Nioh

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2628 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,103 out of 2628
  2. Mixed: 252 out of 2628
  3. Negative: 273 out of 2628
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  1. PaulCharles
    Feb 7, 2017
    5
    The fact that nearly every review you see is comparing it to Dark Souls/Bloodborne, tells you something. While not quite on the same level, Nioh is an incredibly well done game with countless hours of gameplay, excellent graphics, smooth mechanics, difficulty that isn't unfair, and coop/pvp. You can't get much more out of a $60 game. Casuals may have a difficult time, but if they have aThe fact that nearly every review you see is comparing it to Dark Souls/Bloodborne, tells you something. While not quite on the same level, Nioh is an incredibly well done game with countless hours of gameplay, excellent graphics, smooth mechanics, difficulty that isn't unfair, and coop/pvp. You can't get much more out of a $60 game. Casuals may have a difficult time, but if they have a little patience they too can enjoy this game.

    Highly recommended.    … Expand
  2. jack441
    Feb 13, 2020
    7
    It is very difficult for me to rate this game objectively. It has so many features that can be game changers for some, and deal breakers for others, so I am not surprised to see people rating it from anywhere between 4 and 10 (those who gave it 0s and 1s are definitely trolls). So I am rating it primarily on fun factor - my own fun factor, while drawing comparison to the Soulsborne gamesIt is very difficult for me to rate this game objectively. It has so many features that can be game changers for some, and deal breakers for others, so I am not surprised to see people rating it from anywhere between 4 and 10 (those who gave it 0s and 1s are definitely trolls). So I am rating it primarily on fun factor - my own fun factor, while drawing comparison to the Soulsborne games (because - lets face it - it is heavily inspired by those):

    For me this game was not very enjoyable and I struggled to finish it. Not because it had technical problems or broken features, but because I personally did not enjoy many of its core features. This was because of several reasons:

    1. Level design: I did not like the linear, mission-based levels. I guess I was expecting something more like the Soulsborne level design, instead of choosing Main missions and sub-missions from a map.
    2. Difficulty: somewhat unbalanced. Most mobs are a joke, after the first 1-2 encounters with them. At the same time some bosses are extremely cruel - often requiring you to try them 10 times until you memorize their move-set perfectly, so that you can counter everything the throw at you (and they can still 1-shot you). Some enemies just get color variations at later stages in the game, where their abilities do not change, but they just 1-shot you, if you are not significantly leveled. I like difficult games, I'm a fan of all DS and BB and I usually play any game on hard difficulty setting - but Nioh just seems unfair at times.
    3. Itemization: this games has tons of loot and variety...which is not always a good thing. At some point I stopped caring about the stats on items and just focused on Attack or Defense upgrades, because there are literally a hundred different stats you should keep track of it, and they appear semi-randomly on items. So no, you cannot hope to find a very rare sword drop that suits your style, and stick with it till the end game, because it gets obsolete rather quickly (yes you can Soulmatch/reforge it, but this is just another system that adds unneeded complexity to the game, in my opinion)
    4. Many different skills, for every weapon: Some would argue that this is good thing, leading to numerous build possibilities. Unfortunately, there are 1-2 OP builds in the game which make everything else look pathetic. So I personally would prefer more simple but effective skill system - or at least make the skills valid for all weapons, so that we are not locked to a certain choice.

    Bottom line - at some point I stopped playing because all of those things bothered me. But I understand that what I found to be CONS, might be PROS for some people. It just diminished the fun factor for me.    … Expand
  3. NazgulzLegacy
    Jan 25, 2020
    5
    Seemed like a good game, but has way too much grinding for me to be able to make any progress.
  4. Kaseyn
    Mar 3, 2017
    5
    I downloaded this game at full price because I just couldn't wait to play--that's something I never do, and this game has reminded me why. Based off of all the raving reviews, it's hard to believe that the critics and I were playing the same game. As for the user reviews, I think many people only played it for an hour or two before leaving a review--it does make a great first impression.I downloaded this game at full price because I just couldn't wait to play--that's something I never do, and this game has reminded me why. Based off of all the raving reviews, it's hard to believe that the critics and I were playing the same game. As for the user reviews, I think many people only played it for an hour or two before leaving a review--it does make a great first impression. The problem is, the magic wears off quickly.

    At first, the combat is a lot of fun and seems much deeper than it actually is. People are making a big deal about the stance system, but you'll quickly realize that it doesn't really add that much to the game, and you'll probably find yourself using only one, maybe two, stances most of the time.

    The biggest problem is that the game uses the same handful of enemies over and over....and over and over. It might switch out their weapon, or give them a special ability here and there, but that doesn't cure the tedium. Whatever challenge the game initially poses fades away pretty quickly--when you've already fought each enemy type 30-100 times when you've only reached the second region of the game, there just isn't a whole lot of incentive to keep playing. To make it worse, the environments are extremely dull and the level design is boring. Have fun with the side missions, by the way--they're mostly just recycled portions of the main mission levels, or recycled levels from prior side missions.

    Another reason the game gets dull is because there are only 6 (I might be forgetting one) different weapons to use. Sure, they come with endless variations of stat modifiers, but those don't affect the way the weapon is actually used. Compare that with the Souls games, where you'll have way more weapons than you can even try out, many of which have unique movesets--Nioh is definitely lacking in comparison.

