Nioh 2

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1157 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 873 out of 1157
  2. Mixed: 140 out of 1157
  3. Negative: 144 out of 1157
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  1. i_gomes
    Aug 1, 2020
    8
    I liked the combat, a good evolution of powers and very challenging (I was angry sometimes kk).
    Cool story, with several elements of Japanese history and mythology, which I like a lot!
    The problem with the game are some repetitive stages and frustrating mechanisms and cameras.
  2. Siddey1994
    Mar 16, 2020
    8
    Nioh 2 doesn't warrant a perfect score; there are several issues with the game which need addressing. It does not, however, deserve the hyperbolic bashing it has gotten thus far on Metacritic.

    Nioh 2 treads a lot of the same ground as the original 2017 game. You play through several missions, defeating an array of human and Yokai enemies, culminating in a final challenge in the form of    Nioh 2 doesn't warrant a perfect score; there are several issues with the game which need addressing. It does not, however, deserve the hyperbolic bashing it has gotten thus far on Metacritic.

    Nioh 2 treads a lot of the same ground as the original 2017 game. You play through several missions, defeating an array of human and Yokai enemies, culminating in a final challenge in the form of one of the game's many challenging boss battles.
    The missions themselves are somewhat linear; there isn't a lot of room for exploring off the critical path, though you'll find no shortage of shortcuts to make traversing areas easier. The boss battles are varied and each offer a unique, often vexing challenge.

    The game's main drawback in my opinion, and what seems to be a source of much of the criticism on display in the user ratings, is the especially cruel barrier to entry, even by the standards of a souls-like game. Whilst the challenges never quite rise to the difficulty of the original game (in my opinion at least), there isn't a well defined difficulty curve and the game certainly pulls no punches from the offset.

    If you go in knowing this, and you're able to battle frustration long enough to push through without throwing in the towel and eating Nioh 2 a zero, the experience can be considerably rewarding.    … Expand
  3. Kendrake965
    Jan 2, 2021
    8
    The game is honestly an improvement from the first one with the creation of your character, the amount of weapons, combos etc also the coop is amazing as you can play the whole game with 3 players while collecting every item and have the same progress.

    Story wise it wasn't interesting and it was really dull I recommend this game for people who don't like the souls type games it's really    The game is honestly an improvement from the first one with the creation of your character, the amount of weapons, combos etc also the coop is amazing as you can play the whole game with 3 players while collecting every item and have the same progress.

    Story wise it wasn't interesting and it was really dull I recommend this game for people who don't like the souls type games it's really fun and enjoyable you just need to be patient and find the perfect weapon for you the game also teaches you everything you need to know.    … Expand
  4. Darky1600
    Apr 7, 2020
    8
    Loved number 1 and loving number 2 even more. Story great, plenty of fighting and action also the game has improved on its flaws from number one would HIGHLY recommend.
  5. crisnakee
    Apr 10, 2020
    8
    Más de 80 horas jugadas, Nioh 2 mejora todo lo que hacia su predecesor y lo eleva al punto más alto, mejores ubicaciones, misiones mejor llevadas, gráficos ligeramente mejorados,más armas y un sistema de combate que roza la perfección, Nioh 2 es todo aquello que Nioh no consiguió.
  6. stm
    Apr 17, 2020
    8
    If you enjoyed playing Nioh and the DLCs, this is a must. It is still challenging even if difficulty is downgraded (would suggest to avoid if you have not played sekiro/soulsborn or other masocore games and do not have time). The combat system/strategies you can develop /story are really interesting.
    Few of the things i did not like:
    -camera issues (you will probably die a few times    If you enjoyed playing Nioh and the DLCs, this is a must. It is still challenging even if difficulty is downgraded (would suggest to avoid if you have not played sekiro/soulsborn or other masocore games and do not have time). The combat system/strategies you can develop /story are really interesting.
    Few of the things i did not like:
    -camera issues (you will probably die a few times because you cannot see anything when you are cornered)
    -accidents (you will die because you accidentally fell off a cliff or in a river or a chimp jumped out of nowhere)
    -set bonuses (special sets of armors, especially the ones I found interesting, are either hard to gather or heavy, causing you to lose flexibility)
    -too much information (if you have not played Nioh before, then get ready to spend quite a few time trying to understand the various mechanics/combat systems/process useless armor etc)

    It is a game that requires you to think and develop strategies to finish the missions, which is very interesting.    … Expand
  7. benn14dalas
    Apr 23, 2020
    8
    why some side missions are locked under stupid conditions ? otherwise a great game
  8. KeirAndo
    Apr 28, 2020
    8
    I should preface this by saying I've loved all the Souls games, Bloodborne and enjoyed Nioh.

    In terms of the difference between Nioh 1 and 2 this is definitely a better game. I think the combat system is much improved and I love the addition of the anima bar and special moves. The graphics and cut scenes are also much improved. What makes Nioh 2 not as good as a Souls game, to me at    I should preface this by saying I've loved all the Souls games, Bloodborne and enjoyed Nioh.

    In terms of the difference between Nioh 1 and 2 this is definitely a better game. I think the combat system is much improved and I love the addition of the anima bar and special moves. The graphics and cut scenes are also much improved.

    What makes Nioh 2 not as good as a Souls game, to me at least, is just how unfair some of the bosses seem to me. For numerous bosses, especially towards the end I found myself spending hours and hours, expending almost all of the elixir's and sacred rice that I'd built up just trying to beat a boss. Of the last 6 or so I think four of them must have taken me at least 3 or 4 hours each of dying. Something about the boss mechanics doesn't fair to me.

    If I played through it again I'd make sure to cash in more souls earlier to make sure I leveled up quicker, but that's a lesson learnt.

    So overall a great game that I'd recommend, but not as good as Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne or Sekiro.    … Expand
  9. Critical_Crint
    Apr 29, 2020
    8
    So it’s Nioh but with character customization and is better than the first
  10. mythicize
    May 3, 2020
    8
    I really like Nioh 2. I wish I could jump and that unlocking talents was straight forward instead of locked skills with tool tips that read 'clear mission: ?????" but those are my only complaints. This game has a lot of different armor and weapons, multiple fighting stances and mostly anything a fan of Japanese samurai games can ask for. It can be a bit difficult to progress until youI really like Nioh 2. I wish I could jump and that unlocking talents was straight forward instead of locked skills with tool tips that read 'clear mission: ?????" but those are my only complaints. This game has a lot of different armor and weapons, multiple fighting stances and mostly anything a fan of Japanese samurai games can ask for. It can be a bit difficult to progress until you learn the combat system but that makes the time invested feel rewarding.… Expand
  11. snorkiss
    Apr 26, 2021
    8
    Extremely fun game with a lot of care given to player choice. The plot is throwaway, the amount of loot can be anxiety inducing and it can be ridiculously difficult - although the ability to summon help makes it a little less arduous than the original. If you need a game to devour your time and deliver some outstanding combat, this is for you - 8 stars
  12. Chenailuoding
    Jun 20, 2020
    8
    The act part is excellent, and the map design is still choking.............
  13. Aa12345
    Jun 21, 2020
    8
    As someone who beat nioh one i say that the improvements are a welcome change! The game is harder, but there is reward in fighting some of the bosses and its not impossible, as someone who beat all the sekirodarkborne franchise, i happily say buy this game!
  14. EdgarMttz
    Jun 22, 2020
    8
    Nioh 2 ciertamente no es para los débiles, y requiere mucha resiliencia, entrenamiento y voluntad. Es rápido, feroz, brutal y tiene uno de los sistemas de combate más complejos y profundos dentro de su género. Es perfecto para aquellos que aman un buen desafío y, tal vez, para aquellos que no quieren jugar nada más hasta el final de esta generación.
  15. Clemontide
    Oct 23, 2020
    8
    Great Game like the first one! There are some new mechanics but not that many so for me maybe there is some room for improvement. Didn't like the menu map. But its a solid successor
  16. Afmarcov
    Jun 26, 2020
    8
    It just feel like a expansion of the Nioh 1, with the same graphics, mechanics, enemies, spirits. The new counter mechanic and yokai transformation is amazing, have a good history and you play in a important era of Japan with famous characters (even more than Nioh 1), the character customization is fine but you will be in a full armor almost the entire game so is not that important.
  17. lvhu227
    Jul 12, 2020
    8
    有一定难度，打斗方式多样，趣味性也非常高～就是画面质量放到现在来说比较一般了。
  18. Centrifikal
    Aug 9, 2021
    8
    To give my past experience, I have beat all souls games. Sekiro, Nioh 1, Bloodborne and as many soul likes as I can find on steam. I even bought Returnal and beat it even though it is nothing like these games other than people find it a challenge. Nioh 2 has clear upgrades from the first. You will find many new skills with Yokai abilities that '' in my opinion'' make the game much easier.To give my past experience, I have beat all souls games. Sekiro, Nioh 1, Bloodborne and as many soul likes as I can find on steam. I even bought Returnal and beat it even though it is nothing like these games other than people find it a challenge. Nioh 2 has clear upgrades from the first. You will find many new skills with Yokai abilities that '' in my opinion'' make the game much easier. Once you get down the timing of the burst counter then the mobs and bosses will drop. You have to ki pulse and change stances or you are not going to get anything much from the combat system. I like the challenge. I like making builds with all the gear. This is a good game for the genre. I just cant give it a 10. The levels and mobs still feel the same and I found myself feeling the repetitiveness after a few hours. I love the boss fights and how you can make about any build you want. The options are there to approach the game however you want. So if you are a souls vet or new to the genre, this game is one that should be in your library.… Expand
  19. ArisManimal
    Jul 20, 2020
    8
    best fan service game ever made,
    everything that made the 1st a masterpiece is back, +some new yokai skills that make the whole experience a lot easier than the first game
    the face creator is the best we've seen in a game so far, the body creator is just decent, i really wish there was also an armor creator/editor... the whole experience deserves a 9 but i'm giving it an 8 since it    best fan service game ever made,
    everything that made the 1st a masterpiece is back, +some new yokai skills that make the whole experience a lot easier than the first game
    the face creator is the best we've seen in a game so far, the body creator is just decent, i really wish there was also an armor creator/editor...
    the whole experience deserves a 9 but i'm giving it an 8 since it feels more like an expansion/fan-service of the 1st game, rather than a sequel that progresses the series forward. i wish that Nioh 3 will eventually do that    … Expand
  20. Awanka
    Mar 5, 2021
    8
    I consider the original Nioh to be about an 8. A game with great gameplay, and an enormous assortment of missions to explore and finish. Well, Nioh 2 is bigger and better in every way. They've added large skill trees for pretty much everything, and have also greatly expanded the bestiary of Yokai you have to contend with, so it doesn't become repetitive.

