In my 20-something-hours playthrough of Nioh 3, several moments built their magic over the course of open-field exploration. In one of those moments, I was running towards an enemy, hatchets in my hands, wind in my dirty hair, and magic in my soul.
10 quick slashes, four dodges, and a quick health pop-up later, Nioh 3’s combat system hit me like a drunken 4 AM epiphany: it convinced me of my virtuosity, only to throw me back into a pit of punishing enemies that humbled me. These cycles would repeat until I couldn’t stop doing this to myself. The essence of great soulslike games often lies in their punishing combat systems and exploration. Nioh games have, over the years, successfully carved out a niche for themselves, and it’s unfair to limit them with the “soulslike” tag because they offer so much more than just unforgiving gameplay systems.
Nioh 3 is an excellent entry in the series, simply because of how open it is to experimentation. The dual fighting styles between a Samurai and a Ninja highlight this aspect of its gameplay philosophy, and that’s just the beginning of what you can expect from Team Ninja’s commitment to an intricate combat and exploration system. If you’ve never played a Nioh game before, that’s okay! I believe this one can attract a lot of new fans to the series.
Spirits guide you as you follow them through the game’s narrative.
When Blades Become Instruments
Right off the bat, Nioh 3 makes it known how freedom-centric it is. Whether you are spinning a Kusarigami, landing sharp and fast hits with dual blades, or keeping a balanced approach with an uchigatana or spear, several options are made available to you. Ideally, you pick up a weapon, master its movement, and shred enemies into the void. These are instruments of war within you, more than just tools of violence.
Therein lies Nioh 3’s biggest experimentation: the dual fighting system. Personally, I like to call this one the split aura mechanic because it made me feel like two warriors living in the same body. As a Samurai, attacks land gracefully through combos, stances and parries. As a Ninja, I was dancing like the flow of water with my weapon, performing swings before I could even put any thought into my action.
Like an “ultimate ability,” certain combos and stances give you a better fighting chance against strong enemies.
At the cost of sounding a bit biased, much of my playthrough was experienced through the movements of a Ninja; one of the most satisfying combat systems I’ve played through in a while! Imagine hitting your enemy six times, then tapping a button to leave a silhouette (or shadow) of you behind and getting out of the fight. Repeat this, and you have yourself a fighting style that makes you feel like a maestro of shadows.
Mind you, all this stylish performance won’t help you much if you aren’t reading into the enemy’s attacks. This keeps Nioh 3 from being a mindless button-smasher. And this one was a bit of a tricky point for me, since these animations can sometimes awkwardly blend with the game’s color palette, leading to missed hitboxes. Whether this one’s a feature or a bug is up to you to decide.
Deep Breaths, Quick Steps
Nioh 3’s most awe-inspiring moments are often held through its exploration. Based on the previous games, I entered with expectations of smaller explorable spaces and mostly staying on guard. But, with Nioh 3, exploration is beautifully woven through a broken world that hides its charm in demons, places of worship, large open fields, and a calming soundtrack. This world embraces your presence in harsh ways, akin to a very toxic relationship you have with a person undeserving of your heart.
Truly, if you can just sit with Nioh’s mellow, meditative flute and percussive OST with tidbits of throat singing, you may just have an epiphany or two about your place in the world. Nioh 3’s blend of therapeutic settings and violent expeditions is nothing short of impressive game design. It’s in these moments of bittersweet symphonies where Nioh 3 carves out a space for itself in your psyche.
It’s easy to lose yourself in Nioh 3’s silent atmosphere, even when evil lurks just around the corner.
Adorable and often deadly-looking “spirits” guide you throughout this game. They are with you, around you, and sometimes even hovering in the air for target practice. They do a wonderful job at adding personality to the characters you’ll meet along your journey. After all, Nioh 3’s writing often attempts to incorporate realistic elements into its historical themes. These nuances can be noted through shades of betrayal, friendship, family, honor, and virtuosity.
Takechiyo isn’t the most charming and quick-witted protagonist, and fills the archetype of a hero-doing-his-best persona throughout the game. The story could have been written with more grace, but with the game’s brutal and magical backdrop, it does a fine job at holding the player’s attention for what’s to come. Since Takechioyo braves this world through the eyes of both a Samurai and a Ninja, it can feel difficult to hold his personality through one true character.
Picking sides in this tale of heroism and betrayal can lead to not-so-astounding twists and turns.
This openendedness challenged me to experience Nioh 3 with a unique mindset, rather than conforming to a bias regarding Team Ninja’s usual way of doing things. The plot can be predictable at times, but only because I believe modern audiences are so inclined to expect things based on a duality and darkness-lightness arcs of everything. However, I was so distracted by the game’s streamlined looting system and hidden surprises that I didn’t pay much attention to its narrative issues.
The Looter-Excecutor Glory
If you like looting weapons, gear, and items to level up your character, you’re going to adore Nioh 3. I can happily admit that Team Ninja did an exceptional job with the amount of loot you can find scattered across the map, without it ever feeling overwhelming. Between all the weapon types and gear you can behold, it can be tempting to drop a high-tier sword just to try out the dual katanas you found lying next to a corpse.
Switching between weapons and gear leads to unique playstyles. Try it out before you commit to anything.
Even if you choose to stay loyal to one weapon type, there are several tiers of quality and styles you can try out until you’re satisfied with a play style. This, to me, felt like Nioh 3’s silent charm. The loot isn’t loud and in your face. Instead, it’s carefully distributed as rewards for explorations and challenges you may take on when revisiting certain spots on the map.
Several complex systems may feel overwhelming at first, but make perfect sense as your character evolves over time.
Keep in mind that there’s absolutely no pressure to pick or drop items. I never felt forced to stick to any play style, and that’s a big deal given how much content Nioh 3 has to offer. ARPGs can often feel overwhelming due to such qualities, but not this one. The same goes for the game’s stats and skill systems. At first glance, the choice between upgrading weapon skills and Samurai/Ninja playstyles can feel a bit daunting. What’s the best pick? Which path must you choose?
After pouring several hours into these upgrades, I figured that there’s no wrong way to evolve your character. Every choice pours into some sort of mastery, and it’s truly your unique journey that makes Nioh 3 a memorable experience. Keeping aside your personal progression, managing your Ki (stamina), and performing Ninja or Samurai specific actions remains a common ground regardless of your choices.
Swing of All Blades, Master of Some
I wholeheartedly admire Team Ninja’s attempt at adding multiple complex systems to Nioh 3. There are dual fighting styles to master, boons and offerings to make use of, Onmyo magic to harness, side quests to complete, skills and stats to take care of… suffice to say, a lot is going on here, which can sometimes also work against Nioh 3’s core systems.
When you’re switching between fighting styles and understanding fresh weapon mechanics, it leaves little room for mastery. And, when there’s no mastery, there’s no satisfaction. Which is where the game can feel a bit much, given how the aura of Soulslike ARPGs shines best in skill mastery. Yet, every bit of this experience is a naturally fun way, without ever compromising the joy of exploration and combat.
Building your character feels less like a task and more like fun experimentation throughout the game.
Takechiyo’s personality, in my opinion, struggles with this, too. While I was left feeling confused as to who I was in this journey, characters around me often referred to him as a “Samurai” when in reality, I couldn’t wait to throw my next Kunai into an enemy’s nasty eye and laugh at them with no honor whatsoever. With every Crucible I cleared and every sidequest I completed, I felt the need to feel Takechiyo’s growth, but I was met with confusion instead.
All of this reflects in the game’s UI and how it performs overall. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the most enjoyable experience navigating through several tabs and menu items, especially when playing on a controller. The frame drops, and glitches didn’t help either. Hopefully, the developers can polish this over time and give the game much-deserved updates.
Nioh 3‘s subtle tones of evil and righteousness shine beautifully through its art direction.
Carving a Niche
As I conclude my thoughts on Nioh 3, I can feel the itch to jump back into the game and explore the map a bit more. Just a bit more. Maybe even replay some of my favorite boss fights? Maybe write another review! It’s not easy to come across such open-ended soulslike these days, and I’m grateful to have experienced Nioh 3 before most of the world did.
The third entry cleverly builds on the foundations of the games that came before, and brings a nonchalant, high-risk, high-rewards flair to a familiar aesthetic.
While it is a bit unfair to give Nioh 3 anything less than a perfect score, I must be honest with my confusion and feelings of “too much, all at once” found as a reflection on the game’s core systems. On that note, I’d happily recommend Nioh 3 to any player regardless of their experience with soulslike or action RPG titles.
Nioh 3 is an excellent entry in the series, simply because of how open it is to experimentation. The dual fighting styles between a Samurai and a Ninja highlight this aspect of its gameplay philosophy, and that’s just the beginning of what you can expect from Team Ninja’s commitment to an intricate combat and exploration system. If you’ve never played a Nioh game before, that’s okay! I believe this one can attract a lot of new fans to the series.
