Hands On: Is Nioh on PS4 a Cut Above Its Competitors? | Pushsquare

Push Square: "A bizarre pre-release alpha demo for samurai Souls clone Nioh launched on the PlayStation 4 this week, and given that it's one of the rare releases that's piqued both Sammy and Ramsey's attention, we figured that we'd run a dual impressions article on the upcoming Koei Tecmo exclusive."

[Sharingan_no_Kakashi]

I think I would like it more than I like the souls games for a few reasons.

-It's more fast paced, which is great for me because I was always too impatient to finish any of the souls games due to the slow pacing.

-It's got samurai. I've been yearning for a good samurai/ninja game (or anime) and this demo came just in time.

-The weapon skills are cool.

-So far there aren't any monsters that shape like male and female genitals like in the souls games.

[ZombieGamerMan]

How is penis & vagina shaped monsters a bad thing? Also if you want a fast paced Souls game just play Bloodborne, it's pretty much Dark Souls on adrenaline with more blood than that time of the month at a sorority house

[ReesesPuffs]

I love Bloodborne but Nioh can be quite a bit faster depending on your play style. Plus Samurai. Samurai!

[ZombieGamerMan]

@ ReesesPuffs ehh, it's not as fast as Bloodborne, the terrible stamina system brings the combat to a slow fight especially when enemies take too much hits to go down, it's just not that good, kind of wish they had just made a straight up Ninja Gaiden style hack & slasher rather than a Souls style game starring Geralt of Rivia

[q8kik]

This game is faster than Bloodborne.
If your stamina goes down to zero then you're not playing correctly. If you use the Ki pulse mechanic correctly that should never happen.

And fyi that's Sir William Adams, the first western Samurai.

[ReesesPuffs]

@ZombieGamerMan
Use an armor set below 30 percent weight and use the low to mid stances and then tell me it's not faster than Bloodborne.

[starchild]

Ni-Oh is definitely somewhat faster than Bloodborne. The stamina system (Ki) does not slow things down if you're managing it correctly.

In other words.. git gud.

[nitus10]

It's pretty well fast paced like Bloodborne but it's not just the blood of which there are lots of, the game is very gory as well with legs arms and head flying every which way.

I had just finished a Bloodborne Chalice dungeon when I decoded to give the Nioh alpha a go and was quite surprised how enjoyable the game was although the controls are are different to Bloodborne's. I did find the lock-on was a bit odd in that you could run away with you back to the enemy while still locked on. Got slashed a few times for that.

One interesting aspect of the game was the ability of raising the dead as yokai which you can fight and gain some interesting items. You definitely want to check the yokai's level before you do this as they can be quite fast.

[monkeyDzoro]

I'm not even sure most people really understood Nioh's combat which is much more punishing than any "Souls" game. Every useless movement is punished and if you try to play this game like a "Souls" one you'll get your ass kicked. This game is more a mixture of Onimusha universe + Ninja Gaiden combat system + "Souls" levelling system.

And from what I've read, these guys played this game like DKS, and they cannot handle the difficulty. Managing your stamina through KI PULSING (to gain it back instantly) and adequate combo will make the game even more interesting. I've watched many videos/playthrough (to listen to others' opinion) and just two REALLY knew how to ki pulse and use combos.

Those editors at Pushsquare didn't even mention Onimusha/Ninja Gaiden references. Nioh is (IMO) 35% Onimusha + 45% Ninja Gaiden + 30% DKS. All they had in mind was DKS... Which is very very sad. It's like they started gaming last gen.

[q8kik]

"All they had in mind was DKS... Which is very very sad. It's like they started gaming last gen."
Well said! That's also true for most other people too...Which is indeed very sad.

[starchild]

Well said. Honestly, I'm loving the combat in this Ni-oh demo a bit more than the combat in the SoulsBorne games. Which is crazy, because I love those games.

I do think Souls games (DaS3 and Bloodborne at least) have better graphics than Ni-oh, though.

Either way, this game has great potential. I'm really looking forward to the finished game.

[TWB]

No way its faster than the Souls games. I came to a completely different conclusion. Sure the movement is faster but the combat is far more slower paced with quick hits.

