Game Review: Nioh – The Japanese Dark Souls? [Nioh]

Nioh's a gateway game to Dark Souls. And for those who don't want to feel the crushing hopelessness of defeat but still love a good challenge, Nioh is worth the buy.

Nioh

Nioh’s a game that a lot of people have been saying is similar to Dark Souls. It’s a hack-and-slash game that people waited for. After all, the game itself is pretty fast paced and has  a lot of lore. Despite it’s supposed hack-and-slash genre, the game brought itself out to have a story.

But hold up, how was the game really? Did it live up to the standards? Let’s find out.

Graphics

As a gamer girl who loves seeing the gore  and the parts fly, this game  made it fun for me. The fact that I could swap stances and chop off all sorts of body parts off was pretty good. They didn’t skimp too much on the blood splatters either. Nioh had good graphics, showing how the houses were burning. The ripples in the water, the blood that stained the sword – not many games deal with that kind of detail. And being a Playstation 4 game, they’d have to do that. So for me, it’s been pretty good.

Rating: Awesome!

Gameplay

It’s a Hack-and-Slash game! That means you’re going to have your adrenaline pumping through your body while you’re trying not to die. I mean, the boss’s twice your size swinging his crazy weapons at you. There’s Onryoki with his big wrecking balls going for a Miley Cyrus, Hino-Enma and her vampy tendencies, and there’s Jirai Gumo who would rather spew webs at your face. It’s a game that doesn’t let you have a chance to drop your guard.

nioh

Similarly to Dark Souls, the game had a big learning curve. It takes time before you can actually anticipate the attacks of the boss before they turn you into the next Shakey’s pizza. However, Dark Souls capitalizes on the fact that the player will feel hopeless at some point. Nioh gives you a chance to think things through and exploit the other mechanics in the game. Some of these mechanics such as using the Sloth Talisman and other onmyouji skills can make your life in Nioh easier.

So for me, the gameplay can be a gateway game for  those who want to try Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition.

Rating: Worth the Salt

Storyline

The storyline in Nioh’s rather simple. William loses his original guardian spirit to some creepy sorcerer named Edward Kelley. And because he wants his spirit back, William travels to the land of the rising sun to get his spirit back. He’s got Saoirse’s feather in his pendant and he’s got a whole hacking and slashing to do.

isle of demons

If you are appreciating the game, you’ll find yourself appreciating the game. It’s an interpolated take on the Battle of Sekigahara. There’s the two warring factions – the one of Ieyasu and Mitsunari. Then, William starts helping among the Iga ninjas (specifically Hattori Hanzo) to get his spirit back. The tone they  set for the story’s pretty good considering that it is a part of history. Personally, I found that to be the winning attribute.

Rating: Great

Characters

William’s pretty much the only character you can have an in depth analysis on. Even with Okatsu and Hanzo watching his back, William’s still the star of the show. However, this is actually a good move considering that he is the one hacking and slashing his way through everything.

Source: Youtube

But some of the characters could have had more work. Like Edward Kelley, compared to some villains – he seems to be your stereotypical villain. He didn’t play any mind-games or the sort in comparison to others. He seemed too  linear  for me. And his sudden mention of John Dee? Where did that guy come from? It’s like he just sprouted out of the ground out of nowhere! When you go meet him, he turns into Cthulu. Just great. Personally, I was half-expecting something else other than him turning into some cheap knock-off Cthulu. The only reason why it probably looked spooky was the fact that I was low on Elixirs…

Rating: Could use some work

Baskerville’s Call: It was pretty damn good

Nioh’s a pretty good gateway game for those who have  been dying to try out Dark Souls. Also, it has a lot of mechanics that one can use which makes the game more enjoyable. There are also missions where it’s easy to craft and  forge items such as armor. However, this game may not be for those who play for the story. But for those who want something not as dream-crushing as Dark Souls, play Nioh. It’s worth it.

 

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