the difficult levels and assist players every chance I can, and I rarely see the same play style or outfit on a player. The mission structure is more like demon's souls with the hub and stones, although there are many more levels. I found myself enjoying the nature of this mission play versus a totally connected and seamless world like the dark souls series had... perhaps the increased variety? It was faster? The plot and story could advance quicker? There is a story filled with interesting characters, yokai, and traditional japanese oddity - I suppose one could long for the Souls level of nightmare story telling here, but I was ready for a change myself and have enjoyed this japanese theme and history quite a bit. There is plenty of challenge and strategy, although I may not be a proper judge after so many hundreds of hours mastering the genre. Technically, the game is magical, just magical. I play on a Pro, 4k tv and preferred the 60fps setting. It's rock solid.
In conclusion, Nioh stands strong on its own, which is absolutely fantastic for the genre. It proves that FROMSOFTWARE isn't alone in the craft, and there is still room to grow. I find myself loving Nioh, above the rest of the feelings. I am challenged, rewarded, and impressed, but above all I simply love the game.
Nioh is a critical must purchase for every playstation collection.
In conclusion, Nioh stands strong on its own, which is absolutely fantastic for the genre. It proves that FROMSOFTWARE isn't alone in the craft, and there is still room to grow. I find myself loving Nioh, above the rest of the feelings. I am challenged, rewarded, and impressed, but above all I simply love the game.
Nioh is a critical must purchase for every playstation collection.
on March 6, 2017
Nioh is an Incredible, Challenging, Booty filled game that uses parts of the Souls formula and capitalizes.
Nioh offers a nice mixture of available stat and character builds. You are obviously a Samurai who can use a Katana, Dual Katana, Spear, Axe or Kusigarama. In addition to your main weapons there are Bows, Rifles and Hand cannons but combat and ways to play Nioh go beyond just that. There are stats to level Ninjitsu and Onymo. Ninjitsu offers Ninja type items such as shurikens and smoke bombs along with poison and paralysis weapon buffs while Onymo uses magic and elemental weapon buffs. While I personally don't use much Ninjitsu both are great to have leveled up, ready for use and have plenty of other passive and active abilities. So you could technically level to be more of a Ninja or Magic user than a Samurai but at the end of the day the weapon combat is still going to be an extremely part of combat.
The combat system is fluid and spot on. Team Ninja added a target system that wasn't in the alpha demo. This is an extremely useful addition that makes playing the game better. As for the mechanics, there are 3 stances and switching between them during combat is simple. There's high, mid and low stances all of which provide different attacks with each primary weapon mentioned previously. The player can have two main and ranged weapons equipped at all times, switching between the two is an easy transition in combat. There is also a Ki [stamina] bar in Nioh but unlike other games there's a mechanic called Ki Pulse which allows you to regain a lost portion of Ki by tapping a button at the right time. This is extremely helpful to continue attacking or to have the ability to move from offensive to guard against a series of attacks without running out of Ki and being dead meat. There are also Guardian Spirits who give you different stat boosts and allow you to call upon them using their strength to perform a Super [Living Weapon] for a certain amount of time. Each spirit varies and there are items to improve length and other aspects of the Spirit, or Living Weapon. While the player starts with one of, I believe, three Spirits, throughout the game you encounter many other spirits that are added to your list of Guardian Spirits accessible via Shrines. To utilize all the spirits and bonuses they offer it is wise not to ignore the Spirit stat when leveling up.
