Nioh Review – Nioh is the game that beats you

Nioh has a few really solid original ideas going for it, the most rewarding of which has to be its setting. Feudal Japan and the historical wars of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu make for a perfect setup to explore the dark sides of Japanese mythology that happen behind the scenes.

Are you a fan of the anime classic Ninja Scroll? Well, this game is right up your alley. Fiery demons, samurai battles, ninjas who wield magic and influence behind the scenes of political struggle, unique super-powers from expertly designed enemies, and, of course, all of the spiritual and yokai legends a nerd of the supernatural could ask for. Oni, kappa, shibainu, manekineko… forgive me for geeking out here, but Team Ninja absolutely nails this presentation.

This is especially true for the games spirits. Cutscenes often unfold with very Earthen colors, but you’ll never miss one of the ghosts or spirits that pop in from the background or from behind a character. Their shiny aura brings a spark to the storytelling in this game, and thank goodness for that because the dialogue certainly doesn’t.

For all the highs of the setup, Nioh’s doesn’t quite meet that potential. You play as William, a wayward English pirate who is based on the first white man to ever become a samurai. Locked away in the tower of London, you witness talk of a conspiracy from members in the underbelly of the British naval fleet. The Queen wants to expand the power of alchemy to overpower the Spanish in their quest for global dominance, and the magic energy can only be found in the spirits of the Japanese dead.

The English have contacts in Japan and pump funds into the civil wars there to keep the civilians dying and the contacts employed to harvest their souls.

And then… blah. William loses his fairy spirit, he winds up in Japan to chase the people he witnessed in England, and he has a lot of secret meetings all over the country. It never really gets off the ground, at least within the segments I played. I’m well aware that the story gets better, but plenty of indications I’ve read say it does, which is somewhat disheartening.

At any rate, I can declare that the story doesn’t demand the same level of attention that the combat does.

Article source: https://www.technobuffalo.com/reviews/nioh-review-nioh-is-the-game-that-beats-you/