Nioh 3 Review: Brutal, Expansive, and a Masterful Soulslike
▼ Summary
– Nioh 3 is a brutally difficult but satisfying action game that serves as both a triumphant evolution for the series and a challenging entry point for new players.
– The game introduces a significant “open field” level design and a jump button, adding verticality and new exploration opportunities, though it remains a tight, linear-like experience without empty areas.
– A major new gameplay system allows instant switching between a sturdy, counter-focused “samurai” style and a fragile, evasion-based “ninja” style, each with unique weapons, abilities, and loot.
– Combat is punishingly precise, with frequent, tough boss fights that require learning patterns and where even minor enemies can be deadly, but overcoming them is highly rewarding.
– The game offers deep customization through menus for stats, loot, and abilities, supporting varied playstyles and builds, though some bosses feel overtuned and mechanics could be better explained.
Nioh 3 represents a triumphant evolution for the series, offering an expansive and brutally satisfying adventure that serves as both a rewarding challenge for veterans and a demanding, yet masterful, entry point for newcomers. This latest installment demands meticulous planning and patience, rewarding players with an engrossing world where every victory feels earned. The game’s difficulty is legendary, but so too is the depth of its combat and customization, creating an experience that is as punishing as it is profoundly rewarding.
The world of Nioh 3 is relentlessly hostile. Expect to be dismantled by a bestiary of yokai and other foes through countless creative demises. A major new addition fundamentally changes exploration: a jump button. This isn’t a shift toward platforming frivolity, but a tool that introduces dangerous verticality. It enables new exploration paths and ambush opportunities, meaning you must now scan rooftops and cliff edges as carefully as the ground ahead. This new mobility is integral to the game’s shift toward “open field” design. While not a seamless open world, the experience features large, interconnected maps with side quests and fast travel, stitching together elaborate, non-linear environments without any filler or empty spaces.
However, the jump button’s impact is overshadowed by the revolutionary new samurai and ninja dual-style system. You control a single character capable of instantly switching between two distinct combat philosophies. The samurai style will be familiar to series fans, emphasizing guarding, countering, and mastering the Ki Pulse for stamina management. The ninja style is a fragile, agile alternative, focusing on evasion, slower Ki depletion, and a unique “Mist” dodge that grants brief invulnerability. Crucially, each style has its own loot pool, stats, and upgrade paths. The ninja can utilize Ninjutsu abilities, recharged by hitting enemies, for ranged attacks and utility, while the samurai employs traditional weapon stances.
The ability to switch styles on the fly, combined with a vast arsenal of weapons, creates an unparalleled depth of combat strategy. You might use rapid claws for hit-and-run ninja assaults, then switch to a powerful samurai axe to crush a yokai’s defenses. Finding synergies, like building Ninjutsu charges in samurai form to unleash as a ninja, is incredibly satisfying. This versatility is core to the game’s identity. Some purists may balk at the label, but Nioh 3 is a quintessential Soulslike experience where even basic enemies can end you in moments if you get sloppy. The thrill comes from that razor’s edge, where a perfectly executed stealth kill or a risky combo feels monumental. The sole occasion I felled a boss on the first attempt made me feel invincible.
The game is densely packed with formidable boss encounters, each requiring you to learn intricate attack patterns and weaknesses. While they share some mechanics, like unblockable attacks that can be countered with a well-timed Burst Break, each feels unique. These fights are brutally tough, often demanding hours of practice, which makes victory intensely gratifying. A minor critique is that a few bosses feel disproportionately difficult for their surrounding areas, creating jarring spikes. This may stem from a design seemingly optimized for co-op. You can summon up to two human players or a single, less-effective AI ghost from a Benevolent Grave. In my experience, helping lower-level players trivialized their boss fights, a dynamic that will likely be common post-launch.
Despite the relentless challenge, Nioh 3 possesses a unique sense of accessibility through its incredibly powerful and flexible customization options. You will spend considerable time in menus managing loot, upgrading gear, and fine-tuning your build. Importantly, you can re-spec your character at any time for free, encouraging experimentation. While there’s no option to save loadouts, the freedom to constantly evolve your approach is a significant strength. I gravitated toward the ninja style in the later game, but another player might master a build that fluidly blends both styles in a single fight. The progression is palpable; towering monsters that once seemed insurmountable eventually become enjoyable tests of skill.
The game isn’t without flaws. Some early bosses feel misplaced, certain mechanics lack clear explanation for newcomers, and the narrative presentation is uneven. There’s also a late-game difficulty spike that feels somewhat cheap. Yet, these are minor blemishes on an otherwise exceptional title. Nioh 3 has instantly cemented its place as one of the year’s best games, a brutal, expansive, and masterfully crafted experience that respects the player’s intelligence and rewards their perseverance with unparalleled combat depth and a truly satisfying sense of hard-won achievement.
(Source: Games Radar)