    When I realized how bored I was about 10 hours into the game, I quit playing, went out and repurchased Dark Souls 3. I haven't been able to put it down since, despite having done multiple playthroughs before. If you're a Dark Souls fan expecting to get more of that type of experience with Nioh, well, lower your expectations..or better yet, just don't waste your money.    … Expand
  5. eyecanseeyou
    Feb 19, 2017
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Don't get me wrong: Nioh is a pretty decent game with its own twist. The combat system is fluid and versatile. However there are some aspects, which pull it down to mediocrity compared to such pieces of art like Bloodborne and Dark Souls games (in particular first and third installments).

    1. No character customization - you play Geralt eh William for the whole time. For instance Dark Souls and Bloodborne offer more flexibility at this point.

    2. Level design. Well, I admit with the feudal Japan setting it's kinda impossible to create such an epic environment like it From Software does, but seriously: must 80% of levels look almost the same?

    3. Enemies. In each mission you fight literally the same enemy types over and over again. Only few things distinguish them from each other: HP amount and color/armor. And this after 10 years of development. Are you serious, Team Ninja?

    4. Bosses. They are strong and they are many, but they are nothing special compared to the creatures created by Miyazaki and Co. There is no emotions (like BB fight against German or DS3 fight against the Twin Princes) in this hack and slash frenzy, which are Nioh bossfights basically are. Above all they are also bugged as hell.

    5. The story. Nioh's story is flat like a wiener schnitzel without any lore.

    6. The weapons. The weapon variety is pretty poor: all you get are katanas, double katanas, axes, hammers, kusarigamas und three fire weapons, which have neither a unique design nor a unique moveset. Another point for Bloodborne and DS. Okay okay, you can unlock many additional weapon skills and Switch between the stances - but honestly how often do you switch between the stances and how do you manage to use every skill you unlock?

    7. Atmosphere. Not nearly as dense as in the Souls games.

    8. Grinding. As weapon scaling is almost absent you have to grind to level up and collect stronger weapons/armor to progress. Actually not a flaw but gets pretty boring as time goes by.

    9. Loot. To much of it and paired with sucky inventory system almost annoying.

    10. Multiplayer. It just plain sucks. I mean if you try to summon a cooperator you have to wait forever and ever and ever. Even in Bloodborne it worked much better. Also the way you can play with friends is nothing but embarassing and makes no sense. And I also miss the invaders.

    Disclaimer: My review is actually an answer to the fanboys putting Nioh above everything FromSoftware has ever created.    … Expand
  6. JaDesJ
    Feb 23, 2017
    7
    Nioh is a very good game - and - Nioh is a monotonously average game. It scratches the surface of greatness and yet manages to fall far too short. Would I recommend it? Yes. And yet.

    The gameplay is at times fantastic. The combat is fast, furious, and strategic all in the same moment. This is indeed where Nioh shines - and it is what will keep you coming back for more, again and    Nioh is a very good game - and - Nioh is a monotonously average game. It scratches the surface of greatness and yet manages to fall far too short. Would I recommend it? Yes. And yet.

    The gameplay is at times fantastic. The combat is fast, furious, and strategic all in the same moment. This is indeed where Nioh shines - and it is what will keep you coming back for more, again and again.

    It's just... almost everywhere else where Nioh fails to live up to its possibility. The graphics are PS3+. The level designs are repetitive. The encounters are repetitive because the bestiary is repetitive. Almost every single level offers up the exact same encounters - this manages to slowly deplete the enjoyment level after a few dozen hours. The story arc is convoluted and non-affecting - it tries to tell a quasi-historical tale which ends up feeling mostly random and disconnected.

    And yet I keep coming back. Because the combat is essentially "that good". And the progression system is enjoyable, adding further dimensionality to an already multidimensional combat system.

    So essentially. Do i recommend Nioh? Yes. Because of its combat. Do i feel Nioh deserves all this potential "game of the year" praise - it could've, but, it fell short imo.    … Expand
  7. timefish576
    Feb 13, 2017
    7
    I am about half way through Nioh, including all side missions so far. This is a good game but not great and not deserving of the stellar reviews imo it is getting. I plan to keep playing but it is becoming repetitive. I am a huge fan of Dark Souls / Bloodborne (which this game is very similiar so much so that I lean more toward it being a ripoff than taking inspiration from) and thisI am about half way through Nioh, including all side missions so far. This is a good game but not great and not deserving of the stellar reviews imo it is getting. I plan to keep playing but it is becoming repetitive. I am a huge fan of Dark Souls / Bloodborne (which this game is very similiar so much so that I lean more toward it being a ripoff than taking inspiration from) and this just isn't on the level of those excellent games. The world isn't nearly as interesting and the story isn't interesting enough. One of the things I love about the From Software games is that the story wasn't directly told to you. The story was told through the characters and the setting. The focus was on great game play and exploration. Part of exploration was encountering new enemies which modern games lack. Nioh falls victim to this and it is my biggest gripe. You will encounter the same enemies over and over. It is boring and I only look forward to the boss fights. Leveling up is easy. I haven't grinded yet and I am not having much trouble at my level. Upgraded to new equipment is as simple as picking the one with the best stats. Not much to think about. So far I have not utilized Ki rejuvenation (pressing R1) aftering attacking. If it actually makes a difference I imagine that it would make it much easier which Idon't want. Way too much loot to get also, Bloodborne excelled with this area

    Again still playing and I do like the game, mainly combat and bosses, but this is not a masterpiece.    … Expand
  8. Sap-ete-10
    Mar 6, 2017
    5
    Don't get me wrong: Nioh is a pretty decent game with its own twist. The combat system is fluid and versatile. However there are some aspects, which pull it down to mediocrity compared to such pieces of art like Bloodborne and Dark Souls games (in particular first and third installments).

