Nioh: Complete Edition

[h1] Phenomenal game [/h1] The first thing you should know about this game is that if you do not like and enjoy difficulty in games, avoid it. This is a [b] very [/b] unforgiving and difficult game, with only one difficulty setting, and it will absolutely throw a lot at you from the very beginning. This game is very similar to the Dark Souls games and Sekiro, but it’s also different in a lot of ways. You acquire Amrita (which is basically souls) and you use it to level up stats of your choice. If you die, you lose it all, unless you retrieve it. However, unlike in the souls series, you can’t get away with simply over-leveling to tackle stuff. In this game you could be an entire 50 levels above the zone level, and even the simplest common mob could still murder you easily if you’re not paying attention. The gameplay feels amazing, it’s very smooth and satisfying, but it’s also very complex. There are several weapons you can use, each of which comes with a different move-set and things you need to know. Then there’s also three possible stances you can activate – low, mid and high – and every one of them further alters the move-set and abilities of the weapon. Each weapon also has separate talent-trees with additional active and passive abilities. You can have four weapons equipped at a given time, two of which are ‘main’ weapons and two are ranged options. The available main weapons in the game are: Swords (basically katana), Dual Swords, Spears, Axes, Kusarigama, Tonfa, and Odachi. The ranged options are: bows, rifles and hand cannons. You can also acquire stealth (ninja) and magical abilities (jutsu) as well. I’m playing dual swords and katana, with bow and rifle as ranged options, but I also experimented with some of the others. They’re all very fun and serve different playstyles, so you should definitely try them out a bit before you commit. You will also absolutely [b] need to [/b] learn how to use a weapon properly and effectively if you want to progress in this game. The bosses in this game are hard, and at times very unfair. For most of them, learning their move-set or exploiting some weakness they have will let you tackle them in a few attempts. There are some bosses that are just plain insane though, the amount of bullshit they throw at you, which you can neither properly anticipate nor counter, is astonishing, to say the least. So be prepared for moments of extreme frustration sometimes. Defeating them feels super rewarding because of that though. Gear in this game is, surprisingly, very similar to games such as Diablo or ARPGs in general. You can also craft gear and alter/reforge the stats and get entire item-sets. I should mention that you absolutely [b] have to [/b] understand what the stats do and how the gear works, because even with a good understanding of those things, the game can still be challenging. Without it, you'll just get absolutely obliterated. In general, the game encourages “dancing” around bosses more than tanking hits, so you won’t be able to face-tank no matter how good your gear seems to be. You’ll have to adjust your gear and stats to the weapon you’re using and to your playstyle. The only negative points about the game, in my opinion, are two things. First, you get locked in place in most cases when you’re taking damage (similar to Path of Exile for example), so you can easily get stun-locked by chained abilities and attacks, which in 99.9% of cases means instant death. That’s extremely annoying when tackling more than one mob, and on bosses with extremely fast multi-chain attacks. You can spam the dodge button and abilities, but you still just end up locked in the damage chain, which means one mistake = dead. Second, the sheer number of controls in this game is also a bit insane, and in case you’re using mouse and keyboard, this port didn’t really include a display for PC buttons, so the UI will show you controller button prompts for the hundreds of available controls and moves, and you have to figure it out. But once you learn what everything does and adapt the controls, this issue does become irrelevant. The story is not very detailed, but it’s actually quite good. You play as a Samurai, who is actually an Englishman, and you come to Japan pursuing a bad guy who stole a guardian spirit from you and is causing major chaos. The game focuses a lot on those guardian spirits. They are basically spirits with animal themes, so you have stuff like cat spirit, bull spirit, fox spirit, rabbit spirit, etc., but there are also some more ‘fantastical’ spirits. Most stronger characters in the game have their own spirit. You can equip one spirit to accompany you at any given time, and different spirits buff different stats and alter gameplay. You can also activate ‘spirit mode’ when your gauge reaches full, which is basically a short boost of super power based on whichever spirit you’re using (it’s highly amusing beating stuff with a rabbit as your companion, let me tell ya). As you progress through the game, you can find and unlock more guardian spirits. It’s a very good system, kinnda feels like you’re basically collecting different Pokémon at times. The spirit you equip will also be your login screen every time you enter the game, which is an extremely nice touch. I’m loving this game very much, so I absolutely have to recommend it. I’ll also be moving on to Nioh 2 once I finish this, and I’ve seen that Nioh 3 got announced recently, so if you're into this series, there’s much to look forward and much fun to be had without a doubt! However, as I said, just be aware that the difficulty is absolutely brutal, so if that’s not your thing, don’t torture yourself. 幸運を祈ります! 🐦‍🔥

