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Nioh Review for PlayStation 4 (PS4)

Nioh Review for PlayStation 4 (PS4)

Nioh Is a Brutal Mess

Nioh ’s pedigree is rich in elements borrowed from several similar titles, including Bloodborne and Dark Souls , but it ultimately fails to differentiate itself when all is said and done. The Japanese-themed samurai story is intriguing upon initial glance, especially with it’s seemingly extended replay value. However, when you start to peel back the layers and get into the thick of things, you’re left with a shell of its predecessors and superficial title that couldn’t possibly hold a candle to even the least of them.

My initial first impression of Nioh was a mixture of curious intrigue that quickly faded into uninspired frustration. Taking control of an imprisoned William Adams within a maze of an old prison in London sparked my curiosity. Your first task is to break out of your prison cell and battle the first few guards barehanded until you can obtain one of their weapons. Needless to say, I died several times before figuring out what the button combinations were and how to actually equip a sword once one was obtained. This “thrown in the fire without any direction” setup is very risky, but is immensely rewarding when pulled off correctly. Unfortunately, Nioh is not one of those games that does it well.

It took several hours before Nioh provided any type of tutorial explaining how to navigate the world, use weapon attacks, or equip and use items. In fact, we don’t quite figure out the purpose for playing until we’re deeply invested. This was incredibly frustrating as I attempted to work my way through each new portion of the game. This type of methodology makes sense on paper; break down your user until there’s literally nothing left, then blow their minds when they overcome adversity. Unfortunately, this game just doesn’t offer the type of satisfaction the developers were hoping for. Rather, it leaves you wondering why you’re still holding onto the controller and navigating through this maze of irritation.

The controls are one of the few highlights within Nioh , but you must absolutely press R3 to lock-on, or you’re going to spend hours swiping at air and tumbling behind your opponent. If you’ve played any of Team Ninja’s previous games, like Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden , you’ll know exactly what I mean. Nonetheless, the game’s combat is exhilarating. Players can literally string together hundreds of combinations within the three-position battle system. Perhaps the best part is adding new weapons as players progress to further, which allows you to customize the delivery of attacks and absolutely lay waste to the hordes of enemies.

Nioh  Screenshot

The action is very responsive and blends nicely with the button layout. This allows players of all skill levels to jump into the thick of things and progress along at their own pace. The more hardcore gamer will fall in love with the ability to customize their strike delivery from top to bottom, while the casual crowd can survive for a relatively long time by button-mashing their way through. Unfortunately, Nioh will eventually force you to learn a few basic maneuvers to continue progressing forward, but even the greenest of players will be able to pick those moves up quickly.

Nioh  Screenshot

The maps, as a whole, are rather massive and filled with hordes of demons, soldiers, and other terrifying folk. The downside is, they all seemed to blend together as time wore on. Each story mission was initially intriguing, but soon fell into the void of feeling like every other grindy brawler. The main objective within each map is to battle through a series of enemies, all with a goal of making it to a new checkpoint. Reach the final checkpoint and a boss fight is triggered. This is where Nioh ’s glaring deficiencies truly reveal themselves.

The boss fights are too complex and will leave you mentally and physically drained. After the 15th or 16th time trying to defeat the final boss, you’ll either take another stab or chuck your controller at the wall in a rage. The most infuriating part comes from the fact that almost all bosses have one special move that will destroy you in a single blow. You can have the old bugger on the ropes, but get killed in an instant if you can’t dodge one of their powerful swipes. In essence, players literally must toe the rope of video game perfection for upwards of 20 minutes in order to defeat a boss and progress to the next stage. Sadly, when you do beat them, you’ll have more questions around why you’re still playing this wretched game, rather than be excited about progressing onto another chapter.

Nioh Screenshot

The final straw that broke the camel’s back is, without a doubt, the lack of detail presented. The cutscenes look fantastic, but the actual gameplay and environments looks like something from the PlayStation 3 era. Adams appears to be plopped into his environment with a pair of sloppy wet feet, as the physics don’t quite match up. To make matters worse, the resolution bleeds and flexes at points it shouldn’t, which results in a lack of immersion and difficulty fighting complex enemies. In short, the presentation is lackluster at best and feels a like an unpolished indie title, rather than a highly-touted PlayStation 4 exclusive.

Nioh is defined more by its inability to truly connect with gamers looking for a creative challenge, rather than its desire to be placed within the ranks of titles like Bloodborne and Diablo . The game’s grindy premise has been exhausted for what seems like decade and will leave you feeling more defeated than anything else. The combat mechanics are certainly worth noticing, but the environment restricts them, making it a wash. Do yourself a favor and pass on this compilation of recycled concepts and frustrating gameplay.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 2.0 Graphics
The visuals are poor, with a serious lack of continuity. 4.0 Control
Near perfect controls, with the exception of a few Team Ninja flaws. 4.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The sounds blend nicely with the rigid visuals to create an interesting experience 2.5 Play Value
The game seems to offer at least 75-100 hours of replay value, however, getting past the first few bosses will chew up those initial 25 hours. 3.0 Overall Rating – Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • Master every fighting style – learn the flow of combat and move with precision. Unleash combinations of attacks and dodges specific to a range of authentic samurai weapons, including polearms, katanas and axes.
  • Explore a fantastical and dark vision of 16th century Japan – fight alongside and against legendary heroes and villains of the Sengoku period.
  • Face brutal and grotesque enemies – standalone against skilled samurai, vile beasts, and demons known as the yokai.

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