While Nioh doesn't offer an integrated open world like Souls games the map along with the progression work extremely well. Once a mission is complete you are sent to a Map which holds the location of Missions, Sub Missions along with a castle logo in which you will find a Shrine (your saving menu), Blacksmith, Dojo, Teahouse and Storehouse; feel like I've forgotten one. I often felt this took me out of the game having to visit the Blacksmith and break down or sell all the booty I received during the mission then had to decide what to do next. Despite my own quarrel, as I said, the setup and system actually works great. In the Blacksmith you will find Buy, Sell, Forge, Dismantle, Refashion (change appearance), Reforge along with Soul Forge. Soul Forge is an extremely useful option in which you're able to upgrade an item you really like and ensure it stays useful in DMG or DEF. The problem is that often times the cost for soul matching is rather expensive so at times it's best to find or forge a new weapon or armor to use. It's a great aspect just one that I wish were more viable, rather, cheaper. However, some items are priced cheap or reasonable and I find it to be a great feature in the game. As is reforging which allows you to remove a perk or perks from weapons or armor to find ones that are more suitable or likable to the player. I strongly suggest familiarizing yourself with everything the Blacksmith offers and don't be afraid to use them. The Dojo offers training along with challenges once Ninjitsu, Onmyo, weapon familiarity, etc reach certain levels and you've progressed so far into the game. While the Teahouse, which unlocks later, is where you can join a clan. Clans give you bonus stats and allow you to fight the spirits (fallen soldiers, sword in ground, forget exact name) for a weekly battle. Also the teahouse offers Gestures, items and other goods that can be bought with the currency from fighting those who have fallen.
Nioh is definitely a challenging experience that does get somewhat easier with time. If it's too hard one could always spend time leveling or focus on using the Guardian Spirit/Living Weapon during boss fights to make the game easier. While I do see some areas for improvement or things I'd personally prefer Team Ninja truly knocked this one out the park. Nioh is an incredible game that is definitely worth playing. If you're not a fan of the Souls series there's a chance you will not like this. However there is also a chance you will as I've read quite a few comments online from those who didn't like Souls games but were loving Nioh. Either way, if Nioh has caught your attention and you don't mind a little challenge do yourself a favor and pick this game up. From top to bottom it is solid and a blast to play.
Nioh offers a nice mixture of available stat and character builds. You are obviously a Samurai who can use a Katana, Dual Katana, Spear, Axe or Kusigarama. In addition to your main weapons there are Bows, Rifles and Hand cannons but combat and ways to play Nioh go beyond just that. There are stats to level Ninjitsu and Onymo. Ninjitsu offers Ninja type items such as shurikens and smoke bombs along with poison and paralysis weapon buffs while Onymo uses magic and elemental weapon buffs. While I personally don't use much Ninjitsu both are great to have leveled up, ready for use and have plenty of other passive and active abilities. So you could technically level to be more of a Ninja or Magic user than a Samurai but at the end of the day the weapon combat is still going to be an extremely part of combat.
The combat system is fluid and spot on. Team Ninja added a target system that wasn't in the alpha demo. This is an extremely useful addition that makes playing the game better. As for the mechanics, there are 3 stances and switching between them during combat is simple. There's high, mid and low stances all of which provide different attacks with each primary weapon mentioned previously. The player can have two main and ranged weapons equipped at all times, switching between the two is an easy transition in combat. There is also a Ki [stamina] bar in Nioh but unlike other games there's a mechanic called Ki Pulse which allows you to regain a lost portion of Ki by tapping a button at the right time. This is extremely helpful to continue attacking or to have the ability to move from offensive to guard against a series of attacks without running out of Ki and being dead meat. There are also Guardian Spirits who give you different stat boosts and allow you to call upon them using their strength to perform a Super [Living Weapon] for a certain amount of time. Each spirit varies and there are items to improve length and other aspects of the Spirit, or Living Weapon. While the player starts with one of, I believe, three Spirits, throughout the game you encounter many other spirits that are added to your list of Guardian Spirits accessible via Shrines. To utilize all the spirits and bonuses they offer it is wise not to ignore the Spirit stat when leveling up.