In my 20-something-hours playthrough of Nioh 3, several moments built their magic over the course of open-field exploration. In one of those moments, I was running towards an enemy, hatchets in my hands, wind in my dirty hair, and magic in my soul.
10 quick slashes, four dodges, and a quick health pop-up later, Nioh 3’s combat system hit me like a drunken 4 AM epiphany: it convinced me of my virtuosity, only to throw me back into a pit of punishing enemies that humbled me. These cycles would repeat until I couldn’t stop doing this to myself. The essence of great soulslike games often lies in their punishing combat systems and exploration. Nioh games have, over the years, successfully carved out a niche for themselves, and it’s unfair to limit them with the “soulslike” tag because they offer so much more than just unforgiving gameplay systems.
Nioh 3 is an excellent entry in the series, simply because of how open it is to experimentation. The dual fighting styles between a Samurai and a Ninja highlight this aspect of its gameplay philosophy, and that’s just the beginning of what you can expect from Team Ninja’s commitment to an intricate combat and exploration system. If you’ve never played a Nioh game before, that’s okay! I believe this one can attract a lot of new fans to the series.
Spirits guide you as you follow them through the game’s narrative.
When Blades Become Instruments
Right off the bat, Nioh 3 makes it known how freedom-centric it is. Whether you are spinning a Kusarigami, landing sharp and fast hits with dual blades, or keeping a balanced approach with an uchigatana or spear, several options are made available to you. Ideally, you pick up a weapon, master its movement, and shred enemies into the void. These are instruments of war within you, more than just tools of violence.
Therein lies Nioh 3’s biggest experimentation: the dual fighting system. Personally, I like to call this one the split aura mechanic because it made me feel like two warriors living in the same body. As a Samurai, attacks land gracefully through combos, stances and parries. As a Ninja, I was dancing like the flow of water with my weapon, performing swings before I could even put any thought into my action.
Like an “ultimate ability,” certain combos and stances give you a better fighting chance against strong enemies.
At the cost of sounding a bit biased, much of my playthrough was experienced through the movements of a Ninja; one of the most satisfying combat systems I’ve played through in a while! Imagine hitting your enemy six times, then tapping a button to leave a silhouette (or shadow) of you behind and getting out of the fight. Repeat this, and you have yourself a fighting style that makes you feel like a maestro of shadows.
Mind you, all this stylish performance won’t help you much if you aren’t reading into the enemy’s attacks. This keeps Nioh 3 from being a mindless button-smasher. And this one was a bit of a tricky point for me, since these animations can sometimes awkwardly blend with the game’s color palette, leading to missed hitboxes. Whether this one’s a feature or a bug is up to you to decide.
Deep Breaths, Quick Steps
Nioh 3’s most awe-inspiring moments are often held through its exploration. Based on the previous games, I entered with expectations of smaller explorable spaces and mostly staying on guard. But, with Nioh 3, exploration is beautifully woven through a broken world that hides its charm in demons, places of worship, large open fields, and a calming soundtrack. This world embraces your presence in harsh ways, akin to a very toxic relationship you have with a person undeserving of your heart.
Truly, if you can just sit with Nioh’s mellow, meditative flute and percussive OST with tidbits of throat singing, you may just have an epiphany or two about your place in the world. Nioh 3’s blend of therapeutic settings and violent expeditions is nothing short of impressive game design. It’s in these moments of bittersweet symphonies where Nioh 3 carves out a space for itself in your psyche.
It’s easy to lose yourself in Nioh 3’s silent atmosphere, even when evil lurks just around the corner.
Adorable and often deadly-looking “spirits” guide you throughout this game. They are with you, around you, and sometimes even hovering in the air for target practice. They do a wonderful job at adding personality to the characters you’ll meet along your journey. After all, Nioh 3’s writing often attempts to incorporate realistic elements into its historical themes. These nuances can be noted through shades of betrayal, friendship, family, honor, and virtuosity.
Takechiyo isn’t the most charming and quick-witted protagonist, and fills the archetype of a hero-doing-his-best persona throughout the game. The story could have been written with more grace, but with the game’s brutal and magical backdrop, it does a fine job at holding the player’s attention for what’s to come. Since Takechioyo braves this world through the eyes of both a Samurai and a Ninja, it can feel difficult to hold his personality through one true character.