    Just like the original Nioh    I consider the original Nioh to be about an 8. A game with great gameplay, and an enormous assortment of missions to explore and finish. Well, Nioh 2 is bigger and better in every way. They've added large skill trees for pretty much everything, and have also greatly expanded the bestiary of Yokai you have to contend with, so it doesn't become repetitive.

    Just like the original Nioh though, the story is of middling quality. I never really found it or the characters to be that engaging, and there are too many overlong cutscenes where people yammer on emotionally about political or military jargon. It reminded me of Phantom Menace in this regard, just way too much tedious yapping. The Souls series is the gold standard for cutscenes; short, meaningful, and awesome to watch. Like the original Nioh, there's also something inelegant about the combat. It's just kind of spammy and imprecise sometimes. Maybe that's the cost of having fights between these super-powered individuals. Going up against giant yokai with my character's own crazy abilities, I sometimes felt like I was playing a super-hero game, and not the grounded samurai combat which I love.

    Anyway, it's a good game, and a very good way to spend a large chunk of time.    … Expand
  21. shynepo3
    Aug 23, 2020
    8
    So I played Nioh 1 to death, platinum trophy and all. Did all the DLC. So just wanted to let that be known. I’d prob give part 1 a 9.5 - close to perfect, but a boring story has to affect the score.

    With Nioh 2, I was a bit let down. On its own, it probably is a 9.5 as well (again same issue with the story). The yokai abilities were an awesome addition but besides that, it just felt    So I played Nioh 1 to death, platinum trophy and all. Did all the DLC. So just wanted to let that be known. I’d prob give part 1 a 9.5 - close to perfect, but a boring story has to affect the score.

    With Nioh 2, I was a bit let down. On its own, it probably is a 9.5 as well (again same issue with the story). The yokai abilities were an awesome addition but besides that, it just felt more of the same. The combat obviously didn’t need to change much, but a lot of the enemies seemed just like rehashes of old ones. I still enjoyed it, but on my 2nd play through it felt more like a chore. I was just gunning for the platinum trophy and wanted to get it out of the way. Regardless, still worth playing.    … Expand
  22. Jajooka
    Sep 25, 2020
    8
    If you liked Nioh 1, and DS series you probably gonna like this too. I think I liked Nioh 1 better. This monkey main character is just soooo f*ckin irritating, a real misarebla piece of sh*t from the start. Not to mention after he gets some power. I just don't understand how the developers thought anyone would like him. Whatever of course this is a fighting game, no one cares that aboutIf you liked Nioh 1, and DS series you probably gonna like this too. I think I liked Nioh 1 better. This monkey main character is just soooo f*ckin irritating, a real misarebla piece of sh*t from the start. Not to mention after he gets some power. I just don't understand how the developers thought anyone would like him. Whatever of course this is a fighting game, no one cares that about the story. Also I would say the theme that you transform into a half-omni is a bit off-puting too. But all in all. They give us several new weapons and enemy types (along with the old ones) so you can continue enjoy fighting as Nioh. (which is great)… Expand
  23. MetaPhysicMeat
    Apr 7, 2022
    8
    This game is like a glass cannon build that pumped all pts into a single stat.

    The storyline is pretty much negligible, and the characters are somewhat shallow due to the lack of opportunities to interact with them in-depth (although the interim improved upon this aspect quite a bit from the 1st game), the levels are passable, but nothing really extraordinary, and the soundtrack is    This game is like a glass cannon build that pumped all pts into a single stat.

    The storyline is pretty much negligible, and the characters are somewhat shallow due to the lack of opportunities to interact with them in-depth (although the interim improved upon this aspect quite a bit from the 1st game), the levels are passable, but nothing really extraordinary, and the soundtrack is decent. Where the game really shines is in its combat, fast and fluid with lots of custom builds, probably enough fun to last all 5 difficulty levels and more. Team Ninja also managed to keep things from becoming ridiculous like the 1st game.    … Expand
  24. Azerus
    Dec 19, 2020
    8
    Managed to snag this game for $19.90, and I have to say, I'm enjoying the customization options and improved frame rate. While I'm not really good at the combat system, I think it boils down to me having to practice as opposed to the game's mechanics. Regardless, it's a pretty good entry and I think if you can get it at a discounted price, go ahead.
  25. jtk617
    Jan 14, 2021
    8
    Nioh 2 is a solid game.... don't expect your mind to be blown or anything, expect to have a pretty good time and nothing more
  26. Spinexprime
    Feb 16, 2021
    8
    Nioh 2 is a Great improvement from The original Nioh with a new“Transformation” mode which allows you to transform into 3 different Yokai’s a bird, demon and a Fish which is quite the improvement but Other than that Nioh 2 looks and feels the exact same as the Original Nioh which i don’t think is a bad thing but the graphics could be better. And I’m quite surprised the dev team is stillNioh 2 is a Great improvement from The original Nioh with a new“Transformation” mode which allows you to transform into 3 different Yokai’s a bird, demon and a Fish which is quite the improvement but Other than that Nioh 2 looks and feels the exact same as the Original Nioh which i don’t think is a bad thing but the graphics could be better. And I’m quite surprised the dev team is still updating the game till this day.… Expand
  27. SuperClaudio64
    Mar 20, 2022
    8
    A differenza di Nioh 1, il secondo titolo è molto più bilanciato e meno scorretto verso il giocatore, specialmente per i danni subiti dai nemici e le nuove meccaniche della parata esplosiva e dei nuclei d'anima, che rendono gli scontri più semplici e danno al giocatore già da inizio gioco più opzioni per gestire la situazione. Tuttavia, personalmente sono stato più preso dal primo Nioh,A differenza di Nioh 1, il secondo titolo è molto più bilanciato e meno scorretto verso il giocatore, specialmente per i danni subiti dai nemici e le nuove meccaniche della parata esplosiva e dei nuclei d'anima, che rendono gli scontri più semplici e danno al giocatore già da inizio gioco più opzioni per gestire la situazione. Tuttavia, personalmente sono stato più preso dal primo Nioh, perchè nonostante fosse un gioco molto scorretto verso il giocatore, aveva boss fight più combattute al limite e memorabili. Inoltre Nioh 2 ha il difetto di ripetere continuamente le stesse locazioni (Foresta, Villaggio/castello spesso in fiamme e caverna) mentre nel titolo precedente avevamo missioni con ambientazioni più tematiche come il covo dei ninja, Honno-ji ricoperto di ghiaccio, il tempio delle acque con Umi Bozu ecc. Inoltre la difficoltà di Nioh 2 cala drasticamente già dalla seconda regione, e con mia sorpresa sono riuscito a sconfiggere al primo tentativo tutti i boss delle ultime 2 regioni.
    Un bel gioco ma un po troppo simile al primo e con boss fight poco memorabili.    … Expand
  28. VanCan72
    May 16, 2022
    8
    For $20 I had a lot of fun with this. Just felt like more Nioh, and I'm ok with that. Got a lot of time out of this, had loads of fun customizing my character and optimizing my build, died a lot, and didn't have a bad time with any of it. All and all, not that bad
  29. YokoHugo
    Jul 29, 2022
    8
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  30. Majoody90
    Aug 4, 2021
    8
    Amazing lovely wow beautiful oh god its good 75 its too much guys i just wabt to ra
  31. allsevens777
    Mar 29, 2020
    7
    Man I want to love this game. But there are problems. The customization is wonderful, forging a character to fit your style of play is always rewarding. But many of the failure of the first game are here and worse. The combat has gotten, and I don’t know how this is possible, loose. For a game that plays on split second timing and near pinpoint
  32. montagx
    Apr 6, 2021
    7
    Loved the combat, sadly it kinda forces you to play a lot of repetitive secondary missions.
  33. Molec_man
    Aug 18, 2020
    7
    It's a solid Soulsbourne game with looter aspects that could keep you playing. It allows for many different builds, but none of them feel like they are overpowered. I like to feel rewarded by power for spending hours and hours in an RPG. I just don't get that feeling here. But its still a good RPG.
  34. Woahstrewth
    Apr 13, 2020
    7
    Nioh 2 is among the upper tier of Souls Like Action RPGS and is basically a better version of Nioh 1.
    Marginally better graphics, combat, story and presentation though still doesn't do much towards fixing alot of the glaring issues that Nioh 1 had, and adding a few more of it's own.
    After beating the final boss I can say that the game is wayyyyyyy too long and I was ready to be done    Nioh 2 is among the upper tier of Souls Like Action RPGS and is basically a better version of Nioh 1.
    Marginally better graphics, combat, story and presentation though still doesn't do much towards fixing alot of the glaring issues that Nioh 1 had, and adding a few more of it's own.

    After beating the final boss I can say that the game is wayyyyyyy too long and I was ready to be done with it about ten hours before I actually reached the end. While there is greater yokai variety this time around it still borrows Nioh 1's habit of bland and uninteresting level design. After the 10th derelict castle with a forest on the side it just gets old.

    The Bosses are also very hit and miss, with some tougher bosses in the beginning of the game and some ridiculously easy bosses later on, if the boss quality were a line chart it would be all over the place.

    It also retains and even enhances Nioh 1's penchant for cheap BS, with alot of bosses just straight up one shotting you with most of their abilities no matter how you build your character, Nioh has never been as concerned with tough but fair balance like FromSoft games have, it will just straight up kill you sometimes because RNG said so.