You need to use guard alot when anticipating or waiting for the enemy to attack to counter them, but at the same time you need to look out for your stamina and your enemys stamina. You have to be careful who you agro, and you have to switch stance for more appropriate movesets or more optimal damage/stamina ratio for different situations.

I feel that the game is a bit more tactical than the souls games, which adds a different layer to differentiate it from the souls games (and Im glad it does).

[nowitzki2004]

"-So far there aren't any monsters that shape like male and female genitals like in the souls games."

Whats wrong with attacking weak spots?

Hit me in my head I might still be standing, punch me in the nuts and im down for the count.

[hulk_bash1987]

Took a while to get a hang of the combat but my God it is fun. The "fatigue" element makes every move much more thought out. Love it and will be pre ordering as soon as its available.

[JJShredder]

Game still needs a lot of work based on the recent Alpha IMO and I agree with pretty much everything these guys brought up.

Bad
-Frame rate is terrible regardless of settings
-camera is terrible
-lock on is not trustworthy
-all weapons feel klunky....was hoping for more Ninja Gaiden than Dynasty warriors
-stances were promising but weird to work with during actual combat
-animations could use work as well
-clunky controls
-All the dead peoples grave markers were annopying and just detracted from the game itself
-Difficult in a bad way

Good
-Graphics are great other than frame rate
-Nice setting
-Skill tree and looting seems good
-combat has potential and but right now, its a pain

I am hoping this was a real Alpha and a lot of this gets cleaned up before release. High hopes for this game!

[blackblades]

Been playing I don't remember bad frame rate or I just don't pay attention to like other games. It feels nothing like dynasty warriors I blast. The lock on mmm yeah can't trust that he!! can't trust that in most games.

[nitus10]

I had just finished playing a Chalice dungeon in Bloodborne and decided to try this game before going to bed. Four hours later I crashed.

I mostly agree with what you said although I did not find the frame rate that bad. For one on one fights I did not have a camera issue but more than one enemy and the camera was all over the place.

I do agree that the lock on was a bit odd and I got stabbed many times in the back. I sort of got around that by using the lure taunt (sort of like the one in Bloodborne except you either come close then back away or whistle). I think that just having played Bloodborne did not help as the controls are different.

I tried raising the markers (sort of like the red markers in Bloodborne/ Souls) as yokai a few times and got hammered most of the times. I found out fairly quickly that you need to look at the yokai level before you try raising.

It is possible to to get weapons from higher level yokai. I got an Axe which allowed me to take out more powerful enemies with ease, you can even enhance your weapon with magic (mine became a flame axe for a short time) which when used properly can take out multiple enemies. Not exactly sure how I did that since I was getting fairly tired at the time.

Personally I would liken this game to Bloodborne than to a Souls game although they all have similarities. The game is allot more visceral in that head, arms and legs sometimes come flying off your enemies rather than just lots of blood. Now if you add the slow motion kills like you have in The Witcher 3 then you have one Adult only game which will sell very well to allot of teens. 😉

I definitely agree that if the game was a real Alpha then it has lots of potential.

[q8kik]

I agree with almost everything you said except for the combat complaints. Because it sounds like you just need to work on your skills tbh. Saying "weird" and "clunky" doesn't actually explain anything.

[Dir_en_grey]

@JJShredder Change the mode from Cinematic to Action Mode to optimize framerate, it still look amazing. You control the damn camera so how can it be terrible unless you are... well from the rest of what you said I'm pretty sure you are the one terrible at action games.

Cleared both the Japanese and US version, this game is perfect control-wise and difficulty-wise. Don't change a thing KoeiTecmo this game is for Souls lovers who wants a even deeper combat system, a system that rewards players for being good like the stamina regain system, they even go deeper to give you more stamina back on stance switch at the right timing, so many customizable options that just keeps on rewarding you for being good, a celebration of player skills. On top of that they give you the option of customizing and growing your own character. A lot of management like a RPG. This game is so damn fun I really hope the stupid casuals don't ruin the direction of the game because they didn't bother to figure out the controls.

[JJShredder]

Im actually a Soulsborne veteran and have beaten all the games Solo and have 30 years of gaming experience so you all can take the "Sounds like you suck at action games" comments and shove it.

