Nioh 2 is the latest challenge from Team Ninja, following in the footsteps of its predecessor in numerous ways. Narratively-speaking, it is a prequel to the first game that puts players in control of someone else other than William, but development-wise, it is a clear sequel in the way that it takes and expands on the base content of the original. It feels like a natural progression of the series, but at the same time, it occasionally drops the ball in terms of maintaining the quality of the original Nioh.
Players take on the role of a silent protagonist who can fit the personal vision of the player, with a surprisingly in-depth character customization that covers everything from the very basics of human anatomy to the Yokai form's horns. In Nioh 2, players are half-Yokai, which adds some interesting moments both to the gameplay and the overall story of the game, though it's worth adding that the latter isn't particularly strong.
As its predecessor, the story is a small portion of the game. There are a few entertaining moments and interactions between the protagonist and Tokichiro, but ultimately, its story takes a backseat to Team Ninja's strengths. This is not really a game that should be picked up for a story, but it lives up to Team Ninja's reputation for level design and combat for the entire play time of Nioh 2.
Each level design feels truly unique, adding a nice layer of nuance to Nioh 2's gameplay, with players being awarded for going through every nook and cranny. There are several paths that make the more-beaten one less appealing and can help turn a challenging encounter into a more simplified one, with players often having to choose how they approach something in a level without an outright objective. This reward is sometimes a small side boss that can be beaten if players are brave enough.
It's hard to play Nioh 2 without there being an obligatory mention of Dark Souls-esque combat in the game, as this should give fans some reasonable expectation to its challenging content, but it's worth mentioning that it is so much more than that. Nioh 2 feels more like a natural evolution of this action RPG sub-genre than just a "Souls-like" game, which is something that could even be said for the first game as well. When it comes to the combat of Nioh 2, for example, it is obviously more comparable to the original than a Dark Souls game.
And that's where Nioh 2 drops the ball. There's the old saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" that could have seemingly inspired this sequel, which indubitably has its benefits. It's more familiar to its fanbase, and when touched up with the variety of Nioh 2 weapons, it feels like a bonafide sequel. If placed side by side with the original, though, there's little difference visually either in the UI or the graphics. Nioh 2 feels like a 1:1 remake of the first game, and its additions don't do much to correct this.
That's not to say nothing new has been added, as that's simply not the case. There are new Yokai abilities that can change up the pace of the battlefield, which are varied and customizable to a player's preference, and there's the Burst Counter which is truly required to master in this game. It is the crux that all Nioh 2 character builds should focus on, as this parrying maneuver is needed to defend against and counter every boss's most powerful moves. This presents a twofold problem for the game, though, namely the way that Burst Counter overshadows other Yokai abilities and clutters an already-stacked UI.
Yokai abilities are often dropped by the biggest and baddest bosses in the game and are a good way to damage an enemy's anima gauge. However, they're not always effective or easy to use, and at worst, can be damaging to a boss fight. These operate off the same bar as the Burst Counter and can prevent a Nioh 2 player from using it when most needed. Players may find that avoiding these abilities in favor of the Burst Counter is helpful, which undermines their role as boss loot. The Nioh 2 boss fights will drop a plethora of loot based on RNG alongside these Yokai Abilities, but it makes the rewards found in the game less than fulfilling.
Players will find this at the top left of their screen and can be triggered easy enough, but when combined with keeping an eye on the stamina gauge for Ki Pulses, swapping between stances for effective combat manuever, managing the right weapons, and swapping through the quick-use item interfaces, it's the needle that broke the camel's back when it comes to the game's management. Nioh 2's first priority is likely its excellent combat and second is the management of resources, and this too is a bit of a double-edged sword.
Managing all of this in combat is one thing, but then there are a multitude of complicated menu dives required to successfully navigate the game. The Shrines, Nioh 2's spawn system, offer players the ability to cash in items and pick up more important needs, but to equip or use those is a entirely different menu outside the Shrine. The game's main menu provides players a look at their inventory, their equipment, their stats, their skills (but leveling up is done via the Shrine), each of which provide their own submenus to navigate even further. That's not always a bad thing; the sub-menu for skills is incredibly in-depth, allowing players to customize everything from their Samurai and Yokai Shift abilities to their magic and ninjutsu to their specific weapon skills. But navigating these can as confusing as it is in-depth.
Overall, though, Nioh 2 is a worthy successor to its original, hitting nearly every beat there is to make it the best it can be. Where it drops the ball doesn't prevent Team Ninja from taking the bases it needs or hitting its homerun with the game. It's an easy recommendation for any lover of action RPGs, as it is one of the many reasons that 2020 is such a big year for PS4 fans.
Nioh 2 is set to release on March 13th, 2020, exclusively for the PS4. The Best War Games was provided a code for the purposes of this review.
Nioh 2
- Released
- March 13, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience the thrill of taking on hordes of fearsome yokai in a battle to the death in this brutal masocore Action RPG. Create your own original protagonist and embark on an adventure that will take you through devastated locales across Japan during the Sengoku period.
Much like the previous title which garnered much praise from fans and critics alike, Nioh 2 contains an original profound story surrounding military commanders from the Sengoku period. However, Nioh 2 goes above and beyond its predecessor by including the new Yokai Shift ability which allows the protagonist to utilize new powerful forms to defeat even the most formidable yokai in battle. New to Nioh 2, your enemies can now create a Dark Realm which raises the stakes of battle and creates new challenges for your protagonist to overcome.
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG