Nioh - PlayStation 4

Nioh is an immensely layered experience. Through its Dark Souls-inspired combat, you're taught the virtues of patience and the value of defense. At times, enemies fight with the unpredictability of a PvP match. It's normally comforting when you can recognize the patterns of a enemy combo. Yet there's another layer of difficulty when that foe can switch up attacks mid-combo. Each area has its own sense of character not just by conveying widespread destruction in its detailed backgrounds but also by challenging you with environmental puzzles. It is though exploration that you increase your chances of finding weapons and items, often by searching through the seemingly countless corpses strewn throughout the game.

Geralt de Rivia playing Dark Souls style... and I love it

This game can be tough...quite quite tough. Much like games such as Demon Souls or Bloodborne, but at least in this case Nioh is a bit more forgiving, allowing you to grind levels, not that doing so makes the game a cakewalk by any stretch. Grinding your character just allows you to make a few more mistakes, makes the game a bit more forgiving. Button mashing won't do. You need to learn the controls, learn how your enemies attack and react accordingly. It's dang touch, but it's also fair.

There’s something special about a game that gets you to stop what you’re doing to admire the setting and atmosphere. The first time I began a nighttime outdoor level with rain pouring down on a 1600s Japan setting, I was in awe of what I was experiencing. The sights and sounds of Nioh, from the characters and enemies to the backdrops, are just part of what make this an excellent addition to the Playstation lineup. The gameplay is fast, unforgiving, and precise. This is not a game where you can button mash, else you will deplete your stamina (Ki) quickly. However, it is also immensely satisfying when you complete an area or beat a boss. My main complaint is probably that the enemies are somewhat repetitive, even if they get stronger as you go. Unlike Dark Souls where you encounter different enemies in different areas of the game, Nioh tends to repeat enemy types throughout, occasionally adding one more model into the mix. However, the boss variety was great and I found myself eager to see what the bosses looked and moved like at the end of each area. Second to character models, there came a point in Nioh where I unlocked certain abilities and moves that were quite effective on almost all enemies. This caused me to repeatedly use these moves on nearly every enemy encounter since they worked. I would say that this makes gameplay repetitive, but you have a variety of weapons, magic, and ninjutsu at your disposal, so you can approach each situation in a number of ways depending on what you unlock in the skill trees. After finishing my first playthrough, I was ultra satisfied with the experience and value this game offers. It was challenging, beautiful, rewarding, and memorable. It is something to celebrate if you are a Playstation owner.

Nioh is my sleeper hit of 2017. My expectations were a game similar to Dark Souls/Bloodborne aka “Soulsborne” but set in feudal Japan. Bloodborne is one of my favorite games, and after the mediocre Lords of the Fallen, I was eager to find something similar to the tight gameplay and rich lore of a “Soulsborne” game. As expected, I died in the first few minutes. It is difficult yet fair, and anyone who’s played a “Soulsborne” game will understand. What makes Nioh stand out is it’s deep combat system, Japanese setting, and mission-based gameplay. You can customize the fighting style and armor of your character in more complex ways than other games in this genre. You can stick to swords and standard plated armor like a samurai. Equip heavy armor and an axe to play as a tank/bruiser. You can even play like a ninja by using stealth and light armor to sneak up on your enemies. It felt like I was playing a cross of Bloodborne/Ninja Gaiden/Onimusha. Nioh gave me the nostalgia feels when it reminded me of the latter two games, especially Onimusha. It’s more story driven than the other “Soulsborne” games which explains its focus on mission-based gameplay rather than a cohesive world like Bloodborne. I’ve put in roughly 40 hours into the game, and I still have side quests to finish, weapons to upgrade, and dlc to play. I bought this on sale, but it’s definitely worth full price. Nioh is in my top 5 PS4 games of 2017. It may be difficult for players who are new to the “Soulsborne” genre, but those who give it a chance will discover Nioh’s fun combat system, customization, and Japanese lore a very rewarding experience.