The game doesn't hold a candle to the Soulsborne games right now.....sorry for bursting your bubble.

[Dir_en_grey]

@JJShredder Souls games are more for exploration and this game is focused more on combat, and yes I can tell you suck at it and too lazy or stupid to figure out the combat, hence your complaint. Guess your Souls tactic of level up and power through doesn't work if you can't even bother to figure out the controls. No the controls are not clunky and there is so much more depth and freedom there than Souls games. You seem to not even to be able to handle how to control the camera, it's the friggin exact same as in Souls games or any other action game for Christ sake, YOU control it and look anywhere you want at any time...
So lock on is not a 100% aim only when you don't align yourself up, it's so you can still fight other enemies and do other actions while looking at one direction. You face the lock on and it auto aims, it's not hard to figure out. When you end up fighting multiple enemies at once having player freedom is way more appreciated.

Souls games aren't even hard for people that play them, it's only to those casuals and boasting like this I guess you are just one of them after all. You are basically complaining about the extra freedom given to players because it doesn't hold your hands as much as Souls series. But for actual gamers more freedom to do your actions is way more fun.
Again, Souls is great for exploring and seeing what the world has to offer, even though I love it the combat is getting kinda stale. Anyway the focus of the games are on different parts and you are just complaining because it doesn't copy Souls to the exact.
There are plenty of other easy games out there for you, so go play those and don't try to ruin the chances of the amazing and perfect mechanics making it into the final game by your stupid complaints. Learn the mechanics game by game instead of complaining that not all the games have the same controls so you can just play them brain dead, old timer.

[starchild]

I disagree with most of that.

-"Frame rate is terrible regardless of settings"

The framerate on "movie" mode is indeed terrible. On "action" mode it's still not solid, but it's workable. They're targeting 60fps and hitting it much of the time, so hopefully with some more optimizing they will be able to achieve a fairly solid 60fps. I think they should put in the option to lock at 30fps either way.

-"camera is terrible"

I had no issues with the camera. Except maybe when I was getting mobbed by several enemies and stuck in a corner or something. But the same issue exists in the SoulsBorne games and I'm not sure much can be done to rectify it.

-"lock on is not trustworthy"

Lock-on worked very well for me.

-"all weapons feel klunky....was hoping for more Ninja Gaiden than Dynasty warriors"

Huh? It's just the opposite. Weapons felt awesome and appropriate. Obviously heavier weapons are slower, but they do more damage and are not clunky in the slightest. The swords (Tachi, Uchigatana) feel swift and simply badass to weild.

-"stances were promising but weird to work with during actual combat"

It takes practice. They work well and add yet another layer of depth and strategy to the combat.

-"animations could use work as well"

Some of the animations could be better, but the same is true of the SoulsBorne series and that doesn't stop many of us from loving those games.

-"clunky controls"

Some people think that about the SoulsBorne games too. Visually they might appear kind of clunky. I find, though, that the mechanics and controls are deceptively refined. Same is true of Ni-Oh, you just need to spend some time with it before you realize it.

-"All the dead peoples grave markers were annopying and just detracted from the game itself"

Not very annoying. Maybe they could make the markers a bit less prominent. I absolutely loved fighting the revenant, though.

-"Difficult in a bad way"

No, for me it's difficult in a very good way. Punishing of mistakes, but very fair. This forces you to actually plumb the depths of the mechanics, which is extremely rewarding.

Good
-"Graphics are great other than frame rate"

I love the atmosphere the game creates, but technically I wouldn't call the graphics great. To be honest, it looks like they built the game for PS3 and then later enhanced it with things like dynamic foliage and such.

-"Nice setting"

Yeah, I love the setting.

-"Skill tree and looting seems good"

Agreed. A lot of depth there.

-"combat has potential and but right now, its a pain"

I personally think it's a joy. It's some of the most addictive gameplay I've experienced in a game.

[Sentient09]

Ni Oh looks awesome, since Crapcom isn't doing jack with Onimusha this will be the next best thing

[starchild]

Yeah, it's sad that Onimusha might never come back. I loved those games.

