While playing the action role-playing game Dark Souls , a thought would have crossed your mind: how awesome would the inclusion of ninjas and samurai in the game be? Nioh is an answer to that wish with a few differences. Starting off in 2004, development began on a game called Oni based on a script by legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. After several delays and changes to the core game, it finally saw the light of day as Nioh this year. The developers, Team Ninja, have got immense street cred with action games like Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. All of which made Nioh a highly anticipated video game title.
What’s it about?
The game takes place in feudal Japan, where clans were at war with each other for control. Nioh is a mix of history of the Sengoku period with a healthy dose of the supernatural. You play a western samurai called William, who finds himself in Japan hot on the heels of a mysterious enemy. The chase lands him bang in the middle of these warring clans and clashes of demons known as Yokai. This results in a story that leaves your head spinning, as it touches upon history with a lot of big names. But rather than try and figure out who’s who, it’s best to just ignore the details of the story and enjoy the action. It also helps in getting past the weirder moments, as supernatural entities enter the stage left and right.
From the outset, Nioh draws a lot of inspiration from the Dark Souls series and Bloodborne. These are games known for their high difficulty level as well as their focus on swordplay. Though unlike those games, which have a story that's more in the backdrop, Nioh has a more traditional narrative, with a heavy combination of Japanese mythology and lots of elements of Japanese history thrown in. You will come across several notable names from Japanese history and kill pantheons of supernatural monsters, most of which tower above you.
How does it play?
For those familiar with Dark Souls , getting into Nioh will be like slipping into a comfortable pair of shoes, or in this case, picking up your favourite katana (traditional Japanese swords). The game is played from behind the character and you can hack and slash in light and heavy attacks. Besides, Nioh gives you three stances to fight with: low, medium and heavy. And like Dark Souls , death is going to be your constant companion. So if you are averse to tough games, turn back now. Nioh is as brutal and demands mastery of its battle systems in order for you to survive. This is where the similarities end with Dark Souls , though, as Nioh feels much faster, with more responsive fighting.
Nioh is a long game, as you are thrown into scenarios where you are usually the lowest in the general pecking order. Even the lowest level grunt enemy can kill you if you don’t manage your stamina and recharge your ki , which is your fighting spirit, in a ‘ ki pulse’, which initiates recovery. Ignore this and your character stands there deflated, waiting to be eviscerated. Master this and the combat system is fun, as you chain combos, while charging enemies or dodging their attacks. The stance also plays an important role as you can go for all-out offence, defence or a mix of both, allowing you form your own fighting style and strategies.
As you defeat more enemies, you get lots of loot, just like in the game Diablo . These loot drops are in the form of colour-coded weapons and armour. You can carry as much as you want, but what armour you wear affects your ki . Inventory management as well as finding the right equipment makes all the difference. Nioh ’s boss monsters are massive and will kill you several times, which makes victory all the more sweeter, as you’ve gotten up after every defeat, wiped the blood off and jumped back into the fray. Nioh , instead of being open world, is more mission based, where you can undertake and complete quests for loot. Simple and straightforward, letting you jump right into the action.
The graphics and environments in Nioh are beautiful, dark and varied. The beautiful spirit guardians and boss monsters that glow in a range of colours stand out. The game’s creatures and armour weapons sport an impressive level of detail, from links on chainmail to mystical flourishes. All of this give that unmistakable feel of being in a Japanese epic. But it’s not consistent, and there are times where the environment feels sparse and rough. As a game, Nioh could have used a bit more spit and polish.
Should you get it?
If you loved Dark Souls and want more of it, Nioh sports the same difficulties but with a faster action system. If you have never played Dark Souls and you want a challenging action game you can deep dive into, Nioh is right up your alley.
Either ways it’s very addictive and a superb action role-playing game to sink your teeth into.
