DEMONS (AND) SOULS

Team Ninja has poured its heart and Soulslike into NIOH 3

- By Lewis Parker

Our hero composes a one-star Tripadvisor review. "Bit doomy."

When internet denizens debate the topic of the best Soulslikes, I always come away disappointed at one glaring omission. There’s no denying that FromSoftware is the king of the genre, but as far as I’m concerned, Nioh 2 deserves a spot on the Mount Rushmore of Soulslikes, nestled between Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring.

Don't get me wrong, it’s got its problems. Certain mechanics are a touch obtuse, and you'll end up traipsing through the same maps at least three times to complete side quests, but that’s easy to handwave away when its combat is a head above almost every other Soulslike.

Still, given the improvements between Nioh and Nioh 2, I couldn't help but feel optimistic about Nioh 3. This is Team Ninja's third swing at perfecting its own specific formula of action-focused Soulslike, and it was already so close with Nioh 2. So has it done it? Is Nioh 3 the consummate culmination of its vision?

Don't let the chijiko guard the henhouse

Yes, but it’s also so much more than that. With this sequel, Team Ninja is giving FromSoftware a run for its money, with an open-world Soulslike that I think I like even more than Elden Ring.

STYLE IT OUT

Before I get into what's changed, let’s go over what’s stayed the same. Nioh 3 is still an action-forward take on a Soulslike. There are 14 melee weapon types, and each comes with its own customizable skills and moves. Most of these weapon movesets are 1-for-1 recreations of the same ones in Nioh 2, with a few additions here and there. Don’t fix what ain’t broken.