That said, while there are definitely similarities between Ni-oh and Onimusha, they have major differences as well. For one thing, Onimusha was more story-driven, while Ni-Oh is more about the combat. But Ni-Oh does scratch some of the itch left by Onimusha.

Ni-Oh is extremely promising. I am having so much fun with this demo.

[miyamoto]

loving it!

[Paytaa]

The gameplay of the alpha demo seemed choppy but that's expected. I enjoyed Ninja Gaiden in the past and love the Souls games so maybe this will be something I buy. The setting is really cool as well

[Moe-Gunz]

In love with this game. Stuck on the boss. He goes ape **** in his second wave and I'm out of spirit water :(

I'll beat it tomorrow I'm sure.

[Herpofderpopol]

Just wait till the second boss.

[Moe-Gunz]

Here I thought the demo only had one boss lol

[Moe-Gunz]

2nd boss giving me a prison beating.

[Eonjay]

Its difficult but manageable with a little practice.

[Gol3m]

@calmb4thestorm

Clunky combat, meh gameplay and worse graphics. Sounds like you're describing gears of War 4

[Eiyuuou]

Oh? He wasn't describing Lords of the Fallen? AKA Clunky Souls?

[Realms]

This game is brutal the learning curve is harsh but oddly enough satisfying definitely had to walk away and put it down after getting demolished. However much like the DS and BB it has the risk reward aspect that I found kept me coming back for more, this will definitely turn some people off.

I was wondering if DS3 was as difficult as NiOH anyone that has played both know?

[Rob_Ko]

DS3 is waaaay easier. It's hard to die there untill you reach first boss, in NIOH first bandit can screw your day.

[galmi]

Brilliant game, been playing for some few hours now, I've met the final demon i think. sure its damn hard but its quite satisfying when you get your wits about you and start kicking butt. I love taking on revenants hehe

[philm87]

Pretty much sold on this. It's like a really good variation on a souls game. Love the amount of loot that's dropped, reminds me of Diablo 3. Combat is awesome, particularly with all the variations and combos. Definitely better on Action mode with the better frame rate.

Only things I'd change are the durability of the items, would be better if these recovered at shrines. Also would like it to auto lock on to the next enemy.

[CrimsonWing69]

I tried liking this game I just can't. The game mechanics weren't explained properly, can't attack while holding the block button, the stamina gauge depletes way too fast, and fighting anymore than a single enemy you get killed in a couple hits.

Those are just my personal issues, so people that grasp the game and are liking it, more power to ya. I really wanted to like this game.

[Herpofderpopol]

If you really wanted too you should take another whack at it. It rewards those with patience, most of the early item pickups basically take the form of tutorial messages from ds. The stamina bar can be replenished after each combo using r1 at the right time. And taking on multiple enemies can be made easier using strategic quick retreats and the Spears middle stance. Keep going my friend you will find the fun you seek.

[Trez1234]

I know exactly what u mean and it was the same to my cousin when he tried demon souls. I find it a little easier to get into coz by now, I can say I'm used to these " dying " games.

But the combat is really good n really sumarai like. They need to tight few things up without a doubt but in terms of potential, it's right up there

[shammgod]

Nioh look good din a muh!

[Darkfist]

as someone who played bloodborne and loved it, this game isnt fun at all with the stamina depletes fast(even when lv it up) with that little animation being tired, add that with the fast gameplay then suddenly get tired makes it annoying, they shouldv made the gameplay a little slower like dark souls 1.

[DivineAssault]

Really looking forward to this.. I hope it turns out good

[isarai]

This game felt aweful at first till i realised how to utilize the stances and that this game is even more punishing than Dark souls. Then diving deaper into all the small minutiaes of the combat and Ki system i then found it to be a whole different beast but still just as addictive and satisfying. Especially love the barehanded sword grab you can do when unarmed, hard to pull of but awesome, went from interested to sold hands down. Definitely picking this upp right after i beat Bloodborne and Dark souls (i can only handle one of these games at a time)

[Realms]

Finally beat the demo this game got me hooked definitely picking this up. Once you get used to the nuances and get a feel for it is very enjoyable even with it's steep learning curve.

[tulholdren]

Another day 1 Sony exclusive like what I have played some more fine tuning would be nice