loading . . . Nioh 3 Review – A Soulslike anyone can love <p><img alt="Lady Takechyo in Nioh 3." class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" height="675" src="https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nioh-3-cover.jpg" width="1200" /></p>
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<p><em>Nioh 3</em> is the third entry in this long-running Koei Tecmo series, coming six full years after <em>Nioh 2 </em>dropped in 2020. It refines just about every part of the core gameplay experience, expanding it with quality-of-life improvements and a combat system that's fit for just about anyone.</p>
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<p>Its holistic approach to the soulslike genre provides it with a tremendous amount of content, vast open worlds (called open fields) that reward exploration, quests and smaller stories perfect for the traditional RPG fan, and a hack-and-slash and <em>Sekiro</em>-style combat mix to fit any preference.</p>
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<p>It's my first new game of 2026, and man what a start it was. <em>Nioh 3 </em>does just about everything right, and I'm super excited to jump back in as soon as I'm done writing this up. </p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-slightly-different-sengoku-jidai">A slightly different Sengoku Jidai</h2>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="A Tokugawa general kneeling on his spear in Nioh 3. " class="wp-image-1174815" src="https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026022-e1770160353778.jpg?quality=75&w=1024" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Nioh 3 </em>puts you in medias res of Japan's biggest civil war. Screenshot by Destructoid</figcaption></figure>
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<p><em>Nioh 3</em>, like much of Koei Tecmo's games, takes place in historical Japan, starting during the early 17th century a few years after the Tokugawa Shogunate was established. You play as Takechiyo, one of the Tokugawa clan who was supposed to ascend to the rank of Shogun before strange Yokai invaded Edo and burned it to a crisp. </p>
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<p>You're then transported back to different civil wars like the Heian or the Warring States (Sengoku) period, with historical figures like Tokugawa Ieyasu and Takeda Shingen playing significant roles in the story.</p>
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<p>It's a fun take on the usual Samurai setting, changed to fit the game's narrative where challengers for the throne have demons on their side, aiding them to establish a new Shogunate. </p>
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<p>In the wake of this war, you're tasked with helping eradicate the Yokai and bring about lasting peace in Japan, fighting all sorts of monsters, human, monster humans, demons, and anything else you can think of in the process.</p>
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<p>The game places you in huge "open fields," as the game calls them, where you ultimately decide where to go, though the story itself is meant to be experienced in a specific way. But you can more-or-less ignore most of what the game tells you to do and explore at your own pace, leveling up and coming back to continue the plot when you feel ready for it. The maps are very reminiscent of <em>Elden Ring</em>'s in this respect, though they're more streamlined and conventionally separated into leveled zones.</p>
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<p>This doesn't mean you're barred from going to a zone even if underleveled, but it will be a significant challenge to overcome (much like going to Caelid first in <em>Elden Ring </em>would be). </p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="Boss in Nioh 3." class="wp-image-1174814" src="https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20AE441-e1770160282498.jpg?quality=75&w=1024" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Character designs in this game are as close to perfect as they can get. Screenshot by Destructoid</figcaption></figure>
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<p>The maps are filled to the brim with content that rewards exploration and the inquisitive mind. From mini-games chasing cats around to gain powerful upgrades to bases that need capturing to world bosses and epic battles, everything is right there, waiting for you to encounter it. The freedom of how you approach it is a major highlight for <em>Nioh 3</em>, and it truly lets you pick and choose your battles without locking you down to singular approaches.</p>
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<p>There are also various quests you can pick up that show up on maps so you know where to find them but don't hold your hand when they're being solved. In fact, there's no map path taking you directly to the quest either, so the mystery of quests that we've become used to in soulslike games is still there, albeit much more approachable.</p>
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<p>The story itself isn't all that great, and I didn't pay too much attention to it. Though I am a big nerd for the Sengoku and Heian periods, this is so far removed from the actual things that it barely even passes as a Jidaigeki (period story).</p>
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<p>I will say character designs, the Japanese voice acting (the English dub is straight-up horrible), and the grand scale of what's going on play into the vibes of <em>Nioh 3</em>, and those vibes are off the charts. I loved every single bit that had to do with the art style and character designs in this game, whether they're random grunts or huge, imposing dudes like Takeda Shingen and his generals, among others.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-of-the-best-soulslike-combat-ever">Some of the best Soulslike combat ever </h2>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="A demonic boss fighting a Ninja in Nioh 3. " class="wp-image-1174816" src="https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nioh-3-boss.jpg?resize=1024,576" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">You can fight as either a Ninja or a Samurai, switching between them during fights. Screenshot by Destructoid</figcaption></figure>
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<p>While the world and the exploration are great and all, <em>Nioh 3</em>, being a soulslike game, stands out the most with its combat.</p>
