Nioh: Complete Edition

On the list of souls-like games I've played, this comes pretty low.

Dark Souls 3
Elden Ring
Dark Souls 2
The Surge
---Line of "Bad Games but I liked the Aesthetics enough to recommend"---
Lords of the Fallen (Original) [bad game but I lvoed the aesthetic]
Mortal Shell
---Line of "Would not recommend"---
Nioh <---
Ashen

The aesthetics and visuals are not compelling, a critical failing in a soulslike game. The maps are bland. The combat is difficult and complex (which is good), but lacks the natural flow I'd look for in a soulslike. The combat system was complex and the equipment system had a lot to it too, but I just... didn't find either at all enjoyable. First and foremost, a game must be fun. A Soulslike needs to match its gameplay difficulty with enough aesthetic beauty to account for the pain of repetition. Nioh simply fails to do so.

me: "hell yeah I combo this enemy with so many combos/hits, now for the final strike"
KO'd you in one or two hits
me: "wtfajdbauiwdbiaw"

basically what is like playing Nioh

It is good. I do not like the RNG, but there is enough here to get good at.

Listen to "The Cherry Blossoms (Sakura Sakura)" by Toshiko Yonekawa. You'll basically have an idea for why this is in my top 3 best souls-like games of all time. Vibes alone.

5/5 Perfect Game

Waiting for Yata Mirror from the blacksmith rare finder from Way of the Wise later stage.

10/10

If you choose a level you have to finish the whole level all over again. The items system is way too complicated; you can get two of the same weapon but they have different stats, I don't even want to know how many variations one weapon can have. It doesn't make sense. Another thing that I could not get over was how confusing it is trying to do absolutely anything in this game. When I want to upgrade weapons, the screen is jumbled full of crap and I really do not care enough to figure it out, and there's next to no online support for this game (namely YouTube videos), so you're on your own with a game that is overcomplicated and not worth figuring out. The fights are also not rewarding, I don't know why but that is one thing I am sure of. I beat the first two bosses in this game, and I literally felt nothing. As for what I enjoyed, I'll be bluntly honest, not much. it's a solid 3/10 from me.

Only 5 more bosses to beat the game so I'll review early. I have over 200 hours in the game on ps4. I've beaten the game many times. It's my standard. It's better than any souls games imo although I havent tried elden ring or sekiro yet. best soulslike out there not including Nioh 2 which I don't have much time with yet. It's my comfort game that I come back to every so often. My current run is me going for beating the game with no armor, no heals, no skills or items, no living weapon, no over leveling, and no damage with bosses. Pretty much doing everything I can think so that makes it extra hard. I do occasionally use bow and rifle without abusing it so the challenge could indeed be harder if I wanted it to be. My hardest challenge so far and I'm enjoying it. So far I thought 3 bosses would require me to break the no hit part of the challenge but I managed to beat them. Now I"m sure there's only 1 possible boss take can make me fail and that's the second to last boss/bosses, that being the multi headed dragons. I have no doubt that I will need to use armor and heal a bunch for that fight but I will try to do it with the challenge none the less. Underrated game that makes me think without being an A hole that anyone that dislikes this game isn't good at it or is brain rotted and likely thinks clunky games like dark souls or most souls games are better. Nothing touches this games fluid combat. It may not be flashy like elden ring or sekiro (one of the reasons I think elden ring or sekiro could possibly be better once I play them) and not as open and free as other games but it's damn near perfect to me. I'm biased though it being my first soulslike experience. Must play for anyone that's a fan of the genre. I play it mostly of my steam deck and it run perfectly, not the most comfortable, I prefer my ps4 controller but still plays good.

This game is too hard. You can beat the game but only if you have enough patience.

Nioh 2 is decent, don't buy this. The second entry has everything you're looking for.

Japansouls is a tough as nails Souls like in Japan. Or something like that. My crafting tab go brrrrrrrrrrrrr.

