Nioh Review in Progress: Depth in Combat

We’ve been working our way through Nioh on the PS4, and despite the incredible level of difficulty – think of something a tad easier than Dark Souls for example – the game is incredibly engaging and very brilliant in how it is delivered. When I play action RPGs, I will openly admit that I’m more of a brawler than a thoughtful player. It only took me a few minutes to realize that a brawling approach to Nioh just wasn’t going to work.

Nioh’s story is based around the rise of a westerner to becoming a full fledged story works really well. Set around the 17th century, you will explore the open worlds of Japan, battling and defeating demons and evil Samurai as you go, growing stronger with each passing day. I’ve played for about 20 hours so far, and have to say that I have thoroughly been enjoying my experiences, despite the minor issues that we will touch on in a later article. Today, the focus is on stamina levels during battle.

One of the greatest features in Nioh that ultimately stops you from attempting to barge your way across the map, is the use of stamina. Your stamina bar will dictate how many moves you can perform in any given short period of time, before requiring a short break to get ready for your next attack. Therefore, even the most powerful weapons require a steady hand. Depending on enemy types, and there stamina levels – yes, they are limited as well which adds an extra layer of combat depth – you will want a variety of weapons at your disposal. Upgrading and mastering each of the five weapon classes will be a must when playing Nioh.

The stamina bar that limits your play, and the movements of your enemies, only scratches the surface of the depth in combat. I noted earlier that patient player will have the most success in Nioh, and this also the truth when walking into combat situations. When completing areas and dungeons, the final demon will almost always be in plain site at the end of a hallway, or down a well trodden path. The obvious thought is to charge in and get the battle started. However, the team that developed Nioh knew exactly what they were doing when they put the final boss in plain site.

More often than not, a player who lacks patience will be ambushed more often than not when running wildly into combat; at some point, you won’t just be battling a demon, but a hoard of other samurai as well. For players that lack patience, this will be when quick deaths will become the most frustrating. However, when these areas are taken slowly, it will allow players to move through each enemy independently of the rest, allowing for a quicker, and more exhilarating, combat experience.