    1. No character customization - you play Geralt eh William for the whole time. For instance Dark    Don't get me wrong: Nioh is a pretty decent game with its own twist. The combat system is fluid and versatile. However there are some aspects, which pull it down to mediocrity compared to such pieces of art like Bloodborne and Dark Souls games (in particular first and third installments).

    1. No character customization - you play Geralt eh William for the whole time. For instance Dark Souls and Bloodborne offer more flexibility at this point.

    2. Level design. Well, I admit with the feudal Japan setting it's kinda impossible to create such an epic environment like it From Software does, but seriously: must 80% of levels look almost the same?

    3. Enemies. In each mission you fight literally the same enemy types over and over again. Only few things distinguish them from each other: HP amount and color/armor. And this after 10 years of development. Are you serious, Team Ninja?

    4. Bosses. They are strong and they are many, but they are nothing special compared to the creatures created by Miyazaki and Co. There is no emotions (like BB fight against German or DS3 fight against the Twin Princes) in this hack and slash frenzy, which are Nioh bossfights basically are. Above all they are also bugged as hell.

    5. The story. Nioh's story is flat like a wiener schnitzel without any lore.

    6. The weapons. The weapon variety is pretty poor: all you get are katanas, double katanas, axes, hammers, kusarigamas und three fire weapons, which have neither a unique design nor a unique moveset. Another point for Bloodborne and DS. Okay okay, you can unlock many additional weapon skills and Switch between the stances - but honestly how often do you switch between the stances and how do you manage to use every skill you unlock?

    7. Atmosphere. Not nearly as dense as in the Souls games.

    8. Grinding. As weapon scaling is almost absent you have to grind to level up and collect stronger weapons/armor to progress. Actually not a flaw but gets pretty boring as time goes by.

    9. Loot. To much of it and paired with sucky inventory system almost annoying.

    10. Multiplayer. It just plain sucks. I mean if you try to summon a cooperator you have to wait forever and ever and ever. Even in Bloodborne it worked much better. Also the way you can play with friends is nothing but embarassing and makes no sense. And I also miss the invaders.

    Disclaimer: My review is actually an answer to the fanboys putting Nioh above everything FromSoftware has ever created.    … Expand
  9. BURRAK
    Mar 14, 2017
    7
    If We compare NIOH with Dark soul 3 and Bloodborne then Score of NIOH is 0 and we want to play Ninja Gaiden types games then Score of NIOH is 7.Dark soul3 and bloodborne both are outstanding games
  10. mikepatyaev
    Mar 15, 2017
    7
    that nearly every review you see is comparing it to Dark Souls/Bloodborne, tells you something. While not quite on the same level, Nioh is an incredibly well done game with countless hours of gameplay, excellent graphics, smooth mechanics, difficulty that isn't unfair, and coop/pvp
  11. XxSkye07xX
    May 26, 2018
    6
    Not being a huge fan of the Darksouls/Bloodborne games I went into Nioh hoping for a more story-driven game with side quests, one which I had heard was a lot easier to follow.

    Having finished the game and being on my journey to platinum, Nioh was definitely an experience. I really enjoyed the Japanese art style and of course the characters and traveling around various Japanese maps.    Not being a huge fan of the Darksouls/Bloodborne games I went into Nioh hoping for a more story-driven game with side quests, one which I had heard was a lot easier to follow.

    Having finished the game and being on my journey to platinum, Nioh was definitely an experience.

    I really enjoyed the Japanese art style and of course the characters and traveling around various Japanese maps. I loved the guardian spirits and the design. The Yokai were very creepy and definitely expertly designed. I enjoyed going through the story and meeting the various bosses, new Yokai and new areas. The game gave a great variety of missions, side missions and maps. The voice acting was on point and the soundtrack was very good (would have liked to have seen some more tracks though, as it seemed there weren't many and they cycled through the same ones often).

    I loved the Kodama. They were super cute and gave the game a nice little mascot figure. The hot springs were also a nice addition and added to the Japanese feel and setting of the game.

    There was a nice variety of extra things you could do - co-op play, side missions, collectibles, twilight missions, glory etc

    I didn't however enjoy how bland the colours were and how similar some of the environments were. Most of the game was extremely dark (and actually quite hard to navigate due to not being able to see).

    Of course this goes without saying, and I was expecting this, but I did feel Nioh was unrealistically hard in places. The difficulty spikes sometimes spiked far too much and there was a huge jump between expectations for one mission, and expectations for the next one.

