Februari 21, 2017
nioh is difficult to dissect without comparing itto its most obvious points of inspiration. the game effectively captures the intimate,methodical nature of combat seen in dark souls, as well as liberally borrowing fromthat series' character progression and level design. there's also an unmistakable "team ninja-ness"to nioh that radiates throughout. the flexibility of movement, flashy combos,powerful super moves, and an outlandish storyall make perfect sense when you considerthat this is the studio behind ninja gaiden. yet nioh never fallsinto any one camp too completely. the game finds its own nicheand confidently marches forward,
making for a remarkable action game. whereas dark souls features a large,meticulously interconnected world, nioh has relatively compact, singular stages that are densely crammed with enemies. while that may initially soundlike an unfavorable comparison, it feels like niohis going for a very different thing. it's not a seamless journey but rathera series of broken up obstacle courses. although there is very mucha story and a mythos to dig into, it's all ancillaryto the game's primary focus: combat.
you spend the overwhelmingmajority of your time demolishing demons, bandits, and warriors. it may sound overly simple,but nioh manages to stay fresh because of the sheer amountof depth present. the game takes a very familiar template,breaks it apart, and then adds onto itin several inventive ways. the most vital addition is ki, or ratherhow the game asks you to manage it. ki functions like stamina. the more actions you take,such as attacking, blocking, or dodging,
the more ki is drained. the twist is that by timing it just right,there's a small window after an action where you can instantlyrecover a sizeable chunk of ki. those that master the mechaniccan squeeze in extra attacks, block for a bit longer,or restore enough ki for a crucial dodge. ki recovery does several things, the most important beingthat it promotes very active play. not only do you have to be awareof space and an enemy's attack but you're also strongly incentivizedto perfect a timing mechanic
and smartly capitalizeon the advantage it provides. there's such dexterity to itthat you can rarely afford to get careless. after those moments where you make itthrough by the skin of your teeth thanks to smart ki recovery, you feel a rushthat's rarely matched in gaming. another thing that ki recovery plays intois nioh's flexibility. your character is quite mobile,even in the heaviest of armor. you can dash out of attacks, quickly roll out of dangerin almost any situation,
and easily sprint behind enemies. much like with attacking, dodging at justthe right moment can also recover ki. unlike dark souls, where you're morecommitted during a single attack, nioh allows you to dartin and out with relative ease. such mobility gives the gamea fast and engaging pace, preventing combat from getting tiresome. stances go even further in offering youan abundance of choice during fights. each weaponhas three stances: high, mid, and low. high-stance attacksdo the most damage but are the slowest
and cost the most stamina. low-stance attacks are fast and weak. mid-stance attacks are a balance of the two. the right stance at the right time can easily turn a troublesome brawlinto a simple one. experimentation is encouragedwith the various weapon types as well. every single weaponis powerful in the right hands. dual katanas cut downsmall enemies in seconds, the spear has unparalleled range,
and kusarigamas have wide, sweepingattacks perfect for taking on groups. since the use casefor each weapon is so strong and because there are so manydifferent attacks and skills available, the curious player is the onethat will get the most out of the game. to any that love mastering combosin devil may cry or other comparable games, there's absolutely a similarsort of satisfaction to be found here. the variety and usability of weaponsis impressive enough on its own, but there's also ninjutsu, onmyo magic, and nearly two dozenguardian spirits to collect.
ninjutsu lets you act out your inner ninja. by spending the appropriate skill points, you can learn how to utilize thingslike shuriken, kunai, and a poison weapon effect. investing in onmyo magicgives access to a series of useful spells, including elemental blasts and debuffs that target thingslike defense and movement speed. guardian spiritsessentially act as super moves that can and will get you outof many tricky situations.
the player becomes invulnerablewhile living weapon is active and does increased damage. knowing when to best activate living weapon becomes crucial for finishingsome of the more daunting stages, adding yet another considerationto the already intricate skirmishes. the sheer amount of moving parts presentin nioh's combat is a lot to take in, but that's not impressive in and of itself. what makes the game so excellent is that each of these piecesis extremely well thought out
and has a clearly defined purposethat makes the game more enjoyable. at the same time,those intimidated or overwhelmed by the abundance of optionsactually have very little to fear. competency is more importantthan breadth of skill or knowledge, so while you can make your life easier by learning and masteringas much as possible, you can also find somethingthat works and just stick with it. in that way, nioh strikesa delicate but crucial balance. even the most adept and brave playerswill face resistance at certain points,
but the game is never so unfairly difficult that it can't be overcomewith sheer determination by those with less experience. nioh is a rare gamewhere it offers so much choice and actually makes that matterfor a wide range of people. the same mentality can be appliedwith the loot and weapon upgrade system. nioh constantly dishes outa ton of gear, much like like diablo. with loot, you can equip it, dismantle itfor materials to forge better gear, use it to strengthenless powerful gear, sell it for cash,
or provide it as an offeringat a shrine to earn extra experience. the rarity of gear determinesthe number of special effects it has. you may find something like an axethat does extra lightning damage and can heal youwhen delivering a crushing final blow. of course, it's possible to runinto a weapon or piece of armor that's better than what's equipped,but has some bonus effects that don't fit your playstyle. upon unlocking the blacksmith,all it takes is a quick trip to the forge, and the player can changethose effects to other random ones,
provided they havethe appropriate cash and materials. it's even possibleto change the look of gear to match the style of anything elsecollected if they're of the same category. a pair of bootscan't resemble a chest piece, for instance. none of these systemsare necessary to reach the end. it's doable to just equip stronger weaponsas you collect them without further fuss, but the abundance of customizationoptions and the utility of equipment make nioh a richer experience because you have so much controlat nearly every step.
