Nioh: Complete Edition Review (xxadonisxx)
Team Ninja's Nioh: Complete Edition is a masterclass in disciplined action-RPG design, blending historical fantasy with punishing, precise combat. This package bundles the base game with all three DLC expansions—Dragon of the North, Defiant Honor, and Bloodshed's End—creating a deep, challenging, and often exhilarating samurai experience.
Nioh thrives on its complexity. You’re not just hacking away at yokai and samurai—you’re constantly managing stances, Ki (stamina), weapon familiarity, and elemental effects. Combat is fluid yet deliberate, rewarding calculated aggression over button mashing. Each enemy encounter, from lowly bandits to grotesque demons, feels like a mini-boss if you're not focused.
The loot system echoes Diablo in its depth—sometimes to a fault. You’ll be swimming in gear within hours, which can become overwhelming without meticulous inventory management. That said, the ability to forge, soul-match, and inherit stats adds a satisfying layer for loot optimizers.
Set in a fantastical version of the late Sengoku period, the game follows William, a Western samurai loosely based on the historical William Adams. The story is a blend of real Japanese history and mythological fiction, with a surprisingly earnest tone. While the narrative can feel fragmented—especially if you don’t read the lore entries—the atmosphere and world-building are rich and unique.
Nioh isn’t a graphical showpiece by modern standards, but it more than compensates with style. The creature and level designs are steeped in Japanese folklore, ranging from misty graveyards to burning castles and snowbound battlefields. The aesthetic is consistent and evocative, even if reused assets and some flat textures occasionally break immersion.
The PC port runs solidly now, though it launched with some technical hiccups. Keyboard and mouse controls are serviceable but not ideal—this is a game that sings with a controller. The "Action Mode" and "Movie Mode" let you prioritize framerate or visuals depending on your setup, and ultra-wide support is a welcome touch for modern displays.
Nioh: Complete Edition demands patience and precision, but the payoff is immense. It's not for the faint of heart, and the steep learning curve may turn some players away. But for fans of Soulsborne, Onimusha, or Sekiro, this is an essential journey into a brutal, beautiful version of Japan’s warring states era.
Rating: 9/10