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<p>You have two styles: Samurai and Ninja, each equipped with literal dozens of weapons and armor types, as well as full-blown skill trees, combos, martial arts, ninjutsu, you name it. One is oriented around slower, more methodical fights (the Samurai), whereas the other rewards fast-paced, relentless attacks and dodging (the Ninja). </p>
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<p>You can swap between each on the go, and many fights will reward you if you use both at the same time. </p>
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<p>The Ninja can sneak around, use powerful and lightning-fast attacks, dodge to evade, and utilize Ninjutsu (more-or-less spells) to great effect. I spent most of the game as the Ninja, but style-swapping is an important part of the gameplay and some bosses definitely were easier to beat as the Samurai than the Ninja, likely because the former is more heavily-armored and based around turn-taking and defense rather than unstoppable onslaught. </p>
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<p>The Samurai, however, can be played much like you would play <em>Sekiro</em>, highlighting deflections instead of dodging and blocking. This part of the game is so well-done they could've just made it the default setting, though <em>Nioh 3 </em>loves to give you options for everything so this, too, is your own to decide what to do with. </p>
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<p>The spellcasters in the back shouldn't worry either. Even if the game really wants you to play melee, there are many ways to embrace the Samurai Wizard within you with summons, Ninjutsu, and other spells you can find around the game.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="A demonic boss in front of a flaming castle in Nioh 3. " class="wp-image-1174817" src="https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nioh-3-jakatsu-baba.jpg?resize=1024,576" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I had to summon so many times to take down this thing, that is until I figured out she could be parried. Screenshot by Destructoid</figcaption></figure>
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<p>Speaking of summons, <em>Nioh 3 </em>does a tremendous job with its summoning system. You can place down summoning markers and players can bring in your character into their world to fight alongside them (the characters are AI controlled). On the other hand, if you die somewhere, instead of merely leaving a blood pool behind you like <em>Dark Souls </em>does, <em>Nioh 3 </em>turns your death into a summonable revenant that others can fight to gain Glory and even some loot from your character's inventory.</p>
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<p>Don't worry, you yourself don't actually drop anything or get adversely impacted if your dead character ends up losing. The winner, though, can actually earn a lot. </p>
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<p>Of course, no soulslike combat system would be complete without the bosses. To say I loved them would be an understatement, with each boss being very different from the one you'd fought before, with unique abilities, movesets, advantages, and weaknesses. The difficulty also varies, but I didn't encounter any boss that didn't have some obvious or glaring flaw that was just waiting there to be exploited.</p>
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<p>Even the most challenging bosses had something that could be used against them, or a very obvious moveset, or were susceptible to a particular weapon or combination of attacks, and so on. One boss did feel a bit "bullshitty" to me, but I just summoned an AI-controlled friend and we beat him to a pulp (even if the AI died at the half-way point). </p>
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<p>You're also given a powerful shapeshifting ability that charges up as you fight which can be of tremendous help in tough fights. You can regain the bar after dying, making subsequent attempts easier if things go just about right and you're able to change shape and go berserk on the boss. </p>
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<p>Unfair spawns and other aspects of what I consider artificial difficulty were nowhere to be found. As opposed to games like <em>Hell is Us </em>which saw soulslike combat as nothing more than dozens of super strong one-shot enemies in a room, <em>Nioh 3 </em>takes its difficulty very seriously and makes everything as fair as it can be.</p>
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<p>So long as you're around the same level as the enemy, you should have no trouble getting through the challenge, even if it takes you several attempts. </p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-great-for-everyone">It's great for everyone </h2>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="A demonic vista in Nioh 3." class="wp-image-1174818" src="https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/207F3E1-e1770160726224.jpg?quality=75&w=1024" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">It's a world beyond imagining. Screenshot by Destructoid</figcaption></figure>
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<p><em>Nioh 3 </em>is likely going to be remembered as the most universal soulslike out there. It has deflecting for <em>Sekiro </em>fans, a huge open world for those more aligned with <em>Elden Ring</em>, cool and fair boss fights like <em>Dark Souls 3 </em>had, and twisted horror of <em>Bloodborne</em>.</p>
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<p>Quality-of-life improvements and streamlined mechanics make it the most refined soulslike experience I've ever had, and it's going to be tough to return to older titles that do not remove all the horrible and unfair bits like crappy enemy spawns, bad gank fights (looking at you, <em>Elden Ring</em>), repetitive bosses, buggy platforming, and so on.</p>
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<p><em>Nioh 3 </em>can be rough around the edges sometimes in its jumping, platforming, and performance bugs (even though it runs great most of the time). But it's an amazing experience all throughout, despite not having the most interesting of stories.</p>
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<p>But, then again, most Soulslikes don't. </p>
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<p>The post <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/nioh-3-review-a-soulslike-anyone-can-love/">Nioh 3 Review – A Soulslike anyone can love</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.destructoid.com">Destructoid</a>.</p> https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/nioh-3-review-a-soulslike-anyone-can-love/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nioh-3-review-a-soulslike-anyone-can-love
