When we waltzed around TGS 2015 getting as muchBloodborneThe Old HuntersandDark Souls 3footage as we could, a small and obscure booth by Koei Tecmo got our attention. Inside this empty booth was nothing but a gameplay trailer on a loop for what soon became one of ourMost Wanted Games. This is a similar story to how I fell in love withDemon’s Souls, back before it was cool, and the similarities thankfully don’t end there.
Genre: Action RPG
Developed by: Team Ninja
Published by: Koei Tecmo, Sony
Release date: February 7th, 2017
Age rating: M
Platforms: PS4
Nioh Features
Story & Setting
Nioh follows a fictional story of real events surroundingWilliam Adamsand the ascension to power of theTokugawaclan in Japan, with the very famousBattle of Sekigahara. Peppered in, the mythical creatures of Japanese folklore make a rather unique appearance in gaming, giving non-japanese a glimpse of what Yokai can be about. Presented as an Irishman due to the “traditional” notion that the Irish are spiritual, William becomes a JapaneseWitcherof sorts - someone following their own path in a world of political intrigue who defeats monstrous Yokai in his wake.
Koei Tecmo is no stranger to the time period, having developed multiple games set in the “Sengoku era” - where wars within Japan gave little to no stability for more than 100 years. The period is so famous within Japanese history, that there are thousands of stories, movies, animes, and social interpretations of the era. The addition of the Yokai, however, is not as common even though these creatures are mentioned and believed in throughout Japanese history to the present day.
The unique mingling of real historic events, fictional scenarios and spiced up mythological creatures gives Nioh adecisively unique yet familiar feelthat hits all the right spots because of it’s delivery: contextual. Following on the steps of Souls, Nioh gives players context through weapon and item descriptions, memories of the dead around you, and of course the lore notes you will find on theWiki. The Yokai you meet are actually real historical figures turn into Yokai for their grief, torment or anger - giving flavor to the setting.
Nioh’s gameplay mixes fast-paced Ninja Gaiden with tactical Bloodborne and Dark Souls checkpoints, and cherry-on-tops it with a variety ofweaponstyles andskills. Players can pick to buff specificstatsto match their playstyle, and can learn several different skills or useconsumablesto buff weapons with elements thatenemiesmay be weak to.
Bringing in more traditional RPG features, many enemies feel like a true challenge from the get-go, and somemissionswill require players to level up and improve their gear through crafting, re-forging and good old farming to get better loot from the random pools of difficulties.
A common concern from RPG players is whether one can get to create their character. Physically, you will always be William, and that can be a deterrent, but this will be your William, and you’re able to clad him in different armors, or even usedisguisesto look as other characters if you prefer. Players can customize skill to optimize parrying or guard break, for example, creating nuanced scenarios. You may also focus on improving your dodge or riposte, bringing the gameplay closer to Bloodborne and delivering fast-paced thrills reminiscent of Ninja Gaiden.
Thecombatportion of Nioh is nuanced, polished, and rewardingwhilst not becoming inaccessible or twitch-reaction based. Players are presented with three stances for their weapons, that they can swap on the fly and customize by investing points into each skill of each weapon. Thestancesgive heavy attacks onhigh, balanced onmid, and light but very fast onlow stance. Combined with this, you’re able to have a heavy, tanky build that proceeds like a slow mammoth, or you can be the sleek and agile ninja that swiftly dodges enemy attacks and backstabs them. It all revolves aroundKi, which plays the part of a Stamina bar, and unlike other games can be replenished by executing well-timed recoveries. These recoveries, called “Ki Pulse” can be tweaked to have more effects such as increasing your damage done or reducing enemy regeneration.
Ranged weapons are also available and extremely powerful. Headshots can kill enemies in one hit, and heavy arms like cannons can deplete the health bar of powerful Yokai swiftly from a safe distance. This is a rather welcome addition as enemies can swarm players and the lock-on can be confusing due to the swift nature of combat.
AccessorizingWilliam there are several amulets that increase defensive or offensive values, as well as consumables that grant short-lived bonuses, or items which such as rocks to lure enemies out from their crowds.
Players round out their build by equipping aGuardian Spirit: a magical creature that will grant special bonuses and can be used as a “Living Weapon” to buff one’s attacks for a short while. These Guardians are also responsible for guarding the player’s accumulatedAmrita(xp for the level) when they die, making it so players can retrieve their lost experience if they make it back to the spot they were defeated at.
Once you’re kitted out you will tackle the many challenging enemies the game has to throw at you. The human enemies are mostly manageable with careful planning and reacting to their stances and ki. The yokai on the other hand are the stars of the show and they each have unique elements that both give them character and increase the challenge. Defeating the variety of yokai takescareful planning and solid executionand many of them present the challenge of bosses in other games.