While Nioh doesn't offer an integrated open world like Souls games the map along with the progression work extremely well. Once a mission is complete you are sent to a Map which holds the location of Missions, Sub Missions along with a castle logo in which you will find a Shrine (your saving menu), Blacksmith, Dojo, Teahouse and Storehouse; feel like I've forgotten one. I often felt this took me out of the game having to visit the Blacksmith and break down or sell all the booty I received during the mission then had to decide what to do next. Despite my own quarrel, as I said, the setup and system actually works great. In the Blacksmith you will find Buy, Sell, Forge, Dismantle, Refashion (change appearance), Reforge along with Soul Forge. Soul Forge is an extremely useful option in which you're able to upgrade an item you really like and ensure it stays useful in DMG or DEF. The problem is that often times the cost for soul matching is rather expensive so at times it's best to find or forge a new weapon or armor to use. It's a great aspect just one that I wish were more viable, rather, cheaper. However, some items are priced cheap or reasonable and I find it to be a great feature in the game. As is reforging which allows you to remove a perk or perks from weapons or armor to find ones that are more suitable or likable to the player. I strongly suggest familiarizing yourself with everything the Blacksmith offers and don't be afraid to use them. The Dojo offers training along with challenges once Ninjitsu, Onmyo, weapon familiarity, etc reach certain levels and you've progressed so far into the game. While the Teahouse, which unlocks later, is where you can join a clan. Clans give you bonus stats and allow you to fight the spirits (fallen soldiers, sword in ground, forget exact name) for a weekly battle. Also the teahouse offers Gestures, items and other goods that can be bought with the currency from fighting those who have fallen.
Nioh is definitely a challenging experience that does get somewhat easier with time. If it's too hard one could always spend time leveling or focus on using the Guardian Spirit/Living Weapon during boss fights to make the game easier. While I do see some areas for improvement or things I'd personally prefer Team Ninja truly knocked this one out the park. Nioh is an incredible game that is definitely worth playing. If you're not a fan of the Souls series there's a chance you will not like this. However there is also a chance you will as I've read quite a few comments online from those who didn't like Souls games but were loving Nioh. Either way, if Nioh has caught your attention and you don't mind a little challenge do yourself a favor and pick this game up. From top to bottom it is solid and a blast to play.
on March 11, 2017
Nioh is a new take on what is slowly becoming a new genre, one based on the formula set by the famous "Dark Souls" trilogy and its sibling, "Bloodborne". Both of which are excellent titles, and have spawned a number of similar games using a number of the same mechanics in the form of independant titles but Nioh is the first AAA attempt to my knowledge. The attempt has succeeded.
Nioh, unlike its inspirations, has an actual plot. That isn't a dig at those games, but they're more about a single goal surrounded by a mysterious world that you as the player must unravel. Here, you are playing an actual character by the name of William, an Irish sailor possessing a Gaelic spirit and who begins the game in a prison cell in the Tower of London.
Just wait, the Samurai parts start soon.
Unfortunately, you do have to play through what is the most bizarre first level I have ever seen. Mostly because it takes place before an actual tutorial containing the games primary mechanics even begins! Just know that the entire London stage is NOT, repeat, NOT indicative of what Nioh actually is and how it plays.
Anyway, your spirit gets stolen from you and you chase it to the land of "Zipangu", AKA Japan, which is currently embroiled in a massive war for the fate of the country. This historic backdrop is where you will actually play Nioh, whose primary mechanics involve the use of "combat stances", of which there are three (or four if you count "Sheathed Weapon", of which there are a handful of moves for) but you will primarily use three stances per weapon type. The combat is fast, faster than Bloodborne and much deadlier. If you aren't careful, you will die to as many as two-three hits from a large enemy of equivalent level.
Stamina management, or "Ki" as it is called here, is the means by which you will live or die. Opposingly, your opponents, even bosses, all have their own Ki meters. Ki can be "broken" by reducing either party's bar to zero through accumulated damage or over use of dodging or blocking. The game's combat also features an extensive tree of unlockable abilities based around each weapon along with two supporting trees of "Ninjutsu" and "Omnyo". Essentially spell casting. In a twist, you can regain stamina mid-combo or fight through properly timed Ki recovery techniques. A perfectly timed purification will often provide you with a damage bonus on your next attack, as well as purify any surrounding pools of Yokai energy.
