Nioh

When I first saw Nioh for download on the Playstation store, I thought, “oh, another action RPG game.” After playing it for a short while I realized, I was right. Nioh is a fairly straightforward RPG game with the basic quests and mechanics you find in most others. It most closely resembles Dark Souls, from the gameplay to tone and everything in between. The items and fighting mechanics are in depth and add value to the game, but it’s not something we haven’t seen before, in fact, it’s something we’ve seen plenty of. Now, while the game isn’t exactly revolutionary and could be a bit more unique, it’s still a solid game. If you enjoy RPGs and want to try out a new ninja themed game, Nioh is pretty fun.

Gameplay

The gameplay is very reminiscent of Dark Souls and other RPG games, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. While repetitive, the gameplay is something fun that passes the time. Nioh is no game to go full nerd-mode on and grind 24/7, but it can be quite fun to run around as a ninja and start killing NPCs and completing simple quests. With easy to use mechanics and simple gameplay, this is something everyone can enjoy.

How to play

Nioh plays like most other action RPGs so getting a hang of it will be easy for those who’ve played other RPGs before. You can just have fun fighting NPCs with the easy to use fighting mechanics, but if you want to progress through the story and complete quests there are some tips that will make the playthrough better:

Equipment

Weapons and armor in Nioh can be upgraded and will have to be if you want to progress through the later stages of the game. Keep in mind that heavy equipment slows down speed and agility. This isn’t a bad or good thing though, the best approach is to choose the best fit equipment for your playstyle and focus on upgrading them.

Combat

Nioh’s combat is pretty simple and the best way to use it is- button mashing. This isn’t a game that needs intricate fighting techniques and rare items, if you have upgraded equipment, playing smart and using general attacks will work well.

Progression

After having decent enough items and upgrading them, you are ready to progress through the missions. Completing side quests as soon as you can in the best way to make it through the whole story. Side quests will give you the ability to unlock more items and more opportunities to use and upgrade them.

Worth Playing?

That depends what you’re looking for in a game. If you want to get involved in a masterfully written and in-depth story, Nioh isn’t for you. On the flip side, if you just want to have some fun and not take anything too seriously, you might want to look into Nioh. Nioh is a game to just sit back and enjoy playing without too much more to it. While Nioh likely won’t have a huge following like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or Dark Souls anytime soon, it still sits as a solid RPG game.

Pros

• The graphic and style are aesthetically pleasing
• It’s overall easy to play and understand
• The combat is simple and fun

Cons

• There’s nothing new- nothing about this game differs from other RPGs
• It lacks depth
• It gets old and repetitive quickly