    I mentioned before, I got into Nioh due to knowing it had a story... the story however was disappointing and confusing. Both myself and my partner lost what was going on a few hours in and had no clue what the story/characters were on about. I felt the story could have been much better if it was easier to follow and was made to be more interesting. From what I saw, it was pretty boring and tedious.

    All in all, a pretty solid game with quite a bit of room for improvements. If they do a sequel to Nioh, it would be nice to see a more interesting and more enjoyable story with a range of colorful environments and range of atmospheres.

    Pros:

    Looked great and played well
    Fantastic design of Yokai and enemies
    Lovely Japanese art style and cutscenes
    A very real Japanese feel and setting
    A range of traditional Japanese weapons to use and choose from
    Voice acting was exceptional
    Platinum trophy is not too difficult, requires quite a bit of skill and perseverance for grinding

    Cons:
    Confusing/uninteresting story
    Irritating difficulty spikes
    Can get overwhelming during end game/post game having to use huge amounts of variety in weapons including the Onmyo magic
    The blacksmith menu can be quite confusing    … Expand
  12. KingVilla1n
    May 3, 2019
    5
    Что-то невыносимое, архаичное и аркадное, после ювелирной отзывчивости Dark Souls. Ни одного запоминающегося босса (кроме Нобунаги с морозной девкой, потому что они вынесли все нервы). Скучнейший псевдоисторический сюжет. Мувсеты привязаны к типу оружия, которых здесь всего 4, т.е никаких уникальных видов оружия со своими уникальными движениями. Отвратительный визуальный дизайн иЧто-то невыносимое, архаичное и аркадное, после ювелирной отзывчивости Dark Souls. Ни одного запоминающегося босса (кроме Нобунаги с морозной девкой, потому что они вынесли все нервы). Скучнейший псевдоисторический сюжет. Мувсеты привязаны к типу оружия, которых здесь всего 4, т.е никаких уникальных видов оружия со своими уникальными движениями. Отвратительный визуальный дизайн и спецэффекты.
    Из плюсов можно выделить только большое количество шмоток и оружейных моделек. Являясь поклонником Ninja Gaiden и Ninja Gaiden 2 от тех же разработчиков, признать хоть какую-то ценность Nioh просто не могу.    … Expand
  13. kingofkoopas
    Mar 19, 2017
    7
    I think people are praising this game too much. I think it's because they are sick of Dark Souls. Although Ashes of Ariandel was pretty lame, the Souls series is as strong as ever. Nioh is great fun, but that's all it is, great fun. This is not a deep technical game with a learning curve on combat. The learning curve is on figuring out how to work out the menus and customization of itemsI think people are praising this game too much. I think it's because they are sick of Dark Souls. Although Ashes of Ariandel was pretty lame, the Souls series is as strong as ever. Nioh is great fun, but that's all it is, great fun. This is not a deep technical game with a learning curve on combat. The learning curve is on figuring out how to work out the menus and customization of items and gear. This is no Dark Souls, and certainly no Ninja Gaiden either. It might look like it and at times play like it, but its similarities are only skin deep. I am still playing it after beating the last boss on a total of 75 hours. Did I get my moneys worth? Absolutely! Would I recommend it to everyone? Yes to that as well. I did this entire game without Playstation Plus, so no summons for help. I am not sure if you can summon NPCs like you can in Dark Souls. If there is, I never bothered to try. The retards claiming that this game is a masterpiece are players of average level, and people of limited understanding.

    This is a fine game however, it has a great loot system and a really fun magic system. The weapons and armor pieces are great too. Other nice things that can be said about Nioh is that it has great characters, real Japanese men, and not just because they were real people, but because they were red pilled men, not the emasculated weak men of today. I am still playing it at the moment. I am doing the hard missions that are unlocked once you beat the final boss. But I cannot help the feeling of disappointment that I have been getting lately.

    This game game is too easy. Unless you are an average player, you really should not think of Nioh as a challenging game. This has nothing to do with having played Dark Souls or any other game. I wish people stopped regurgitating the same crap about how playing Dark Souls is what makes Nioh seem easier to the very few who claim it is. I have a total of 700 hours on Dark Souls 1-3. When I went through the third one, I was more than familiar with the playing system, but I never found myself cheesing through mobs, or defeating bosses in first attempts with absolutely no summons at all. Nioh's main problem with difficulty comes with the mobs, aside from the Tengu enemy, everything else is a complete joke. A punching bag for you to stab or run circles around on. The mobs are small too, they really should not even be called mobs. It's extremely rare to fight more than 2 enemies at once. Once in a while you can fight 3 enemies at once. And Once in a blue moon you fight more than that. Their movements are telegraphed from a mile away too. From the first hour to the last you are going to be fighting the same damn red ogres over and over and over and over again. Will they do different attacks? Maybe one or two, but mostly they just have a bigger health pool and do more damage. You will fight lots and lots of skull samurai......They swing their blade twice and ask you to kill them after they miss their swings 99 times out of 100. I beat about 6-10 bosses on my first attempt. I am not gloating here, this is not a game to gloat over about. This game is not Ninja Gaiden hard.

