Nioh 2 Review — Team Ninja Doesn’t Miss With The Combat

Historical Japan with a brutal Yokai twist and a splendid combat? Sign me up

Nioh 2 Review
Overall
4
  • Story And Setting
  • Gameplay
  • Visuals And Performance

Summary

Nioh 2’s minor design repetition and dated visuals are fully offset by the meaningful story and the superb combat you can’t get enough of.

Pros

  • A meaningful story
  • Highly Engaging combat
  • Equipment and mechanic versatility
  • A fair challenge

Cons

  • A steep learning curve
  • Dated visuals
  • repetitive design choices

Souls-like. If there’s one genre I’ve earned a Master’s degree in, it’s this one. The funny thing is, I wasn’t even aware of it till Bloodborne. Gave the game a try one day on my PS4, and the rest is history. Ended up putting in thousands of hours in the series, of which I have no regrets.

Key Takeaways
  • Developer: Team Ninja
  • Publisher: Koei Tecmo, Sony Interactive Entertainment
  • Release Date: March 12, 2020
  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows
  • Game Length: 45 Hours
  • Time Played: 100+ Hours
  • Editors Note: Our reviewer played 100+ hours of Nioh 2 over the course of multiple playthroughs.

If you’ve been hunting Souls-likes as much as I have, there’s one name you should be very familiar with, Team Ninja. A developer plagued with some weak design choices for its games, yet remains the master of combat, Team Ninja’s contribution to the genre’s progress is undeniable. And today, I’m here to analyze what’s considered to be its finest work, Nioh 2. Let’s see if that’s indeed the case.

Story And Setting

I’m sure I don’t need to say this, but Nioh 2 is strictly not a game you would play for a story. It’s a game where even if you go in thinking, “I don’t know who I am or what I’m doing here; all I know is that I have to kill,” you’ll still have a blast.

However, don’t let the cryptic, mission-based nature with slight glimpses only deceive you. Nioh 2 has a definite story, and a very good one at that. It’s essentially a fantasy-imbued, Yokai-infested retelling of Japan’s history. This is a tale of Hideyoshi’s journey through the Sengoku period and the corruption of power and control laid bare.

Nioh 2 assumes you’re somewhat familiar with the historical happenings, and thus does a half-baked job of presenting an otherwise brilliant and thought-provoking story that deserves more love.

 

Oda Nobunaga in the story (image credit: eXputer)
Oda Nobunaga in the story (image credit: eXputer)

A Historic But Tragic Tale

Now for my thoughts. Nioh 2 tells a magically tragic tale of betrayal and the loss of your loved ones, while you continue to struggle alone in this merciless world. The main character Hide’s journey is one of solitude yet conviction, an immortal half-Yokai on the quest to make a change, whether it means cutting down those once close to him. 

Past Events relevant to the plot (image by Us)
Past Events relevant to the plot (image by Us)

However, most of the time, you won’t even be able to follow everything logically, as the game’s storytelling leaves a lot to be desired. Nioh 2 assumes you’re somewhat familiar with the historical happenings, and thus does a half-baked job of presenting an otherwise brilliant and thought-provoking story that deserves more love.

Gameplay

Now for the stuff, you’ll play a Souls-like for the combat and general gameplay. Let’s just say that if you’ve played other Team Ninja games at this point, like Nioh 1 or Wo Long, you’ll find yourself right at home. The gameplay is Team Ninja flexing its muscles, letting you know it is still unrivaled in the combat department.

Loot-based equipment system (image by eXputer)
Loot-based equipment system (image by eXputer)

The basic Souls formula aside, Nioh 2 has tons of layers to its combat, and I mean TONS. For starters, you have three different combat stances, each with a particular role. Couple that with a unique Ki Pulse mechanic that restores your ki with a timed press, and there’s no shortage of experimentation. I know I had one hell of a fun time going through it all.

The three combat stances (image by eXputer)
The three combat stances (image by eXputer)

On top of the three stances, you have an insane weapon type variety, each behaving differently in actual combat. Plus, the massive skill tree for each weapon type had me completely engrossed.

With so much replayability and the downright thrill of a challenge, there’s not a moment where you run out of new things to try, it’s simply brilliant.

The Extreme Mechanic Variety Is As Enjoyable As It’s Overwhelming

After the melee weapons, you have ranged weapons like bows and guns to experiment with as you please. Next up, let’s talk magic. You’re given access to Ninjutsu and Onmyoudo, two magic-based combat options that both act as damage-dealing sources and buffs/debuffs. Still not satisfied? Fear not.

Since it’s a game about Yokai and you’re a half-Yokai, there was bound to be some of this stuff. Nioh 2 adds an enemy drop called Soul Core, which essentially lets you perform foes’ skills yourself. I just stuck to the fiery tornado and burned my enemies alive.

