We played the new episode of Souls-like, a major development approaching?

A journey through time to save ruined Japan

Nioh 3 is based on an entirely new plot, centered on Tokugawa Takechiyo, a young heir destined to become shogun in a Japan plunged into chaos. The story opens with the betrayal of his younger brother, Tokugawa Kunimatsu, consumed by jealousy and manipulated by a supernatural force that allows him to lead a vast army of youkai. This devastating attack marks the collapse of an era of peace and pushes Takechiyo to rely on the mysterious power of his Protective Spirit Kusanagi, who is capable of making him transcend time.

Thanks to this gift, the protagonist crosses different historical periods of Japan: Sengoku, Edo and Heian. Officially revealed today, this preview was an opportunity for us to explore a previously unannounced era: the Bakumatsu period (in 1865). After the break of Nioh 2 and its disembodied protagonist who could be customized from A to Z, Team Ninja returns to a Nioh-style protagonist of the first of the name. Rest assured, a complete customization tool still allows you to visually shape it according to your desires.

In terms of atmosphere, this third opus retains its historical dark fantasy imprint, punctuated with conspiracies and Youkai. This signature, a true trademark of the license, once again works very well, especially since the studio seems to push the concept further thanks to a succession of varied eras. This choice allows the title to display a truly unique artistic direction. For example, our exploration of the slums of Kyoto offered us a nice change of scenery, between the traditional buildings of the time and a disturbing layer of the supernatural, marked by enormous roots and other organic growths of the most beautiful effect.

The bestiary offers, for its part, a nice visual variety, even if we hope that the differences will really be felt between the different eras that we will cross. From a graphic point of view, Nioh 3 remains solid but does not necessarily produce the “wow” effect that one might expect from a title designed for the new generation. The Katana Engine does the job, but we hope for more advanced optimization than that of Rise of the Ronin on PC, for example. We also noticed some clipping effects that were sometimes very visible, but remember that this was a version still in development. We will have to wait for our final test to make a definitive decision on the technical rendering.

No open world but open field

From our point of view, graphics aren’t everything, and we can easily forgive Nioh 3 on this point thanks to its much more expansive approach to exploration. Indeed, one of the major transformations of this episode comes from its “open-field” orientation. Concretely, Nioh 3 abandons the sequence of instanced missions in favor of open areas to roam freely. We appreciate the studios’ caution with the term “Open World” which often leads to confusion. Here, each era mentioned will have its entirely open area which is revealed as you progress.

This emphasis on freedom makes the adventure much more enjoyable than in previous opuses and undoubtedly constitutes the major evolution of this sequel. This allows the studio to add varied activities such as capturing enemy bases, purifying cursed areas or resolving Myths, without falling into the trap of empty environments between two objectives. We can nevertheless complain against certain platform phases, in particular the double jumps which remain quite rigid and imprecise, in particular when you have to navigate on the roofs to reach an enemy or reach a particular location.

Even if we sometimes feel lost with the mazes and the verticality, there is a real feeling of discovery which sets in as the map is revealed, but also of constant danger. A danger embodied by Purgatory, considered by the studio as the signature of this third episode. These are corrupted areas where youkai are boosted and inflict significantly greater damage. Each injury received can cause Vital Erosion, which temporarily reduces the maximum life of our avatar. You must then kill enemies, inflict damage or return to your grave to dispel this penalty. Purgatory also accelerates the filling of the Amrita Gauge, encouraging the strategic use of the Living Artifact despite the risks.

Nioh 3 also retains its action-RPG DNA, with a shower of loot as dense as ever. Maybe even a little too much for his own good. Between weapons, armor, accessories and additional resources, equipment management quickly becomes busy. Having not yet had the time to seriously delve into micro-management, we will come back to it during our full test.

A combat system that’s still just as demanding?

Nioh 3 retains the foundations that made the series famous, namely strict Ki management, nervously paced clashes and reading of essential enemy patterns. Ki remains at the center of exchanges, both for attack and for defense, and the Ki Pulse always allows you to instantly recover part of this resource by mastering its timing. For their part, youkai cannot restore their Ki, which opens windows of spectacular execution when their gauge is completely emptied.

The big news comes from the introduction of two distinct fighting styles: Samurai mode and Ninja mode. In combat, it is possible to instantly switch from one to the other. The Samurai is a direct continuation of the Nioh DNA with its postures, its solid guard and a gradual increase in power thanks to the arts gauge. Once filled, it activates mastered Arts, strengthening blows and reducing Ki consumption.

In contrast, Ninja mode favors speed, movement and constant repositioning. It consumes less Ki and relies on the Fog mechanic, an advanced dodge that, when executed perfectly, recharges the Ninjutsu and Arts gauges. The Ninja can also perform a “Support Jump” to jump on his opponent and get behind him to inflict more damage. This style also allows you to use a whole range of Ninjutsu techniques (explosive scroll, shurikens, etc.) via a dedicated gauge.

If Nioh 3 is your first approach to the license, the Ninja style will undoubtedly be the best entry point, as the change in posture can be confusing at first. Judging from our observations, it’s probably possible to complete the entire game playing only this style. However, it would be a shame to limit ourselves to it because the combat system clearly gives its full measure when you combine the two styles to trigger devastating combos. By switching at the right time, you can achieve an Explosive Rupture, an extremely risky but terribly spectacular counter, which instantly interrupts the opposing offensive while inflicting damage to the enemy’s life, Ki and even maximum Ki.

Bosses that hurt

Each style also has its own weapons. The samurai wields relatively heavy death tools (such as the odachi or gauntlets), while the ninja favors lighter and faster tools (katana, kusarigama, etc.). Here again, it is possible to equip two weapons per style and instantly alternate between them, without going through the menus, which allows you to vary your approaches in the middle of combat. Team Ninja is also very generous with progression, with skill trees dedicated to each weapon in order to expand combos and open up new movement and attack possibilities.

Protective Spirits also play an essential role in strategy. In addition to the Living Artifact, we now have a Spiritual Strength gauge, allowing us to use skills specific to each spirit. Obtaining new Spirits throughout the adventure thus regularly renews the offensive and defensive options, and further enriches the possible combinations in combat.

Generally speaking, the difficulty seemed well balanced, sometimes even a little accessible. However, we must qualify since Koei Tecmo generously equipped us for this demo. On the other hand, Purgatory and several bosses or mini-bosses offer real peaks of challenge. Whether it’s a human opponent like Takasugi Shinsaku, formidable with his pistol and his protective spirit, or the highlight of this session: Nuribotoke. A boss taking the form of a gigantic statue possessed by youkai, which left us no chance.

Finally, let us point out that Nioh 3 will offer cooperation, even if we only tested solo. However, it will be possible to summon characters from other players, controlled by the AI, to accompany you in your explorations and battles.

With this dense and ambitious first handling, Nioh 3 appears to be the turning point for Team Ninja. By focusing on a structure in open areas, significantly expanded exploration and a combat system enriched by the Samurai/Ninja duality, the studio seems to have found a credible way to modernize its formula without denying its DNA. Despite some gray areas mentioned in this preview, this demonstration suggests a solid, generous and more accessible title than expected, without sacrificing its traditional requirements. It now remains to be seen whether these great promises will hold up over time and whether the different eras will offer real renewal. Without forgetting maintaining a consistent challenge until the end. The answer during our test.