7/10

It's like if sekiro and bloodborne had a child, love it
If you like punishing, strategic, action and japanese folklore game, this is the game for you

The game get compared a lot to dark souls, hence souls-like genre, but the game deserved its own place since you get rewarded for blocking more than i-framing through enemy attack. Granted its mission/level based game rather than interconnecting place, but the game offer a ton of replayability through its NG+ system. Upgrading equipment is pretty convoluted but when the game 'clicks' you'll get ton of enjoyment playing through. NG+++ (Way of the Wise) is required for platinum/all achievement run, finished mine on level 397/125 hrs in. Definitely recommend solid 8.5/10.

Good game!

Nioh is a great souls-like. The combat is very fluid, and although the builds are more limited than most souls games, that allows more focus on unique mechanics for each build. The art style is good, like a older Japanese feel with monsters everywhere. Just with I didn't have to complete NG++ for all achievements.

Overall 9/10 worth when it's on sale

DO NOT get this if you have not beaten a souls game before (without summons/help from other players).
If you want a difficult game, go beat those first.

It is a more demanding Dark Souls with random loot generation mechanics of Diablo.
While it has the Dark Souls core, it has a much more complex combat system but while it is a lot to digest, it is very satisfying to master and you feel like a complete boss when you play well.
This also makes grinding satisfying compared to when it is braindead.

Some other big differences are backstabbing is exclusively a stealth technique and parrying isn't unlocked until late in the game as a part of your talent tree. Speaking of talent tree, Black Myth Wukong is likely highly inspired by this game and just like in Wukong, players that struggle are the ones that are forgetting a core game mechanic.
If you have played Wukong, you can also add the skeleton of that game to your expectations of this game.

Things that are different that I didn't like : rolling and blocking are VERY expensive (stamina).

Last big difference is this game doesn't have damaging spells like in souls games, at least as far as I've played.

Doesn't quite reach the heights of Nioh 2, but that's the only thing it shares in common with most other games. Excellent game, have finished it twice (once here, once on PS4) at time of review. Highly recommended. This and Nioh 2 are two of my all-time favorites.

Whoever thought of putting two bosses at the same time should serve jail time. (skill issued)

Great game mechanically and story wise, but its not made for keyboard and mouse, additionally graphics while playing on PC are visually unappealing.

roses are red
violets are blue
i like this game
so should you

Hard to complete. Fun combat. In NG+ and above, the gameplay changes to more of a buff/debuff focused style of combat, which can be annoying, depending on how you look at it. But still, very enjoyable.

Very enjoyable to play through from start to finish and I'm impressed by the creative direction and precision of the combat controls.

It's a fairly hard game especially with the bosses, but they don't feel like a slog because they can still be killed and reattempted rather quickly, and there are mechanisms by which you can slow or cripple them if they are giving you trouble.

The levels are somewhat maze-like at times but have plenty of shortcuts and just enough distinctive architecture that I didn't find myself getting too lost.

I used somewhat simple weapons like the Odachi and Axe in my playthrough but you can get very technical with the combos of some weapons and I feel that I only scratched the surface of what is possible in the combat system.

Likewise there is an expansive endgame and DLC episodes if you want more challenge and ability to perfect your build.

And today in 2024 the online features are still working with revenants from dead players found everywhere. Although if you farm them for equipment, you may notice the gear is converging towards a single build and you may not get much variety.

Hardest soulslike ever, you are warned.
Got every achievement because Im a hunk.

This game is so weird to me:
I really like the combat but I hate the places the game takes place in, so dull and annoying. I'm pretty sure after they designed the levels and environments, some dev went and poured glitter all over the place, shit sucks.

ignored this when it first came out for the PS4 being a from software fanboy🤣 I am glad I passed on this one a few years back and be able to play it now for the first time and it is an absolute blast!!! Cant believe im saying this but I think im having more fun on this one as to when i first played dark souls, and for a darksouls fan boy that very hard to spit out🥲 anyway, all im saying is...its a very great game, thanks team ninja👌

From the moment I picked up Nioh, I was transported to a beautifully brutal rendition of Sengoku-era Japan, where danger lurks around every corner and only the sharpest blades and quickest reflexes can ensure survival. Team Ninja has crafted an incredible action RPG that blends the best elements of the Souls series with a rich historical narrative and deeply satisfying combat.

