Nioh
Ready to die? Experience the newest brutal action game from Team NINJA and Koei Tecmo Games. In the age of samurai, a lone traveler lands on the shores of Japan. He must fight his way through the vicious warriors and supernatural Yokai that infest the land in order to find that which he seeks. The Complete Edition contains the full game, as well as the three expansions with additional story chapters: Dragon of the North, Defiant Honor, and Bloodshed's End. Dragon of the North This expansion opens up the Tohoku region, where the "one-eyed dragon" Date Masamune is secretly gathering spirit stones. Defiant Honor Fight your way through the Siege of Osaka's winter campaign as you follow the story of one of Japan's greatest generals from the Warring States period, the brave Sanada Yukimura. Bloodshed's End Join the summer campaign of the Siege of Osaka as the Warring States period draws to a close in this, the final chapter of William's tale.
Steam User 58
I summoned a player and he one-shotted the boss. True teamwork.
Steam User 35
Samurai Geralt of Rivia mixed with dark souls on steroids
Steam User 32
spent the first 10 hours in the first mission :)
Steam User 27
Having played both Nioh and Dark Souls now, I see why comparisons between them are inevitable. But from the outside, it might be hard to spot the difference. Here are some things that set Nioh apart from any souls-like that came before or after:
-It incorporates ranged weapons into the core gameplay loop. Bows in most souls-likes are treated like an afterthought. They're never part of your regular gear and they are very rarely used. Nioh flips this on it's head: every ranged weapon can one-shot up to the strongest enemies if you get a headshot. And even if they aren't dead, they'll fall over and grant you a free critical hit. Ranged weapons are in different slots than melee weapons, and no weapon factors in on equipment weight, though having them in-hand may slow you down.
-Melee is quick, crisp, and unforgiving. Anything can kill you in Nioh, typically in 2-4 hits. Loosing 80% of your health in one blow is common, and leveling up won't change this. So, to survive, classic Souls-likes combat must be flipped on its head. Slow rolls and telegraphed combos must be replaced with precise dodges, constant blocking, and a watchful eye on a minuscule stamina bar. "Panic pressing" of any kind WILL result in death, and enemies remain mortal threats with only a single hit from death. "Low-health hail mary" swings work great in Dark Souls, but they'll kill you here every time. Foes hit as hard as you.
-Nioh's story wants players to know what's going on. It's not opaque and minimal like others in the genre. Cutscenes are replayable, mission logs and story boards are accessible, and character directories give detailed accounts of every actor's motivations and real world significance. The game weaves a fairly accurate history of 1600 AD Japan's unification with a fictional account of a sorceror's schemes to harness the power of chaos. The two-story set up is an excellent choice; whenever one side fails to interest you the other is sufficiently able to pick up the slack.
-Nioh has missions, not just bonfires. Souls-likes typically have massive maps that carry massive risks of screwing everything up if you don't traverse them in a very particular way. You can kill beloved characters, bar yourself from powerful weapons, and get trapped in bad endings all because your goals are hidden until AFTER you've either succeeded in them or ruined them forever. Nioh does not suffer in this. Missions are self-contained, allowing you a break from repetitive locals and confusing backtracks. In Nioh's methodology, you'll spend most of your time doing what you came here for; fighting blisteringly hard enemies. And in my view, that's ok.
At the end of it all, Nioh becomes a game MUCH easier than Dark Souls in exploration, progression, and story comprehension, but MUCH harder in the actual combat mechanics. There's a breadth of skill trees for all weapon types, three different forms for how you use them that completely change their moveset, and expansive ninjitsu/magic systems. You HAVE to know your enemies in Nioh. You will not prevail until you do, almost instinctually. It cannot be brute forced, it must be comprehended. If you are willing to embark on that quest, you'll find a much more rewarding, much more satisfying experience than any other game in the genre. If you are not willing, I don't blame you. "Nioh is hard" is an understatement.
Steam User 25
Nioh is Dark Souls on steroids.
The combat, the weapons, the movesets, it has so much more depth than any other Soulslike game.
Actually calling Nioh a Soulslike does not do justice to the game, Nioh is Ninja Gaiden + Devil May Cry with the loot system of Diablo...and a bit of Dark Souls.
Also everything before NG+4 (Way of the Nioh) is just a tutorial, Way of the Nioh unlocks the 999 floors of the Abyss, new enemies variants with extra movesets and skills.
Godlike game!
Steam User 21
If you fancy being a skilled samurai set on a long journey to the far east with a supernatural veil and animal spirits scripture, you need not to look far.. as it can't get better that nioh.
Steam User 30
Accidentally blinking can kill you in this game.