    This is a really fun game that I am enjoying, but putting it on Dark Souls ground is a bald faced lie.    … Expand
  14. Quantization
    Feb 18, 2017
    6
    I can't recommend this game on good conscience to anyone. The game has amazing music, looks amazing, runs quite well and really comes together very well in all areas except combat. The dodge mechanic feels unresponsive and delayed and the attack physics are flawed at best. An enemy can hit you when you're a good foot or two out of his swing range and when you're trying to sell a game thatI can't recommend this game on good conscience to anyone. The game has amazing music, looks amazing, runs quite well and really comes together very well in all areas except combat. The dodge mechanic feels unresponsive and delayed and the attack physics are flawed at best. An enemy can hit you when you're a good foot or two out of his swing range and when you're trying to sell a game that is based around combat, that is just unacceptable. Usually I'd give a game a 7 out of 10 when it has done this many things right, but since the core gameplay is combat and that is what I find unplayable I have to give it a 6.

    As far as difficulty is concerned, is really isn't that hard if you stick to a greatsword and longbow and use the old "Block until they run out of stamina" tactic, but that just isn't all that fun and when you come up against some of the larger enemies that can literally one hit KO you (or one combo KO, same thing if you aren't able to move during the combo) these tactics just don't work. At that point it is all about trial and error and learning the monster's attack pattern. Dashing in for an attack then running out. This becomes very tedious very quickly. Even in the early game, spending a minute on a simple monster only for it to catch you with one attack and kill you just feels like a waste of time and progression. It doesn't have the same Dark Souls feeling where, if you die, sure you feel frustrated, but in the back of your mind you always felt like it was your fault. Nioh fails to capture that and I found myself often blaming game elements for my failures which is unlike me. Even the most frustrating Dark Souls boss inspired me to improve whereas Nioh's simplest enemies make me feel like I should just skip them.

    TL;DR: A game that is amazing in all way except where it counts.    … Expand
  15. Furiousmike
    Feb 11, 2017
    5
    If you are going to read one review, read this. I'm gonna lay down some facts.

    The game has a 9.0 score at the moment. Reason to that is a crap ton of fanboys reviewing the game. I haven't played any other games like Nioh so I can't compare it to anything else. After 30+ hours in to the game, I couldn't care less about the story. It's boring as hell. But then again I need something    If you are going to read one review, read this. I'm gonna lay down some facts.

    The game has a 9.0 score at the moment. Reason to that is a crap ton of fanboys reviewing the game.

    I haven't played any other games like Nioh so I can't compare it to anything else. After 30+ hours in to the game, I couldn't care less about the story. It's boring as hell. But then again I need something totally epic in order to get exited. Somebody else might actually like Nioh story. The games setting and atmosphere are somewhat different than any other games I've played. It's pressing yet serene at the same time. I have to say I like it. Being able to choose between good frame rate or graphics is great.

    The gameplay. For the love of... How is it possible that nobody else is talking or has even noticed this! Lag!! Lag in inputs. It's from team ninja so it has to be good, right!? No, wrong! Dodging has a huge lag between button press and execution. I'm a fighting game veteran so I rely mostly on my reaction time and I noticed this immediately. It's a core game play mechanic for Nioh so to me, the lag completely ruins the game. I wrote something about fanboys earlier... nobody in their right mind could overlook this issue and give this game 10/10 score. Although in a completely different genre, if Street Fighter would have this much input lag, the game would be unplayable. This is the reason why Nioh is so hard.

    In conclusion:
    Story 5/10
    Graphics 8/10
    Gameplay 2/10    … Expand
  16. eldumloido
    Feb 16, 2017
    7
    Too easy as you can only co-op with people that have beaten the levels. Also you can't really co-op with a friend for this same reason. Nice game but this last minute change made the game lot worse and I hope they fix it, if so Ill raise this from 7 to 9.
  17. bkeny2idie
    Feb 7, 2017
    6
    Not sure where all the Dark Souls comparisons are coming from, been playing souls since 2009 and this feels nothing like them at all. Looks and feels more like an Onimusha game than souls. Just because its an action RPG doesn't make it souls. No character creation completely kills this for me, the dlc stuff is OP making the game even easier. The core game itself seems to be toned downNot sure where all the Dark Souls comparisons are coming from, been playing souls since 2009 and this feels nothing like them at all. Looks and feels more like an Onimusha game than souls. Just because its an action RPG doesn't make it souls. No character creation completely kills this for me, the dlc stuff is OP making the game even easier. The core game itself seems to be toned down from the beta I tried. Honestly love the atmosphere but the straight forward story kind of bothers me, coming from souls its way too direct. If you go into this game expecting a souls clone you will be disappointed but the action is fun on its own and the enemies are pretty interesting. I don't see the longevity of this game though.… Expand
  18. Pcell
    Feb 8, 2017
    7
    A masterpiece made mediocre by pandering to an audience that doesn't care about the game in the first place. The difficulty was greatly reduced from the alpha and beta tests, and all that's left to do is stroll through the game without any challenge.
    The beta test was the fun most I've had with a video game in years, but the full game is just disappointing. Many enemies removed, their    A masterpiece made mediocre by pandering to an audience that doesn't care about the game in the first place. The difficulty was greatly reduced from the alpha and beta tests, and all that's left to do is stroll through the game without any challenge.
    The beta test was the fun most I've had with a video game in years, but the full game is just disappointing. Many enemies removed, their health and damage reduced, some enemies have had their speed slowed to make their attacks easier to avoid, AI has been tweaked to make the enemies less aggressive.
    The game never had impressive graphics but the amazing combat and the challenge made up for it. Now the great combat system is wasted with the challenge gone.
    Sad to see the game go this way after being advertised as a difficult game for masochists.    … Expand
  19. godines
    Mar 23, 2017
    7
    I am a player who likes hard games, but simple games in gameplay. I am a oldschool player and not a big hardcore. I prefer better graphics, history with good gameplay. I think demons souls and dark souls are my games, i dont like diablo and ninja gaiden isnt the best gameplay for me. I pray from software wont copy nothing of this game.