Thebossesare mostly memorable arena type experiences with high powered and sometimes larger than life yokai enemies, as well as duels with prominentNPCs. The bosses are also wherethe game’s toughest challengesexist, as many are lightning fast and all can inflict quite a large amount of damage with single attacks across a variety of phases. They do however, stick to certain patterns, and careful observation can reveal windows for attack. Once you figure out those windows, you find that many of the bosses have similar methods for taking them down, which lessens the awe of them just a bit. If this game gets a sequel we can anticipate more variance in how to bring them down.
Killing all of those challenging enemies has more than just intrinsic rewards. The game features a Diablo like loot system that tosses multi colored gear at you in a wonderful explosion. Once you find what you like, you can head to the game’sBlacksmithand engage in all different matters of upgrade and modification. You canForgenew gear,Refashionexisting items to make them look like something new, level up gear viaSoul Matchwhich is similar to Destiny’s Infusion, andReforgeweapons to reroll their passive attributes. These features all combine in crazy ways to give you a wealth of options in what you do with your loot. If you’re playing this game and are unhappy with the gear you’re using,you’re doing something very, very wrong.
Online & Multiplayer
Nioh presents both asynchronous and multiplayeronlinefeatures. Thegravesof other players can be seen around the world as “Revenants”, and rather than simply show you how other players died they tell you what it was that killed them, and provide an opportunity for you tochallenge the bloodied remains of other playersto obtain their gear.
Online co-op is available via “Torii Gates” andOchokocups, making it so single player campaigners may summon in visitors from another world at a shrine. Similar to souls, the session ends if the host dies, but if the summoned ally is defeated another one may be brought in.Gesturesand cosmetics are available to make this experience more unique, and players can trade equipment.
Another feature is designed specifically for co-op, with more challenging missions under the “Yokai Realm with a Companion” banner. In this mode, players can take on missions with more powerful enemies and Yokai as a duo, and share in a survival bar that depletes with each death and may be refilled slightly at shrines. Players in this mode can revive each other a limited number o times, making for entertaining moments.
Online connectivity could be improved as the system can sometimes be hit or miss, causing us to wait for longer periods than expected and the password doesn’t seem to work consistently. The menus for these features are somewhat confusing and could benefit from some clarification when you’re sifting through all the different parameters of the mode.
Adding depth to both combat and online aspects, players may visit theHidden Teahouseto joinClans. Clans have symbolical meanings but also give players special bonuses, and add them to “Clan Battles”: a leaderboard of earned points that improves your Clan’s standing in the war, earning you better benefits for membership.
PvPis coming via a free post launchDLC, and nothing is known as far as what its implementation will be, whether it’s in-game or via an arena like matchmaking system. When it does release, we expect it to be another value adding activity to participate in for hours on end.
Design, Visual & Audio
Nioh’s character design is what one may expect of Koei Tecmo for this time period.Armorsand weapons are realistic but gorgeous, and landscapes are somewhat historically accurate, with added flare for the Yokai. With 4k resolution available, some battles present truly beautiful effects.
The level design is certainly a big plus for the game, and conjures up memories of the careful exploration in Demon’s Souls. You will progress across the self containedmissions, carefully memorizing the lay of the land and enemies. Methodical progress is rewarded via shortcuts and well placedshrines. Attentive play also opens up opportunities to turn the tables on enemies by using environmental traps against foes. The visual design of the levels is on par with the game’s detailed weapons and armor, although thematically they can get slightly repetitive. The stages themselves won’t have the memory attachment as levels in the Souls series do, but the way they are laid out is certainly very intelligent. The gameuses the environment to teach youas you play it, and that is a huge win and may be the game’s brightest spot.
The mission structure is very similar to Destiny, in that you select a mission or activity from an overview screen and launch into it. In some ways this is very refreshing against this trend that seems to push everything towards open worlds. Segmenting the game’s activities this way actually helps you find everything there is to do, which is not always the case in seamless worlds. Making the missions all repeatable, and across difficulties along with other daily activities blends with this and makes the barriers to gameplay minimal. It’s become increasingly common to need several hours of free time to accomplish anything in gaming and this return to basics is so very welcome. If you have a half hour or 5 hours, you’re able to do something in Nioh. Want to visit the Blacksmith? Click Blacksmith, no need to run across the map to get there. This proves thata game can be complicated and still be accessible. This is a thankful design principle in a climate where games are becoming increasingly obtuse.
MoreReviews
About our Reviews
Nioh is brilliant. It takes some of the best elements of old school gaming such as level design, customization and layout and mixes it perfectly with modern action combat and online components. In the middle is a timeless loot and upgrade system that adds hours of tinkering. Team Ninja has packed a ton of content into this game, almost to a fault. The amount of things you can do and engage in is almost overwhelming, and that is not including the subtle stats, stances, and the upcoming DLC and PvP. 2017 is just getting underway, but Nioh has already made its case for Game of the Year.