So, I finally finished Nioh, and man, what a ride. Let’s start with the good stuff. The combat is honestly, top-tier. This might be my favorite out of all the Soulslikes I’ve played. It’s fast, it’s crisp, and it’s super deep if you want it to be. The game never forces you to dive into every system. You can get by with the basics, but if you do decide to mess with Ki Pulse timing, stances, Flux, ranged weapons, ninjutsu, magic, etc. the game just opens up in the best way. And yeah, it makes you feel like a total badass. Bosses are tough, but (mostly) fair. If you die, it’s usually because you got greedy or misread a pattern and not because the game cheated. There’s something really satisfying about finally nailing a boss that’s been beating you down for an hour. The mission-based structure is kind of “old school,” and I mean that in a good way. Levels feel handcrafted, the kind you can learn and master, and the Japanese folklore/demon vibe is just cool. That said... there are some rough edges. The story is kind of there, I guess? The main character just sort of exists. He reacts to things like someone who missed the plot entirely and is just following a GPS to his next fight. If you only watch the cutscenes, it’s basically: “New guy. New mission. Beat mission. New cutscene. Repeat.” It does make more sense if you read the mission descriptions and logs, but if you're like me and didn’t already know much about Japanese history, some of it might just blur together. The map design is good and bad. Some levels are genius, but others just test your patience. The stage with holes everywhere wasn’t testing skill, it was testing patience. Also, while we’re on the negatives: every time you finish a level, none of your unlocked shortcuts or shrines carry over. Also, it took me way longer to finish because I spent a ridiculous amount of time farming for a full set of purple armor with the “perfect” stats. I was completely hooked on the idea of optimizing my build… until it slowly started draining the fun out of the experience. But that’s on me. The side content also leans hard on reusing stuff. Same enemies. Same areas. Sometimes the exact same boss - or a double boss fight - just thrown in with four floating firehead dudes for “extra challenge”. Enemy variety is another weak spot. Most of the game, you’re fighting the same handful of baddies. Occasionally one shows up with a different element or move, but it's mostly remixing what you’ve already seen. And don’t even get me started on the fire wheels. Whoever made those has a special place in hell. TL;DR: Nioh has some of the best combat I’ve ever experienced in a Soulslike. It stumbles with story delivery, enemy variety, and some frustrating level and mission design choices, and the gear grind can seriously wear you down if you're not careful - although that is totally optional. If you love tough-but-fair battles, Japanese mythology, and deep mechanics with tons of freedom, it’s absolutely worth playing. 8/10