Speaking of Yokai, when you aren't fighting human enemies you will for the majority of the game have to combat Yokai, or Demons, from Japanese folklore. The game's plot revolves around William becoming embroiled in the war taking place within the shadows of the larger one. Sort of like a, "secret history" thing. It takes him across Japan where along the way he will meet several historical characters as well as their spirits. Spirits who provide passive bonuses and a "living weapon" mode, which turns William's chosen weapons into elemental tools of destruction while providing him with limited invulnerability. The timer of which is reduced with damage or use.
As you can see there is a lot here and I'm having trouble keeping it all together. Basically what I'm saying is there is plenty familiar here but its all in a good way. The combat is slicker than From Software is capable of, however and I can't see how it can be argued. Team Ninja did a great job making that important aspect of gameplay stand out from its inspirations.
I'll end by answering the usual question, "Is it better than Dark Souls or Bloodborne?". Well, the combat certainly is. Bloodborne is close but the "Blood Gem" system is a mess that doesn't compare to Nioh's extensive upgrade and blacksmithing system. You can even play fashion Nioh and make your equipment look like other equipment you've found!
While the historical backdrop and the historical figures you meet along with the deep, Japanese mythology at play is a unique and fascinating backdrop it doesn't have the love, care and thoughtfulness of the Dark Souls and Bloodborne games. Not unexpected considering it is intentional, as all those games are designed to inspire thought and exploration in the players. World building in those games and how it is presented to the players is part of what makes them so good as From Software has mastered the abiity to tell a story without words, as it goes. Nioh is interesting but the story is just there to give you direction and purpose as opposed to the anmesiac wanderlust feeling of the other games.
From there, the other differences are minor enough because Team Ninja decided reinventing the wheel is pointless. The formulae works for the most part as is, so why mess with it? To all those who say, "Its just a rip off of Dark Souls!" I reply, "So you mean its more of what you already love?"
Nioh, unlike its inspirations, has an actual plot. That isn't a dig at those games, but they're more about a single goal surrounded by a mysterious world that you as the player must unravel. Here, you are playing an actual character by the name of William, an Irish sailor possessing a Gaelic spirit and who begins the game in a prison cell in the Tower of London.
Just wait, the Samurai parts start soon.
Unfortunately, you do have to play through what is the most bizarre first level I have ever seen. Mostly because it takes place before an actual tutorial containing the games primary mechanics even begins! Just know that the entire London stage is NOT, repeat, NOT indicative of what Nioh actually is and how it plays.
Anyway, your spirit gets stolen from you and you chase it to the land of "Zipangu", AKA Japan, which is currently embroiled in a massive war for the fate of the country. This historic backdrop is where you will actually play Nioh, whose primary mechanics involve the use of "combat stances", of which there are three (or four if you count "Sheathed Weapon", of which there are a handful of moves for) but you will primarily use three stances per weapon type. The combat is fast, faster than Bloodborne and much deadlier. If you aren't careful, you will die to as many as two-three hits from a large enemy of equivalent level.
Stamina management, or "Ki" as it is called here, is the means by which you will live or die. Opposingly, your opponents, even bosses, all have their own Ki meters. Ki can be "broken" by reducing either party's bar to zero through accumulated damage or over use of dodging or blocking. The game's combat also features an extensive tree of unlockable abilities based around each weapon along with two supporting trees of "Ninjutsu" and "Omnyo". Essentially spell casting. In a twist, you can regain stamina mid-combo or fight through properly timed Ki recovery techniques. A perfectly timed purification will often provide you with a damage bonus on your next attack, as well as purify any surrounding pools of Yokai energy.
Speaking of Yokai, when you aren't fighting human enemies you will for the majority of the game have to combat Yokai, or Demons, from Japanese folklore. The game's plot revolves around William becoming embroiled in the war taking place within the shadows of the larger one. Sort of like a, "secret history" thing. It takes him across Japan where along the way he will meet several historical characters as well as their spirits. Spirits who provide passive bonuses and a "living weapon" mode, which turns William's chosen weapons into elemental tools of destruction while providing him with limited invulnerability. The timer of which is reduced with damage or use.