    Basically a marginally better Nioh 1 but still pales in comparison to any of the Dark Souls, Bloodborne, or Sekiro.    … Expand
  35. setuis
    Mar 24, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. cups do nothing in this game to help you pass bosses so you can get further in story. - Another game broken by **** instant kill moves from third snake boss (the second boss hand an instant kill move too). - I understand its patterns and attacks and wasted 9 cups on people who do nothing to help and are actually more of hinderence then help but the snake often clips you regardless with charge, tail whip or instant kill. Bad game for people with disabilities. Most likely forced to grind to a stupidly high level for no purpose now to beat the boss. Its a shame after 20 or more tries they don't put up tips or reduce the damage slightly of these bosses and adjust to a level where its stlll challanging but not impossible. I like games like this but really wish bosses where fairer. The snake has the following attacks (Tail sweep always clips you for damage unless dodged but its not telgraphed well when close.) , hand snake forward 3 times, hands forward together and pull in , posion circle breath attack , hand snake detachment in yonkai Snake charge forwards (can't be burst countered) snake circle around you and do instant kill attack by grabbing and stabbing.) , snake hands going into ground and hitting you from below, Snake hands going into ground while your stand in front of boss and instantly rising, snake body slam, snake mid range circle tail whip a slightly different tail whip from the longer range one. I wish status effects where easier to apply and that you could take arrows etc as a ninjitsu or something so you always got some. I wish games like this would have a level to gauge your skill at these sought of games then adjust to a fair level based on how much damage you do before getting killed by a boss. Honestly you sometimes press defense and dodge at the right time but the game itself seems to say you didn't press it in time when you did. Nioh 2 feels like its going backwards not forwards also the adorable komada voices don't sing when you are nearby now to let you know its there. I still like this more than seriko however as least here you get free bombs or items to use and you can grind up to get a little better. I really do wish weak points where weak points and actually did something rather than remove the artificial armor in games like this.… Expand
  36. Gutsukyo
    Mar 13, 2020
    7
    Just another in a long line of Dark Souls wannabes. The game isn't even ashamed of its blatant thievery of ideas from Dark Souls. Though it's not entirely a fresh idea, it's at least fun to play.
  37. JonnyMenthol
    Mar 15, 2020
    7
    Yeah, i can't do this anymore. I loved Nioh, love souls games and beaten the nine, I've played except for Dark Souls 2. This is another Dark souls 2, they took the difficulty to far it looses the fun factor but not only that, it's often cheap. The systems are a bit over involved and the story is weak but there is a good game under here somewhere, it'll just take the insanely dedicated toYeah, i can't do this anymore. I loved Nioh, love souls games and beaten the nine, I've played except for Dark Souls 2. This is another Dark souls 2, they took the difficulty to far it looses the fun factor but not only that, it's often cheap. The systems are a bit over involved and the story is weak but there is a good game under here somewhere, it'll just take the insanely dedicated to find the full breath of it. 12 hours gameplay and i can't find fun past the difficulty but I can respect how well the game is made and how great everything feels. I just can't be bothered inching my way through it. It's hard to score the game as i've not finished it so take it for what it is worth.… Expand
  38. eded9999
    Feb 20, 2021
    7
    Combat is good with a lot of options and mechanics
    Good difficulty.
    The Story is a weak point; messy, boring and feels like your are just a mere spectator, not the protagonist almost until the end of the game
    Also the game is almost too long for it own good.
    And the loot system is so noisy an convoluted, so many sets almost identical with random stats, it loose appeal to collect then.
  39. Gun_Murat_Ilban
    Mar 29, 2020
    7
    One of the better Souls clones out there. The fighting mechanics can match anything From Software games came up with so far. Customization and the amount of content also are strengths. But pretty much every other aspect of the game severely lacks behind, so it's a good game overall, just nothing special.
  40. Descending23
    Mar 24, 2020
    7
    The combat is the best is the Soulsborne genre. Incredibly in depth and fun. A must play for any hardcore Souls fan.
  41. Shimmeywill
    Apr 11, 2021
    7
    Solid character creator and decent art direction. Arcadey combat is fun. Performance on base PS4 is lacklustre.
  42. Poohead
    Jul 30, 2020
    7
    the gameplay was fun challenging for the most part is was great but started to drag near the end too many reused areas enemies and bosses could of used some more variety in the side missions
  43. Anivice
    Dec 14, 2020
    7
    Really a solid game. Or a large DLC of the first one. Basically this game does not have that much of a difference compared to the first one but still I enjoyed myself a lot.
  44. Cookieknight
    Mar 27, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Das spiel hat mich überzeugt und ich liebe es, gute kämpfe und es macht spass, yokais zu töten, die story ist nicht wirklich überzeugend, schon wieder **** undankbarer tokugawa und der permanent stumme hauptcharakter hilft da auch nicht, auch die personen denen man folgen muss sind so unsymphatisch, abgesehen von oda, was ein bisschen schade ist, aber man spielt nioh auch nicht wegen der story sondern dem tollen kampfsystem und auch das neue yokai gimmick ist wirklich gut gemacht ebenso das man einen eigenen charakter erstellen kann ist top! Natürlich hats noch verbesserungspotenzial, z.b das der eigene schutzgeist wie bei anderen charakteren in cutscenes zu sehen ist oder auch das eigene schwert und kein voreingestelltes. Was mich auch nervt, ist das neue fähigkeitskostensystem, die fähigkeiten wie schutzgeisttalisman kosten einfach masslos zu viel, 9 kapazitätspunkte für 3 talismane oder die fähigkeit magie schneller zu wirken, weil teils schnelle bosse dir nicht die zeit geben um magie zu wirken, da ist das schnell wirken essentiel für mich, im 1 teil ging das auch noch, aber jetzt wurde es als geheime technick eingestuft und somit erst gegen ende lernbar, dann brauchst du es praktisch auch nicht mehr, im ersten teil gings ja auch, warum ändern, dasselbe für die oberfläche der skillbäume, warum ändern, es war doch gut so, auch die preise der schmiedin für ein upgrade der waffe, übertrieben hoch. Oder auch die aufgezwungenen begleit missionen, bei der dich die begleiter nur unnötig stressen und die sache erschweren, dazu die schlechte ki, naja, die yokai bosse sind okay, aber menschliche gegner, z.b einmal ein sohaya als boss gegner, das einzige was der konnte war blocken und nochmal blocken, sogar meinen kompletten yokai wandel abgeblockt und sein ki wurde nicht mal zur hälfte gesenkt, umgekehrt aber wäre mein ki nach 2 schlägen blocken im wandel modus down, das hat nichts mehr mit schwer zu tun, sondern ist nur mühsam und macht keinen spass mehr, also ein bisschen besser ausgeglichene kämpfe wären nice und dann kommen wir noch zu einem problem, welches schon im ersten teil da war, die immergleichen level als nebenmission, die selbe karte in verschiedenen regionen und die aufgabe besteht zu 90 % daraus, das dir auf engem raum ein haufen gegner hingeworfen wird und das 2/3 mal und fertig ist die mission, also bitte, ein bisschen abwechslung wäre wirklich nicht zuviel verlangt und immer diese beschiessenen wellenkämpfe… Expand
  45. Swclark777
    Mar 29, 2020
    7
    There are many problems with this game that were not perfected prior to launch. The addition of the new burst counter, as well as Yōkai shifts in general, ultimately is unwelcome. The original game didn’t need them, and their inclusion simply makes the combat feel less precise and more spammable. Disappointed.
  46. QuoNBM
    Jul 8, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a person who has done the previous work, it feels like he has recycled the enemies of the previous work, and the graphics and UI improvements have made him feel unfeeling, so the sequel came out. I liked the addition of the new combat system and the equivalent of the previous one, but the problem with sloppy storylines and frequent framing remained, and, crucially, the first launch price of nearly $58 was hard to understand personally. However, I liked the action, including the additional content, just like the previous one.… Expand
  47. 18Xq8Rtutehc
    Aug 3, 2020
    7
    As a fan of the SoulsBorne genre, what I disliked the most about this game in comparison to Nioh 2, is that the difficulty feels too artificial. Your hits do so little damage, that most bosses feel like a damage sponge. The game becomes about endurance rather than skill (unlike Souls and Borne games). Even Nioh and Lords of the Fallen did a better job.
    Still a good game to play while    As a fan of the SoulsBorne genre, what I disliked the most about this game in comparison to Nioh 2, is that the difficulty feels too artificial. Your hits do so little damage, that most bosses feel like a damage sponge. The game becomes about endurance rather than skill (unlike Souls and Borne games). Even Nioh and Lords of the Fallen did a better job.
    Still a good game to play while waiting for the Demons Souls remaster, though.    … Expand
  48. PHNTMRIDR
    Sep 12, 2020
    7
    Nioh 2 is a good game, but I found myself getting a bit bored after 10+ hrs of gameplay.
  49. Fredavila
    Dec 29, 2021
    7
    Mejoro gráficamente, misma jugabilidad que nioh 1, y mucho dificultad injusta para alargar el juego
  50. kwstas
    Apr 11, 2020
    6
    Looking some super high scores on this game was quite expected and understandable . If anyone would vote on the games design and the variety of options that it offers then it should be a very high score indeed . However the game as also expected is tremendusly difficult to the point that frastration is overwhelming . This difficulty could not be such a huge problem if the combat mechanicsLooking some super high scores on this game was quite expected and understandable . If anyone would vote on the games design and the variety of options that it offers then it should be a very high score indeed . However the game as also expected is tremendusly difficult to the point that frastration is overwhelming . This difficulty could not be such a huge problem if the combat mechanics and leveling system of the game was smooth and approachable like those of surge 2 , bloodborne or Dark souls 3 . In this game starting in a dark place where you barely see , where levels begin to seem huge after level 5 and with so little to exp yourself in an area where you have no other choice than follow one path and with a boss wich you face twice and he has a damn lot of hp . You find yourself helpless in the first area where you should actually still learning the game . This only seem to me like an unproffesional or either thoughtless approach from the developers . This game is trying to be a dark souls 3 alternative but using some linear and outdated elements and with combat mechanics similar to toukiden 2 despite some good graphics and design is still ain't working from my point of view . Also looking on the first bosses difficulty level i find myself without motivation knowing that even if i manage to kill him then eventually some of the other bosses of the game will be either impossible to defeat or a waste of my time if i will have to face them 50 times each to kill them and i am not sure why a person would want to just waste their time on this when there are so many other games or even other things to do in this world . Finally lets say that you pay the price of an AAA game which is made by a studio that has neither the skills or experience to produce a true AAA game… Expand
  51. TheFrog
    May 18, 2022
    6
    I enjoyed the game for quite a while. I like combat against normal enemies, and the game gives you a lot of options to confront them. They hit hard but not SO hard, and elixirs are easy to find on fallen enemies. Unfortunately, weapons are VERY unbalanced. For example, with an agility/ninjutsu build, the most logical thing would be to go kusarigama, right? Wrong. Try out the tonfa, andI enjoyed the game for quite a while. I like combat against normal enemies, and the game gives you a lot of options to confront them. They hit hard but not SO hard, and elixirs are easy to find on fallen enemies. Unfortunately, weapons are VERY unbalanced. For example, with an agility/ninjutsu build, the most logical thing would be to go kusarigama, right? Wrong. Try out the tonfa, and you'll realize that most other weapons won't even come close to its effectiveness. Kusarigama is terrible at blocking and has zilch stopping power with fast attacks, so, while you CAN use it, you'll usually make your life a lot more difficult. Still, at times certain weapons prove handy against certain enemies, even if your build is not geared towards their use. The kusa is great at taking out oni, given that it's power attack takes off their horns. Also, in duels against humans, its huge range sometimes proves very beneficial. Trying every weapon out is good.
    You'll find lots of equipment items with different stats and perks. You can spend time and resources to tweak them, looking for the perfect combination... then you realize it's pointless, as they'll be obsolete in a few levels and the level of grind is insane. And mostly, you end up with negligible changes to your stats, hardly worth all the hassle. A 2% increase in damage when your health is low? Wow, this is *so* gonna change my view of the world!
    Then come the bosses. I usually hate bosses, but this game has some very strange difficulty spikes. Some bosses can be beaten with just a few attempts, you only need to memorize their attack patterns and devise a good strategy, while others are incredibly strong and have no weak points, so you just keep at it until you get lucky.
    For example, I even managed to beat one on my very first attempt - and then, the next one (Shibata Katsuie) had me ragequit after dozens of attempts. And then, the next day, I retried and somehow managed it - but still consider it a chance thing, even though my dodging DID improve.
    You can summon friendly NPCs to help you out, but that's not how I want to play the game. I feel you should have a fair chance to beat every level on your own.
    Other super annoying bosses are the bull spider and the two final encounters with the main opponent. Also, duels against human opponents are terrible. The opponent has a huge amount of HP and ten times your ki. Quite often, it's also not staggered by your hits so, even though you managed to get your attack in first, you still get hurt for 35% of your HP, versus 1% of his own. The dojo duels especially, are something I truly loathed, and ended up only completing the tonfa one; if you want to get new weapon skills, you have to do a lot of these, and they take away all your ninjutsu and magic techniques. As for the duel missions, I usually take them only after I'm 50% over their suggested level. After the opponent gets down to 50% health, they usually start using infinite special attacks that can reach you anywhere and reduce you to mincemeat.
    You have lots of special techniques you can learn, but they are rarely worth it. Parrying is unreliable, for example, and even when successful, it doesn't give you much of an advantage, whereas it can get you seriously hurt if you mistime it.
    I eventually completed the game, but was pretty fed up with it by then. I relied on grinding to increase my level and make things a bit easier, but saw many tombs of much lower level players, proving that the best out there can win even against overpowering enemies. Grinding is just one option.