Nioh: Complete Edition – Depth Forged in Discipline Nioh: Complete Edition isn't just challenging, it’s a combat design masterclass tailored for players who thrive on precision and system depth. What initially feels overwhelming quickly reveals itself as an intricate framework designed to be studied, iterated on, and ultimately mastered. At its core, the game revolves around stance-based combat: High stance for power, Mid stance for balance, and Low stance for speed and defense. Each weapon type be like the katana’s versatility, the kusarigama’s deceptive reach, or the axe’s raw power interacts with these stances in unique ways, encouraging experimentation and adaptability. Then there’s the Ki Pulse system, a mechanic that mimics stamina regeneration through timed button taps. It’s more than a resource management trick it’s a rhythm based layer that adds tempo to every encounter. Mastering Ki Pulses is essential not just for efficiency, but for survival, especially when you're dealing with Yokai Realms, which suppress your Ki regeneration unless neutralized through a well timed pulse. The enemy design is punishing but fair. Human opponents parry, pressure, and punish greed. Yokai, on the other hand, bring a mythological terror with slower, more deliberate animations that demand patience and observation over aggression. Bosses are milestone level threats that test your mechanical grasp, pattern recognition, and composure. Customization is equally nuanced. The skill trees for each weapon and ninja/onmyo arts create meaningful long term progression. You’re not just unlocking damage buffs, you’re gaining new combo routes, counters, and synergy tools. Gear drops are plentiful but meaningful thanks to the familiarity system and soul-matching mechanics, making looting feel strategic rather than random. The inclusion of all three DLCs expands the experience significantly, not just in story content, but in complexity, introducing tougher enemies, new weapon types like the Odachi and Tonfa, and deeper lore. These additions extend the difficulty curve but also reward your growing competence. Nioh doesn’t hold your hand. But if, like me, you enjoy systems that reward curiosity, measured progression, and focused iteration, this game doesn’t just respect your time, it elevates it. Disclaimer: This review reflects my personal experience and preferences as a player who enjoys intricate combat systems and high stakes challenges. Your mileage may vary depending on your tastes and tolerance for difficulty

Very cool game, Very hard game, Prepare to cry, Prepare to Die Would be tortured during my playtime again 10/10

While the story feels painfully generic and uninspired, the core gameplay redeems it. Quite complex combat system, demanding boss encounters, and a deep well of build variety that keeps the experience genuinely engaging.

An amazing game set in ancient japan with Hattori Hanzo from the Iga Clan guiding you around the world. This game it's pure action and reflexes the world it's full of traps and ambushes around every corner. It's like playing Ninja Gaiden on NES, the game expects you to end the stage in 1 go, no deaths. However NIOH does give you 1 checkpoint per level, so it's not that bad. Story? irrelevant but the scenarios are so full of detail. Replay value? a lot there are way to many play styles. This game really expects a lot from the player, rise to the challenge. 9/10

One of the best soulslikes I've ever played but I'd say Nioh is one of the few Soulslikes that can stand on it's own and not be in FromSoftware's shadow. Team Ninja have made such a unique twist on the formula with this game can't wait to get around to Nioh 2 and 3.

If you thought darksouls was too easy this is the game for you. 10/10 Gameplay very hard very addicting. Nioh 2 is better in just about every way but this is still well worth your time and money.

Still in NG, game has some bullshit enemies but combat is super satisfying

Its... good. 50 dollars good? Not at all. 50%+ sale good? Uh... probably. The real weak point of this game is the level design. Some areas are just so uninteresting and annoying to traverse through that I had to drag myself through them. I can think of 1 or 2 areas that I actively enjoyed going through. Additionally, the boss designs and fights (something so important to the souls-like genre) are pretty weak overall. There wasn't a boss fight in the game that afterwards that actually stuck in my mind, they're all serviceable for sure, but nothing really stood out. The game also reuses so much stuff that you've genuinely already seen 90% of the games enemies by the halfway point, which can make the second half of the game much more boring than the first half. Like, one of the last main missions literally involves you individually killing 4 bosses you've killed previously to progress. Its not an inherently bad thing to reuse previous content, but you can only do it so much before it gets boring to play. The story is whatever. I was starting to get somewhat into it at the very end, but, well, it was the end of the game. Ideally you should be interested from the start, but the main characters are quite flat in terms of personality and basically never had me invested. Nothing was particularly bad, but I can only think of one character I was interested in (Leyasu). The protagonist and antagonist are also just... so forgettable. Pretty much any of the characters could have died at any point and I would have had no emotional response. The saving grace of this game is the combat. The stance system and weapon skill trees are well made and satisfying to learn, and there is considerable build and gameplay diversity. It's got as much depth as you could want, and the enemies always prove a worthy challenge. It's also one of those games you can just completely destroy with the proper skill and game knowledge, which is a positive in my eyes (it is still quite a difficult game, though). The loot system also works well and finding gear upgrades is a good feeling, though it can become a slog towards the end to look through all of the loot you are picking up. (I didn't interface with the multiplayer during my playthrough so I can't comment on that. From what I've heard though it is solid). Overall it's like a 7/10 for me, and this is coming from a diehard souls fan. I would only get it on sale if you really enjoy the souls-like genre.

