The problem with Nioh is..

[stroopwafel]

It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride

So, this game is initially very fun. The combat is a variation on the Souls formula but feels different enough to stand on it's own. Like, if you take Ninja Gaiden Sigma and added Souls methodology to it. It's an incredibly fine-tuned system that gives the combat a unique flow and rhythm. I played this for hours without getting bored by it.

However, once the novelty of the combat starts to wear off you'll notice how you're just fighting the same three enemies over and over. Making the combat that is otherwise exciting and fresh predictable and monotonous. One of the most tedious aspects of Nioh must be the loot grind. I know they looked at Diablo for inspiration but it just doesn't fit in a game like this. Just hundreds of variations on the same thing with minimal differences. The level design is also crap. I can appreciate how quickly the game loads but the levels are soooo boring and uninspirational. To make matters worse they get re-used for tedious side-quests(which you need to do to stay at recommended level). The story also don't make much sense. The game kind of presupposes you know who all these feudal warlords are and other than Ieyasu Tokugawa I really have no idea. Then there is some stuff with a magic cat. Everytime there was a cutscene I was like WTF is going on here?

Nioh is a game I really wanted to like and for the first few hours I definitely did but all it has going for it is the combat. There is no sinister atmosphere or amazing creature design or dense areas to travel through or intriguing lore to figure out. There is just really good combat, three enemies, hundred variations on the same weapon and a handful of short, shitty levels to do all this stuff in.

So, have I missed something about Nioh that makes it great? Or, does it really not have much to offer besides an intricate combat system?

 

[Maximum Bert]

Its pretty limited although there are more than 3 enemy types that you have to face very differently I cannot be arsed to open up the game and look at the bestiary but despite the huge amount of reskins that only change it up marginally I would say there are about 10 or so different enemy types so not a huge number but enough to allow you to actually learn them which you will have to do.

Level design wise I actually quite liked it multiple routes each area its own challenge and gimmick which surprisingly I actually enjoyed. Not many setpieces but being fantasy based on history I did not expect many.

The grinding does get crazy and is the reason I did not bother to go beyond way of the strong but by that point I had already passed the 250 hour mark which is a new record for me for a single player RPG (not counting replays) so I say I got my moneys worth. Story is garbage but characters along the way are fun enough and the bosses are by and large amazing.

What made it great for me was what made Demons Souls, Dark Souls and Ninja Gaiden (reboot) great and that was the pitched difficulty however where it transcended those for me was the combat system which just had the right amount of complexity and flexibility to allow your own stamp unlike the aforementioned games which although allowing different ways to play did not allow as much flexibility. However in late game such as late way of the strong and onwards it kinda falls apart a bit due to this as it seems more focussed on challenging the max builds.

If you think its great or not though is completely personal preference same with Dark Souls and indeed every game ever. Personally its my game of the year so far only game I have enjoyed playing more is the Dissidia closed beta after they fixed the matchmaking.

 

[Fappy]

The RLM guys made it sound like a crappier, less creative, more tedious Dark Souls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qmchZRyeDU

They were spot on, imo. Enemy variety and level design are super important aspects of Souls style games. Nioh failed at both.

 

[stroopwafel]

It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride

So, this game is initially very fun. The combat is a variation on the Souls formula but feels different enough to stand on it's own. Like, if you take Ninja Gaiden Sigma and added Souls methodology to it. It's an incredibly fine-tuned system that gives the combat a unique flow and rhythm. I played this for hours without getting bored by it.

However, once the novelty of the combat starts to wear off you'll notice how you're just fighting the same three enemies over and over. Making the combat that is otherwise exciting and fresh predictable and monotonous. One of the most tedious aspects of Nioh must be the loot grind. I know they looked at Diablo for inspiration but it just doesn't fit in a game like this. Just hundreds of variations on the same thing with minimal differences. The level design is also crap. I can appreciate how quickly the game loads but the levels are soooo boring and uninspirational. To make matters worse they get re-used for tedious side-quests(which you need to do to stay at recommended level). The story also don't make much sense. The game kind of presupposes you know who all these feudal warlords are and other than Ieyasu Tokugawa I really have no idea. Then there is some stuff with a magic cat. Everytime there was a cutscene I was like WTF is going on here?

Nioh is a game I really wanted to like and for the first few hours I definitely did but all it has going for it is the combat. There is no sinister atmosphere or amazing creature design or dense areas to travel through or intriguing lore to figure out. There is just really good combat, three enemies, hundred variations on the same weapon and a handful of short, shitty levels to do all this stuff in.

So, have I missed something about Nioh that makes it great? Or, does it really not have much to offer besides an intricate combat system?

Combat intricacy all it has going for it...hmm. Sounds like a Platinum Games game. I kinda wanted to try it at one point but your post helps put my mind at ease.

 

[stroopwafel]

The RLM guys made it sound like a crappier, less creative, more tedious Dark Souls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qmchZRyeDU

If I wasn't watching that and just listened I could've sworn the nerdy guy from Horrible Bosses and Fist Fight was commentating.

Funniest part -
https://youtu.be/4qmchZRyeDU?t=661

 

[stroopwafel]

Funniest part -
https://youtu.be/4qmchZRyeDU?t=661

Good funny or stupid funny? I left a comment about about that.

"As much as I like the Souls games, I hate character creation. You try endlessly to get a decent looking human being in the crummy menu with the crummy scrollers. They never, ever look good. Every user-created character in Bloodborne looks fucked up. The original characters look okay, because they were designed with the superior tools the developers had. User-made characters are also usually really lifeless. I'd rather play as a pre-made character."

It's funny because I was surprised the dude he made actually looked that close to him. The guy also has a funny demeanor and speaking style too which made it all the more comical. I literally lol'd.

But yeah, I get your point. I guess I don't go into character creators expecting Nathan Drake levels of detail. There are a lot of details and options to mull over, and it typically doesn't turn out looking much like what I want, but I still appreciate the customization. I prefer fully modeled characters in story-driven games, but can't say the same for any game with character building features. I'm automatically more invested in a character I create myself, even if it looks like leftovers.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Gonna be honest, after playing Nioh I never want to play Dark Souls again, mostly because I feel like it's being fair instead of creating bullshit hitboxes and crappy platforming and calling that a challenge (seriously, Miyazaki, your movement system is not meant for platforming, so piss off). As for enemy variety, it's fine, they have over two dozen varieties with unique and varied combat styles. And that's not even getting into the bosses which range from one and one duels with humans to gigantic, world-ending beasts. It's a quality over quantity thing as the game has fewer enemy types, but they're also a lot more complex and faster than what Soulsborne has.