despite the fact that everyplayer is taking on the role of an irish-born english sailornamed william, there are so many options for tinkeringthat he really feels unique to you. speaking of characters,they're often introduced so haphazardly that it can be difficult at times to careabout the story, especially early on. in the grandest sense,the plot is rather straightforward. an evil man named edward kelleytakes a guardian spirit, something that's beenwith william since childhood, and you're on a quest to get it back.
the search lands him in japan where he gets embroiledin a war amongst various lords. the quest for a friend is a fine motivation, but it's in the detailswhere things get hairy. vital characters are broughtinto the fold so abruptly that it's difficult to invest in them,especially since the context provided is occasionally rushed or minimal. things take a turn for the better as the narrative buildstoward its conclusion.
secondary characters fade awayand nioh focuses on core components. while it never risesto an exceptional level, the absolutely ridiculous ways in which the game plays with severalprominent historical figures can be humorously entertainingif you're willing to go along with it. those familiar with notableteam ninja games of the past will have a rough idea of what to expect. despite many mission areasbeing somewhat small, they're largely well designed and varied.
in a few missions, you'll explorethe ruins of a shrine demolished by the sea. interspersed throughout are wrecked ships, making for perilously narrow wooden walkways where one wrong step could land youat the bottom of the ocean. by taking so much space away from you,it's an area that demands caution. other missions have you traipsingthrough the manor of a great ninja, replete with hidden doorways, trap floors, and rooms that can be turned upside down. while what you're exploringmanages to remain interesting throughout,
the enemies that populatethe various stages become predictable. from roughly the 60 percent mark onward, nioh has preciousfew new enemies to throw at you. the ones it does are generallyonly slight upgrades from things you've killeda hundred times before. the once fierce, lumbering red yokaithat are initially so intimidating become nothing more than fodder later onsimply because they're overused. worse still is that the placementof enemies also gets predictable. it's effective early on when an enemywith a bow or gun is just out of sight,
catching you off guard and shooting away while you deal with a distractionon the ground. when it happens in seeminglyevery single area, though, it becomes a hassle rather than a challenge. thankfully, the strength of combatovercomes a lot of this and the lack of enemy varietynever bothers quite as much as expected. even at its most predictable,nioh still provides a challenge and enough mechanical depth that slicingthings apart doesn't lose its shine, even after 50 hours of playand nearly all missions complete.
not to mention new game plus,which significantly ramps up the difficulty, but provides much better gear. if the lust for loot ends uppossessing you like it did us, it's an enticing proposition. boss fights almost never let us downand there are a ton of them. between main missions, sub missions,and extra hard twilight missions, nioh is regularly throwing a huge nasty thingwith a giant health bar in your face. while not all of themare especially difficult, you may even defeatquite a few on your first try,
most make for thrilling fights. the first real boss battletakes place aboard a burning ship where an enormous orange demonwhips giant iron balls at you. the second boss is an agile, vampire-esquecreature that can paralyze quickly, suck out your life,and take flight at moment's notice. regardless of what you're fighting,each battle is very readable. every boss gives obvious tellsfor their attacks, making it easy to block or dodgeonce you get the timing down. additionally, the arenas you're fighting inare generously large,
providing plenty of room to maneuverand study a foe before making an attack. a boss may initially seem impossible, but all it takes is a few patient attemptsas you learn the ins and outs. the fights are so finely tuned that co-opactually destroys a lot of their appeal. another person turnseven the most stubborn boss into a joke. the same is trueof the general missions as well, and as a result, we prefer playing alone. at least co-op is easyto engage in if desired, since all you need to do is visit a shrine,use a specific item, and wait.
keep in mind that whoeveryou’re teaming up with has to have already finished the mission, making it impossible for you and a friendto go through the first time together. those that want to help otherscan simply select a mission that's already completedand offer their services. other online features include clans,which provide passive benefits and players can enhance those benefitsby doing well in the game. there are also revenants littered throughout which signify the locationof where another player died.
by interacting with the graves, you fight what is essentiallyan ai version of that player. defeating them can net you gearas well as ochoko cups used to summon an ally for co-op. while these online features are useful, they all feel pretty tangentialto the overall experience. we never feel compelledto interact with them all that much. upon starting nioh, you'll be askedto choose between three different modes: movie mode, action mode,and variable movie mode.
movie mode looks the best,but the framerate is capped at 30. in action mode, the framerateis a wonderful 60, but the visual fidelity isn't quite as high. variable movie modeis a combination of the two. while it's a good idea to try everythingand see what works for you, action mode suits nioh best. in a demanding game like this, a consistently high frame ratecan make a huge difference. when team ninjarevived ninja gaiden in 2004,
it was a studio at its absolute peak. ninja gaidenfelt incredibly polished, brutal, and well aheadof many of its contemporaries. in a way, nioh evokes manyof the same sentiments. while perhaps not reaching the heightsof ninja gaiden during its prime, it's nonetheless a revitalization. nioh is much, much morethan a summation of its influences. the game's white-knuckle action demandsa high degree of determination, but controls so well that any failurecan be attributed solely to the player.
although finishing a mission in niohis exhausting, especially the times when you walk awaywith only a sliver of health, it's very much a mountain worth climbing. there are few games currently availablethat are so utterly rewarding. easy allies reviews are made possibleby generous viewers just like you. if you like what you see,check out patreon.com/easyallies to see our other videos and considerbecoming a patron to help us make more.
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