the first boss is figuring out the controls for keyboard and mouse, alt tabbing every 5 seconds to find out wtf button is the correct one.... then get softlocked in the dumpster fire that is the tutorial. Then alt tab again to find a way to skip the tutorial without restarting. when you figure out the controls, the combat is fun

Difficult. Cheap. More Japanese than Dark Souls. You'll die over and over even after you get good. Worth it

Replayed it for the first time since 2017, and it's way better than I remember. Honestly, it's shocking how they got a lot of things right from their first try.

don't know how, but I've had a way better time with this one than I ever did with the sequel everyone says is ten times better. really don't know why. it's good - it's the best souls-like I ever played, probably by a lot. (SEKIRO doesn't count since it's still FromSoft and Miyazaki, even if it ditches the Souls / Ring / Borne RPG format)

I gave this game an unfair shake the first time I tried it back in 2017. I didn't read anything, spammed stance swap because "that's the mechanic" and had a horrible time. I was all "OMG SO CLUNKKYYYY WTF" and didn't even beat the starting area. I wrote it off as a DS clone immediately. Needless to say, playing it again for the first time in 8 years, and man, I had this game completely wrong. Don't go in being a DS moron, and you'll have a good time. It's VERY arcade-y, which is awesome. The game is tough, but fun and fair. Once you get used to the systems, it feels pretty damn fluid. A lot of the moves are just very satisfying. This game has the most satisfying arrow headshots :) The game's an excellent deal (7.50 as of right now) and apparently the second game's even better.

Nioh is punishing but insanely rewarding. Combat is fast, deep, and constantly keeps you on your toes—every weapon and stance feels unique. I love mastering combos and figuring out boss patterns. It’s tough, but when you finally clear a level or land that perfect parry, it’s pure satisfaction. If you're looking for a challenging ARPG that’s not just ‘Dark Souls in samurai armor,’ give it a shot—it’s one of the best I've played.

A fantastic flawed game. There is a fair bit this game falls short on (level and enemy design) to be two major points but the combat is so good it carries so hard to the point these don't really matter. In fact I think the lack of enemy variety helps players grasp with the deep combat faster. In a game where you can die in 3-4 hits on average being able to telegraph enemy attacks feels good throughout my whole time playing the game. Initially the game seems unreasonable and cheap but there in lies the beauty of Nioh. The bosses are cheap, the enemies are cheap....but you have the power to be even cheaper. Combat is peak! Combat is fantastic, it makes not fighting bosses (my biggest gripe with most souls like games) fun and it encourages me to explore more of the map and take risks. 9 unique weapons that play very differently are meant to be used alongside ranged weapons and magic, so maybe some players that don't like melee combat will be out of luck here. The stance system, ninjustsu, onimiyo (magic), KI pulse and combat abilities allow for very flexible play and lets players dive as deep or as shallow as they prefer, playing hit and run like other Souls likes is still a perfectly valid style of play here. The only mechanic I think is VITAL to beating Nioh is Ki pulse which if you forego using will constantly leave you with very low stamina for defensive manoeuvres after attacking which you can later unlock an ability to Ki pulse with a well timed dodge instead of a manual input which I think more players would prefer. The level design though is so convoluted, tons of routes and shortcuts that loop around to make some attempt at a pseudo Dark Souls map except with every mission. The problem with trying to do that with every level is that its not going to work every time and you give yourself more chances to drop the ball since you cant meticulously refine so many stages. A lot of the time it just came across as confusing especially for someone like me that wants to find as many collectables and secrets as possible in an organic way. A lot of the time was doubling back worried about walking into a boss room and not being able to explore the rest of the level, that is to say its not all bad and there are some levels that do pull it off. The enemy design is....okay? Bosses especially, they just don't stick with me in a way that makes me go OH SHIT! its more like oh they've stuck with me because I've fought them throughout the game a handful of times. Especially the more human kind of enemies I couldn't tell you who the fuck any of them were (outside of some being historical figures). Around the halfway point they do become somewhat trivial, I don't think in the second half of the game I died to any boss more than 3 times. The enemies and bosses just left me feeling indifferent more so looking like a canvas to unleash my combos and abilities on. I didn't bother with going through NG+ and higher difficulties because I do have other games I want to play (the sequel being one of them and if I were to dedicate a significant amount of my time I'd rather do it there) so I don't have much to say on the gearing and building since that doesn't really play a part till that point of the game. This game is great, there are many things I didn't love about it but for some reason it didn't matter to me I enjoyed it regardless.

