"Soulsborne" is a rapidly expanding genre, and FromSoftware is not the only one making strides. Team Ninja, the developer behind Ninja Gaiden, had their first foray into the genre with Nioh. Nioh 2 was an instant success, but it's tough not to compare it to 2019's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
It's not surprising that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2019. It provided a challenge to tie in with impeccable artificial intelligence and art direction. These are five reasons why Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is better than Nioh 2 (and five why it isn't).
Updated on 9th June, 2021 by Ritwik Mitra: From Software and Hidetaka Miyazaki's brilliance has led to the emergence of an entirely new subgenre that has taken the gaming industry by storm — Soulslikes. With the sheer number of Soulslikes present in modern times, gamers who want a hardcore action-adventure game are pretty spoiled for choice. Players who want a distinctly eastern Soulslike will also find it a hard choice to choose from two games in the genre that fit this description — Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Nioh 2.
16 The Prosthetic Tools Are A Blast To Use (Sekiro Is Better)
Most people were skeptical of the fact that players won't be able to try out new weapons and their movesets in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. After all, this had been a staple of most From Software games up to that point.
However, the sword combat in the game is handled with grace. Additionally, the game also spices things up with a bevy of prosthetic tools that Sekiro can access in order to lay waste to his enemies in style.
15 More Bosses To Fight (Nioh 2 Is Better)
Any player that prefers their games to be absolutely brimming with content will find themselves right at home with Nioh 2. This lengthy action-adventure that has a ton of bosses to fight, master, and beat.
In fact, there are a whopping 42 bosses in Nioh 2, easily dwarfing the 13 present in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. While this might seem like an obvious win for Nioh 2, the fact of the matter is that...
14 All The Bosses Are Brilliantly Designed (Sekiro Is Better)
There might only be 13 bosses in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, but each of these bosses is infinitely more memorable than any foe present in Nioh 2, barring one or two exceptions.
It's a classic case of quality over quantity. Nioh 2 might be ahead in numbers, but it simply doesn't replicate the rush that most players will experience when fighting the amazing bosses in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
13 Stances Add Depth To Gameplay (Nioh 2 Is Better)
The gameplay of Nioh 2 is certainly no slouch — something that is to be expected from the brilliant developers over at Team Ninja. Along with the weapons and the ki pulse mechanic, there's another facet of the combat that enriches the gameplay even further: the stances.
The stances in Nioh 2 allow players to manage their style of combat. Players have the option of either prioritizing speed, focusing on powerful strikes, or settling on a middle ground. Switching around these stances in combat to figure out the best combination possible for each enemy and boss is quite a rush.
12 A Boss Rush Mode (Sekiro Is Better)
Speaking of rushes, one can't fail to mention the brilliant free update that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice enjoyed recently. It added a ton of content into the game, including a boss rush mode designed to test the player and push them to their very limits.
At first glance, completing Sekiro's boss rush seems like a futile endeavor. However, players who manage to finally beat all the bosses in one fell swoop definitely enjoy a sense of accomplishment, unlike anything they've felt in a video game.
11 Weapon Variety (Nioh 2 Is Better)
Developer Team Ninja added a variety of weapons to choose from in Nioh 2. Each character is capable of equipping two weapons; a primary and a secondary. These weapons can share a bond through stat bonuses.
At any point in Nioh 2, players can use the Book of Reincarnation to reset their stats and skill trees to fit new weapons. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice limits the player to one katana. Nioh 2's wide variety of weapons is why the game stands out.
10 From The Creator Of Dark Souls (Sekiro Is Better)
Nioh 2 is classified as a "Souls-like game" because Demon Souls and Dark Souls created the style of play first. However, players can't ignore the explosion of games that resulted from the creation of Demon Souls and Dark Souls.
Developer FromSoftware has a knack for these games, which is evidenced by the gameplay of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
9 Loot System (Nioh 2 Is Better)
The loot system of Nioh 2 is vastly superior to that of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. For starters, you can't change your weapon or armor in Sekiro. Nioh 2 offers an abundance of options for gear customization.
Finding items like Souls Cores enhances the experience and improves the player's character. Though there's no doubt that Sekiro is a unique game, Nioh 2 contains more content for players to relish.
8 Gameplay (Sekiro Is Better)
Although some players prefer Nioh 2's gameplay over Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, we have to give Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice the edge on this one. Perhaps one day, after several sizable updates, Nioh 2 will have more refined gameplay. They are already taking steps in the right direction by making bosses more balanced.
Right from the release of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the game was polished. It didn't require as many updates; the gameplay was phenomenal. Deflection is a significant part of Sekiro. It's intuitive and makes the game less of a hack-and-slash game like Nioh 2.
7 Online Co-Op (Nioh 2 Is Better)
One of the most apparent reasons for why Nioh 2 beats Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is its online co-op. Team Ninja expanded on their co-op since the first Nioh by adding three-player co-op.
The co-op is less painfully difficult, which could work both ways. Some players might prefer the original Nioh for its fierce battles, yet others might like Nioh 2 for how it allows players to experience the game with friends. Regardless, the option to play three-player co-op in a Souls-like is a step forward.