Nioh

🎮 Steam ⏳ 50 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Dark Sengoku Souls #

The first Nioh entry is a challenging action RPG from Team Ninja, often described as a mix between Dark Souls and Ninja Gaiden. Set in a dark fantasy version of Sengoku-era Japan, the MC is called William, a Western samurai, battling humans and yokai (demon creatures from the Japanese folklore).

Deep Stance Combat #

The combat is its strongest feature: fast, precise, and built around multiple weapon types, stances, and Ki (stamina) management. Making the combat look like a precise resource management dance, even more so than the regular Dark Souls games, and with more flashy visuals. Mastering these mechanics feels rewarding, and boss fights are intense and memorable.

Diablo-Style Loot #

The loot system, however, is heavily inspired by Diablo-style RPGs, meaning lots of gear drops that can feel repetitive or overwhelming. Particularly I really hate this kind of approach, it makes everything look generic unoriginal, fortunately you can re-skin any armor and weapon into other ones that you already found through the game. I used this a lot in order to enjoy the the most out of the “fashion-souls” experience.

Controller-Recommended PC Port #

The PC port added improved graphics options and unlocked framerate, but had some launch issues with keyboard/mouse controls (a controller is strongly recommended). This is a demanding but highly satisfying action RPG for fans of deep combat systems and Japanese mythology, best enjoyed with a controller. I highly recommend this for fans of the Souls-like genre, it is one of the best of it’s kind.