i first started playing sekiro and it was too hard for me (although i played elden ring before and am actually ok in soulslike). so i searched for other games in this genre and found nioh. i was happy bc it was on sale and looked promising! i also hoped for it to be easier in combat... BIG MISTAKE! this game brought me to tears of anger and put me in my biggest weakspot. i am not that far in right now, but i managed to beat the first 3 bosses. dont get me wrong, this game is good and deserves the good credit, but it is not for the weak and sadly is as hard as sekiro is. i will fight through this game and i will see you in the nioh2 comment section after i managed to finsish this game. see ya

great game. so much fun. Takes skill and adaptability which is why i like it.

Not the greatest port for KBM, but the game is worth it nonetheless

dark souls japones que deu certo,jogo very good pra quem gosta de dificuldade e sofridao, recomendo pra quem tem depressão ja que depois de meia hora de gameplay voce vai sair curado de tanto morrer

I played this quite a bit on Playstation too so I have more hours than is shown... I really love this game a lot... the graphics on steam is questionable but were semi fixable with a resolution workaround but that aside the game is still amazing... and I still stuck at it xD the Japanese samurai setting with yokai and stuff for a souls-like game is just fantastic <3 So if you can get the resolution fixed I can't recommend this enough! I could see some people having issues with crashes and such but I had no such problems... And yes I die a lot... yes I suck at this game, and yes I sometimes rage a bit... but I love every second of it! Now just for getting the completion done... see ya in a few years xD

I Liked how the game is old but the graphics are very good, what I hate is the confusion in the game

Just started playing Nioh and damn this game is PEAK... Im not far in the game (finished the first main mission and the first side mission) At this point i'm at 7 deaths most of em are because i'm stupid and braindead, but I plan on finishing it and nioh 2 before Nioh 3 comes out (Yes, I know i have like a year). Now lets talk about the game :) graphics aren't the best for a game made in 2017... they aren't horrible just not as good as some other game that released the same year Combat can't say for sure because I only have 6hrs of playtime, but I can say for now its good Tbh idk what else to say, exept don't listen to anyone that says this game is bad... Its just a skill issue Anyways thanks for reading if you did and have a nice day <3

The controls are so bad that they actually add to the masochist experience. Once you get used to them its like a whole extra layer to the game. On top of dying and raging at enemies you can also rage at the control scheme because you needed to press 3 buttons to change stance and dodge.

Great game for anyone who enjoys a challenge. Combat feels great once you figure it out.

You ever wanted to cut and slice your way through feudal japan just to get waffle stomped by a demon the size of the hulk then this game is for you. In all honesty this game is great and has fantastic bosses in both side and main missions and has plenty of build diversity for whatever your little weeb heart craves. 9/10 only because anyone that has played this and quit and tells everyone that the game sucks has never gotten past the first boss

