Two styles, one epic trip
By Paul Hunter
Nioh 3 feels like Team NINJA and Koei Tecmo taking everything that worked in Nioh and Nioh 2 and giving it a much bigger stage. It still has that Nioh identity at its core, yet the structure and combat options make it easier to play your way instead of forcing one approach.
The first major change is the series’ move into its first semi-open world format, using open-field areas to open up how you explore each chunk of the game. The second major change is dual-style combat, with the series traditional Samurai style back and joined by the new Ninja style, letting you swap between a stance-driven approach and a faster, Ninjutsu-focused one. The journey also moves through four time periods, covering Heian, Sengoku, Edo, and the Bakumatsu period for the first time in Nioh.
You play as Tokugawa Takechiyo, who is on the verge of becoming shogun, when your brother Kunimatsu leads a rebellion using yokai, turning it into a full supernatural war. So, is Nioh 3 the action role-playing game you should tackle next? Let’s find out!
Kusanagi, Takechiyo’s Guardian Spirit, is the story’s main driver. This supernatural partner sends Takechiyo across Japan’s historical eras, turning the campaign into a time-spanning hunt instead of a single-period war. The Crucible becomes the central threat, a calamity that interferes with events across timelines and threatens to bend history in the wrong direction.
I enjoyed how the story lets you cross paths with historical figures across each of the eras, and some of them have the awareness to recognize you are not from their time period. That little bit of awareness creates higher stakes, because it affects who trusts you and who fears what you might change.
The Eternal Rift, a hub outside the eras, keeps the narrative connected across each period. By the final stretch, the story tightens its focus and delivers a strong payoff for the lengthy time-hopping chase.
Like in previous Nioh games, combat is a stamina game first. Your Ki gauge fuels offence and defence, and the Samurai class uses time Ki Pulses to regain a portion of your Ki. Samurai uses High, Mid, and Low stances for different reach and power, plus Deflect to parry enemy attacks. When you break the enemy's Ki, you can then grapple them to perform a deadly strike.
The new Ninja class changes the gameplay in significant ways. It adds Ninjutsu attacks, lower Ki use, faster movement and the new Mist ability, which creates a temporary ghost version of your character that distracts enemies. Style Shifting between the two classes is a simple as pressing R2, giving you the ability to strike hard as a Samurai when needed, then swap to the Ninja to quickly reposition to toss out some devastating Ninjutsu. Bosses and enemies still perform red-halo Burst Attacks that inflict tremendous damage, but you can counter them when you shift at the right moment.
Each region also contains Crucibles, both small and large, which are corrupted zones, with a heavy yokai presence and tougher enemies. They are focused challenge areas where Life Corrosion adds pressure, since taking damage lowers your max HP until you remove the effect. Gameplay execution and resource management matter a lot more in Crucibles than in standard open-field fights.
You level up by praying at shrines or Bodhisattva Statues, then spending Amrita to raise your Core Stats. Constitution, Heart, Stamina, Strength, Skill, Intellect, and Magic all feed into different stats, and the menu shows how changes affect Samurai and Ninja as well as your weapons. The best part is how flexible it is, since you can respec at any time by resetting your stats at no cost. I ended up doing this a few times over the campaign to shift my build toward a different style, particularly if I get weapons or armour I wanted to use, but didn't have the required stats.
Soul Cores add another layer with certain yokai dropping powerful their cores, which you then purify at shrines. The Onmyo Box lets you place Soul Cores into Yin and Yang slots, with Yin creating Onmyo Magic items based on the Soul Cores you used, while yang creates Summoning Seals that call yokai onto the battlefield. Both Summoning Seals and Onmyo Magic items can be set to item shortcuts, they have limited uses, and you reset those uses by praying at shrines or Bodhisattva Statues.
Online co-op returns in Nioh 3 and it's just as polished as ever. At shrines you can spend Ochoko Cups to summon up to two Visitors, or you jump into someone else’s session as a Visitor. You also have the option of playing co-op on a specific single mission, or you can play through the story, but keep in mind this only progresses the host's progress.