As you can see there is a lot here and I'm having trouble keeping it all together. Basically what I'm saying is there is plenty familiar here but its all in a good way. The combat is slicker than From Software is capable of, however and I can't see how it can be argued. Team Ninja did a great job making that important aspect of gameplay stand out from its inspirations.
I'll end by answering the usual question, "Is it better than Dark Souls or Bloodborne?". Well, the combat certainly is. Bloodborne is close but the "Blood Gem" system is a mess that doesn't compare to Nioh's extensive upgrade and blacksmithing system. You can even play fashion Nioh and make your equipment look like other equipment you've found!
While the historical backdrop and the historical figures you meet along with the deep, Japanese mythology at play is a unique and fascinating backdrop it doesn't have the love, care and thoughtfulness of the Dark Souls and Bloodborne games. Not unexpected considering it is intentional, as all those games are designed to inspire thought and exploration in the players. World building in those games and how it is presented to the players is part of what makes them so good as From Software has mastered the abiity to tell a story without words, as it goes. Nioh is interesting but the story is just there to give you direction and purpose as opposed to the anmesiac wanderlust feeling of the other games.
From there, the other differences are minor enough because Team Ninja decided reinventing the wheel is pointless. The formulae works for the most part as is, so why mess with it? To all those who say, "Its just a rip off of Dark Souls!" I reply, "So you mean its more of what you already love?"
on March 3, 2017
What a fantastic game! Even though it's clearly inspired by From Software's Souls franchise/Bloodborne, it would be wrong to simply call Nioh a clone of those games. Its gameplay is deep, varied, responsive, easy to pick up and hard to master, and incredibly satisfactory no matter what weapon class you use. In terms of world building, lore, sense of place and enemy and level design it doesn't quite reach the level of a From Software game (but what game in the industry does?), but it definitely gives them a run for their money in the gameplay department. Thoroughly recommended for any fan of Dark Souls/Bloodborne or anybody who appreciates tough action-RPG games! Team Ninja is back with a bang!
on February 14, 2017
Ignore the other one star reviews talking about being burned by online codes for armor that you will honestly use all of once or about how the co-op is broken (it's not), this game is fantastic with everything it tries.
The Story:
Probably this game's weakest point, but it's still good. It does make you care about the characters, but at times there are pacing issues, and it does feel like it just drops you directly into an already in progress game, not that you're beginning from the start. That could be a good or bad thing depending on who you are and how quick you like to get into games.
The Co-op:
Despite what others reviewers are saying, the co-op is as advertised pre-launch of the game. You do have to beat the levels before you can help co-op in them, but they are all fun enough that it's not a chore to redo them multiple times. In addition to this, which is semi-Dark Souls like, there is an alternate mode in which you both act a the host of the world and both progress through from the start. The catch to this one is, that if you die, you do not get kicked back to your world. Instead, you stay dead in the world and must be revived by your partner to continue fighting. This uses up a sort of shared life meter that will run out as you die/revive. Once it's gone, it's game over.
The Combat:
This is the game's absolute crowning achievement. It feels very simple at first, but as you play through the game, you will begin to string together combos and abilities faster than you know. It feels more fluid than Dark Souls (and that's come from a big fan of those games) and at times, even more fair and punishing at the same time. If you get hit, it's because you messed up your timing or block, not because giant boss #35 used his arena clearing horizontal swing to chunk off half your health bar. There's 6 primary weapon types to pick from and 3 long range, you can use anything from a basic katana and bow, to a chain sickle and hand cannon.
The customization:
One of the game's strong and weaker points all at the same time. The character is one static guy who you can give a haircut and beard trim to (like Geralt in The Witcher 3), but the armor choices are fantastic. I've got around 30 hours in the game and I've counted at least 20 sets of armor so far, and you can mix and match all of them. You can also transform the look of any piece of armor to look like another one you might like better.