I haven't finished it, but this needs more posetive reviews. nioh 1 is a real-time, souls-like, action rpg with inspiration from character action games (like dmc) and a gacha system of item handling. If that sounds like a lot, your in for a strange one. If you don't know what your getting into there is a steep learning curve, but I can say without a doubt this is my favourite take on souls-like combat systems. Most negative reviews are taking the piss out of the: * Difficulty (this game is hard, but not in the balancing. It just expects you to take full advantage of the jaw dropping moveset of the main character such as consumables, onymonyo magic, ninja skills and guardian spirits, but trust me that when you get used to using them it becomes very fun.) * repeating levels (certain side missions will have the player explore part of an already explored main mission backwards. This isn't amazing, but they ususally take these missions to explore new enemy types or cool expansions of the gimmics of previous levels, so I consider them a good use of time) * lack of enemy variety (enemies from the first mission ever are repeatedly used and scaled up to the player's level. Usually with souls-likes, the player character is simple, with more budget put into the enemies and the levels themselves, but this is somewhat backwards in nioh 1. the player has loads of moves at their disposal with a lot of budget and time taken out of them enemies and levels, but I personally found it to not be a big deal.) These problems hold the game back from being perfect in my eyes, but I still consider it to be worth my time. It's facinating that there is so much genre clashing in this game. I feel like this had a lot of development hell where the creatives were in this tug of war wanting to make the game a bunch of different things. I'm so happy this turned out as good as it did, because games like those tend to be cancelled to write off taxes or they just have the chord cut on them when warning signs show early on. Games are hard to make, so I'm glad this one is allowing itself to be goofy as hell.

Great game so far, definitely on the harder end of things for a souls like. Can be a bit complex but overall pretty fun

holy crap it's hard. I realized I wasn't the only one when I got through the prologue and got an achievement that only 75% of people get that far.. crazy... but it is fair, like souls but kinda meaner. give it a play and you'll know what I mean.

If you're looking for a Souls-like game that's more forgiving, Nioh is a great choice. It's perfect for players who want the challenge of a Souls game but with a better chance to progress. Think of it as a Souls game with training wheels—highly recommended!

Neat combat system so there's enough depth for some repetitive missions not to be annoying. Levels are decent but not exactly made with the care of fromsoft games. Enemy variety is alright too, and I don't really get tired of them as of now. The bosses that are just huge monsters have been meh or plain annoying to fight, but when I finally got to the first human sword fight it was actually really great. For a first attempt of this type of game its overall decent and worth a playthrough. Excited to see what Nioh 2 improves on.

Had this game on the PS4 and loved it. I missed the fame so I ended up buying it again on the PC and easily sunk another 90+ hours into it before jumping to Nioh 2. Ngl its hard as bawlz. But I grew so much as a person as i consistently held in the urge to rage chuck my controller bc I cant afford another one + wall repairing from the hole left from yeeting my controller from a prior rage chucking session. You might not come out with Williams sick combat moves but if you go through the entirety of the NG, NG+, NG++, etc you will come out a brand new person with god tier patience. Ok but jokes aside, loved the game mechanics and the story once I got the hang of it. Liked it so much that i keep coming back when i have no new game to play.

looks VERY old at first, but the more i play it, the better it looks. this game is worth it even at full price, but i was lucky to get it at 85% off, i cant wait to finish nioh 1 and buy nioh 2

This game is hard if you don't want to spend time grinding and leveling up. It's still very possible though

Revisiting after so many years... Absolute classic! The game still holds up. The dynamic combat system, the richness of the mechanics allows you to close your eyes to obvious problems such as low enemy variety, etc.

The tutorial starts with a cool top hat and afterwards youre in japan as a guy named william with a ponytail. 8/10 will report back when i beat the game

Very hard game but it tells you to get good so that's what makes this game so fun and rewarding 9/10.

Incredible combat system. Every weapon has effectively six attack chains, and you can combo them together using the ki pulse system (press R1 and regain the stamina you just spent), giving a lot of flexibility on what you can do mid combat. Feels great, right now it's on sale for 7€ and it's a steal for a game I will play for several dozens hours from what I see.

Fantastic game. If Nioh 2 is just this with more content, then even better. I'm sitting here trying to think of gripes with the game, can't come up with anything. 10/10 incomprehensible story couldn't care less- the game is awesome.