    The game is a good game, but give much work. I make    I am a player who likes hard games, but simple games in gameplay. I am a oldschool player and not a big hardcore. I prefer better graphics, history with good gameplay. I think demons souls and dark souls are my games, i dont like diablo and ninja gaiden isnt the best gameplay for me. I pray from software wont copy nothing of this game.

    The game is a good game, but give much work. I make 56% of achievements, done it, because a friend that is one of the world best players was together with me. Otherwise I would have abandoned this game    … Expand
  20. Steyraus
    Mar 15, 2020
    5
    Nope, just Nope..Man ive played all the hard games and Nioh is just Nope.. I stopped a Mino Enma. I have a hard time believing players that say they beat her easy, its an easy claim to make when you dont have to back it up.. She is without flaw. She has NOOOO weakness. 1-High damage 2-Small and Fast 3- Massive health 4- Nooo weak points 5-Randomised Attack patterns 6-No Telegraphing ofNope, just Nope..Man ive played all the hard games and Nioh is just Nope.. I stopped a Mino Enma. I have a hard time believing players that say they beat her easy, its an easy claim to make when you dont have to back it up.. She is without flaw. She has NOOOO weakness. 1-High damage 2-Small and Fast 3- Massive health 4- Nooo weak points 5-Randomised Attack patterns 6-No Telegraphing of next attack ,,like AT ALL 6- One hit Kills 7- High Damages Long Short and mid range attacks/randomised 8- Far and close AOE paralyzing attacks..
    I could go on ,, but WTF. I know hard games been playing them for decades, and this game is wank..A hard boss will usually have 2 or 3 of the dangers I listed that Mino has and is usually offset with a weakness. This one boss fight is an analogy for the whole game. In Nioh Team Ninja has lost the fun vs difficulty batlle . Its just not fun , just punishing .    … Expand
  21. venomlocke
    Mar 22, 2017
    7
    Nioh is a dark-souls esque game but is more fast-paced and has more depth in combat. You play as William the first western-samurai who seeks his guardian spirit in Feudal Japan. You meet historical figures like Hattori Hanzo and Muneshige. You have the gift to see the yokai and is your duty to stop Edward Kelley, your nemesis.

    Pros 1) Combat is fun and fast 2) 60fps is great 3) Ki    Nioh is a dark-souls esque game but is more fast-paced and has more depth in combat. You play as William the first western-samurai who seeks his guardian spirit in Feudal Japan. You meet historical figures like Hattori Hanzo and Muneshige. You have the gift to see the yokai and is your duty to stop Edward Kelley, your nemesis.

    Pros
    1) Combat is fun and fast
    2) 60fps is great
    3) Ki pulse mechanic allows you to go ham

    Cons
    1) Boss music is repetetive
    2) Level design is too linear
    3) Sometimes enemies can 1 shot you especially bosses.
    4) Enemies lack variations    … Expand
  22. bozayed
    Feb 21, 2017
    5
    i start loving this game everything in it was perfect , but, unfortunately there is one thing that's gonna make all players hate it so much !!
    if they killed U , you'll start playing the game from the beginning !!, because there is no check point !!
    that's why i gave it (5) .
  23. blasterto
    Mar 24, 2017
    6
    i think that this game is a rip oof dark souls in some way but i had fun playing it . but i must not lie it has some special mechanics and ideas that no one tried before and that is what i like the most
  24. Szmittu88
    Dec 27, 2017
    6
    Overall - not a bad game. Advertised as souls-like, however in this comparison it's bland. If you haven't played Dark Souls 1, 2 or 3, or BloodBorne - buy them first as they are much better than this game. Hell, even Demon's Souls with it's outdated graphics is better.
    If you, however, played through all of the above titles and want more of the same action packed, unforgiving gameplay -    Overall - not a bad game. Advertised as souls-like, however in this comparison it's bland. If you haven't played Dark Souls 1, 2 or 3, or BloodBorne - buy them first as they are much better than this game. Hell, even Demon's Souls with it's outdated graphics is better.
    If you, however, played through all of the above titles and want more of the same action packed, unforgiving gameplay - buy Nioh on a sale. Just don't expect it to be as good as games from FROM software.

