The studio has gotten right with this sequel.At Tokyo Game Show, Nioh 2 gameplay and story features were unveiled in a demonstration and interview, revealing online co-op play, character creation, and Yokai soul superpowers (via DualShockers). That makes “Nioh 2” hard but not impossible, and that feeling of struggle and accomplishment is one of the hardest things to nail down in the genre. The developers at Team Ninja do an excellent job of dangling that sense of progress and victory before players’ eyes just enough that it keeps them playing. Like other “Souls”-style games, “Nioh 2” is a title where patience and persistence pays off but it seems more forgiving and less reliant on execution. If players find a stage too hard, they can grind out Amrita and level up or defeat revenants for better equipment. Ideally, players should find which guardian and weapons fit their play style and double down on the gear that augments that. That choice is complemented by their pick of guardians that offer distinct boosts as well as a unique set of moves, such as Burst Counters. Some may gravitate toward slow weapons that require heavy defensive armor, while others will opt for fast blades, magic and agility. They’ll have to balance the bonuses of the gear with their stats and abilities. Players will uncover plenty of it through their adventures and part of the fun is finding the right build for players. The other element of “Nioh 2” is the loot. This creates a cycle that encourages players to help each other because they can get help in return. Players can also lay down Righteous Jasper so that their ghosts can be summoned to help out other players. If players defeat them, they can earn their gear and ochoko cups. They’re a big help and give players the option of making even the most difficult levels easier.Īt the same time, they can challenge Revenants, which are AI-controlled ghosts of players who were defeated. They can summon an AI helper or online player by sacrificing ochoko cups. When that happens, players can turn to benevolent graves or look for other players to help. The game puts players in tough situations where they’ll venture into an ambush or be overwhelmed by a slew of foes. The title unfolds through several missions that players can freely choose from. That’s what “Nioh 2” does best even though the campaign recycles environments for side quests. Thankfully, the story focuses on the protagonist’s personal history, though the narrative itself seems superfluous next to the tense skirmishes and the mazelike level design. The narrative mixes fictional supernatural elements with actual historical figures and events.įans of Japanese culture will like those touches, but it could go over the heads of players. Over the course of the campaign, they become embroiled in the politics as they enter into the service of a feudal warlord named Oda Nobunaga, who is trying to unify the country. The protagonist teams up with a sly adventurer named Tokichiro and together they gather a special stone called Amrita. The plot of “Nioh 2” follows Hide as the hero ventures into Japan during the Sengoku period to slay yokai. All of this creates a fresher take on combat and opens up a flexible system that lets players craft different combat styles. The hero can also summon yokai for brief stints in battle and transform when a meter fills up. This character, nicknamed Hide, is half yokai and half human, giving the protagonist the ability to change into a hybrid creature. “Nioh 2” takes place before the original and follows a new hero, one that players create. That’s a good sign for a game in the genre. “Nioh 2” was beatable no matter how dire the situation. It became a game that feels friendlier than “Dark Souls,” but at the same time, it offers challenges that are fair.ĭon’t get me wrong, I still struggled in places, but after defeating Yatsu-no-Kami, no boss or level felt overwhelming. I settled into my favorite weapons (the hatchets and switchglaive) and learned to use the protagonist’s other abilities. I could read enemy attacks and counter them with hard hits. When I finally defeated the snake monster, “Nioh 2” suddenly became easier. I picked up on the pattern of its attacks and also fine-tuned my own combat methods. I must have died at least 30 times fighting the creature, but while I failed, I was learning its ticks and habits. The yokai, or supernatural monster of Japanese folklore, attacks players with venom and a swordlike horn on its head. To no one’s surprise, the battle was difficult. That came to me during a fight against Yatsu-no-Kami, a snake boss toward the end of the campaign’s first act. It’s the moment when a “Souls”-style game finally clicks and players have an epiphany like Neo seeing the Matrix code for the first time.
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