I feel like I have seen everything this game has to offer and i think I got around half way through. Instant death is boring after a while. The combat is very one note because of the instant death. Either completely obliterate and stun lock the enemy or be stun locked and obliterated. There's no in between and that gets very old. Not the best souls-like, but its okay. Get it on sale.

THE ABSOLUTE MOST DIFFICULT GAME I'VE EVER PLAYED. Tops CupHead,Dark Souls, DMC on DMD in terms of difficult but i've loved every hair ripping second of it.

Not a fan. Messy loot and inventory system, reused levels, lackluster environment and level design, mediocre story. My least favorite souls-like so far. Forced myself to beat the game.

[h1] Nioh: A Blade-Honed Masterpiece with a Few Rusty Spots [/h1] Nioh may be pushing retirement age in gaming years, but don’t let that fool you, Team Ninja’s action RPG still hits harder than a drunk samurai on payday. Beneath its gritty exterior lies a brutally refined combat system that puts most modern action games to shame. Combat – Precision, Posture, Perfection The combat is where Nioh absolutely sings (then screams) then kicks your teeth in. It’s like Dark Souls and Ninja Gaiden had a lovechild and trained it in bushido. Stances (high, mid, low) aren’t gimmicks, they’re vital. Every fight demands a different rhythm, and the Ki Pulse mechanic (a stamina-recovery timing window) keeps your finger always dancing between offence and defence. You’re never just mashing buttons here. You're studying attack patterns, watching for opening frames, swapping weapons mid fight, and praying your thumb remembers the right stance. It’s all incredibly tight and responsive, the kind of system where every death feels like your mistake, not the game’s. Weapons feel wildly different, from the brute force of an axe to the nimble finesse of dual swords. And once you start unlocking mystic arts and guardian spirits it’s like loading gunpowder into a katana. Graphics – Aged, but Not Ashamed Graphically, Nioh shows its PS4 era roots. Textures can be a bit flat, environments sometimes copy and pasted, and the lighting system doesn’t quite stand up to modern HDR feasts. But it makes up for it with style, gorgeous armour designs, eerie enemy models, and striking use of Japanese folklore aesthetics. On PC or modern consoles, it can hit 60fps (or higher), which keeps the combat smooth and snappy. It’s not the kind of game you screenshot for wallpaper, but it feels right. The visual language of combat clarity is all there, enemy attacks are readable, particle effects clean, and the UI gets the job done without being intrusive. Balancing – Brutal but Fair(ish) Nioh starts hard and gets harder but in a way that makes you stronger too. The RPG layer (gear, stats, elemental resistances, etc.) lets you fine tune builds, but some might find this a bit bloated. Loot drops like confetti at a cursed wedding, and the inventory bloat is real. Sorting through gear becomes a minigame in itself, one that isn’t always fun. Still, the balance in core gameplay is tight. Every boss has a rhythm to learn, and once you get it, the victories feel earned. That said, certain enemy types (especially yokai with long combo chains or surprise unblockables) can feel cheap until you learn their quirks. There is a bit of a mid game spike where the difficulty feels tuned for NG+ players or min-maxers, but that smooths out once you unlock more skills and guardian spirits. DLC bosses crank things up to “why do I hate myself?” levels, so tread carefully there. Starting NG+ or tackling the DLCs is a whole new level of “Why am I doing this to myself?” in the best possible way. Personal Gripes – Death by a Thousand Cuts Inventory Hell: Too much loot, not enough intuitive sorting or auto dismantling. Repetitive Environments: Many maps reuse layouts and tilesets. Storytelling: The plot is passable but delivered in stiff cutscenes with awkward voice work and oddly jarring transitions. Enemy Recycling: Some late game missions feel like remix tapes of earlier fights, just harder. Co-op Limitations: You can’t summon friends freely unless you’ve both already beaten the level, which feels backward. Final Verdict: Nioh is an aging samurai with a scarred face and a sharp blade, a little rough around the edges, but deadly in motion. If you're here for refined, layered, demanding combat and don't mind a few menus punching you in the patience, it's a glorious trial by fire. 8/10 – Git Gud, Die Harder, Love It.

