Nioh is somewhat of a dream game for me, it is an action-RPG, which is one of my favourite genres, and is developed by Team Ninja who are responsible for some of the best action games I have ever played. It brings together the best elements of other highly acclaimed games in the genre and creates an experience like no other. Nioh feels like a unique experience, but also has that sense of familiarity.

From the get-go, Nioh puts the player in a tough survival situation, scavenging for gear and fighting against powerful enemies in an unfamiliar environment with a complex gameplay system. It drops you straight into the action and never lets up. You play as Irishman William Adams, slaying demons during the Sengoku era of Japan. William Adams is based on a real-life figure, albeit highly fictionalised for the game, and during your time with Nioh other historical figures will pop up, names some may be familiar with. These interesting characters that pop up throughout the experience are one of my favourite aspects of the game. Having the famous Muramasa forge you a new weapon or training with Hattori Hanzo to learn new Ninjutsu and other skills is always a highlight. Many historical figures are present within Nioh’s story, along with many well-designed fictional characters.



Nioh easily has the best combat system I have ever experienced in an Action RPG. Players have a health and a stamina bar, and managing both is key to survival. Run out of stamina and you may be put into a vulnerable state, in which one hit will result in your death in most cases. Your stamina regenerates automatically, but the speed of this process, and how much stamina you use during attacks and dodges, is dependent on your equipment. Armour comes in three different weight classes: light, medium, and heavy, each of which adds to the strategy of the game. In addition to this, the “Ki pulse” technique is an ability that allows the player to recover lost stamina quickly. As you use stamina, the bar will start to deplete; however, only a small amount will be used, the rest can be recovered with a Ki pulse. If you time your Ki pulse correctly, you will recover lost stamina, which will allow you to continue your attacks. If you fail to Ki pulse correctly, all stamina used during the attack will be consumed. Learning when to Ki pulse is a vital part of Nioh’s combat, and one that all players will need to master quickly.

There are five main weapons and the player can use any one of them, at any time. These are swords, dual-swords, spears, axes, and the kusarigama. Each provide their own distinctive play style, as well as their own advantages and disadvantages. Each weapon has its own skill tree that unlocks new abilities and attacks. Two main weapons can be equipped at a time, allowing for a quick weapon change during combat. With these weapons comes their three stances: high, mid, and low. You can switch between stances on the fly with each offering its own style and attack variations to add even more depth to combat. In addition, two ranged weapons can also be equipped: bows, hand cannons, or rifles. With so many options, your preferred play style should be catered for.

New equipment is obtained in one of three ways: by forging new equipment from the blacksmith, receiving items through mission rewards or ,most commonly, through the game’s loot system. Loot is a major part of Nioh, enemies will continually drop new gear with varied abilities and stats. Think of it as a kind of Diablo-style loot system. Equipment constantly drops from enemies and destructible objects, adding that extra layer of addictiveness to the game. What will drop next? Will my next weapon have an elemental attack on it? These hooks constantly had me saying to myself “just one more stage” or “one more boss”. Loot can roll as five different categories: common, uncommon, rare, unique, and divine. The feeling of finding a well-rolled item never gets old and always adds an element of anticipation and excitement when examining new equipment.



When weapons fail, players can fall back on their “Ninjutsu” and “Onmyo” abilities - provided you have the stat requirements to use them. Onmyo in Nioh are magical abilities. These can range from creating various elemental Talisman that buff your current weapon with elemental damage, the ability to fire off a ball of lightning or fire, or rejuvenation spells that gradually recover lost life. The Ninjitsu ability is used to create additional tools to help during combat, such as shuriken for ranged attacks or various pills that can inflict poison or paralysis on enemies.

At the start of the game you will be offered a guardian spirit, bonded to your hero. These guardians will help you through your journey and give the player access to both special activated and passive abilities. As you progress through the game, more guardians are unlocked, each with unique abilities. When you defeat enemies, you gain Amrita, a resource that is used to level up your character in a Dark Souls-esque manner. However, when you die all amrita will be lost and the player will be returned to the last shrine that they rested at. Your guardian spirit will remain behind to protect your Amrita and, if you make it back to your corpse alive, you will be able to reclaim both your Amrita and guardian. If you do not, your Amrita will be lost forever. While your guardian is protecting your Amrita after death, you will not have access to any of their abilities until you reclaim your guardian. In addition to collecting Amrita to level up your character, it is also used to charge your guardian so that, when fully charged, allows you to unleash the “Living Weapon” abilities. This skill manifests your guardian into your weapon and, while this ability is active, you will take no damage and your damage output will be increased.



The world of Nioh is split into six areas and, as you unlock new areas you, will be able to travel back and forth between them. Each area provides numerous missions and side missions that are basically discrete stages. Completing them will give out different rewards and advance the game. When not out on a mission, the hub area of the game provides access to the Blacksmith, allowing you to buy new weapons and items, or dismantle weapons that are no longer of use to get materials to forge stronger weapons. The Dojo is also available in the hub world that allows you to replay the tutorial to practice skills and gives the player access to new missions that open up as you progress through the game. Completing these will unlock new weapons and armour, as well as abilities within your skill trees.

Each of the six map areas has its own unique locations and I loved exploring all of them. From the interconnected caves within the mountains, to the ninja houses with traps and hidden doors, to the bathhouse and hot springs, the locations constantly changed and environments never felt stale. Of course, with each new environment comes new enemy types. The environment design is great and one of the standout elements of the game. Kodamas, tree spirits from Japanese folklore, are also scattered throughout levels and each map location has a certain number that need to be found. Finding Kodamas will see them return to nearby shrines and add some perks, such as giving you more health items in that area or increasing the drop rate of equipment.

Speaking of design, Nioh has its fair share of challenging boss fights. I struggle to think of a single boss that felt dull or boring, each one I encountered was unique, with their own move sets and abilities requiring their own strategy to take down. While the game has its share of tough standard enemies, the boss fights were some of the most intense moments in the game and I feel like Nioh really shined in this department.



Sadly, the story doesn’t hold up as well as the rest of the game. The characters are great, but the story just doesn’t do enough to flesh out most of them. Overall, it is quite boring and something I found myself losing interest in. It has its moments here and there, but the majority of it just wasn’t very interesting. Nioh is definitely more of a gameplay experience than a narrative one and, thankfully, the lacklustre story does not affect the experience because the game does everything else fantastically.

Outside of the story, I can’t find fault with the game. The combat is deep and enjoyable, the loot system is addictive, environments are great, and boss fights are intense and give the feeling of accomplishment when you finally conquer them. It’s a game that keeps rewarding the player the further you go. There is no other game like this out there currently, and Nioh can stand alongside any of the greats. This is a must buy for any fan of the genre and for those looking for a challenge or something different. Nioh is an easy game to recommend and with the added benefits of an online co-op system, it’s a game that you can spend hours and hours on by yourself or with friends. Nioh currently has my vote for game of the year.