Nioh Critic Reviews

Nioh got attention for its similarities to other titles, but it deserves to be remembered as its own special game, one that sees and raises the efforts presented by its inspirations. With fast and uncompromising combat, an engrossing economy of loot, and a mesmerizing artistic style, action-RPGs have rarely been this refined or this captivating.

Nioh may borrow Onimusha‘s art style, Dark Souls‘ challenging combat, and Diablo‘s loot-farming, but it combine these elements in a way that makes it feel like a unique experience. Everything comes together to create a wholly engrossing action-RPG that’s hard to put down, with Nioh standing as an impressive return to form for Team Ninja after spending a decade in development hell. In short, Nioh is Team Ninja’s best game in years, and should leave fans plenty excited for the next Ninja Gaiden.

Nioh is a better game than what From Software has achieved.

Nioh is a triumph. It stands head and shoulders above every other title in the genre, even eclipsing its obvious inspiration. Team Ninja is not only back, but it has thrown down the gauntlet, and only time will tell who's up for the challenge.

Nioh is, quite simply, one of the finest games of this console generation.

Hundreds of hours in and I was still getting excited at new aspects and discoveries within the game, finding constantly fresh and rewarding things to do and see. It’s a slick, fantastic hack and slash with a strong sense of charm and sincerity, accessible yet tough to master, and if there’s any justice, it’ll go down in history as an all-time classic.

In no uncertain terms, Nioh is something special. It’s one of those rare games that surpasses expectations, taking the best elements from a variety of genre-defining titles whilst sprinkling in a handful of its own ideas.

Hellishly challenging and entertaining tribute to the From Software games. The authors didn´t copy the originals – on the contrary they weren´t afraid of many drastic changes. So, the overall experience was pushed in a big way in a different direction.

Nioh could well take over 100 hours if you set out to master its many side missions on top of its tough campaign, but it’s a challenge well worth taking. The way it builds on its most obvious inspirations with a highly refined combat system and an unexpectedly charming, yet gritty style all its own allows it to boldly carve out its own identity, standing as a shining example of what action RPGs can be.

As close to perfect as it gets. Nioh is a stunning title and is easily an early contender for game of the year.

Nioh is a fantastic Samurai action-RPG with excellent Dark Souls inspired combat, multiplayer options and tons of content. Not for the faint of heart. Boss fights can be as tedious as they are challenging.

What Nioh also does incredibly well is blend intense and serious tones with at times light-hearted and silly moments. This deft balance of historical authenticity and far out there fantastical elements is never not entertaining and Team Ninja should be applauded for their ability to combine it all into a believable and engaging world.

At first glance Nioh could be perceived as a Dark Souls Clone because they share basic concepts like repetition, muscle memory, perseverance and a high tolerance to frustration. But after some time playing, the differences between the two are obvious and it becomes clear that Nioh has enough strength to stand alone with pride and could even be the responsible for sparking a new wave of games with similar mechanics. Nioh is an intelligent, inspired, polished and exciting game that will keep you elated for hours on end. It takes a proven formula and improves on it in every aspect. It is that good. We might be looking at a game of the year here and it will surely be a beloved game for a niche of people who like difficult, demanding games.

Saying that Nioh is a “Souls clone” not only doesn’t do justice to a superb game, but can be quite misleading. Nioh stands on its own as a masterpiece from Team Ninja that reminds us the Ninja Gaiden glory days of the studio.

Nioh is a culmination of some of my favorite mechanics in video games. The incredibly fast paced, twitch based reflex combat of Ninja Gaiden. The meticulous strategy and sense of discovery of Souls and the loot/equipment upgrade system of Diablo. It’s as though this was a game made specifically for me. If that wasn’t enough, Nioh manages to become more than the sum of its parts as something truly exceptional with an identity of its own – one that I simply can’t put down and it has secured a spot as the top contender in my game of the year list thus far.

Nioh is among the finest exclusives to grace the PS4, melding samurai action with the framework of the well-renowned Dark Souls series, although its devilish difficulty may send William to an early grave.

Nioh is an excellent title that’s different enough from Souls. While its lore isn’t as deep or rich, and the level design isn’t nearly as breathtaking, the gameplay more than makes up for it. With over fifty hours of content, there’s plenty for action fans to enjoy, and I’m sure that Nioh will be in many Game of the Year conversations this December.

Nioh makes one of the best action-RPGs ever made. An immense amount of features combined in a challenging game, which will take more than 40 hours of your life. No regrets so far.

Team Ninja has overcome the inevitable comparisons with Souls' series, with a game that shines on its own right. Diverse and enjoyable combat mechanics, great setting and that characteristic difficulty of the studio's games, Nioh is a strong candidate for one of the best games of 2017.

Nioh is impressive in a lot of ways offering us beautiful challenging levels and a deep customizable experience. Even with the comparisions with Souls franchise, Nioh is a tremendous fun title full of personality, Team Ninja developed a memorable game with a brilliant combat system and solid gameplay mechanics.