it makes me want to kill myself but i cant let it win. i shall push on. if your a sadistick bitch then this game is a 12/10 i love it. (pleas dominate me)

This game sells for very cheap on discount so it is worth a try (full price is definetly a nono). But I didn't like the direction they went with. It is not bad- sometimes you'll say to yourself - oh, that was neat, - but overall it often felt like they made things that were annoying to me in other souls-likes even more annoying. The game has a lot of stuff, but rather little variety. There are 4 tiers of items rarity in the main campaign (even more in ng+), multiple item sets, random affixes, item levels - lots of stuff. But all weapons of the same class share the same move set, so despite there being maybe a hundreds of weapons with different names, there are only 3 actually different ranged and 5 melee weapons. It is somewhat compensated by the extended moveset of each weapon, but you'll probably use the same couple of attacks you found to be the most effective. Enemy variety is also rather low, there is basically no different biomes, so each next level has the same enemies as the one before. Through the game they slowly add new enemies, but it is usually a rare ones, so you don't see them too often. The most common enemies stay the same for the whole game. One may scold me, that I just didn't get the true depth of the combat. But in my opinion it kinda sucks. There are two main types of enemies: humanoids and supernatural things aka yokai. Humans and smaller yokai were fine, though kinda repetative. But the true bane are big yokai. They are not hard, but they demand you to play the lamest way possible: you bait attack and step away, they vomit their sometimes rather long string, you do one heavy attack and step away, repeat like 5 to 10 times. It is not hard, because windows are huge and everything is rather slow, but god have mercy upon your soul if you'll try to jump the queu - they'll easily two tap you within one string. Same thing goes for bosses. I somewhat liked one boss (blue ninja) and human bosses in general felt not too bad. But god, some of the yokai bosses were pain in the ass. But it was the same formula all along - just play lame and wait for your turn. Techincal state felt okay, it loaded my PC more than I expected from this visuals, but no statters or anything. Some bugs here and there though. The most noticeable ones: one boss lost interest to me, AI wasn't too bright in general, ground finishers sometimes didn't register on not flat surfaces.

the game is fun but it lacks lots of stuff one hit from the enemy and boom you are gone hmm maybe i need to change my build oops nope you get one hit and gone again not to mention the dump ass circle that lack your stamina ughh this was pain in the ass also when you get stun it takes ages to recover!!!

I like Tecmo games as a kid since Ninja Gaiden, so excited to play this. As I saw it was Souls like too, which I am fan off. I hate not finishing games, I've reinstalled this game multiple times after quiting mid game. And everytime I'm reminded why. You know PC version of game isn't good when devs don't bother even putting PC controls, instead Xbox controls. It's Tecmo issue as it's same as Fatal Frame as well, poor PC port and controls. Can't even be bothered to do bare bones. And combat is okay, however controls are a pain, switching weapons, is a pain, something so basic. Not worth hussle. This is final time I install. Tecmo are just not series about PC, so not worth playing or spending money on their future games..

Really want to like it but keep getting random lag regardless of the settings i7 with RTX 4050 64gb ddr4

If you want to try the Nioh series, GET NIOH 2 instead. That's the real complete edition. As for Nioh 1: The combat system is fun and creative but hasn't completely distinguished itself from those of the souls games. For that reason. new players may find Nioh 1 a souls game with severe stamina punishment. Visually, most of the stages are painfully dark with high contrast and saturation, making it a pure torture to the players' eyes. Turning up the brightness may help, but, at the cost of generating an artificial washed out effect. The level designs are too unnecessarily aggressive. Every few steps there's gonna be a pit, a trap, an ambush or luckily all of them at once, making the players' death cheap and trivial. For the storytelling, I find it quite mediocre as it only serves to glue the stages together. It's a combat focused game after all. There's no much surprise if you're already familiar with the Sengoku history. I haven't reach there yet, but based on my experience on the "Only on PlayStation" version, the DLCs are badly broken with overleveled enemies. Back then, I skipped Nioh 2 merely because of the terrible DLCs of Nioh 1. What a shame.