Nioh 3: The Final Preview

I’ve gone hands-on with Nioh 3 connected 3 abstracted occasions astatine this point: The archetypal was with the limited-time demo which was each astir maine conscionable getting my bearings backmost and remembering however to play Nioh aft 5 oregon truthful years away. The 2nd was a preview lawsuit that was portion of our IGN First coverage, wherever I was capable to excavation deeper into the caller Ninja Mode and speech astir immoderate of the evolutions made successful the Nioh formula. For this third, and presumably last clip up of release, I told myself, “I’m conscionable gonna person amusive with it.”

And so, erstwhile my clip began, I adjusted my physique to my liking, asked the Team Ninja Community Lead – who appropriately goes by “Master,” – to thatch maine each of the sick tech that helium knew, and I was disconnected to the races to spell up against the biggest situation I’d faced frankincense acold pre-release: A Crucible. It’s a caller benignant of level that features other pugnacious enemies that chunk bits of your max beingness each clip they deed you until you deed them back. Suffice it to say, if my extremity was to person fun, good then, ngo accomplished.

My demo didn’t statesman successful the Crucible, truthful I was capable to enactment my mode up to conscionable its situation by archetypal making my mode done a warped Red Light District that had seemingly been transformed and twisted with evil Yokai power. Team Ninja was precise generous with our builds, giving maine a steadfast postulation of high-level cogwheel with immoderate limb benignant of my choosing. Wanting to effort thing new, I decided connected going with the Caestus arsenic my main Samurai limb and the azygous katana for my Ninja loadout.

I instantly fell successful emotion with the caestus. There’s conscionable thing truthful incredibly cathartic astir draining an enemy’s stamina, and past erstwhile you spell successful for the execution it's conscionable assertive blunt unit trauma connected a demon’s look with a level of bloodsplatter that could rival a Mortal Kombat brutality. Not lone that, but I besides had a accomplishment that allowed maine to beryllium determination and transmission each of my stamina into a azygous Falcon Punch-like onslaught that would conscionable obliterate immoderate force happened to beryllium lasting successful beforehand of me. The bone-crunching dependable effects and the accustomed Team Ninja animation smoothness lone enhanced the satisfaction.

On the different broadside of the coin was the azygous katana successful Ninja Mode, and if you’re a Ninja Gaiden fan, this is astir apt going to beryllium the 1 you’re going to privation to cheque out. The large prima of the limb successful my eyes was a determination called the Swallow Slash, and if you are a large Ninja Gaiden fan, you astir apt already cognize what that’s going to look like. It’s a ace accelerated dashing onslaught that goes done enemies, and tin adjacent beryllium upgraded to let you to rapidly determination backmost and distant aggregate times done the aforesaid enemy, conscionable similar Ryu’s Flying Swallow. It’s a spot riskier successful a crippled with constricted stamina and treacherous terrain that could pb to instant decease if 1 were to Swallow Slash themselves disconnected a cliff, but it is nevertheless an incredibly satisfying method and a large mode to commencement disconnected a fight.

The Red Light District itself was classical Nioh level design: Lots of barred-off paths that funnel you done mostly linear design, with a fistful of optional forks that pb to immoderate other loot, with a steadfast dose of traps and force ambushes lying astir each corner. Side note: Team Ninja President Fumihiko Yasuda sat down to ticker maine play for a spot and got a footwear retired of however dilatory and cautiously I entered each room, and adjacent much truthful erstwhile adjacent contempt each of my caution, I’d inactive autumn for 1 of the galore traps laid passim the level.

The brag of the level was Takasugi Shinsaku, a Samurai equipped with a Guardian Spirit, a gun, and a sword – and helium made wide usage of each three. Like astir human-sized Nioh 3 brag fights, it was a tense and fast-paced conflict that finds that saccharine spot of being conscionable predictable capable to beryllium capable to place patterns, with capable saltation successful those patterns to marque the enactment of identifying them satisfyingly challenging.

After defeating Shinsaku, the adjacent country was 1 of the caller open-field levels that I talked astir successful my past preview. This time, though, we were allowed to situation the Crucible, which is fundamentally the eventual situation of each unfastened tract successful Nioh 3. Entering the Crucible takes you to a hellish scenery wherever Yokai are each buffed to woody accrued damage. In summation to that, if harm is taken portion wrong a Crucible, the subordinate volition beryllium inflicted with Life Corrosion, which volition temporarily trim their max wellness until they’re capable to woody harm oregon decision enemies. Dying is different mode to region the effects of Life Corrosion, but obviously, not ideal. On the positive side, portion wrong a Crucible, you’ll beryllium capable to usage your Living Artifact translation much frequently, since the Amrita Gauge fills faster.

The main content of the Crucible that I got to play done was fundamentally that it was similar different modular linear Nioh level, lone meaner. Hugely damaging spike traps were everywhere, lightning accelerated spinning leaf demons made moving crossed definite paths consciousness similar trying to weave done postulation connected a engaged street, and almighty foes waited successful ambush successful precarious areas wherever 1 errant dodge could pb to you falling to your death.

Just similar each different clip I’ve gotten to play Nioh 3, aft my clip was up, I was near wanting more. Nioh 3 is shaping up to beryllium my favourite of the bid to date, not lone done its important improvements to combat acknowledgment to the divided of Samurai and Ninja Modes, but besides with the monolithic summation of the open-field levels – each of which volition see its ain abstracted Crucible. It’s a situation I eagerly expect taking connected with my ain idiosyncratic physique and progression, and 1 that I won’t person to hold terribly agelong for, arsenic Nioh 3 releases connected PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC connected February 6, 2026.