The crafting:
So in depth, holy crap. You can forge weapons, forge armor, upgrade the level of gear to match your current by burning another you don't use, replace stats on every piece of gear, break gear down to make better gear. The list goes on and it makes the game very easy to tailor to your play-style and preferences.
I cannot recommend this game enough if you like Ninja Gaiden or need your hard as hell game itch scratched, and I would give it more than 5 stars if I could. It's already contender for my GOTY 2017.
The Story:
Probably this game's weakest point, but it's still good. It does make you care about the characters, but at times there are pacing issues, and it does feel like it just drops you directly into an already in progress game, not that you're beginning from the start. That could be a good or bad thing depending on who you are and how quick you like to get into games.
The Co-op:
Despite what others reviewers are saying, the co-op is as advertised pre-launch of the game. You do have to beat the levels before you can help co-op in them, but they are all fun enough that it's not a chore to redo them multiple times. In addition to this, which is semi-Dark Souls like, there is an alternate mode in which you both act a the host of the world and both progress through from the start. The catch to this one is, that if you die, you do not get kicked back to your world. Instead, you stay dead in the world and must be revived by your partner to continue fighting. This uses up a sort of shared life meter that will run out as you die/revive. Once it's gone, it's game over.
The Combat:
This is the game's absolute crowning achievement. It feels very simple at first, but as you play through the game, you will begin to string together combos and abilities faster than you know. It feels more fluid than Dark Souls (and that's come from a big fan of those games) and at times, even more fair and punishing at the same time. If you get hit, it's because you messed up your timing or block, not because giant boss #35 used his arena clearing horizontal swing to chunk off half your health bar. There's 6 primary weapon types to pick from and 3 long range, you can use anything from a basic katana and bow, to a chain sickle and hand cannon.
The customization:
One of the game's strong and weaker points all at the same time. The character is one static guy who you can give a haircut and beard trim to (like Geralt in The Witcher 3), but the armor choices are fantastic. I've got around 30 hours in the game and I've counted at least 20 sets of armor so far, and you can mix and match all of them. You can also transform the look of any piece of armor to look like another one you might like better.
The crafting:
So in depth, holy crap. You can forge weapons, forge armor, upgrade the level of gear to match your current by burning another you don't use, replace stats on every piece of gear, break gear down to make better gear. The list goes on and it makes the game very easy to tailor to your play-style and preferences.
I cannot recommend this game enough if you like Ninja Gaiden or need your hard as hell game itch scratched, and I would give it more than 5 stars if I could. It's already contender for my GOTY 2017.
on February 7, 2017
I know what you're probably thinking. Dark Souls was already tailored specifically for masochists. Gargantuan bosses, mind-boggling patters, giant clubs that could end you in a handful of swipes, and mazes that make your average science museum look organised. Nioh takes the concepts that made Dark Souls so popular and unforgettable and ratchets them up a few notches.
There are three stances that the player can adopt for combat, and each of them has their own strengths and weaknesses based on the opponents you're facing at the time. Some attacks are swift and do not drain much stamina, allowing them to be used frequently. Then there are slow attacks that can leave your opponents reeling (but leave you vulnerable if you miss your target). Add the hundreds of weapons available for you to use and the number of combinations increases exponentially. This, of course, increases the sense of satisfaction when you vanquish giant demons and spirits.
The enemies in Nioh are taken from Japanese folklore for the most part, and the sheer volume of them keeps things interesting and fresh. Fun fact: the game's title comes from the term used to refer to the two Deva kings from Japanese myths.
Have fun!
There are three stances that the player can adopt for combat, and each of them has their own strengths and weaknesses based on the opponents you're facing at the time. Some attacks are swift and do not drain much stamina, allowing them to be used frequently. Then there are slow attacks that can leave your opponents reeling (but leave you vulnerable if you miss your target). Add the hundreds of weapons available for you to use and the number of combinations increases exponentially. This, of course, increases the sense of satisfaction when you vanquish giant demons and spirits.
