Nioh is out! This fast-paced hack-and-slash action RPG video game is making waves because of its brutal difficulty, sharp learning curve and overall graphics and game design.
Developed by Team Ninja of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive fame, Nioh will take you to feudal Japan to fight against onis, ninjas, samurais and other demonic creatures called yokai. You will assume the role of a Western samurai named William. You will undertake missions and basically slash your way to get to the story's conclusion.
If you have played the Dark Souls series and Bloodborne, then Nioh is the game for you. It is by no means the same game, though. The developer added some original tweaks to make this challenging — or frustrating — to players.
So if you're a total beginner, here are some tips that can help you survive Nioh.
Master The Basics Of Combat
It cannot be stressed enough: you will die in the game. A lot of times.
It feels better that you died while fighting. So practice your moves. Memorize the weapon combos. Get the feel of each enemy attack patterns.
Pick Your Weapon Of Choice
Pick the weapon type of your choice: melee or ranged. Each type has subtypes, so choose which weapon fits your style.
Melee
• Swords — From bastard sword to katana. Balanced attack and easy to use.
• Dual Swords — Weaker but can chain longer combos.
• Axes — Powerful but slow.
• Kusarigama — Aka "Chain sickle." Longer range and specialized combos.
Ranged
• Longbows — Fast fire and reload but weak.
• Hand cannons — Strong attack but slow.
• Rifles — Balanced attack and rate of fire.
Your Living Weapon
In the game, you will gain access to a guardian spirit called "Living Weapon," a creature you can summon in battle to aid you. It makes you immune to damage and you in turn deal more damage. You can use it when your living weapon icon in the HUD fills up. Hit the triangle and square buttons to summon it. In other words, when you have the chance, use it!
You Can Revive But ...
All the amrita — your experience — and weapons and items including your Living Weapon will not be lost when you die. If you do, you will leave a grave that has all these. You can visit your grave and retrieve everything.
Sounds easy, right? Nope. When you die, your enemies respawn. It means you have to fight your way back to your grave. You can recover your Living Weapon through the shrine — at the cost of all your amrita. So if you're gonna die, make it "strategic" and make sure you memorize your way 'til the spot you fell.
Ki Pulse
In the game, you basically have two lives: your Health, and your Ki (or stamina). Each swing of your weapon and each run, dodge and sprint spends stamina. However, you can perform a "Ki Pulse." Blue orbs gather around you during combos. Keep an eye on your Ki bar in the HUD. The moment that bar flashes, hit the R1 button to perform Ki Pulse. This will instantly restore your Ki.
You can also use Ki Pulse to dispel the black and white "yokai pools" that enemies leave behind. These cause your Ki to regenerate slowly so make sure you don't step on them or dispel them altogether.
Items, Items, And More Items
There are a lot of items in the game: weapons, armors, consumables, loots and collectibles. It is advisable to get as many as you can, but remember you can be "overweight" if you carry too much.
You can sell all of your junk for cash, or you can make an offering at the shrine in exchange for amrita.
Nioh is now in stores exclusively for PlayStation 4.
