Nioh is a bloody excellent samurai epic

With the “Souls” series on hiatus, what’s a glutton for punishment to do?

Worry not! For Team Ninja is here to pick up the slack. Its bloody and brutal “Nioh” is every bit as punishing as the “Souls” games. But to call it a shameless rip-off is a tad unfair. True, its fundamentals are heavily inspired by FromSoftware’s masterpieces, but “Nioh” builds on the “Souls” formula in intricate and exhilarating ways, and in so doing carves out its own unique identity. The result is an experience that’s equal parts familiar and novel, with challenges that’ll test your every limit, and hard-won victories that’ll take you to the heights of euphoria.

Historical fantasy

“Nioh” is set in Japan’s Sengoku period, during which the country was ravaged by near-constant strife. Featuring real, historical events and people, it has you playing as William Adams, an English sailor credited as the first Westerner to ever become a samurai.

Of course, “Nioh” doesn’t waste any time in tossing reality into a wood chipper. The chaos of war has invited demons, or yokai, into the mortal plane, where they’ve taken a liking to terrorizing the human populace. As if that wasn’t bad enough, William’s nemesis – the bald, tattooed Edward Kelley – has evil plans for Japan.

“Nioh’s” story is advanced through cinematics, text, and journal entries. Its storytelling methods never quite cohere, and so the plot ends up a disjointed mess. The cut scenes are well-made, though, and are even often funny, thanks to the antics of mischievous Guardian Spirits.

Unfortunately, William makes a dull main protagonist, despite being the spitting image of “The Witcher’s” intense Geralt. Some supporting characters are just as bland, although I have to admit it’s exciting meeting historical figures such as Tokugawa in the digital flesh.

That “Nioh” shines despite its shoddy storytelling and characters is a testament to the excellence of its other elements.

A clash of swords and spirit

If you’ve ever played a “Souls” game, you’ll be right at home in “Nioh.”

“Nioh” is an action RPG that rewards patience, precision, observation, and sound tactics, while punishing recklessness and inattentiveness. When new to a location, you’ll benefit from moving at a slow, measured pace; rushing into an area will only lead to a swift and savage demise. Every weapon strike, dodge, and block matters; perform an action at the wrong place and time, and you’ll suffer.

“Nioh’s” combat, however, is fast-paced and more comparable to “Bloodborne’s” than older “Souls” titles’. With lighter weapons such as katanas and dual swords, attacks can come out lightning-quick. You can also string moves together for short, flashy combos.

Here is where “Nioh” starts deviating from “Souls”: no matter what close-range weapon you pick, you have three different combat stances at your disposal. The high stance unleashes strong, slow attacks that consume a lot of Ki (“Nioh’s” version of Stamina). It’s best used when your enemy isn’t in the condition to interrupt your assault with their own. Low stance attacks are weak, but because they’re quick and light on Ki, they allow you to remain mobile, therefore making it easier for you to evade enemy attacks. Mid stance lies somewhere in between.

Shifting between stances takes but a split second, allowing for an impressive amount of flexibility in battle. Your enemy bombarding you with strikes? Dodge to the side, chip away at his health with some rapid Low stance slashes, then jump backwards to avoid his retaliation. Is he finally winded from the effort of trying to kill you? Ready your High stance, then cleave him in two with a single, powerful slice.

Actions such as dodging and attacking drain Ki. Expend all your Ki, and you’ll be temporarily unable to attack AND move – a death sentence in “Nioh.”

Certain enemies have the ability to create Yokai Realms – areas that slow down Ki regeneration once William enters them. Fortunately, you can perform a Ki Pulse which, when timed correctly after an attack, replenishes the Ki you just consumed. This makes it an invaluable asset in a game where the judicious management of Ki is crucial to survival. Additionally, the Ki Pulse dissipates Yokai Realms.

There are two types of ranged weapons (firearms and the bow and arrow) in “Nioh,” and 5 melee weapon types.

The “Souls” series and its spinoff, “Bloodborne,” flirted with unique attacks per weapon, but “Nioh” goes the extra mile by offering a rich variety of abilities to be learned per weapon type. For example, with the sword, you can end a combo with a kick that depletes the enemy’s stamina. Because the kusarigama is a sickle attached to a chain, you can throw its blade at the target, then reel them in. There are numerous passive and activated abilities, and some which are specific to only one or two stances.

Additionally, you can learn ninja and/or onmyo magic skills. With ninja, you can throw shuriken, create bombs, or poison enemies; with onmyo magic, you can give your weapons elemental attributes, debuff enemies, and the like.

Killing enemies charges a special gauge that, once full, lets you trigger the Living Weapon mode. This grants you temporary invincibility and an attack power boost.

There’s a stance, weapon, or ability for every situation, and it’s how “Nioh” gives you all the tools to exploit enemy weaknesses that makes combat so gratifying. “Nioh” derives much of its complexity from the diversity of these tools, and how you use them in effective combination in battle.

Monsters and treasure

While monster encounters are always thrilling, some boss battles are particularly painful, and not always in a good way. My first experience with an early boss was getting murdered five seconds into battle, thanks to an unblockable one-hit-kill attack. Bosses also have ridiculous amounts of hit points, making these battles not only difficult, but tedious, as well. You can, however, have a friend join you in co-op, which makes these struggles easier.

Also found throughout environments are graves of other fallen players. Touch these, and you summon their Revenants, who’ll give you some of the game’s hardest battles outside boss encounters. As these spirits share William’s skill set, fighting them is specifically unpredictable and demanding.

And when you’ve defeated an enemy, they explode in a fountain of items. “Nioh” is less like a “Souls” game and more like “Diablo” when it comes to loot, with each kill rewarding you with so much stuff you’ll be hard-pressed to find room in your inventory for them. Thankfully, there’s a deep crafting system that allows you to disassemble, combine, and upgrade equipment, so even unwanted junk can be useful.

A beautifully dark world

“Nioh” is a feast for the eyes. From devastated villages, to castles filled with traps, to blood-soaked battlefields, the game depicts a beautiful world on the brink of obliteration. As levels, they’re also huge and wonderfully designed, boasting numerous loops that act as shortcuts, branching and interconnected passageways, and secrets. The main missions themselves are amazing, but you can also play side missions that have you visiting slightly altered versions of previously conquered areas – a great way to grind and encounter fresh surprises.

Cleverly hidden in these environments are cute little Kodama spirits. When found, they return to Shrines (the game’s version of bonfires), and increase the number of healing elixirs you can hold, as well as grant other blessings.

Unlike “Souls,” “Nioh’s” locales are not seamlessly linked to one another. After each mission, you return to a world map where you’re free to select other missions. The smooth continuity of the “Souls” game worlds lend them an awe-inspiring sense of scale and grandeur. “Nioh’s” separate environments, while gorgeous and excellently designed, feel more like traditional levels than parts of an enormous, unbroken realm.

Then there’s the monster design, which is simply fantastic. These creatures are ripped straight out of Japanese mythology; every encounter with a new yokai had me running to the internet so I could research on their lore.

Samurai epic

“Nioh” takes the “Souls” series’ winning formula and runs away with it, in the process creating an experience that in many ways exceeds its inspiration. Its grueling combat is methodical and responsive, but also quick, stylish, and complex. Its environments are enthralling and expertly crafted. The monsters make worthy opponents that’ll test your skill and resolve. Sure, its story and characters may disappoint, but overall, “Nioh” is an exemplary experience from start to finish – one that’ll have you dying and dying again, just for that sweet taste of victory. — TJD, GMA News

Rating – 9.5/10

Platform: PlayStation 4