Picking sides in this tale of heroism and betrayal can lead to not-so-astounding twists and turns.
This openendedness challenged me to experience Nioh 3 with a unique mindset, rather than conforming to a bias regarding Team Ninja’s usual way of doing things. The plot can be predictable at times, but only because I believe modern audiences are so inclined to expect things based on a duality and darkness-lightness arcs of everything. However, I was so distracted by the game’s streamlined looting system and hidden surprises that I didn’t pay much attention to its narrative issues.
The Looter-Excecutor Glory
If you like looting weapons, gear, and items to level up your character, you’re going to adore Nioh 3. I can happily admit that Team Ninja did an exceptional job with the amount of loot you can find scattered across the map, without it ever feeling overwhelming. Between all the weapon types and gear you can behold, it can be tempting to drop a high-tier sword just to try out the dual katanas you found lying next to a corpse.
Switching between weapons and gear leads to unique playstyles. Try it out before you commit to anything.
Even if you choose to stay loyal to one weapon type, there are several tiers of quality and styles you can try out until you’re satisfied with a play style. This, to me, felt like Nioh 3’s silent charm. The loot isn’t loud and in your face. Instead, it’s carefully distributed as rewards for explorations and challenges you may take on when revisiting certain spots on the map.
Several complex systems may feel overwhelming at first, but make perfect sense as your character evolves over time.
Keep in mind that there’s absolutely no pressure to pick or drop items. I never felt forced to stick to any play style, and that’s a big deal given how much content Nioh 3 has to offer. ARPGs can often feel overwhelming due to such qualities, but not this one. The same goes for the game’s stats and skill systems. At first glance, the choice between upgrading weapon skills and Samurai/Ninja playstyles can feel a bit daunting. What’s the best pick? Which path must you choose?
After pouring several hours into these upgrades, I figured that there’s no wrong way to evolve your character. Every choice pours into some sort of mastery, and it’s truly your unique journey that makes Nioh 3 a memorable experience. Keeping aside your personal progression, managing your Ki (stamina), and performing Ninja or Samurai specific actions remains a common ground regardless of your choices.
Swing of All Blades, Master of Some
I wholeheartedly admire Team Ninja’s attempt at adding multiple complex systems to Nioh 3. There are dual fighting styles to master, boons and offerings to make use of, Onmyo magic to harness, side quests to complete, skills and stats to take care of… suffice to say, a lot is going on here, which can sometimes also work against Nioh 3’s core systems.
When you’re switching between fighting styles and understanding fresh weapon mechanics, it leaves little room for mastery. And, when there’s no mastery, there’s no satisfaction. Which is where the game can feel a bit much, given how the aura of Soulslike ARPGs shines best in skill mastery. Yet, every bit of this experience is a naturally fun way, without ever compromising the joy of exploration and combat.
Building your character feels less like a task and more like fun experimentation throughout the game.
Takechiyo’s personality, in my opinion, struggles with this, too. While I was left feeling confused as to who I was in this journey, characters around me often referred to him as a “Samurai” when in reality, I couldn’t wait to throw my next Kunai into an enemy’s nasty eye and laugh at them with no honor whatsoever. With every Crucible I cleared and every sidequest I completed, I felt the need to feel Takechiyo’s growth, but I was met with confusion instead.
All of this reflects in the game’s UI and how it performs overall. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the most enjoyable experience navigating through several tabs and menu items, especially when playing on a controller. The frame drops, and glitches didn’t help either. Hopefully, the developers can polish this over time and give the game much-deserved updates.
Nioh 3‘s subtle tones of evil and righteousness shine beautifully through its art direction.
Carving a Niche
As I conclude my thoughts on Nioh 3, I can feel the itch to jump back into the game and explore the map a bit more. Just a bit more. Maybe even replay some of my favorite boss fights? Maybe write another review! It’s not easy to come across such open-ended soulslike these days, and I’m grateful to have experienced Nioh 3 before most of the world did.
The third entry cleverly builds on the foundations of the games that came before, and brings a nonchalant, high-risk, high-rewards flair to a familiar aesthetic.
While it is a bit unfair to give Nioh 3 anything less than a perfect score, I must be honest with my confusion and feelings of “too much, all at once” found as a reflection on the game’s core systems. On that note, I’d happily recommend Nioh 3 to any player regardless of their experience with soulslike or action RPG titles.
by Tanay Sharma
