The most memorable foe I’ve encountered in a video game this year isn’t Elden Ring’s corrupt Valkyrie Malenia, or the other terrifying inhabitants of Land-Between. Bullet Hell’s Lunch Break Game Vampire It’s not bats, zombies, or terrifying ghouls that attack his survivors minutes later. No, the foe that sticks out the most in my mind is Team Ninja’s humble foe in his first half hour of 2020 samurai Soulslike Nioh 2. exactly the same.
Nioh 2’s first level makes a clear statement in every imaginable way. This isn’t a game where you subtly get used to the core loop past the tutorial. Enki fighting in the first “Dark Realm” of the game is a big challenge. He’s just the first enemy who can’t die with his button mash.
The first time I was defeated by this spear-wielding specter, I was a little embarrassed. See, this first Enki is Nioh 2 in a nutshell. If you can beat him, you’ll win the rest of the game, but it won’t be easy either way.
The Nioh series is often described as something of a Team Ninja Soul, and the comparison is well-founded – at least to some extent. Twisting levels with gradual checkpoints, enemies respawning after each ‘bonfire’, and extremely difficult bosses. Beyond this shallow layer, however, we find that Nioh rivals characters like Devil His Mei His Cry more than Elden His Ring and the like in his action games.
The first lesson Enki teaches is a basic one: Enemies hit very hard in Nioh 2. Two chain attacks from an enemy will almost always kill you for the count. Enough, even weaker enemies have 4 or 5 hits…a combo that will rattle you. The second lesson you’re likely to learn is, especially if you’re coming from a Souls game, the rhythm game style of dodging attacks isn’t the way to go in Nioh unless you really know what you’re getting into. I mean, I’m doing it. Instead, it’s best to use blocks to defeat oncoming blows and dodge to get out of the way of large roll-up attacks.
The most important technique in Nioh 2 is “ki pulse”. This is basically a repurposed version of Gears of War’s active his reload. Tapping the right shoulder button at the end of a combo restores most of your stamina (called “ki”). Perfectly timing the pulse also clears out pockets of “dark areas” around it, slowing ki regeneration and making yokai generally harder to deal with. Since every action consumes Ki, it’s no exaggeration to say that Ki equals Nioh’s life.
If that’s not enough, each weapon has three different stances, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and movesets. Low stance is fast and slippery, mid stance excels at blocking and steady combos, and high stance is slow and hits like a truck. Switching stances during a pulse restores a small amount of stamina. This strongly motivates us to study our enemies inside and out in order to punish them appropriately.
One of the big reasons this particular Enki is a stumbling block for many players is that the first battle takes place in the “Dark Realm” area. Unlike the aforementioned pockets, you can’t do anything about these washed-out monochrome sections, which slows down your chi regeneration significantly. However, it also has some advantages. Special Yokai attacks can be unleashed much more frequently than normal, giving the meter time to recharge.
Killing an enemy with Nioh is more than just dropping your HP to zero. All enemies have their own visible ki bar that can be drained by an onslaught of attacks. When it reaches zero, it can either “grapple” the opponent for massive damage, or slam them into the ground for a devastating plunge attack. When you run out of Ki, you become more susceptible to Stunlock, and if you can sustain your attacks, you can completely deplete your Ki Bar’s contours and deal massive damage.
I know this sounds complicated for someone who’s never played the game – and it’s especially compared to the core Souls game’s old Roll and R1. Nioh 2 feels more like a game of learning your opponent’s movesets than just playing alone with your meter and combos. The combination of complex systems and Souls-style mechanics is unmatched, and I’ve played many more popular Soulsy games over the years.
Of course, I’m not saying either Nioh game is a perfect masterpiece. Their level design is often uninspired, redundant, and lacking the engaging and complex lore that elevates the Souls series beyond its own imperfections. Those already interested in the Sengoku period may find the cast of endlessly squealing characters more appealing than I do.
No doubt hundreds of people picked up a Nioh 2 on sale and gave up after this Enki stabbed them a dozen times. , I think it’s an understandable move.Nioh 2 won’t appeal to everyone. It’s an unapologetic “masochist” experience aimed at players who have learned the harsh lessons of Dark Souls and are willing to put them aside in favor of new disciplines.
I would argue that if you play any other Souls game, the first few hours are actually worse in Nioh 2. So many Soulslike games simply take the existing lore and mechanics of these games and put them into proper nouns. In a market that switches between, Nioh is unafraid to stand alone with its own paradigm. And that’s why both games, especially Nioh 2, are worth playing. Of course, if you’re up for the challenge.
The products featured here have been independently selected by the editors. GameSpot may receive a portion of the proceeds from purchases featured on our site.
