Nioh 3 was not on my radar. Like, absolutely. I played the first two games and thoroughly enjoyed them, and the loot-driven spin Team Ninja took to the Soulslike formula was a growing appreciation. But the many story-heavy trailers for its threequels didn't just inspire joy.
What those trailers didn't tell me, however, was that Nioh 3 intended to expand dramatically on both combat and exploration as it took clear inspiration from Elden Ring in a craft that I'd describe as more arcadey than FromSoftware's masterpiece. You explore a variety of different time periods, each with their own distinct atmosphere and objectives that inspired me over the course of four short hours.
It's February, and chances are you're waiting for big titles like Resident Evil Requiem as you struggle to find something to play, so let me be the first (well, at least one person) to say that you absolutely shouldn't sleep on Nioh 3, and here's why.
Nioh 3 is much more than an Elden Ring clone
It would be foolish to ignore the inspiration Nioh 3 takes from the Elden Ring. Since the first game arrived on PS4 in early 2017, Team Ninja has been innovating on the From Software formula in bold and unexpected ways. Its combat has always been fast, brutal and unforgiving, even with small foot soldiers that can cut you down if you prove careless. Adding stances and an endless selection of armor and weapons ready to loot meant your gameplay experience was always spiced up.
After creating your character, going through the tutorial, and watching a bunch of cutscenes, you'll be freed in a small area that eventually leads to the game's first boss. He's very tough, with some special moves designed to test some basic mechanics like samurai and ninja forms that should become second nature in the journey ahead. I died two or three times before I finally decided to summon the NPC Specter to help me do the job.
It's not the most daring path to victory, but I'm here for the good times, not the long haul. Then you experience a few more cutscenes before a mysterious force suddenly sends you back in time. Suddenly, you're in a strange new place overwhelmed by the same evil forces, and it's your job to stop them. From here, Nioh 3 offers unparalleled freedom.
In the past two games, while they allowed you to jump between different themed levels, each with their own unique challenges, you would often hit a dead end as a boss that needed to be defeated. You either sing good or stop playing, and like most games of this ilk, it's hard to blame people for walking away when it proves too difficult. Nioh 3, at least from what I've seen so far, is very forgiving. Not because the enemies are easier or harder to hit, but because the means you offer to take them on are very different.
You can essentially switch between two completely different loadouts – Ninja and Samurai – at the touch of a button. One is a more aggressive and traditional warrior who hits hard and is able to stand his ground against formidable threats, while the other is all about leaping up, sneaking into the shadows and using ninjutsu techniques to stay alive. Combining both approaches in a single boss encounter is so fast and so chaotic but also so rewarding.
Very few combat systems I've played in recent memory have felt this good, nor offered such a ridiculous degree of flexibility. It really feels like Team Ninja has spent the past decade trying to fine-tune the basics of this combat system and adding new features that only serve to make it better and better. I have only scratched the surface of its variety and sophistication.
The Elden Ring is no stranger to flexible construction, but in Nioh 3 it feels like I've been rewarded more than once for thinking outside the box and smashing things with the biggest sword I've ever owned.
The fight is a definite highlight so far. I'm not using it except for the mountains of loot, which I don't know what to do with yet. But I know I'll soon have a sprawling hub world full of merchants and blacksmiths to chat with, recycle my unwanted loot and upgrade the things I use. Nioh 3 just keeps fresh systems and locations that I can't wait to explore myself, and I haven't even properly touched the open world. Speaking of, let's get right to it.
Nioh 3's open world isn't too big or too small, it's just right
As I mentioned earlier, the early hours of Nioh 3 see your character sent back in time, and it's these different time periods that make up the many different open world areas that you'll be free to explore throughout the campaign. So there is not one mass, but many of them are trying to provide slightly different experiences.
I'm still in first place, with most of the burning villages and their surrounding rice fields looted by monsters. In the distance sits a castle where I imagine an epic boss battle would take place, but right now I'm too busy completing small tasks that include everything from chasing large round cats to slaying crucibles full of extra-powerful monsters.
The open world sections, as I mentioned earlier, are more arcade than Elden Ring. Quests, objectives, and so on feel more like a video game than some sort of mystical digital pilgrimage where an unexpected new surprise awaits around every corner.
There's more to Nioh 3's open world where you're always doing or getting stuff, whether it's getting a new piece of rare loot, embarking on a short side mission, or finding yourself facing off against a boss that appears out of nowhere.
In past games, I thought I knew exactly how the level design worked because it was predictable, but here I am again constantly surprised. That sense of discovery combined with a fantastically satisfying combat system is helping Nioh 3 become my biggest surprise of the year. Well, until I got stuck on a super hard boss.