    Graphics 3/10
    Animations are clunky, world looks like taken out of a ps3 game

    Sound 7/10
    Good soundtrack and voice acting during cutscenes - rest not so much

    Gameplay 7/10
    It has it's ups and downs but overall it's fun if you like action games. Some areas are not really thought thoroughly (inventory, picking up items, other small irritating things)

    Story meh/10
    10/10 if you are into katanas and other gay Japanese **** otherwise nothing memorable

    Fun factor 8/10
    Despite it's flaws it's still fun and can give you this "reward feeling" after beating a boss, farming and finally finding a better item, or looking how your character develops (in the "rpg way", from a weak badass to op badass).

    Would recommend to a Souls fan bored of the Souls games, or to anyone when Nioh is on a sale. It's still better than majority of Souls clones wannabes on the market.    … Expand
  25. stormundying
    Jan 7, 2018
    6
    Meh. It's okay. It hits some of the right notes from Dark Souls/Bloodborne, but has a couple of issues:

    1. It's too easy. There are definitely some decently hard PvE moments, and a challenging boss or two, but nothing truly difficult. The bosses in particular were lackluster - many of them were easily beatable on the first attempt, which is NOT what I expect from a soulsborne game.    Meh. It's okay. It hits some of the right notes from Dark Souls/Bloodborne, but has a couple of issues:

    1. It's too easy. There are definitely some decently hard PvE moments, and a challenging boss or two, but nothing truly difficult. The bosses in particular were lackluster - many of them were easily beatable on the first attempt, which is NOT what I expect from a soulsborne game.

    2. Lack of variety in the weapons. Every weapon in Dark Souls (and especially every weapon in bloodborne) has different movesets, abilities, and stats, giving the game a lot of variety and replayability. In Nioh, you pick your two weapon classes at the start of the game, and every weapon in that class plays very similarly. This gives the game a lot less variability than dark souls. Personally, I don't have a lot of desire to replay, which is the complete opposite to how I've felt about every other souls game.

    3. The game attempts to have a cogent story (unlike dark souls, which does most of it's storytelling in an unobtrusive way) and fails utterly. Characters are devoid of depth, historical figures show up in cameos that add nothing to the plot, and the villain is a standard 'cackling maniac' stereotype with inexplicable motivations. It's not a problem for a soulslike game to have a very minimal/threadbare story (see, for instance, Salt and Sanctuary) but when such a game tries and fails to create a story, it takes away from the overall quality of the game.    … Expand
  26. sufflaminandus
    Jan 25, 2019
    5
    Finally, the solid contender for “almost Dark Souls” title. Yet some sources forget to empathize one crucial note: it’s a Diablo game as much as it is a Souls game. But about everything in order.

    William, blue-eyed fair-haired Irishman, embarks on a series of mission set in 1600, Japan, with the objective to capture an evil alchemist who snatched William’s guarding spirit. Japan is a    Finally, the solid contender for “almost Dark Souls” title. Yet some sources forget to empathize one crucial note: it’s a Diablo game as much as it is a Souls game. But about everything in order.

    William, blue-eyed fair-haired Irishman, embarks on a series of mission set in 1600, Japan, with the objective to capture an evil alchemist who snatched William’s guarding spirit. Japan is a state of semi chaos as multiple clans warring for power. Banditry thrives. Foreign forces use this opportunity to extract as much amrita as possible (by hideous means). Amrita, a yellow spirited stone, is what brings ‘magic’ into the game. In particular, it can turn humans into monsters. Other monster are yokai, Japanese folklore themed creatures.

    So the plot *exist*, which is already more than any Souls can offer us, but that’s it. The story and it’s narration cannot boast with anything else. My advice: read summary of historical events of Sengoku period. Wikipedia article will offer you much more insight on what’s goin’ on rather than numerous cutscenes in between the missions. Missions… the next downside.

    Nioh is a mission based game. So forget about seamless lore-filled world. Plus, the level design itself is mediocre. The images of painted villages, mountains, castles, temples probably won’t last long in your memory. Gameplay-wise, levels are Souls’ copy: shrines (bonfires), interesting enemy position, secret, shortcuts. And yet when you realize you’re playing Diablo, there won’t be left much reasons for exploring (I still did it though).

    Graphic is disappointing too. Shadow of Mordor, 2014 year game, looks much comely than 2017 Nioh. The only objects drawn with detail are people.

    But we reached bright side: gameplay. Nioh is a hybrid of Souls and Diablo. I will criticize Diablo aspect later, now let’s focus on Souls part. If you clueless about the series: Souls means solitarily exploring neatly design levels filled with hand-placed enemies, each of which alone is already challenge, two of which together is a trouble, and three is a death. Souls means monster respawn and experience loss on (second) death. Souls means health bar, stamina bar, dodges, accent on realistic impactful attacks where single well placed strike means defeat (for either you or enemy). Souls means RPG system that allows you to build different characters: quick light slasher, strong heavy hitter, kiting mage. And, of course, Souls is big scary bosses. Well, *all* of the listed applies to Nioh. So, what makes Nioh special?

    Nioh’s combat is *fast*. It’s is fast and fluid. There are three stances for each weapon type (low, middle, high), each compromising different moveset and, theoretically, having cons and pros to adapt to different situations. But forget about them. Simply pick weapon you like and enjoy the flow. Enjoy the animation. Enjoy uniqueness of your weapon. Master it and you will relish in how beautifully you slay adversaries. Objectively speaking, Souls combat might be more realistic and meaningful but fabulous pace of Nioh can (only barely) be matched by Bloodborne.