Gameplay: The combat system in Nioh is nothing short of spectacular. Each weapon feels distinct, and the ability to switch between stances mid-fight adds a layer of strategy that keeps every encounter fresh and challenging. Whether you're slicing through Yokai with a katana or pummeling foes with a pair of tonfas, the sense of accomplishment after each battle is immensely rewarding.

Graphics and Sound: Visually, Nioh is stunning. The attention to detail in the environments, character designs, and enemy models is remarkable. The hauntingly beautiful landscapes and the eerie soundtracks enhance the atmosphere, making each level a joy to explore (or dread, depending on your perspective).

Story: The narrative, inspired by real historical events and figures, is compelling and well-executed. Following the journey of William Adams, a Western samurai, adds an intriguing twist to the traditional samurai tale. The story is enriched by well-crafted cutscenes and engaging dialogue that keep you invested in the characters and their fates.

Replayability: With a robust leveling system, a plethora of side missions, and challenging boss fights, Nioh offers countless hours of gameplay. The New Game+ mode and the ability to customize and enhance your gear provide plenty of reasons to return to the game long after the credits have rolled.

In summary, Nioh is a must-play for fans of challenging action RPGs. Its seamless blend of fast-paced combat, captivating story, and rich historical setting make it a standout title in the genre. Prepare yourself for an unforgettable journey filled with intense battles and profound satisfaction.

for me harder than dark souls. perhaps because mob can kill you in 2 moves

The duo bosses have never, ever been worse, even when paired against FromSoft's collection, but then Team Ninja goes above and beyond and introduces a triple boss fight.

Genuinely speechless, absolutely ridiculous play, so absurd that I simply have to applaud them.

This game is one of the better Soulslike games I've beaten. It's better than the first Surge game, Lords of the Fallen and probably the second game too. Not as good as any soulsborne games, or Sekiro, but still the base game is difficult and punishing but super rewarding in the end! Then I got to the DLC.

I hated the DLC. I tried playing it and wondering "huh, I beat that final gauntlet of 7 bosses in a row without using a shrine or dying on my first try... and I two shot the epilogue boss... why the difficulty spike?". Its because the DLC is designed to be played part way through, or at the end of a NG+ playthrough. That's bullshit. If I wanted to play the campaign again I would. What I don't want to do is play the ENTIRE story again just to stand a chance against DLC enemies and bosses. I read forums, reddit posts and watched some videos about the DLC and the consensus is "beat NG+ then play and its equal to your level and gear". I don't want to play the campaign again, but I also don't want to bang my head against the DLC until I suffer a concussion and die, so I guess outside of making it to the first DLC boss, I won't be playing the game further.

If you want to grind the campaign for hours, or no life the game for 100+ hours doing the Abyss and NG+ to NG+++, play the game and the DLC. But if you just want to play the game, enjoy it for its surface level entertainment value like me, the DLC really isn't worth it. I got a huge backlog of games and don't want to spend 100 more hours to play the DLC. That seems boring to me as a soulslike casual. Good game, punishing but rewarding once you get the hang of it, and a bs DLC difficulty spike made by the devs cause the DLC took too long to drop so everybody playing it originally would've been overleveled. Makes it so somebody doing a first, one time playthrough suffers because other people played the game first. Lame end to my time playing a fun game.

I dare say this is better than any souls-like games in terms of learning and action designs.

It's hard, but instead of being "here's how you move and attack, now beat this Boss", like other FS souls, You are progressively introduced to the game's core combat mechanics and gimics against certain types of enemies and Boss. "Here's how you use Zanshin. Now try using it on this Elite. Good, practice a bit more on this stage then beat this Boss that requires you to use Zanshin effectively." Same with many other designs and systems. Instead of being constantly fraustrated by the slightest mistake in dodging, you are actually getting better at using all the means available to you and beat the game more smoothly rather than getting stuck at every Boss for 10 hours because of the same mistake or "cheat moves".
Actions and skill designs are also miles better than FS souls games. Thus it encourages you to "actively seeking ways to defeat the enemy" over using typical souls game "hit-roll-dodge" pattern. Difference is one is designed to reward you to be better and the other is to "cheese to make you lose" so you think it's difficult and thus play with the safest "hit-roll" pattern.
Just watch how 1st time players of the 2 games approach the mid-end game Bosses, you'll see the difference in mindset and combat pattern.