Clan Battles are also back and are initiated by vising the Hidden Teahouse. Here you can join a clan to receive the clan perks, and then set out to earn Glory by defeating red ghost Revenants or completing co-op missions. You'll then get rewards after a period of time, depending on whether your accumulated Glory exceeds your rival clan. After you complete the main campaign, Nioh 3 offers New Game+ filled with higher-grade items and steeper challenges.
The majority of yokai are from previous entries in the series and still look great, but the new Guardian Spirits look incredible and calling them in battle shifts to a dynamic camera that really shows off their power.
Audio-wise, the soundtrack hits hard in climactic moments, and boss tracks give fights some real energy. Open-world exploration music generally stays more in the background, which is ideal since I was usually listening for enemies and ambushes. All in all, sound effects are excellent, whether it's the clanging of metal on metal or the menacing roars of the yokai.
On the PS5, performance stayed smooth for most of the game. Weirdly I did notice some frame drops in the latter half of the game, which is unusal considering the first zone is massive. All considered, Nioh 3 is beautiful looking game from start to finish, with distinct era backdrops, strong yokai designs, and superb combat effects.
Final Score: 9/10 - Amazing
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Genre: Action Role-Playing, Soulsike
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
Nioh 3 feels like Team NINJA and Koei Tecmo taking everything that worked in Nioh and Nioh 2 and giving it a much bigger stage. It still has that Nioh identity at its core, yet the structure and combat options make it easier to play your way instead of forcing one approach.
The first major change is the series’ move into its first semi-open world format, using open-field areas to open up how you explore each chunk of the game. The second major change is dual-style combat, with the series traditional Samurai style back and joined by the new Ninja style, letting you swap between a stance-driven approach and a faster, Ninjutsu-focused one. The journey also moves through four time periods, covering Heian, Sengoku, Edo, and the Bakumatsu period for the first time in Nioh.
You play as Tokugawa Takechiyo, who is on the verge of becoming shogun, when your brother Kunimatsu leads a rebellion using yokai, turning it into a full supernatural war. So, is Nioh 3 the action role-playing game you should tackle next? Let’s find out!
Story and Narrative
Tokugawa Takechiyo’s story in Nioh 3 opens in 1622 with him preparing for a shogunate handoff, right as his younger brother, Tokugawa Kunimatsu, sparks a rebellion to seize power for himself. That political rupture is the first shock, but then the door cracks open for the next problem: yokai start spilling into the conflict, turning a family power grab into a full supernatural crisis that Takechiyo has to survive and push back against.Kusanagi, Takechiyo’s Guardian Spirit, is the story’s main driver. This supernatural partner sends Takechiyo across Japan’s historical eras, turning the campaign into a time-spanning hunt instead of a single-period war. The Crucible becomes the central threat, a calamity that interferes with events across timelines and threatens to bend history in the wrong direction.
I enjoyed how the story lets you cross paths with historical figures across each of the eras, and some of them have the awareness to recognize you are not from their time period. That little bit of awareness creates higher stakes, because it affects who trusts you and who fears what you might change.
The Eternal Rift, a hub outside the eras, keeps the narrative connected across each period. By the final stretch, the story tightens its focus and delivers a strong payoff for the lengthy time-hopping chase.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Nioh 3 takes the bold step of building its world around large open fields, as opposed to the linear level format used in previous games. It's a huge change and Team NINJA has pulled it off, as the open-world format gives you freedom and flexibilty to tackle challenges the way you choose. Each region has an Exploration Level that grows you clear goals, including locating shrines and helpful yokai, conquering Enemy Bases, engaging in Masters duels, and completing Myth side quests.Like in previous Nioh games, combat is a stamina game first. Your Ki gauge fuels offence and defence, and the Samurai class uses time Ki Pulses to regain a portion of your Ki. Samurai uses High, Mid, and Low stances for different reach and power, plus Deflect to parry enemy attacks. When you break the enemy's Ki, you can then grapple them to perform a deadly strike.
