Nioh
2017
- role-playing (rpg)
- hack and slash/beat 'em up
- adventure
- action
- fantasy
- historical
- single player
- multiplayer
- co-operative
The story
In Nioh, players will traverse war-torn Japan as William, a blonde-haired swordsman whose background as a fierce warrior and seasoned knowledge of the blade allows him to survive in the demon-plagued land of the samurai. Known as Yokai, these demons inhabit a number of dangerous locations and lie in wait in the shadows to ambush unsuspecting victims. Players will also face off with other samurai in supernatural sword battles and intense, multi-target engagements offering a level of difficulty that will truly test even the most hardened samurai’s skills, patience, and strategy. Offering a deep and original storyline that takes place during the Warring States Period of Japanese history alongside strategic sword-fighting action, Nioh will challenge players in a way that makes every mission and accomplishment feel earned and worthwhile.
What it’s like
Grimy, rain-soaked battlefields under overcast skies, with muddy armour, smoke-choked villages, and ink-dark forests lit by the flicker of torches and the eerie glow of yokai. The palette runs to browns, greys and rust-red blood against bright flashes of steel, and the camera sits tight over the shoulder so every swing and parry feels physically close. Sound is weighty: clashing blades, guttural demon cries, heavy footfalls, and drum-and-shakuhachi tension that drops away into silence before an ambush. The vibe is grim, tense and punishing, a tough-skinned adventure of dread and hard-won triumph. It suits a focused evening with the sound up, when you have the patience to die, learn and try again. Pacing is stop-start, built around brief lulls and sudden violent bursts, and the arc follows a stubborn outsider earning his place among hardened warriors through repetition and grit. Intensity is high: frequent bloody combat, gory dismemberment, grotesque monsters and relentless fear of ambush, with cruelty in the warfare. This is for players who want a demanding, skill-based samurai action RPG with atmospheric historical dread and a deep sense of earned progress.
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