Great game, among the better non-From soulslike titles. Theres a lot of depth to the combat system with the stances and skills and some really cool enemy designs.

My only issue was with the diablo-like itemization. IF you like that stuff you'll see it as a positive, but personally I'm not into grinding for loot drops. This isn't an issue at all on an initial playthrough, you can beat it with anything, though you can make things much easier with a good armor/weapon set. But when you get to the various NG+'s you start NEEDING a build and thats where the grinding comes in. I stopped playing at that point, but I enjoyed playing through NG and the first NG+ a lot so I still got a lot of enjoyment out of the game.

I have another 100 hours of Nioh played on PS4. This game is a great buy for any dark souls fan. Prepare to die.

P.S.
When initially buying the game I'd get a black screen upon launching but a simple file verification and re-download fixed the problem for me on the first try. This took me 3 days to figure out. Tell your friends.

Great souls-like. About halfway through it and its better ever step of the way. Would recommend to anyone who likes these type of games.

beat the white tiger and just made the decision that this game is just not for me honestly. Combat is really gimmicky and the boss quality isn't very good (probably has improved with nioh 2 tho). There are way too many enemies and bosses that can just randomly one shot you as well. Like I enjoy difficult games, but in these type of games with many enemies and enemy/boss movesets I feel like one shot potential should be lessened down a bit, it feels a bit too unfair imo. Level design was pretty good surprisingly but I wasn't a big fan of the loot system. Overall, very different from souls but if u enjoy a lot of team ninjas other games like ninja gaiden then you'll probably enjoy this one. Like I said just stating MY opinion and just being completely honest.

not a souls-like but still pretty fun. kind of liking the traditional one mission level after the other design after playing too much open world with too little guidance

A superb game to play if you want faster pace when compared to souls game. But NiOh stands out from all the "souls like" genre being a game of its own flavor.

Strongly recommend to anyone who likes a game with great combat system.

Nioh is a game which has a special place in my heart. I've loved its aesthetic since I first laid eyes on it. It invokes in me a sense of impossible nostalgia, a longing for a time I've never known. So many of my hours spent playing this game were spent as I was thinking about this feeling. The game is so distinctly of it's time (the mid 2010's) that it endears itself to me on that alone. The atmosphere is something akin to the caliber of Dark Souls, or Subnautica (not in the type of feeling, but how the game makes you feel). The best example of this to me is the first half of the 'The Spirit Stone Slumbers' stage. I still think about that level when remembering this game.

The combat is distinct and almost fighting game-esque. Being able to block attacks makes it quite different than most souls-likes (Especially since 95% of attacks can be blocked without sustaining any damage, with the only exceptions being elemental attacks), and this allows for a much more defensive playstyle to be viable (which is how I approached the game for a majority of my playtime). Despite it having a fair bit of depth, I didn't engage with most of this depth and just used Dual Swords for 90% of my playtime, so even if you don't want to interact with all of the gameplay mechanics the game has to offer, you can still enjoy yourself and succeed (though some gameplay mechanics are more dangerous to ignore than others, so beware). The 'Living Weapon' mechanic can be extremely powerful with the right setup and situation (look up some videos on Youtube if you want to see it for yourself).

The enemy design is generally well-managed, with only certain enemy attacks being problematic or difficult to deal with. The rough spots can be quite rough, however, such at the Giant Skeleton Warrior having a whirlwind spinning attack which hits 4 times, and the first 3 hits are almost always enough to break your guard, making the fourth hit essentially unblockable (this was changed in Nioh 2, thankfully). Another rough spot is the Rokurokubi, which is one of the most frustrating non-boss enemies to fight in the entire game, as it has attacks with massive range and little opportunity to counterattack (in Nioh 2, this enemy is also nerfed significantly). The Raven Tengu is another often-cited source of frustration, with it having great range and mobility, in addition to a variety of attacks. These are the exception, not the rule, however, since most enemies like the One-Eyed Oni, Spider, and Sentry are perfectly fine to fight against provided you take sometime to learn their patterns and attacks, and can feel trivial to beat if you don't overextend.

