The first Nioh game from Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja released a little over 3 years ago and at the time, felt like a breath of fresh air. Nioh 2 is being released in a post-Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice world. As such, it has a lot to compete with. After spending an extensive amount of time with the game, it’s quite clear that what Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja have delivered is exactly what fans of Nioh would enjoy.



First and foremost, comparing Nioh 2 with Sekiro would be a pretty harsh comparison. Sekiro is a completely single-player experience whereas Nioh 2 feels as if it is meant for Co-op or multiplayer gameplay. Nioh doesn’t offer the same freedom of movement as Sekiro either so players that are new to the genre, and/or are coming in after playing Sekiro last year, should bear that in mind.

Nioh 2 holds nothing back and the first enemy you face off against will likely kill you in 5 seconds flat...

You may ask why I keep mentioning Sekiro in a Nioh 2 review and that is purely because both games share a very similar aesthetic and setting. Nioh 2 however deals more with samurai and yokai in feudal Japan. It also plays out quite differently yet is still a challenging game. Players will die, a lot… Over and over again. Nioh 2 holds nothing back and the first enemy you face off against will likely kill you in 5 seconds flat if you don’t block their attack. The game also throws a rather strong horse-headed yokai beast at you directly afterwards just to drive that point home. “Masocore” is the term used in the game’s marketing to describe its challenging genre and that about sums it up perfectly.



Despite the difficulty and learning curve, gameplay in Nioh 2 has been tweaked and balanced to give players a far more enjoyable experience throughout. There’s a choice between “Action mode” and “Movie mode” which allows you to stabilize the framerate or the game’s visuals respectively. The game plays significantly better with the framerate being prioritized so it’s advisable to use this setting when playing with a standard PS4.

Amazingly, you’ll be able to access this character creator throughout the game and change (and share) your appearance freely from the hut accessible via the world map.

Players will take on the role of a mute samurai warrior in Nioh 2. You will be able to create your custom character through a highly extensive character creator. Amazingly, you’ll be able to access this character creator throughout the game and change (and share) your appearance freely from the hut accessible via the world map. This is great news for gamers that want to change their entire look whenever they want. The first thing I could think of when doing this, is the fact that I wish that other games would allow the same thing. Kudos to Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo for allowing players the freedom to go wild with their creativity in the character creator.



After creating your character, you are thrust into the game’s world by awakening from a recurring nightmare. A mysterious blade is in your possession and somehow you’re able to shapeshift into a Yokai. Soon enough you’ll encounter a wandering merchant named Toukichiro who assists you in gaining control of your Yokai form. The story of the game is enjoyable but to get the full Nioh 2 experience, players will want to read the in-game Yokai descriptions and listen to the voices that speak to you when you collect specific items throughout levels. The world-building in Nioh 2 is excellent and should not be ignored.

The addition of a burst counter move tied into your Yokai ability is a great feature that more patient gamers will master in no time flat.

Combat in Nioh 2 is still quite similar to the first Nioh but instead of being able to summon a guardian spirit to perform an attack or buff you, you can now transform into a Yokai based on the guardian spirit you have equipped. This transformation ability is highly reminiscent of being able to enter demon form in Devil May Cry. Nioh 2’s gameplay changes significantly from the first game because of this ability. The addition of a burst counter move tied into your Yokai ability is a great feature that more patient gamers will master in no time flat.



The burst counter system works by allowing your character to counter an enemy attack, that is highlighted with a red aura, just before it’s unleashed upon you. This means that a lot of battles in Nioh 2 can be beaten purely by being patient and attacking at just the right time. The ability to transform into a Yokai however does not ruin the game since at first, it’s rather lacking in power. Later in the game, however, it does get a lot more powerful once you’ve leveled it up.

Nioh 2’s levels also feature a lot of “Benevolent graves” within them which allow players to summon help.

The weapons on offer in Nioh 2 include all the weapons from the first Nioh along with the addition of hatchets and a switchglaive. The switchglaive in particular is easily one of the most enjoyable weapons to use in the game. Nioh 2’s levels also feature a lot of “Benevolent graves” within them which allow players to summon help. The graves summon A.I controlled ghost characters of other players and these can be incredibly useful in helping you get through a level. Of course, summoning an actual human player to co-op with would be far more beneficial. Thankfully the same co-op system used in Nioh exists here in Nioh 2.



Graphically, Nioh 2 has a far more vibrant look to it. The first game was dark and drab whereas Nioh 2 is a lot more colourful and has a large number of great enemy designs. The yokai you fight against look great and they each have some extremely flashy attacks on offer. The ability to capture enemy yokai and use their skills to your advantage is another addition to the game that is extremely welcome. This allows for even more customization along with your weapon choices and stances available.

The soundtrack in Nioh 2 is excellent with adrenaline pumping music during boss battles and an ethereal Japanese vocal backing track that fits the game perfectly. The Japanese voice acting by NPC characters is excellent too.



Overall, Nioh 2 is more of the same but with a lot of quality of life improvements throughout. The gameplay has been refined and the addition of the Yokai abilities adds another layer of complexity to an already challenging game. Should you dedicate yourself to learning the game’s mechanics, Nioh 2 will reward you with extremely fast-paced action packed gameplay. Sure you might die a lot but once you get the hang of it, the game is rather hard to put down. We highly recommend Nioh 2 if you played the first Nioh or if you’re a fan of the challenging action-adventure “Masocore” genre.

*Review code provided by PlayStation