The new Ninja class changes the gameplay in significant ways. It adds Ninjutsu attacks, lower Ki use, faster movement and the new Mist ability, which creates a temporary ghost version of your character that distracts enemies. Style Shifting between the two classes is a simple as pressing R2, giving you the ability to strike hard as a Samurai when needed, then swap to the Ninja to quickly reposition to toss out some devastating Ninjutsu. Bosses and enemies still perform red-halo Burst Attacks that inflict tremendous damage, but you can counter them when you shift at the right moment.
Each region also contains Crucibles, both small and large, which are corrupted zones, with a heavy yokai presence and tougher enemies. They are focused challenge areas where Life Corrosion adds pressure, since taking damage lowers your max HP until you remove the effect. Gameplay execution and resource management matter a lot more in Crucibles than in standard open-field fights.
You level up by praying at shrines or Bodhisattva Statues, then spending Amrita to raise your Core Stats. Constitution, Heart, Stamina, Strength, Skill, Intellect, and Magic all feed into different stats, and the menu shows how changes affect Samurai and Ninja as well as your weapons. The best part is how flexible it is, since you can respec at any time by resetting your stats at no cost. I ended up doing this a few times over the campaign to shift my build toward a different style, particularly if I get weapons or armour I wanted to use, but didn't have the required stats.
Soul Cores add another layer with certain yokai dropping powerful their cores, which you then purify at shrines. The Onmyo Box lets you place Soul Cores into Yin and Yang slots, with Yin creating Onmyo Magic items based on the Soul Cores you used, while yang creates Summoning Seals that call yokai onto the battlefield. Both Summoning Seals and Onmyo Magic items can be set to item shortcuts, they have limited uses, and you reset those uses by praying at shrines or Bodhisattva Statues.
Online co-op returns in Nioh 3 and it's just as polished as ever. At shrines you can spend Ochoko Cups to summon up to two Visitors, or you jump into someone else’s session as a Visitor. You also have the option of playing co-op on a specific single mission, or you can play through the story, but keep in mind this only progresses the host's progress.
Clan Battles are also back and are initiated by vising the Hidden Teahouse. Here you can join a clan to receive the clan perks, and then set out to earn Glory by defeating red ghost Revenants or completing co-op missions. You'll then get rewards after a period of time, depending on whether your accumulated Glory exceeds your rival clan. After you complete the main campaign, Nioh 3 offers New Game+ filled with higher-grade items and steeper challenges.
Presentation and Audio
Nioh 3’s presentation immediately felt like a significant step forward for the series. The open-field areas give the game room to show off wide views with beautiful vistas, and the eras each have their own visual flavour.The majority of yokai are from previous entries in the series and still look great, but the new Guardian Spirits look incredible and calling them in battle shifts to a dynamic camera that really shows off their power.
Audio-wise, the soundtrack hits hard in climactic moments, and boss tracks give fights some real energy. Open-world exploration music generally stays more in the background, which is ideal since I was usually listening for enemies and ambushes. All in all, sound effects are excellent, whether it's the clanging of metal on metal or the menacing roars of the yokai.
On the PS5, performance stayed smooth for most of the game. Weirdly I did notice some frame drops in the latter half of the game, which is unusal considering the first zone is massive. All considered, Nioh 3 is beautiful looking game from start to finish, with distinct era backdrops, strong yokai designs, and superb combat effects.
The Verdict
Nioh 3 is Team NINJA firing on all cylinders, with the semi-open world structure being a huge improvement to the flow and momentum. I also loved the dual-style Samurai and Ninja setup that keeps combat flexible, and lets you experiment and instead of locking you in. Co-op is a blast, particularly in the open world, and New Game+ give you a strong reason to stick around after the credits. On PS5, it looks great, sounds great, and stays smooth throughout with only minor technical hiccups. Easily the best Nioh experience yet, and a big step forward for the franchise.Final Score: 9/10 - Amazing
Nioh 3 details
Platform: PS5, PCDeveloper: Team Ninja
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Genre: Action Role-Playing, Soulsike
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
A key was provided by the publisher.