    TL;DR - I enjoyed the game. I like the slow but sure progression through each level, and those thrilling moments like when I had to dispatch several strong enemies in the demon realm, are worth it. I can say that there are no really unfair fights mid-level, and you have a lot of strategies at your disposal. Bosses, on the other hand, vary from very easy to super frustrating, and they were, together with duels, the worst part of the game for me.    … Expand
  52. sapphiron
    Apr 11, 2020
    6
    Most bosses are much easier than the minions.
    Terrible game balance and design.
  53. SplitMind
    Jul 17, 2021
    6
    Nioh found its niche in an audience of Souls fans that were begging for more. Unfortunately I think a niche is where Nioh 1 and 2 belong, although it also seems happy to be there. My biggest gripe with Nioh 2 is probably how little has changed for the better, which may not be a popular opinion.

    The graphics in Nioh 2 aren't that special unless you play the PS5 remaster, where the 60fps    Nioh found its niche in an audience of Souls fans that were begging for more. Unfortunately I think a niche is where Nioh 1 and 2 belong, although it also seems happy to be there. My biggest gripe with Nioh 2 is probably how little has changed for the better, which may not be a popular opinion.

    The graphics in Nioh 2 aren't that special unless you play the PS5 remaster, where the 60fps makes it much more appealing. You can tell that the detail and power is there for graphics, but like a common trend in modern games, Nioh 2 lets itself down by using bland, repetitive environments, especially dark ones such as caves and tunnels. The game could really benefit from things being a bit more vibrant and colourful. Add to this the uninspired enemy design that's highly copied from the previous game and it feels a lot more like an extension of Nioh 1.

    A big aspect of Nioh 2 is the Dark Realm, however this area irritated me more than anything as it can make the screen blurry and drained of colour. It's a nice gimmick but it should be used sparingly.

    The gameplay of Nioh is why we are here. Souls and Souls-likes are not famous for being casual and accessible games, however I think Nioh 2 may be the worst of them all with this. As soon as I met my first enemy and saw how much damage I did compared to how much I received, I was flabbergasted. I had to work quite hard to persevere until after the first boss where the game opened up a bit. I doubt most people will want to persist for that long, although mass appeal doesn't seem to interest Nioh to begin with.

    This brings me to a debate I had with myself until after the third boss where I stopped playing - is Nioh too unbalanced? I still haven't drawn a conclusion, but I think the game is more effort than it's worth at least. I don't believe that the changes made have been for the better. For example, the burst counter is an unnecessary gimmick that's too unreliable to consistently pull-off.

    There are also a plethora of systems to develop your character within. Between soul cores, guardian spirits, attributes and gear you can spend far too much time playing manager as opposed to actually exploring and combating your way through the game. Again this is extremely unfriendly to newcomers however the Nioh niche will likely love this due to how immersive it can become. For me it became tedious due to how much attention these systems needed.

    When you strip down to the core mechanics of Nioh 2, I found it quite protracted and tedious, leading to me eventually giving up on it. Just like the first game, you are exploring very similar environments with very similar enemies and bosses who are actually very similar too as you just need to identify a specific strategy for each one. This is a problem all Souls games have but Dark Souls has the atmosphere and interconnected world that Nioh does not.

    The story of Nioh 2 comes across as fairly light, but then again I didn't exactly get too far into it. I rate games well when they don't bore you with a tedious story and Nioh does well here since a Souls-like game allows you to dip into the story at your leisure without affecting gameplay.

    Overall, Nioh 2 is actually a decent game in its own right, however it's not on its own - even the first game does almost everything Nioh 2 does, and when you factor in all the other Souls games, I became very weary from the repetitive styles of gameplay. Nioh 2 isn't breaking much new ground, but it brings more of the same and that will appeal to most fans of the first.    … Expand
  54. DamyanDG10
    Mar 18, 2020
    6
    Its basically Nioh 1 with some new bosses... the game is flawless and without bugs simply cuz its the same game. People saying its groundbreaking and stuff like that are just frontin. Menu, gameplay, graphics, AI, level design, items, ⅔ of the yokai are the same as the first game. Its one giant DLC. Still had fun but cmon... thats why they made it that fast ...
  55. QuickBen93
    May 5, 2020
    6
    While I did enjoy Nioh 2 a lot, I can't help but wonder if this isn't a prime example of the life service model which contradicts itself. In a game where you're supposed to spend a countless amount of hours you're limited to new game plus only. Basically you are blocked from progressing above a certain item level. It would've been okay, if it wasn't for the fact that the first contentWhile I did enjoy Nioh 2 a lot, I can't help but wonder if this isn't a prime example of the life service model which contradicts itself. In a game where you're supposed to spend a countless amount of hours you're limited to new game plus only. Basically you are blocked from progressing above a certain item level. It would've been okay, if it wasn't for the fact that the first content update will make all the grind useless. While it does make sense to spend huge amount of time farming for the shiny 170 items, or the +attack, which you can then transfer to other items, is it really worth it, because the first mission of the DLC will most probably give you better loot. Would you really come back in a few months? That's the issue that I personally have with the games promoting season passes, they are selling you the solution to the problem they've created.

    Now that I went through the issues that I personally have with the business model, and the content updates (note that this might not be an issue for you at all, and that's totally fine. I hope you, the reader, enjoy Nioh 2), we can move to the questionable gameplay changes. While the guardian system in Nioh was absolutely broken in the end game, I do not believe that the Yokai abilities were the right thing to do, as many of them feel useless at the moment, and if you happen to reach New Game +, you will mostly see only Okatemaru and Yatsu No Kami. You can make the same argument for the guardian spirit system, but once you draw the line, the end result is the same, and it doesn't bring much diversity on the table. I also feel that nerfing different bosses hasn't done much in order to make the under performing builds/weapons/skills appear more often, it just makes it easier for already broken builds to complete missions. I also find it amusing that Shibata was nerfed several times already, but nobody bothered to fix the issue where Okatemaru disappears, or just doesn't die, but the mission ends. Considering the fact that this is the boss that drops most farming recipes, and you are very likely to spend time with this boss particularly - this is an issue.

    I don't really want to make this way too long, because at the very end it needs to be as tight and informative as humanly - but it is impossible for me to support the idea about locking certain weapon skills behind rng. There is no scenario under which this feels right and rewarding. While I can understand the idea behind weapons/armors & etc locked behind grind, locking weapon skills behind rng is beyond my understanding. The looting system is very simillar to games like Borderlands, POE, Diablo & etc. Neither of them made you farm for abilities. You can also make the argument that "some of these skills are not really good, and you can also have a lot of fun without them", but that is not my point. I am not sure if they didn't do this just to make sure that people will spend couple more hours playing Nioh 2, rather than switching to something else. In the live service era, the developers/publishers fight mostly for our time/attention.

    I also did not like the idea about the silent protagonist, it felt a bit soulless to me. Again, I feel like they did it, so the story is not as much about, as it is about the world around you, while in the first game (the base game) it was mostly about a brave British lad retrieving his precious pokemon.

    At times the game felt more like Nioh 1,5 rather than Nioh 2, and this is not necessarily a bad thing (Fifa fans, you with me?). The level design and the soundtrack have only improved since the first game (with very few exceptions which do not really contribute much to the overall feeling), and this only make you feel like you're exactly where you need to be. That one feeling that something just feels right.