The enemies in Nioh are taken from Japanese folklore for the most part, and the sheer volume of them keeps things interesting and fresh. Fun fact: the game's title comes from the term used to refer to the two Deva kings from Japanese myths.
Have fun!
on March 22, 2017
I eagerly awaited the arrival of this game, when I first found out about it several months before its release. Although I didn't play any of the alpha or beta testing, but followed and watched most things I could find on it on YouTube over the months of waiting. As a long time souls player, whom was becoming rather bored with DS3 (of course until the last DLC drops soon here) I was ready for something new, but just as challenging. I feel that many of us in the hardcore souls community were hungry for a similar offering.
Pros: I really cant praise this game enough, and I actually find myself enjoying its combat system even more then Souls, and BB, in many ways I would compare its combat system to a distillation of the best parts of Souls and Bloodborne. The game is gorgeous, plays very smooth, and has so many options as far as fighting style customizability it will keep most Souls fans busy for a long time figuring out different combinations. And trust me there are many.
The multiplayer side of things is a lot of fun as well, although, its a bit confusing till you figure it out. Rather then a summon sign you can put down for players to bring you into game in Souls, since the game works on a mission based system, you can either summon in help at random from shrines within a level, jump in at random to help someone who is summoning for help, or you can start a level wholesale with a friend or random friend pretty much within seconds (ofcourse the quality of said random friend is 50/50, my biggest gripe is getting the speed runner that runs to the boss, ignores you, and all the other enemies and drops, if your doing that WHY ARE YOU EVEN PLAYING WITH SOMEONE ELSE!)
Cons: The story is pretty hard to follow, and is pretty light, some of this is probably a language barrier if you don't speak or have a lot of knowledge based on Japanese history, the game does offer more detailed story content that you can look at your leisure as you make your way through the game. But the story isn't going to blow any one away.
The enemies can be repetitive, as you get to later and harder levels and difficulties, the enemies are pretty much just beefed up, rinse and repeat as difficulty grows. Although this doesn't bother me a whole lot, it would be nice to see some variation in appearance, and attack pattern.
The game glitches HARD at times. Of course im sure this will be patched and fixed as time goes on, and they are few. But in a game as unforgiving and hard as NIOH, having the boss fall threw the floor, or you get clip stuck in a doorway unable to finish a level, is brutal.
Overall if you are a souls fan, or even aren't, but a game of this style attracts you, give it a go, I love this game, and have sunk in a lot of time, and am eagerly awaiting the many future content to be released for it. But be warned, like any souls like game expect to be smeared across the arena wall when you first enter a boss battle, its all part of the Masacore level of fun! Happy gaming!
Pros: I really cant praise this game enough, and I actually find myself enjoying its combat system even more then Souls, and BB, in many ways I would compare its combat system to a distillation of the best parts of Souls and Bloodborne. The game is gorgeous, plays very smooth, and has so many options as far as fighting style customizability it will keep most Souls fans busy for a long time figuring out different combinations. And trust me there are many.
The multiplayer side of things is a lot of fun as well, although, its a bit confusing till you figure it out. Rather then a summon sign you can put down for players to bring you into game in Souls, since the game works on a mission based system, you can either summon in help at random from shrines within a level, jump in at random to help someone who is summoning for help, or you can start a level wholesale with a friend or random friend pretty much within seconds (ofcourse the quality of said random friend is 50/50, my biggest gripe is getting the speed runner that runs to the boss, ignores you, and all the other enemies and drops, if your doing that WHY ARE YOU EVEN PLAYING WITH SOMEONE ELSE!)
Cons: The story is pretty hard to follow, and is pretty light, some of this is probably a language barrier if you don't speak or have a lot of knowledge based on Japanese history, the game does offer more detailed story content that you can look at your leisure as you make your way through the game. But the story isn't going to blow any one away.