A powerful Yokai Ability (image by eXputer)
A powerful Yokai Ability (image by eXputer)

Let’s talk defenses. In addition to the standard dodge maneuver, you have a dedicated block button, and a special Burst Counter to prevent red attacks, inflicting massive Ki damage in the process. Last but certainly not least is your Ace in the Hole, the Yokai transformation called a Yokai Shift. For a short duration, you can wreak as much havoc as you want. 

Yokai Shift, a transformation (image by eXputer)
Yokai Shift, a transformation (image by eXputer)

Do you see why I say that it’s a tad overwhelming now? There’s so much to remember that it takes a considerable time to learn. Weapons are loot-based, so sorting through them all was a pain for me. When a red attack came out of nowhere, I had three different commands to push, and my brain just fried for a moment. 

However, make no mistake once you surmount this learning curve, Nioh 2’s combat is probably one of the best systems out there in the genre. With so much replayability and the downright thrill of a challenge, there’s not a moment where you run out of new things to try, it’s simply brilliant.

Weapon Variety and Buffs (image credit eXputer)
Weapon Variety and Buffs (image credit eXputer)

The Enemies Sure Remind You To Get Good

With this much depth in the combat and versatility of mechanics, like the overpowered Yokai stuff, I thought Nioh 2 would be a breeze to get through. I now realize how naive I was to think that. Nioh 2 is a hard game, very hard, but it’s the sort of fair challenge I respect and enjoy.

I have nothing but praise for Nioh 2’s combat system, but that doesn’t mean it’s flaw-free. One such flaw is the somewhat repetition in enemy and level design.

ith the unpredictable attack patterns of your foes, and you need to stay on edge and keep cycling your stances strategically. It’s hard, but never unfair; always a learning experience of what went wrong.

Burst Counter animation (image by Us)
Burst Counter animation (image by Us)

This is especially true during the boss fights. The game’s unique Yokai Realm (a black-and-white area with a heavy Yokai presence) adds to the thrill of battle. It both gives the foes steroids and pumps up your Anima (Yokai energy) generation to spam your skills.

Yokai Realm (image by eXputer)
Yokai Realm (image by eXputer)

As such, I have nothing but praise for Nioh 2’s combat system, but that doesn’t mean it’s flaw-free. One such flaw is the somewhat repetition in enemy and level design. Most levels follow the same trope of a massive maze, devoid of creative interlinking; a big missed opportunity.

Visuals And Performance

As we move on to the visual department, I feel like I should let you know that this was never Team Ninja’s forte. If you go and look at the developer’s games, you’ll see that they always look pretty dated and backward when it comes to the graphics. The superb combat comes at a cost it seems.

The game's dated visuals (image by eXputer)
The game’s dated visuals (image by eXputer)

It doesn’t mean the visuals are downright bad. They may be dated, but they are never hideous to look at. The game paints a solid picture of feudal Japan and the Yokai threat. Yokai realms are designed creatively (just a bit too disorienting for me), enemy designs are solid, except for some repetitions, and the aesthetic is maintained throughout.

Finally, we come to the performance, and I suffered no issues in this department for the entirety of my playthrough. I played it on an RX 580 at high settings; never came across performance drops. I’ve also tried the game on the PS5, runs without problems and is a crisp experience.

Verdict

Verdict (image by Us)
Verdict (image by Us)

All in all, Team Ninja’s combat prowess continues to soar, and Nioh 2 is living proof of that. If you want an enjoyable Souls-like with a complex yet brilliant combat system, look no further. Nioh 2’s minor design repetition and dated visuals are fully offset by the meaningful story and the superb combat you can’t get enough of. 

That was all about my Nioh 2 review. I hope I was able to help you out and enlighten you, and if I did, consider checking out some more of our reviews:

This is box title
Get This Game
If you enjoy Souls-like games and want a fair challenge with an excitingly complex combat.
Dont Get This Game
If Souls games, or difficult games, in general, are not your cup of tea.
Buy/Wait For Sale/Don't Buy

Yes, Nioh 2 is a must-play for every Souls-like fan, and I recommend buying this game.

Alternative Games
  • Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
  • Lies of P
  • Nioh
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
  • SoulsBorne Series
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Hanzala is a dedicated writer who expresses his views as opinion pieces at eXputer. He's always been fascinated by gaming and has been an avid consumer of many different genres for over a decade. His passion for games has him eager to encounter the latest RPGs and actively look for new Soulslike to challenge. He puts forth his experience and knowledge of gaming into captivating opinion pieces.

Experience: 8+ months || Education: Bachelors in Chemistry.

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