William-formerly a pirate hired to locate the stuff-escapes the Tower of London, is separated from his guardian spirit by a guy with serious tattoos, and spends three years on a ship before landing in Japan where he inadvertently becomes the first western samurai. England and Spain are fighting over some mythical power source called Amrita. Levels are loosely arranged to tell a thin story set in Japan. I’ve gotten the occasional jump scare from an unexpected demon, but rarely the euphoria when I anticipate the bandit with the bow was standing there to lure me onto a trap plate. Enemy placement mostly adds to the effect by providing obstacles but few surprises.

Jumping down into a previous tunnel through a hole I hadn’t originally noticed over my head is more satisfying than unlatching the opposite side of the door I wish I could have just kicked open. By the third and fourth missions, the plot descends into underground zones that were able to weave together connections between different segments of each level in more interesting ways.

Seeing the objective through the slats of a fence and knowing I’d have to dance through the labyrinth of angry demons and rooftops, I initially felt like I was being taunted, not tested. The early levels-an abandoned village and mansion courtyard-rely on open spaces (looking at you, horrible mountain pass) where the end goal is often visible from the start, obstructed by a convenient swath of fire, a sheer cliff face, or a one-way door. I was initially disappointed in the level design, but the zones get better throughout. Nioh’s combat is dodgy, in a good way, but the levels can be touch-and-go. And with all that extra complexity, Nioh does a great job meeting the standard for easy(ish) to learn and difficult to master. Tracking your enemies’ Ki, adjusting stances, and unlocking additional combos for each weapon all add extra layers to Nioh’s combat, turning it into a unique system rather than a borrowed one. More importantly, a Ki Pulse can cleanse the influence of a Yokai Realm if it’s triggered while standing in one.īetween swapping stances mid-fight and learning to weave pulses between my attacks to keep my Ki topped off, Nioh’s combat stays fast-paced and gratifying, bringing a rhythm to fights that isn’t possible with only a lock-on-and-dodge system. After attacking, there’s a short window to recoup some of the spent Ki with a button press. One solution is to play “the floor is lava” and just deal with multiple AOEs piling up. Nioh’s combat stays fast-paced and gratifying, bringing a rhythm to fights that isn’t possible with only a lock-on-and-dodge system. While standing in it, they become stronger and you can’t regenerate Ki. Demons, from the horned hulks to the cycloptic children, all have an attack that places a distinctly demonic, misty looking area-of-effect on the ground.

Yokai Realm zones are the best kind of battlefield hopscotch.

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