The enemies can be repetitive, as you get to later and harder levels and difficulties, the enemies are pretty much just beefed up, rinse and repeat as difficulty grows. Although this doesn't bother me a whole lot, it would be nice to see some variation in appearance, and attack pattern.
The game glitches HARD at times. Of course im sure this will be patched and fixed as time goes on, and they are few. But in a game as unforgiving and hard as NIOH, having the boss fall threw the floor, or you get clip stuck in a doorway unable to finish a level, is brutal.
Overall if you are a souls fan, or even aren't, but a game of this style attracts you, give it a go, I love this game, and have sunk in a lot of time, and am eagerly awaiting the many future content to be released for it. But be warned, like any souls like game expect to be smeared across the arena wall when you first enter a boss battle, its all part of the Masacore level of fun! Happy gaming!
on March 29, 2017
This review is going to be short.
I really dig this game. It's been a fun romp and atmospheric journey. For an action RPG, Nioh is really getting close to my ideal set up.
From the combat, to the environment and the enemies. It's well done. And as long as this game was on the back burner it needs to be well done.
The games production value are not AAA... but in the context of things, its pretty good.
If you want a Action RPG that has a layered combat system, that is both easy to pick up, but gets deeper the more you play especially with the three stances. Give this game a shot!
The only thing I would peg against this game.. the ONLY thing that the developer/publisher (Whatever you call the decision maker) is the Co-op.
In the Demo right up until release... you could team up with randoms it didn't matter what.. you could have a blast with random people.. your friends included. Teaming up with people wasn't a pain in the butt. And then when the game released, and when I last played it, you had to beat a level before you could team up with your friend to tackle it. And teaming up with strangers suddenly became more difficult.
This deal with co-op was the only thing that made me Livid about the game. And I thought was absolutely stupid to do. I don't know what kind of back end BS the developer pulled here.. but it was absolute garbage.
Other than that, the game was pretty awesome. Give it a shot!
Worth the money.
I really dig this game. It's been a fun romp and atmospheric journey. For an action RPG, Nioh is really getting close to my ideal set up.
From the combat, to the environment and the enemies. It's well done. And as long as this game was on the back burner it needs to be well done.
The games production value are not AAA... but in the context of things, its pretty good.
If you want a Action RPG that has a layered combat system, that is both easy to pick up, but gets deeper the more you play especially with the three stances. Give this game a shot!
The only thing I would peg against this game.. the ONLY thing that the developer/publisher (Whatever you call the decision maker) is the Co-op.
In the Demo right up until release... you could team up with randoms it didn't matter what.. you could have a blast with random people.. your friends included. Teaming up with people wasn't a pain in the butt. And then when the game released, and when I last played it, you had to beat a level before you could team up with your friend to tackle it. And teaming up with strangers suddenly became more difficult.
This deal with co-op was the only thing that made me Livid about the game. And I thought was absolutely stupid to do. I don't know what kind of back end BS the developer pulled here.. but it was absolute garbage.
Other than that, the game was pretty awesome. Give it a shot!
Worth the money.
on April 1, 2017
The action packed game is an entertaining hardcore game that if the gamer who is playing it will definitely feel a like it's a mix of Onimusha/God Of War/Dark Souls/Devil May Cry all mixed together. I love how so much of the Japanese myths of yokai/demons/gods were put into the game as well as some actual historical figures as well. The gameplay is pretty easy once it's learned and the upgrade tree is overall what many have learned and used in other JRPG/RPG games. The animation overall is spectacular as is the soundtrack and voice cast. This is one of those games that urges exploration and doing side missions as you won't progress far into the main story unless you build your character up don't expect to take on a high level Oni if you're just a beginner level fighter with lackluster weapons and armor. While pricey I personally feel the game is well worth getting but if you're still unsure I'd advise seeing if you can possibly try out a demo beforehand that way you know what you're ultimately getting into whne you do decide on getting this game or not.