    Also, I never really thought about this before playing Nioh 2, but the original game didn't really have a huge variety of enemies. Nioh 2 has plenty of new Yokai for you to fight with. Unfortunately, with 1-2 exceptions, the most challenging Yokai are still the ones from the first game. When it comes to the bosses, I am afraid that at least in the base game - with few exceptions, most of them are easily forgettable and simply not interesting. While this is not a boss ranking or anything of that sort, I believe we might have to wait until the DLC comes out to fight the best Team Ninja has to offer.

    Overall, Nioh 2 is a great game with plenty of content for new players to explore. Maybe a bit better guide on how to craft/soul match/remodel/swap stats from one item to another would've been better for newcommers, but that's just my opinion.

    I will cut it there, and stop rambling. Thank you for reading, and take care!    … Expand
  56. dangyosabyss
    Jun 2, 2021
    6
    Tldr : Basically pretty Dark souls for weebs with added 1-shotting. Playing this after Dark Souls, Sekiro or ghost of Tsushima shows just how limited it is.

    Good: Beautiful graphics and character designs. Weapon variety. Stance changing adds variety. Possession is an interesting mechanic. Bad: Too many instances of enemies 1-shotting you. Too many instances of light speed    Tldr : Basically pretty Dark souls for weebs with added 1-shotting. Playing this after Dark Souls, Sekiro or ghost of Tsushima shows just how limited it is.

    Good:
    Beautiful graphics and character designs.
    Weapon variety.
    Stance changing adds variety.
    Possession is an interesting mechanic.

    Bad:
    Too many instances of enemies 1-shotting you.
    Too many instances of light speed hitboxes killing you before you can react.
    Stop/Start battle dynamics.
    Poor level design.
    Looter sho...slasher mechanic is tired.    … Expand
  57. uncle-scrooge
    May 13, 2020
    6
    I feel this game needs more balance between the top and bottom levels of reviews (there are plenty of both). I'm in the middle; I don't think this game is a **** but I don't think it deserves the almost universal praise it has gotten from critics at all either.

    There are good things to say about this game for sure, but judging from the number of positive reviews, you've probably heard    I feel this game needs more balance between the top and bottom levels of reviews (there are plenty of both). I'm in the middle; I don't think this game is a **** but I don't think it deserves the almost universal praise it has gotten from critics at all either.

    There are good things to say about this game for sure, but judging from the number of positive reviews, you've probably heard it; nice, varied combat style, lots of loot, enough stats to make your head spin and of course there's the difficulty level, if that's your thing.

    This is written from the perspective of a casual gamer, who's beat and NG+'ed DS 1, 3, Bloodborne and Sekiro, so that gives you a comparison. I'm by no means pro, but not a completely newbie to difficult Japanese games either.

    So, to the negative stuff, which is why you read a lower review:

    The difficulty is mainly based on three things:
    - ridiculous enemy damage (almost any puny attack will one-shot you if you don't have 100% health)
    - enemies hiding in places where they are near impossible to know about, one-shotting you by jumping down from a tree or shooting you in the back from afar
    - preposterous health bars, especially on bosses. Difficult, yes, but frankly, mostly extremely tedious and boring. Expect boss fights to drag out past 20-30 minutes of very limited move-sets, and then you die from exhaustion from a one-shot move that you know well, but missed the 398th time he threw it at you.

    The game's production feels incredibly cheap
    I get that re-use is a part of game design, but seriously... ten minutes into the game, you've met most of the monsters there are, and you'll fight the same ones again. And again. And again. And again. They evolve throughout the game simply by increasing their damage and HP more or less in perfect tandem with your own level. So there. You could have skipped leveling altogether and just played at level 1 throughout.
    Give the game a few hours, and you've seen every asset they've bothered to design, and you'll see those same assets thrown about in different ways throughout the game. Every wall, every barrel, every wooden box, every rock, every tree – it all seems familiar no matter what area you're in, because it's all the same models and textures used.
    And then there are the bosses. I finally beat one of them, learning his five moves until I could easily sidestep him without losing any hp, and still needing 35 minutes to surgically scrape single molecules of his HP meter. I go on the next quest, and whaddyaknow – it ends with the same boss! You have got to be kidding me. The exact same boss one more time, same arena, all the same moves, straight after the previous one. I mean, it's just weird. Give me a few hours to forget his five moves at least! I wasn't angry because he was difficult, but because I was ridiculously tired of him the first time around, to the point of not even feeling happy when I beat him. Then, they throw him at me again, literally less than 20 minutes later. *sigh* I lost the will to keep playing at that point. Cheap.

    Quest difficulty level is completely random
    Go on a level 30 quest with a level 12 character and eat the boss and his friends for breakfast. Then go on a level 30 quest with a level 60 character, and get one-shotted by the first pathetic skeleton soldier you meet. The quest leveling seems completely random, and I honestly have no idea why it's even there.

    My expectations for this game were probably off, and I get that a more dedicated player will enjoy this game more than I did by really digging into items, moves, smithing, etc. which, is something I simply don't have time or patience to do. Still, it's silly to give the game a perfect 10 and tell everyone else to git gud, when the game HAS obvious flaws. If I needed to sum up the negative parts of my review in one word, it would be CHEAP. Cheap difficulty, cheap production values, cheap, synthesized 60 seconds music score on repeat and constantly re-used assets. Designing a difficult game is an art that involves more than impossible-to-predict jump attacks, ludicrously high damage and health bars the length of the great wall of China.

    Does it suck? No, it doesn't, and it's not impossible you might like it more than I did. By all means, try it. But once the feeling of being thrown a hastily put together, low-cost-at-any-price game that you pay a full price for, it's harder to enjoy it. At least for me.    … Expand
  58. Springhi
    Mar 18, 2020
    6
    I'm glad to face the challenge in any 1 on 1 fight with a strong enemy. But in this game, only the intense BOSS fights could give me good feelings. NIOH 2 lacks new designed enemies, but embedded too many conspiracies. Always surrounded by the enemies that I have fighted many many times. Nothing changes since NIOH 1. Nothing changes in level design. Far behind Soul's series, notI'm glad to face the challenge in any 1 on 1 fight with a strong enemy. But in this game, only the intense BOSS fights could give me good feelings. NIOH 2 lacks new designed enemies, but embedded too many conspiracies. Always surrounded by the enemies that I have fighted many many times. Nothing changes since NIOH 1. Nothing changes in level design. Far behind Soul's series, not interesting at all.… Expand
  59. Hackslashshoot
    Aug 18, 2021
    6
    The grind to become op so you can one shot enemies before they can one shot you. That’s nioh 1 and 2 in a nutshell. This will be the final Nioh game I purchase. . The grind is over
  60. Kullinimija
    Mar 14, 2020
    6
    Nothing has really changes from the first chapter. This should have been a dlc
  61. DracoCross
    Mar 14, 2020
    6
    It's difficult for the sake of being difficult.

    Nioh 1 had its challenges as well but it felt like you could actually progress and become powerful. Here? Not at all. I enjoy a good challenge but the game is poorly balanced. Weapons feel underwhelming, skills are still mostly useless. The suggested level for missions is pointless as even if you are more than double the level, you will    It's difficult for the sake of being difficult.

    Nioh 1 had its challenges as well but it felt like you could actually progress and become powerful. Here? Not at all. I enjoy a good challenge but the game is poorly balanced. Weapons feel underwhelming, skills are still mostly useless. The suggested level for missions is pointless as even if you are more than double the level, you will still get destroyed by damage sponge enemies that deal ridiculous damage to your over-leveled and over-armored character. The NPC summons are more often than not useless as well unfortunately. They only serve to be a enemy distraction for a short period of time or to help clear out some of the weaker enemies while you endlessly grind in hopes of finding something that will actually make a difference. For any of the more dangerous enemies, its over quickly. Again, even if they are overleveled. Finding actual players to summon becomes difficult in later levels as it seems not many people have been able to make progress to those levels.

    You can block basically everything without consequences except for grapples which takes away from the combat but its required since enemy tracking is often excessive which makes dashing/dodging a game of rng at best. Every encounter with yokai becomes a battle of attrition and drags each mission into excessive lengths of time for how small the maps actually are.

    Apart from the imbalance, combat/controls are fast and responsive. Customization is fairly in depth and the soundtrack is pleasant to listen to. The story isn't great but it isn't terrible either, though the voice acting choices for some characters are a bit distracting. The new systems, such as the yokai shiftling forms are a great addition to the formula but felt like they could have taken them a little further. Only a couple new weapon types but they add some new flare to the game. Technically, it is a well made and polished game. No bugs, frame rate drops, or crashes have been encountered thus far.

    Overall, a decent game but the difficulty spike will probably keep it from being a fully enjoyable experience for many new and old players.    … Expand
  62. hamletsdead
    Mar 22, 2020
    6
    This game is Nioh 1 all over again with a character creation menu. Big whoop. The gameplay is exactly the same with the exception of the yokai power, and the graphics are frankly terrible. Antialiasing, pop in, bad lighting, and at best 720p at 45-60 fps. All they did was put the storyline back 300 years and instead of William you're some new random dude -- there's no story to it at all. IThis game is Nioh 1 all over again with a character creation menu. Big whoop. The gameplay is exactly the same with the exception of the yokai power, and the graphics are frankly terrible. Antialiasing, pop in, bad lighting, and at best 720p at 45-60 fps. All they did was put the storyline back 300 years and instead of William you're some new random dude -- there's no story to it at all. I had to turn it off after the first 20 minutes because it looked so bad.… Expand
  63. lur_
    Mar 26, 2020
    6
    Disappointing.

    Nioh 1 was an impressive achievement for a first entry in a new series. It had a lot of problems, but the foundation was there. Unfortunately, to a large degree Nioh 2 is a copy of the first game, both in terms of design and content. Pretty much all the problems from the first game are still here. Extremely bland and unmemorable level/area design. A lack of sensible    Disappointing.

    Nioh 1 was an impressive achievement for a first entry in a new series. It had a lot of problems, but the foundation was there. Unfortunately, to a large degree Nioh 2 is a copy of the first game, both in terms of design and content.