The story is the most flawed aspect of the game. It's very much 'this thing happens, then this thing happens, etc.', and while it didn't bother me per se, I can't say that the story is a strong point of this game. It's fine, it's there, but there could have been a lot more done to make it actually compelling. The lore is fine though.

Overall, Nioh is an extremely good game overall, with great combat and unparalleled atmosphere, but it has some rough spots that can make it a bit frustrating at times (especially in the beginning), but if you don't mind some challenge, the game can be great fun. Overall, I give Nioh a 9/10.
(Yes, that's how strongly the atmosphere sells it for me).

I've been in the first scenario for almost 3 hours, my god I love this game, I've already adapted to the gameplay, NEVER TRY TO PLAY ON THE KEYBOARD, it's horrible, a controller is mandatory, but the game is really cool and the challenge gets me hooked.

Demasiado bueno y muy infravalorado. Desarrollé mucha mas tolerancia a la frustración con Nioh que con Sekiro (Juegazo igual pero con distintos tiempos). Recomendadísimo incluso luego de 4-5 años. Espero que el Nioh 2 sea igual o mejor aún.

the worst soul game ever, so many item in the game but all useless bc yokai enemy will always 1 shot u, there is no point upgrade equipment in this game bc u will not getting any stronger also its expensive
element weapon dont do dmg, every status elemental will make u slow the dev really dont know how elemental work in video game.
the game is repetitive and boring, after playing this game i really dont want to play the squel for this game
this game trash not fun

if i knew it was the love child between dark souls and yakuza i would have played it much sooner

This game is fine, playable, and people worked hard on it. The control scheme is absolutely atrocious and this is not fixable. Pick it up when it's on sale and you're wanting a Dark Souls experience but for some reason can't play Dark Souls.

this game was ok on ps4 when i played it so figured id grab it on sale but apparently on pc they didn't care about the product cause the game only opens in windowed mode so you have to manually reset it to fullscreen every time you launch the game. that's already atrocious for a game from 2017 but i cant get it to fullscreen at all whenever i set it to fullscreen it stays windowed and from the troubleshooting i did even if you can get it to fullscreen its resolution is ruined. if you can get it to fullscreen without the resolution tanking its a passable soulslike but its too much work in my opinion for a mid game

Regarding multiplayer, I would absolutly NOT recommend this game.
I tried to play it in co-op with a friend and it couldn't be more complicated.
Online settings: No Epic, local search, set password -> main menu -> Tori Gate -> Same Mission -> select password -> invite via Steam overlay) AND we even had to play solo for over 2 hours to unlock coop. So he can't return it ... and that's not even the worst part.

If you both die at the same time in co-op, the mission fails. No checkpoints. You die from an unfair action by the boss? Tough luck, you'll have to play the WHOLE mission again.

Imagine having to create a new character every time you die against Margit in Elden Ring.

You even some kind of separate bar for your group health.
This is used up with every death and when it's empty, the mission fails.
Even if only one player dies and can't be revived, the mission fails.

That's fucking ridiculous.

I don't think any new players will ever finish the first mission this way. It's only for experienced people, with characters who have already completed the game.

Even the solo experience is nothing to write home about. It feels okay, but not as satisfying or polished as a FromSoft game. The stance mechanic is okay, but the game feels super arcady and looks like a PS2 game.

Close enough to the Fromsoft formula to scratch that itch, different enough to bring a breath of fresh air. can be a bit rough but if you've beaten Sekiro or Bloodborne then you'll be A-OK. a few minor complaints besides, this is a great game. 8/10

the game isnt bad, just isnt my style of game. kinda like how i like darksouls 1 but hate dark souls 3. sure, this game is still good, but i just feel like its missing something to make it great instead of something mediocre that i can pass up without hesitation. id grab it on sale but never at full price

Honestly its just okay, game was a little too easy and it got tedious at times.

If you can get it for 10€ its probably worth it, but honestly I cant recommend it, its just not fun after the first hour or so

Still unique combat style a definite play for soul combat aficionados

It is not the best dark souls like game but it is the most fun - simply because the combat has planty of possible attacking moves which cause the entire battle to be really fun. Should buy it on sales.

its really easy and its fucked please play at your own risk