Nioh 3 Review: Third Time's the Charm for Team Ninja's Series
For years, the Nioh games have occupied a curious space in the gaming landscape: tantalisingly close to brilliance yet held back by a certain coarseness. Developed by Team Ninja, these titles famously transplant the punishing, methodical combat of the Dark Souls franchise to a richly detailed feudal Japan, populating it with nightmarish creatures from folklore. The premise is undeniably compelling, but previous entries often felt clunky in execution. With Nioh 3, that has decisively changed.
An Open World Transformation
Much like FromSoftware's groundbreaking evolution with Elden Ring, Nioh 3 boldly expands into a more open world format. Gone are the strictly linear levels of old. Your character, a hybrid samurai-ninja warrior, now enjoys significantly greater freedom to roam a vast, brutal landscape. This shift to exploration is not merely aesthetic; it fundamentally enhances the experience.
It is fun to wander this perilous realm, precisely because discovery is constant. Around any corner, players might find a new side quest, a meaningful equipment upgrade, or a demon-infested hellscape demanding purification. The world feels alive with danger and opportunity, rewarding curiosity and perseverance.
Refined and Slicker Combat
The improvements extend far beyond the open design. Nioh 3's combat system has been meticulously polished. Fights feel slicker and more fluid than ever before. A key enhancement is the ability to seamlessly switch between samurai and ninja combat styles at will, allowing for dynamic, adaptable strategies mid-battle. This flexibility makes encounters more engaging and enjoyable, reducing the frustration that sometimes marred earlier games.
Boss Battles of Imaginative Grandeur
Where Nioh 3 truly shines is in its boss design. These adversaries rank among the most imaginative and challenging the entire Soulslike genre has ever produced. From the cunning Takeda Shingen, known as the Tiger of Kai, to the deeply personal conflict with your resentful brother Kunimatsu, each major fight is a unique test of skill and wit. They are spectacular set-pieces that will be remembered long after the controller is set down.
Technical Performance and Narrative
Technically, the game is a triumph. It runs with impressive smoothness, even when pushing higher graphical settings, ensuring the beautiful yet deadly world is displayed without performance hiccups. The story, involving an heir to the shogunate time-hopping through history, serves its purpose but is arguably the weakest element. It provides context for the action without ever becoming the central draw.
Yet, as the way of the warrior teaches, one must not be overly fussy. After nine years and three main entries, Nioh has finally honed its blade to a razor's edge. Nioh 3 stands on the precipice of greatness, offering a deeply satisfying, challenging, and polished experience that both respects its roots and confidently forges its own path. For fans of demanding action RPGs, this is an essential journey.
