One of the best soulslikes I've ever played but I'd say Nioh is one of the few Soulslikes that can stand on it's own and not be in FromSoftware's shadow. Team Ninja have made such a unique twist on the formula with this game can't wait to get around to Nioh 2 and 3.

So, I finally finished Nioh, and man, what a ride.

Let’s start with the good stuff. The combat is honestly, top-tier. This might be my favorite out of all the Soulslikes I’ve played. It’s fast, it’s crisp, and it’s super deep if you want it to be. The game never forces you to dive into every system. You can get by with the basics, but if you do decide to mess with Ki Pulse timing, stances, Flux, ranged weapons, ninjutsu, magic, etc. the game just opens up in the best way. And yeah, it makes you feel like a total badass.

Bosses are tough, but (mostly) fair. If you die, it’s usually because you got greedy or misread a pattern and not because the game cheated. There’s something really satisfying about finally nailing a boss that’s been beating you down for an hour.

The mission-based structure is kind of “old school,” and I mean that in a good way. Levels feel handcrafted, the kind you can learn and master, and the Japanese folklore/demon vibe is just cool.

That said... there are some rough edges.

The story is kind of there, I guess? The main character just sort of exists. He reacts to things like someone who missed the plot entirely and is just following a GPS to his next fight. If you only watch the cutscenes, it’s basically: “New guy. New mission. Beat mission. New cutscene. Repeat.” It does make more sense if you read the mission descriptions and logs, but if you're like me and didn’t already know much about Japanese history, some of it might just blur together.

The map design is good and bad. Some levels are genius, but others just test your patience. The stage with holes everywhere wasn’t testing skill, it was testing patience. Also, while we’re on the negatives: every time you finish a level, none of your unlocked shortcuts or shrines carry over.

Also, it took me way longer to finish because I spent a ridiculous amount of time farming for a full set of purple armor with the “perfect” stats. I was completely hooked on the idea of optimizing my build… until it slowly started draining the fun out of the experience. But that’s on me.

The side content also leans hard on reusing stuff. Same enemies. Same areas. Sometimes the exact same boss - or a double boss fight - just thrown in with four floating firehead dudes for “extra challenge”.

Enemy variety is another weak spot. Most of the game, you’re fighting the same handful of baddies. Occasionally one shows up with a different element or move, but it's mostly remixing what you’ve already seen. And don’t even get me started on the fire wheels. Whoever made those has a special place in hell.

TL;DR: Nioh has some of the best combat I’ve ever experienced in a Soulslike. It stumbles with story delivery, enemy variety, and some frustrating level and mission design choices, and the gear grind can seriously wear you down if you're not careful - although that is totally optional. If you love tough-but-fair battles, Japanese mythology, and deep mechanics with tons of freedom, it’s absolutely worth playing. 8/10

Still in NG, game has some ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ enemies but combat is super satisfying