Nioh 3 is a premium action game developed by Koei Tecmo Games Co., Ltd and is the third installment in the Nioh series of hack-and-slash Souls-like adventure games. It’s the continuation of the epic saga set in an alternate Warring States period, where the land is wrought with chaos from bandits and yokai alike.

Much like its predecessors, Nioh and Nioh 2, the latest Nioh 3 game builds upon the slick, fast-paced combat by letting players switch between samurai and ninja skills to take on increasingly ferocious enemies and supernatural monsters. A demo is available for newcomers to check out.

The epic saga continues

In Nioh 3, you will play as Tokugawa Takechiyo, the grandchild of Tokugawa Ieyasu, on a mission to rid Japan of a calamity known as the Crucible, as you fulfill your destiny of becoming Shogun. Embark on an epic journey across time, battling monsters and supernatural beings across the Edo, Warring States, Heian, and Bakumatsu periods, and stop the looming darkness that’s threatening to envelop the entire land.

The most exciting change Nioh 3 brings is the introduction of the Ninja playstyle. In addition to your Samurai skills, now accompanied by a new parry system, you can switch to a faster, evasion-focused playstyle, specializing in aerial and ranged attack. Instead of the classic Ki Pulse, you have the Mist skills, which let you create clones to get out of tough situations or overwhelm enemies.

The experience is less linear than before, allowing for more freedom of exploration across vast open spaces and locations. Discover points of interest for side quests of special combat challenges for added variety. There’s also online multiplayer gameplay that lets you invite friends to help fight tough bosses or go adventuring together. On a side note, just like with most Souls-like games, prepare to face a steep difficulty curve.

Bridging eras

Overall, Nioh 3 is shaping up to be an exciting continuation of the series’ epic tale and is poised to be the most expansive, with more open exploration and enhanced combat systems. If you’re a long-time fan, this is pretty much a must-play. It’s also a great game to check out if you like Souls-like games, in general. Highly recommended.