    Pretty much all the problems from the first game are still here. Extremely bland and unmemorable level/area design. A lack of sensible input queueing means needing to hammer buttons. Regular enemies having tons of HP makes encounters initially challenging, but once you learn the patterns it just makes for tedious fights. The delay between pushing the button to block and your character actually blocking combined with the generally high speed of swings from enemies results in many hits where you were holding the block button for what felt like the entire incoming swing. Too many ambush enemies, a bit too much useless loot and the odd system of "selling" loot to the kodama for elixirs.

    Some new problems are added. Performing a burst counter will quite often result in both you and the enemy getting hit simultaneously which just feels wrong. Similarly, you don't seem to be protected at all when using soul core / Yokai abilities; triggering a "super" and transforming into a giant beast only to immediately die from being poked by a puny skeleton warrior also feels wrong. Finally, it seems every human boss can be beaten using the same very basic strategy.

    On the positive side the cutscenes look really good and the game has plenty of moments when the combat flows really nicely. Having the three different stances is still good and somewhat unique. Some of the nonhuman bosses are fun and challenging.

    I don't regret my purchase but I don't think the game is worth full price. This isn't so much Nioh 2 as it is Nioh 1.2. Definitely wait for a sale.    … Expand
  64. PecosBill
    Jun 21, 2020
    6
    The game is ok and has potential, but is also marred by flaws: the AI is terrible and most of the perceived difficulty is due to poorly designed and unfair mechanics.
    Once you get past the frustration, the game is actually easy and the second playthrough is so easy it feels like a "victory lap"... which would be fine, if it wasn't for the fact that as of over three months after the    The game is ok and has potential, but is also marred by flaws: the AI is terrible and most of the perceived difficulty is due to poorly designed and unfair mechanics.
    Once you get past the frustration, the game is actually easy and the second playthrough is so easy it feels like a "victory lap"... which would be fine, if it wasn't for the fact that as of over three months after the release there's no DLCs available, multiplayer or any repeatable content worth mentioning: all you can do is farm gear in a handful of missions.
    Also, while it's clear that the devs have tried to improve and innovate after the first chapter, the game is lacking in enemy diversity and several levels have been copy & pasted from the first Nioh!
    I'm a fan of Soulsborne games and, without going too much in depth, those games have better mechanics and way more re-playability thanks to invasion mechanics and the beautiful dungeon system Bloodborne has.
    We can only wait and see what the DLCs will bring and we'll hopefully get something like dungeons/the abyss soon.

    Nioh 2 really feels like a game that "could have been", but unfortunately it isn't.    … Expand
  65. Cha0ticneutral
    Feb 8, 2021
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A great game but let down by very poor boss design in terms of their outright unfair difficulty. Random and aggressive attack patterns with 1 hit kill attacks that don't have enough signposting for you to learn to avoid them. They feel hard to the point of it being cheap, most combos and attacks kill you in seconds and the AI is so aggressive and unpredictable that sometimes it seems down to luck.

    There comes a point where the frustration of the experience defeats the possible elation you feel after accomplishing what feels like a very hollow victory. Perhaps the feeling of mastery and overcoming is missing in these boss fights, I never once felt good about them and I was always just glad they were over but lacking the will to keep on playing sometimes.

    I'd give this game a 9 but it just isn't fun sometimes, and when a game stops being fun it defeats the point of it's purpose. I love a challenge but this was just frustrating.    … Expand
  66. rain_gs
    Jul 20, 2020
    6
    redundant system, limited improvement from Nioh 1, still worth to play if you like action game, and you could find certain points you may like it.
  67. darknightserg
    Jun 27, 2020
    6
    Nioh 1 was an incredible souls like game. The sequel looks pretty and I love how you can customize your character. The biggest issue is how unfair and frustrating the game is. Unless you cheat and watch youtube ultra build videos your character does fair damage but enemies 1-2 shot kill you in a second at many parts of the game. Not fun at all.
  68. lessacebola
    Dec 15, 2020
    6
    Eu não posso dizer muita coisa já que não sou fã desse estilo de jogo de Nioh 2, entretanto nem a história do game conseguiu me prender. Também não sou muito de reparar em gráficos, mas esses não são lá grandes coisas. Apesar de tudo o jogo tem bons efeitos especiais.
  69. Solidwisdom
    Feb 6, 2021
    6
    This game couldev been great and enjoyable
    But its way too challenging. I don’t understand how so many rated this game high. Just its way too hard for me. I coulde not even get past the first level.
  70. Reekum
    May 30, 2021
    6
    Game has very good mechanics but stupid maze levels keep you wasting your time.
  71. Midian00
    Jun 10, 2022
    6
    This game could've been amazing if not for 2 major things.
    1. Insane amount of copy-pasted enemies throughout entire goddamn game. You fight same mobs endlessly. And they didn't stop there. They decided that it would be great idea to cope-paste bosses gadzilion times too.
    2. Endless looting. It just gets really tiresome. In all other aspects game is pretty good made. Definitely try it    This game could've been amazing if not for 2 major things.
    1. Insane amount of copy-pasted enemies throughout entire goddamn game. You fight same mobs endlessly. And they didn't stop there. They decided that it would be great idea to cope-paste bosses gadzilion times too.
    2. Endless looting. It just gets really tiresome.

    In all other aspects game is pretty good made. Definitely try it and play it until you brain goes "wait! I killed this **** thing like 80000 times already!? wtf?!"    … Expand
  72. Talitor
    Apr 1, 2020
    5
    Initially, Nioh 2 seems like a natural successor to Nioh 1. I was really enjoying my first 10 hours with the game, but the realization that I had already seen all the good things the game had to offer started sinking in. The new burst counter mechanic feels really nice to pull off, and it's cool that you get so many different types of burst moves. It's just too bad that most of them putInitially, Nioh 2 seems like a natural successor to Nioh 1. I was really enjoying my first 10 hours with the game, but the realization that I had already seen all the good things the game had to offer started sinking in. The new burst counter mechanic feels really nice to pull off, and it's cool that you get so many different types of burst moves. It's just too bad that most of them put you into animation lock that will most likely be the death of you. And that's really all the game becomes, eventually. Conquering your death. You will die, a lot. And very often it's a single hit that does you in. You will most likely need to pop elixir as soons as you took the smallest of nudge, because if you're not in full health, the amount of attacks that will finish you off only increases (it seems a huge amount of different kinds of enemy hits take 80%-100% of your health), which kinda defeat the purpose of any health upgrades you may get. Or armor, for that matter.

    You will notice that the hitboxes on certain moves are pretty bad. I got pretty far before I started noticing that I was nowhere near the hit enemy made when I took damage (this was especially apparent in a boss fight where said boss uses a laser. The hitbox is WAY larger than the actual laser on screen). It's a shame that your movement can't match the speed of most of your enemies, which seem to read your inputs and often are faster than you with their hits. It doesn't help that some enemies have excessively accurate lock on. The burst counter often results in you trading hits with the enemy you're facing, and sometimes, you will essentially stare down a red, rushing burst of energy at the speed of a bullet. Countering it is doable, but failing to do so may result in your death: I ran this issue with a certain huge boss in a pit, and in this case it was a move that is very hard to dodge unless you are very close to the boss. This is another unfair bit. There are times when you need to keep your distance, but this may trigger a move from a boss that you absolutely have no other chance to dodge than to burst counter it without getting hit. And as stated before you may very likely die from that hit, and you very often trade burst counter with the hit of the enemy.

    Another new addition is the acolyte system. Basically, people can leave a blue grave of their phantom, controlled by AI (like the red graves in original), but these ones are NPC's of your own that supposedly assist you in battle. Unfortunately, the programming of the assisting AI works nothing like the red grave AI, which handles aggressive and defensive play quite well. You will find the acolytes either refuse to attack enemies, or despite having 10 chances to heal themselves at the brink of death, they will very rarely do it. They will be useless in boss battles, since they die pretty fast, but scale boss health accordingly because you're now facing the boss with 2 players, essentially. Another weird thing is that summoning acolyte can cost anywhere between 1-5 Ochoko Cups, a relatively rare currency, while summoning an actual human player as a visitor always costs only 1. I don't think I need delve any further to get my point across why this is a horribly implemented system: the AI just doesn't work, and the price for it is way too high. Never, ever resort to these in boss battles.

    There are a few high notes for the game, but the overall experience was pretty unpleasant. While you do learn the bosses eventually, and find them to be much easier later on, the process is filled with poor game design and Ki mechanic that doesn't follow the same rules for you and the enemies. You might have easier time in Co-op, and I gave it a try. For me, it worked pretty badly, and the enemies either didn't take the damage that was given to them, they teleported all over the place or simply immediately regenerated the damage that wasn't given. It's hard to say whether this is connection related, since I seem to have no issues with other online games.

    Some people will find this kind of challenge appealing, and will think that the game is good as it is. I find these things to be issues that cannot be overlooked. It would be a much better game if the mechanics worked as perfectly as they seem on paper, or if the enemies were a little bit less punishing with their damage. It is kind of silly that a 90 foot demon hits you with an overhead hammer hit for the same amount of damage as a small, little pesky runt slaps you in the face with their most basic hit (I am not kidding). Every hit was designed to be able to kill you very easily, and I do mean EVERY hit. If this isn't the kind of thing that bothers you, then you will find a game with lots of content and tons of challenge. While my 60 hours have almost resulted in a platinum, I will not return to the game of Nioh 2, and I cannot recommend this over the better examples, like Dark Souls series or especially Bloodborne, which does difficulty miles better.    … Expand
  73. Gonoru
    Apr 30, 2020
    5
    The gameplay is really good, difficult level and learning curve are great, as well for the soundtrack and design, but graphics and story are pretty poor and mediocre, what a shame
  74. Inhanzt
    Sep 21, 2020
    5
    The game has too many competing systems that serve to make the game less fun. It devolves at it's lowest level to "hit r1 to clean up monster poop". Unfortunately, nothing really saves it from that.
  75. superfields
    May 15, 2020
    5
    Basically they ruined it. going back to Nioh this abomination is buggy, feels weighty, i dont like you have to get help to beat bosses. some of the early creatures and design are kiddie. Hate the timing move breaker which is why i hate Sekiro. I have a rule if it ain’t broken don’t fix it. Man what a let down.
  76. johanBjorn
    Jun 1, 2020
    5
    It feels like Nioh 1.5 more than a sequel. A lot of reused textures, music, and even some levels. I tried to get through it, but it just doesn't feel balanced and as fun as the original.
  77. ecimir
    Mar 15, 2020
    5
    Too much of the same from first game. And what a great idea to add one attack kills to almost every enemy. I am not stuck but have very little will to continue playing.
  78. AJO112
    Mar 15, 2020
    5
    Graphics: The amount of Fog,blur,film filter and draw distance is just awful for a sequel of nioh 1 that came in february of 2017.

