Nioh 3 Review - Rise Of The Shogun

Quick Overview

Nioh 3 - Rise of the Shogun delivers a superb 9/10 experience by successfully integrating and refining the core combat systems from its predecessors, introducing dual combat styles (Samurai and Ninja) that offer distinct, highly satisfying gameplay loops, and expanding exploration with interconnected open-world elements.

Key Points: Nioh 3 - Rise of the Shogun earns a 9/10 rating, representing the best game in the series so far. The game introduces two distinct combat styles: Samurai, emphasizing Ki Pulse and powerful martial arts, and Ninja, focusing on evasion, stealth, and Ninjutsu. The combat features refined mechanics like the Ki Pulse, Arts Proficiency gauge, and the new Living Artifact mechanic, which allows summoning Guardian Spirits for brief periods to prevent instant death. Exploration shifts from linear levels to interconnected open-world areas, rewarding players with shortcuts and hidden content, such as the encounter with the giant Yokai, Diaora Bochi, emerging from the ocean. The Ninja style offers faster, more evasion-focused combat that conserves Ki better than the Samurai style, which still relies on the core Nioh combat rhythm. The game successfully blends historical storytelling (Sengoku and Bakumatsu periods) with supernatural elements, making for a compelling narrative. New quality-of-life features streamline inventory management, allowing players to automatically sell gear below a certain rarity or level.

Context: This video provides a review of the game Nioh 3 - Rise of the Shogun, narrated by Kurt Indovina and reviewed by Richard Wakeling, who played for 40 hours. The game represents an evolution of Team Ninja's work over the past nine years, blending elements from Nioh 1 and 2 while introducing new combat styles and a more open world structure set across different eras of Japanese history.

Detailed Analysis

Nioh 3 - Rise of the Shogun earns a superb 9/10 rating, standing as the best game in the series yet, thanks to its successful amalgamation and refinement of the established combat formula. The central innovation is the introduction of two distinct combat styles: Samurai and Ninja. The Samurai style remains familiar, focusing on the Ki Pulse mechanic (recovering Ki instantly after attacking) and powerful martial arts, while the Ninja style emphasizes evasion, stealth, and a larger arsenal of Ninjutsu tools like shuriken and smoke bombs, which consume less Ki than the Samurai's equivalent techniques. Combat is characterized by a rhythmic flow, rewarding precise timing for mechanics like Ki Pulse and Burst Break. New features include the Living Artifact, a temporary summon of the Guardian Spirit that prevents instant death when the Amrita Gauge is full. Exploration has evolved from linear levels to interconnected, open-world areas, encouraging players to find shortcuts and discover secrets, such as the massive, folklore-inspired Diaora Bochi Yokai rising from the ocean. The game's presentation is visually impressive, balancing dense, dark environments with bright particle effects during combat, although the reviewer notes some areas like Ryoton Temple suffer from frame rate inconsistencies. Quality-of-life improvements are present, particularly in the menu system, allowing players to filter and automatically sell unwanted gear based on rarity or level, streamlining inventory management.