    Regarding Diablo. You see, Souls are *exploration games*. Why? Because everything is *finite* and NOT random. In Souls, every detail, every item is chosen and placed by human. And there is a limit on progression: at one point (easily achievable in one playthrough) you will have everything, there would be nothing more to do. And what is Diablo? Diablo is grinding hell. Add Nioh is Diablo in that aspect: each item is random, power progression is almost endless (‘thanks’ DLCs). No comments here.

    But there are few more shining beacons. Firstly, Nioh has INCREDIBLY comfortable interface. It allows you to do anything with ease and some of its possibilities just blow your mind when you see them (like busy or AFK icons above other players). Secondly, Nioh’s multiplayer wrecks hell. (One ‘but’: if you are PvP player, then no, it’s not wrecks hell, as there are no in-game encounters). But in PvE you are finally able to just press the button, find and player and help him get through the mission. And it’s the funny fact: mission system actually comes in handy here. Search is, at last, not restricted by gameplay position so finding companions to help/get help is fast from the very first mission till the very last (and on higher difficulties too).

    Looking back at my review, I see that I wrote ‘Souls’ more times than ‘Nioh’. Well, excuse me, it *is* a Souls clone. But one extremely well-made and addictive.

    5/10    … Expand
  27. aaronnmp96
    Jan 31, 2023
    6
    Acceptable, the gameplay could be better, the design of the bosses is good, but a lot of recycling
  28. drlowdon
    Feb 17, 2022
    6
    Nioh follows the journey William Adams as he fights his way through a fictionalised version of 17th century Japan in order to put a stop to an ongoing war.

    The similarities to Dark Souls are immediate from the outset with the player having to kill enemies to collect amrati (souls) in order to level up, dying results in restarting from the last shrine (bonfire) whereby you’ll have one    Nioh follows the journey William Adams as he fights his way through a fictionalised version of 17th century Japan in order to put a stop to an ongoing war.

    The similarities to Dark Souls are immediate from the outset with the player having to kill enemies to collect amrati (souls) in order to level up, dying results in restarting from the last shrine (bonfire) whereby you’ll have one chance to collect the amrati before it is lost. It’s also a difficult game, and death can come quickly even at the hands of standard enemies should you make a mistake.

    The combat itself is, if anything, actually an improvement on Dark Souls with various stances, weapons and attacks to choose from. What Nioh doesn’t have however is Dark Souls labyrinth like worlds that make exploration enjoyable even when you’re many hours in. Instead Nioh plays almost like a loot based dungeon crawler with players selecting from various 30-60 minutes missions that often reward you with an overwhelming number of new items on top of the amrati for levelling up. With so few enemy types, and many missions playing out in very similar fashion this does all start to become repetitive after a while, and with a run time of at least 70 hours it simply goes on way too long.    … Expand
  29. doodlerman
    Apr 28, 2021
    7
    I love me some Soulslikes, and for the most part, I really dug this game. However, there are like 3 bosses that were so ridiculously fast and overpowered, I found myself taking multiple months-long breaks before beating it. Now, this is in large part because of my refusal to go through all of the intricacies of menus, items, and skills that you have in your arsenal. I beat the majority ofI love me some Soulslikes, and for the most part, I really dug this game. However, there are like 3 bosses that were so ridiculously fast and overpowered, I found myself taking multiple months-long breaks before beating it. Now, this is in large part because of my refusal to go through all of the intricacies of menus, items, and skills that you have in your arsenal. I beat the majority of the game solely with combat and struggled despite having strong weapons, armor, and levels. The three tough bosses (Hino-Enma, Yuki-Onna, and Shima Sakon) seemed to go against everything the game teaches the player about combat - though, later, when I actually learned about talismans, like the Sloth talismans, later game bosses that initially gave me similar levels of frustration became jokes. I guess it's on me for not taking the time to read through all the explanations and navigate the dense menu branches, but I'd rather games teach me as I play rather than stop everything to spell it out for me.… Expand
  30. bonsai
    Nov 17, 2022
    7
    It's not Dark Souls, but it's the best soulslike game on the market together with Nioh 2.
    It took me a lot of time to get hooked to it, the first 3 times I tried I left it there.
    But once I got hooked, it's very fun and rewarding.
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Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best PS4 Game of 2017
10
#10 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017
8
#8 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 100 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 97 out of 100
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 100
  3. Negative: 0 out of 100
  1. games(TM)
    May 26, 2017
    80
    Challenging, beautiful and unique. [Issue#105, p.82]
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Apr 11, 2017
    90
    The small, scattered levels live in the shadows of the Souls/Bloodborne worlds. Otherwise, Nioh matches - and occasionally surpasses - FromSoftware's genre giants. [Apr 2017, p.77]
  3. CD-Action
    Apr 5, 2017
    85
    After a series of letdowns Team Ninja returns to form it displayed with Ninja Gaiden Black. Nioh is a variation on the Souls series, and although it is not as intriguing story wise, its gameplay is much more enjoyable. [04/2017, p.46]
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