    Gameplay: almost identical to nioh 1, no improvements. The only good thing worth mentioning is skill tree. Not like nioh 1 with some random scroll picture on every skill. I will give it 5* only for the respect of nioh1, they should just release another DLC    Graphics: The amount of Fog,blur,film filter and draw distance is just awful for a sequel of nioh 1 that came in february of 2017.

    Gameplay: almost identical to nioh 1, no improvements.

    The only good thing worth mentioning is skill tree. Not like nioh 1 with some random scroll picture on every skill.

    I will give it 5* only for the respect of nioh1, they should just release another DLC instead of a new game.    … Expand
  79. IIIAHMIII
    Apr 6, 2020
    5
    They upgraded the movies and character design. Some horrible lag. Bosses have way to much health sometimes so you have to grind. A bit better then nioh not much
  80. tolkkipelto
    Jul 20, 2020
    5
    Extremadamente repetitivo. Parece un DLC del 1. Solo aporta la transformación yokai. La historia es poco memorable. Llevo 80 horas y ya no quiero continuar los jefes muy fáciles. Lo recomiendo solo si no tienes más que jugar y está en una rebaja de 20 dólares.
  81. Barrymore45
    Mar 27, 2020
    5
    Sorry Nioh 2, I wanted to like you. But you are frustrating, tedious and grindy. The showering of loot becomes a irritant as you constantly have to tidy up after yourself and upgrades feel meaningless. This is game is a chore, and without any meaningful narrative hook, whats the point?
  82. nabeel_324
    Mar 13, 2020
    5
    i was very excited for nioh 2, since im a huge souls like fans and not just the souls fan, so i was waiting anxiously for this one. and oh boy was i in for a disappointment. The game is decent but some of my problems is the new yokai world. It is a terrible way to improve the difficulty. You are forced to play defensive with this feature and thats especially annoying in boss battles.i was very excited for nioh 2, since im a huge souls like fans and not just the souls fan, so i was waiting anxiously for this one. and oh boy was i in for a disappointment. The game is decent but some of my problems is the new yokai world. It is a terrible way to improve the difficulty. You are forced to play defensive with this feature and thats especially annoying in boss battles.

    And the problems Judas said aren't fixed either. Skills must be better balanced. The original hioh game had a better skill tree, nioh 2 is an improvment from the previous game but the skill tree in nioh 1 is so much better than nioh 2.Sure it looks cool but to me it makes discovering new skills a fair amount more difficult. There’s something to be said for simplicity when there’s that much information to take in and constantly review. I do like the changes to the way they’re handling / breaking down skills and points but the way it’s displayed is tough to get used to. Some of the new prerequisites make absolutely no sense in my opinion also add to that the fact that Can't we just go back to being a human breaking yokai horns and finishing them off that way instead of having to use a tokai form to counter. Some problems that Nioh 1 had persist in Nioh 2, namely how obviously useless a lot of skills are, and no doubt the game will devolve into spamming 1 move over and over later on.

    I also dislike how endurance and HP stats are (still) tied to weapons. Always makes me feel like a point in those stats is semi wasted because I'm not taking full advantage of its benefits if I'm not using the appropriate weapons.
    Maybe i expected too much. But ill say this , the game is a huge improvement from the first game but it could have been so much better and some obvious problems with the first game could have been solved or atleast improved.    … Expand
  83. OliBoboli0815
    Mar 19, 2020
    5
    The game is visually great and the gameplay feels even smoother than in Nioh 1.

    However, a lot of the bosses feel really cheap. They have respawning minions that attack you, which is super annoying. Especially, since the bosses are super easy without the minions. Furthermore, the introduction of the dark world does also not resonate well with the games chore mechanics. In this    The game is visually great and the gameplay feels even smoother than in Nioh 1.

    However, a lot of the bosses feel really cheap. They have respawning minions that attack you, which is super annoying. Especially, since the bosses are super easy without the minions.

    Furthermore, the introduction of the dark world does also not resonate well with the games chore mechanics. In this condition of the world your stamina (Ki in Nioh) regenerates much slower. However, you also lose ki, when you are getting hit. So in the dark realm you can get in really big problems regarding your ki. Not too mention that there is a boss that spawns a minion in his dark world phase that shoots projectiles that drain your ki.

    Overall the game is not bad, but far away from the FromSoft games. Also the whole design feels sometimes very much like DS2, where hoards of high damaging enemies are thrown at you, just for sake of artificial difficulty. What makes it worse are the grab attacks from Yokai that often one-shot you from full or nearly full health. Sometimes Yokai also use these grabs in their attack combo. That makes the game unnecessarily frustrating. Additionally, the grinding for gear is as annoying as in Nioh 1.

    I am now at the final boss and there the games flaws come even more apparent. The final boss has an attack that can easily one shot, if you don't burst counter it. Something like that is just frustrating and not a good boss design. Besides, in the final chapter are no Kodama (the little creatures that you need to find to get more elixier at the shrine). So after too many tries, you are stuck with just 3 elixiers or you need to farm them.

    Developers please adjust that nonsense.    … Expand
  84. Joruto88
    Mar 13, 2023
    5
    The developers managed to increase the game's difficulty even compared to the DLC's of the first game. The recommended levels for the missions are a joke, even with 10+ level above the it bosses and basic enemies can one shot you. Many levels are reused from the first game and almost all of the side missions are just sections of main missions. The story is also worse than the first game,The developers managed to increase the game's difficulty even compared to the DLC's of the first game. The recommended levels for the missions are a joke, even with 10+ level above the it bosses and basic enemies can one shot you. Many levels are reused from the first game and almost all of the side missions are just sections of main missions. The story is also worse than the first game, other than the main 2 characters you almost never meet anyone. I regret buying the special edition because this is not an enjoyable game and based on the track record the DLC's will be even worse.… Expand
  85. Conot
    Apr 14, 2020
    5
    Amazing game that pushes you to get good or give up early. Once you master the mechanics the game feels incredible and every frustrating early death you took is now remembered as a stepping stone to greatness.
  86. Leonardoganun
    Apr 15, 2020
    5
    Muito bom , poucas mudanças para o 1 , mas as que foram feitas são fundamentais para melhorar a gameplay.
  87. Crimson9
    Dec 26, 2022
    5
    Nioh 2 improves on Nioh 1's combat, but not much else. The thing is, Nioh 1's combat was its strongest point. Its atmosphere, lore, story, polish, level design, world design, all were lacking. Nioh 2 doesnt make any improvements here.
  88. Ghoster
    May 10, 2020
    4
    After first Nioh was pure 10/10 they broke everything possible. Repetative bosses, levels and bosses copy/paste from Nioh 1, annoying "sudden death" boss moves at the end of the fight. Story behind this game does have no any sense and characters apear and die wihout having any impact to the story. Platinm cleanup was annoying with ENDLESS side missions. They should never make this 2nd game!
  89. lucasman85
    May 21, 2020
    4
    the fast nioh had a lot of faults but they could have all been improved upon in the sequel. Unfortunately the developers didn't try here. Cheap deaths every where. Horrible enemy placement that exists just to kill you. Lazy recycled bosses and stages. Incoherent upgrade syste that doesn't improve your armor or stats. This game is the definition of artificial difficulty. Any game is hardthe fast nioh had a lot of faults but they could have all been improved upon in the sequel. Unfortunately the developers didn't try here. Cheap deaths every where. Horrible enemy placement that exists just to kill you. Lazy recycled bosses and stages. Incoherent upgrade syste that doesn't improve your armor or stats. This game is the definition of artificial difficulty. Any game is hard when the bosses have hundreds of thousands of hp points while you only have10 percent of that and they can kill you in one or two hits. Didn't even bother finishing the game. Uninstaller and will trade in… Expand
  90. Steyraus
    Mar 13, 2020
    4
    Ive been playing "Hard"/Challenging games since the 80s. Ive even beaten all the Ninja gaiden games by the same guys that made Nioh, all the souls game etc etc. I dont say this to brag, but to give a bit of relevance to my statement that, the Nioh games are unfair and unbalanced. Nioh 1 the third boss was the first boss that I played a tried a few times then just stopped, I could see howIve been playing "Hard"/Challenging games since the 80s. Ive even beaten all the Ninja gaiden games by the same guys that made Nioh, all the souls game etc etc. I dont say this to brag, but to give a bit of relevance to my statement that, the Nioh games are unfair and unbalanced. Nioh 1 the third boss was the first boss that I played a tried a few times then just stopped, I could see how BS it was and really couldn't muster the effort to try. A good challenging game will have you dying alot, but every time you die you learn something new and can adapt. Good bosses have a weakness to balance their strength eg, If they have a ton of health, they can be slow, or have weak points. If they are insanely fast there's useuall a trap move or AOE attack in your arsenal. Many of nioh bosses have no weakness, they have high health, high armor , do massive damage and have completely random attack patterns. Meaning the only way to beat them is to beat you head against the wall until after ages you have their movements and attacks burned into your memory, and the rest is luck, hopefully you will guess the right attack they will be about to do before you act, and hopefully your luck lasts the entire fight.
    There is many other issues I have with the Nioh game including an bland areas and stupid amount of time you have to spend in each area, to the painful grind.
    Unlike the Souls game where every death is a lesson , in Nioh every death feel like unlucky RNG. And the payoff for the time spent getting through a hard place is just more grinding. No beastly weapon, no massive bump in XP just another small area to go to.
    The game dose run at 60 fps and is great on a technical level, but everything else is the same as the first game with more irritation.    … Expand
  91. quake2th
    May 7, 2022
    4
    This game is garbage compared to the first one. Now it's as bad as a souls game. What a shameful end.

    If you liked and enjoyed the first Nioh, do not buy this piece of crap. Huge disappointment.
  92. Samheis
    Mar 29, 2020
    4
    Lowered my score to a 4 after playing through NG+. The game just gets worse the more you play. The flaws are numerous and in your face.

