Six years after Nioh 2, Team Ninja returns with a sequel that applies the lessons of the studio's entire post-Nioh output — Wo Long, Rise of the Ronin, Stranger of Paradise — into one comprehensive, extraordinary package. Nioh 3 is the best game in the series, and among the finest Soulslike experiences ever made.
The defining addition in Nioh 3 is the Ninja style — a second combat mode alongside the familiar Samurai stance. Where the Samurai approach emphasises powerful strikes, Ki management and weapon mastery, the Ninja style unlocks faster movement, aerial dashes, Ninjutsu ranged techniques and clone-summoning abilities. Switching between the two in combat is fluid and context-appropriate: use the Samurai style to build Ki pressure on armoured enemies, shift to Ninja to exploit the opening. The system rewards players who invest in understanding both, and the build diversity that emerges is extraordinary.
Nioh 3 expands the series' mission-based structure into 'open fields' — not full open world, but large interconnected zones with genuine exploration rewards. Hidden bosses are tucked behind false walls and underground routes. Guardian Spirit shrines provide bonuses to those who find them before proceeding. The shift is handled conservatively — Team Ninja hasn't abandoned their dense encounter design for empty spectacle. The result is a game that feels meaningfully larger without losing the claustrophobic tension that defines the series' best moments.
The Ki system — the series' energy-management backbone — has been refined with a new Deflect parry that triggers off precise timing and generates a significant counter window. Weapon variety remains unmatched in the genre: the thirteen weapon types each have distinct move trees, Guardian Spirit interactions and Ninja/Samurai hybrid combinations. The Crucible endgame challenges push mastery to its absolute limit — score-attack gauntlets designed for players who have studied their loadout at a deep level. They are among the most demanding optional content in any Soulslike since Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree.
Protagonist Tokugawa Takechiyo's journey from embattled young lord to Shogun is the most structurally coherent narrative the series has produced. The historical figures — Oda Nobunaga, Date Masamune, Toyotomi Hideyoshi — are rendered with enough personality to justify their presence. The supernatural Yokai layer integrates more gracefully with the human drama than in previous entries. English voice acting remains the weakest element; play in Japanese.
Nioh 3 is the moment Team Ninja cements its legacy. A studio that spent the better part of a decade refining every element of its formula has delivered the definitive version of their vision. The Samurai/Ninja dual system alone is worth the entry price. For fans of precise, demanding action RPGs, this is essential. For Soulslike veterans looking for something to match Elden Ring's mechanical depth, Nioh 3 is your answer.
https://ninth-art.de5.net/reviews/nioh-3/