    I was really hopeful for Nioh 2. Nioh 1 was a solid, if messy game. The bones were there for something special, something that could rise up and give us a truly worthy souls-like that didn't come from... uh... From. Instead, Nioh 2 is pretty much more    Lowered my score to a 4 after playing through NG+. The game just gets worse the more you play. The flaws are numerous and in your face.

    I was really hopeful for Nioh 2. Nioh 1 was a solid, if messy game. The bones were there for something special, something that could rise up and give us a truly worthy souls-like that didn't come from... uh... From. Instead, Nioh 2 is pretty much more of the same, with some baffling inclusions that make it a generally frustrating experience (and not the good kind).

    First off: if anyone says this is better than Sekiro, go ahead and mentally file them away as unfit for gaming in general. Nioh 2 is inferior to Sekiro in nearly every meaningful way (unless you really, really have a thing for picking up loot you'll never use). Just figured I'd add that because I see people comparing the two, and there is no comparison. Sekiro is a much better game.

    So let's run down the list:

    Pros:

    -Graphics are fantastic.
    -There's a lot of level-up options.
    -Lots and lots of gear, I guess?
    -Story is a bit more interesting than Nioh 1.
    -The addition of random summons is... nice? Or would be, if the AI wasn't running on a playstation 1 processor
    -Some of the combat additions are good, like the burst counter and yokai shifts. They don't add a whole lot, when it comes down to it, but it is an improvement.
    -Levels, while often re-used, are much more enjoyable to look at. No more running across a dark, dingy coast for the 80th time. Now you get to explore beautiful vistas... for the 80th time.
    -Framerate is smooth, which is an accomplishment for how good the game looks.
    -The weapon/armor variation is very neat. Note, I'm not talking about how useful that is (that's a con) but how it looks visually. These guys are top notch artists.

    Cons:
    -Bosses suck. No, I don't mean bosses are hard, I mean they suck. There's almost no effort to them. They all boil down to roughly the same tactic (with a few gimick fights here and there): wait, wait, wait, slash, wait, wait, counter, wait, wait, break guard and go ham, repeat. The likely reason for that comes from the next con...
    - Combat feels like it's a decade old. Maybe it's the fact that I just recently finished playing Sekiro again (I don't think it is, as I just recently played Nioh 1 as well), but everything feels like it's moving at a glacial pace, including the response of your buttons. Want to block that attack coming in? I hope you hit the button well in advance, because the game needs to think about it for a bit. Remember hitboxes that extend out too far? Nioh 2 does! It's just so sub-par after Sekiro. And look, I get it, it's not Sekiro, Team Ninja never said it was, but Nioh 2 is inferior in essentially every aspect of combat and it does not feel nearly as satisfying to play.
    -Difficulty is... fake. The game can be difficult, it's true, but that really only lasts so long as you're trying to play aggressive. As soon as you start waiting out attacks and playing defensively, the game loses all challenge. Enemies never force you (which, I mean, they probably can't, due to the combat limitations), and they start to feel more like a chore than any sort of joy to fight. There's a spike when you reach an area with higher level enemies, but it quickly levels off. Bosses are never really hard, because almost none of them require you to learn any new skills, just keep repeating the strategy you've always used and you'll win.
    - Summoning ai sounds like a good idea in theory. It's hilariously bad in practice. No, seriously, I think i've died more often because my AI companion decided to get in my way or block my camera than I have to actual enemies.
    - Speaking of: how on earth do we still have this camera? Even Sekiro had the decency to finally give us a better (albeit, still iffy) camera than past souls offerings. This camera is sooooooooo bad. I cannot believe this was anything other than intentional to artificially increase difficulty, because it's amateurish.
    - FYI, Team Ninja, quantity does not equal quality. Picking up a hundred swords doesn't mean anything if 99 of them are useless to me. It's just early Diablo 3 syndrome all over. Deconstructing items isn't fun, folks. That's not a gameplay mechanic anyone should be jumping over. The skill trees fall into this trap as well, though to a lesser extent. I'm not sure why people are praising it as amazing. It's literally the same kind of skill tree as Nioh 1, but in a different UI. It's not a leap forward, it's a leap sideways.

    All in all, I don't recommend spending 60 bucks on this unless you're just dying for something to do while we're all stuck inside. I am regretting my purchase, not because it's some monumental challenge that I just can't beat (I can, did, and probably will one more time before I shelve it), but because it just doesn't live up to expectations. Sekiro happened, people. Like it or not, that's the standard now, and Nioh 2 doesn't even come close.    … Expand
  93. MizoNozo
    May 3, 2020
    4
    This feels like an attempt to create an even more difficult game than Nioh without actually trying to make the game harder. Most of the difficulty here comes from exponential damage scaling and terrible enemy balance. Instant attacks and infinite tracking are very common amd most enemy encounters have at least one often two or three ranged enemies to harass you. Bosses are unfortunatelyThis feels like an attempt to create an even more difficult game than Nioh without actually trying to make the game harder. Most of the difficulty here comes from exponential damage scaling and terrible enemy balance. Instant attacks and infinite tracking are very common amd most enemy encounters have at least one often two or three ranged enemies to harass you. Bosses are unfortunately very easy in most cases, only made difficult due to their massive hp pools and ridiculous stamina bars. The few difficult bosses are usually very fast, with massive range and give few opportunities to burst counter. Some of these even regenerate stamina like you making life even harder. In many ways this feels like a dark souls 2 style of game design that plagues games of this ilk. There's very little fun to be had here and you will likely take dozens of breaks from the game before finishing it. It is easily my least favorite game of 2020.… Expand
  94. Txamin
    Jun 8, 2020
    4
    Way too difficult and frustrating to be enjoyable, this is not difficult in the 'Dark Souls' sense. Very little innovation.
  95. Legend3994
    Aug 14, 2020
    4
    Giving this game half of what it would be if it didn't give you half the HP that you should have for it to be enjoyable. Want to survive more than 1 hit? Spend dozens of hours leveling up 20 beyond the chapter. Meticulously maintain different armor sets and soul match them. It's probably easiest to instead just repeat a mission with a gem of inspiration to cheese living weapon while yourGiving this game half of what it would be if it didn't give you half the HP that you should have for it to be enjoyable. Want to survive more than 1 hit? Spend dozens of hours leveling up 20 beyond the chapter. Meticulously maintain different armor sets and soul match them. It's probably easiest to instead just repeat a mission with a gem of inspiration to cheese living weapon while your benevolent spirit is a human meat shield. I may play again on PC if there's still COVID-19 and I'm bored and can use cheat engine to correct the player stats. See other reviews between 0 and 5 stars for more eloquent explanations, but this game is hot garbage. I get more reward doing chores.… Expand
  96. Duoraime
    Nov 29, 2020
    4
    Yeah, game is beautiful, has some new mechanics, but it's absolutely unplayable. Almost everything one shot you. It's not hardcore, it's stupidity
  97. Soleil83
    Nov 25, 2020
    4
    I loved the combat system of the original Nioh, but was frustrated by the overly punishing gameplay, convoluted rpg elements, bloated inventory system, and repetitive enemies and levels. I saw a game with potential that had too much holding it back. My hope was that the sequel would address these issues and bring the series closer to what it could be. In reality, it’s the exact same game.I loved the combat system of the original Nioh, but was frustrated by the overly punishing gameplay, convoluted rpg elements, bloated inventory system, and repetitive enemies and levels. I saw a game with potential that had too much holding it back. My hope was that the sequel would address these issues and bring the series closer to what it could be. In reality, it’s the exact same game. It looks the same, plays the same and has the same problems. It feels more like a long dlc than a sequel. There are new weapons and a few new mechanics (as if we needed more depth to an already overly deep combat system), but you could otherwise mix in Nioh 2 levels with Nioh levels and it would be impossible to tell which are which. People love these games, and I wish I understood why. To me they are repetitive, joyless slogs with a few well done elements that aren’t enough to redeem the whole. Not terrible, but there are too many games that do action rpg much better to make this worth your time.… Expand
  98. CzesiekzBaru
    Nov 20, 2020
    4
    Lol paying for playing NIOH 1 named NIOH 2 y call grate job.Not worth of paying,better spend money for Sekiro and you sure y get new game not NIOH 1 whit expand or some kind of patch.
  99. CharlieDouler
    May 15, 2022
    4
    The movement and the combat in this game are as stiff as a brick. The environments are really, REALLY, ugly. I understand this game wants to set itself apart from Dark Souls, but it sure took a lot of inspiration from the series and it doesn't do a good job at all. The only real thing this game has going for itself is the how fast paced the combat is, but it's still really clunky and to meThe movement and the combat in this game are as stiff as a brick. The environments are really, REALLY, ugly. I understand this game wants to set itself apart from Dark Souls, but it sure took a lot of inspiration from the series and it doesn't do a good job at all. The only real thing this game has going for itself is the how fast paced the combat is, but it's still really clunky and to me doesn't feel fluid at all.… Expand
  100. Tomplexthis
    Nov 19, 2022
    4
    Theres a difference between Challenging balanced fun, and utter nonsense cheap bs.
    This game seems fine for a bit, but its not hard to be hard challenging.
    Its hard to be cheap, unfun garbage. i liked nioh 1, but nioh 2 just sucks.
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Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best PS4 Game of 2020
22
#22 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 91 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 84 out of 91
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 91
  3. Negative: 0 out of 91
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 23, 2020
    100
    The second Nioh is more than just a continuation of the legacy. The authors have been able to learn from the mistakes of the first game, and thanks to that this is an excellent action RPG that will not let you rest and you will want to keep playing. [Issue#303]
  2. GameCritics
    Jun 23, 2020
    85
    I love a great third-person actioner, and I’m hard-pressed to think of one that nails the formula as perfectly as Nioh 2 does. The systems are pleasantly crunchy and there are a ton to dig into, the moment-to-moment fights get my blood pumping, and the artwork and theming are all spot-on. Too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing, but Nioh 2 is exactly the right amount.
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  3. Gaming Nexus
    Jun 1, 2020
    85
    Nioh 2 does what a good sequel should. It capitalizes on the best parts of its predecessors while providing new content and mechanics to advance the franchise. While the story structure and level design are largely the same, added weapons, more build depth, and new combat mechanics all enhance what the game has to offer. It doesn't always hit the mark perfectly, but it's a solid addition to the series. And let's face it, being a samurai is awesome.
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