Nioh 3 review: The best Soulslike (and character creator) in years

Developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo, Nioh 3 is at once both bitterly dark and beautifully vibrant. Letting players tear through the world with their fighting style of choice, it’s a Soulslike built on flexibility.

From dual combat to a wonderful character creation suite, I’ll be keeping it spoiler-free, so no need to worry about key lore details here. Here’s why it’s one of the best Soulslikes in recent years.

The Escapist recaps

• Nioh 3 is a dark, action-packed samurai Soulslike from Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo, placing players in the shoes of Tokugawa Takechiyo, in line to become the next Shogun.
• The game world is suitably vibrant and deadly, with hordes of bloodthirsty yokai looking to chomp on the protagonist as they fight for their life and position as Shogun.
• Without spoiling it, the story is intense and rife with betrayal, but it manages to feel grounded and character-centric despite the mystical, timeline-altering themes woven throughout. 
• Combat is a huge part of Nioh 3, with two striking playstyles – Ninja and Samurai. Ninja combat is fast-paced and agile, while Samurai combat is heavier but feels more impactful.
• Other than a couple of frame drops on the character creation screen, performance was smooth and reliable with Nioh 3. The game looked exquisite, with a vast, open-field world to explore, and the interface was intuitive and easy to navigate. 

Both mystical and deadly 

In Nioh 3, you play as Tokugawa Takechiyo, in line to become the next Shogun. While there is a defined protagonist, you’re able to completely alter their appearance to an almost ridiculous level, nail polish and all.  

If you’re a fellow character creation fan, you’ll likely be able to spend your first hour or two in-game on this alone. There are options to keep things lore and world-accurate, but you can also opt for a more modern spin on a character if desired. 

Once you’ve picked out the perfect appearance and build, you’ll be able to hop straight into the throat-slashing action. The game kicks off with a training sequence that sets you up to take your position as Shogun smoothly – but, as you might expect from the series and genre, things don’t go quite as planned.

It’s not long before things spiral out into a mess of fire and blood, with hordes of yokai and enemy soldiers to deal with as you fight for your life. 

Enemies range greatly in their attacks and weapons, with some favoring slow, heavy attacks, and others moving more nimbly; the first shot of a yokai leaping down from a rooftop in the opening sequence was genuinely intimidating. 

You’ll get the option to fight in the Samurai or Ninja style, with a variety of weapons to choose from, ranging from dual swords to hatchets. 

You’re able to tab between both attack styles fluidly in combat, accessing two unique builds, sets of weapons, and Guardian Spirits. I preferred the dual swords approach as the animations were exquisite and the movement felt wickedly smooth, and there’s a longbow, which you’ll get in the early stages of the game, that adds a new level of depth to the combat and helps deal with foes at range.

The game follows an open-field approach, taking the player through several key moments in the timeline and through a plethora of new zones. Instead of being open-world, the game still has a somewhat guided approach through missions and myths (side quests), but feels expansive and well-structured at the same time.

Exploration felt great during my time with Nioh 3. While there was a clear and defined path to follow, I felt rewarded each time I stepped off it and hunted around an area for new treasures or enemies to battle, gaining improvements to my version of Takechiyo, or just improving my skills.

Story-wise, I was pleasantly surprised by how intimate Nioh 3’s story felt. Games that feature high stakes in their lore – battles for dominance, evil demons, altering time  – can sometimes lose their characters amidst all the magic and mayhem. 

While there was certainly no shortage of dramatic and intense moments, the characters felt well-crafted and believable. The way other characters reacted to the protagonist cemented their importance in the story, but there were still moments where false niceties would slip, or etiquette would be missed. 

If you’re worried about missing crucial lore as a first-time Nioh player, I’d say this game holds up as a newcomer. While it is worth dipping into the other games for the full experience, you’ll still be able to enjoy this game without completing both Nioh and Nioh 2 beforehand. 

Stylish and rewarding 

Combat is at the heart of Nioh 3. It features a dual combat system, as mentioned, letting players move seamlessly between Samurai and Ninja fighting styles whenever they please. 

Samurai combat is slower but heavier in its approach, with multiple stances and a melee focus. In contrast, Ninja combat is much swifter, with evasive maneuvers and Ninjutsu long-range attacks or special abilities. 

It is technically possible to run through Nioh 3 with just one fighting style, for the most part, but you’ll have the most fun if you experiment with unique builds for both fighting styles. Swapping between Samurai and Ninja felt smooth and intuitive, and it made the combat experience feel much more dynamic as a whole.

On top of this, swapping at the right time results in a Burst Break – when an enemy begins an undodgeable attack sequence, swapping strategically lets you break their attack chain. 

Visually, the flair in the Ninja style of combat is remarkable. I favored dual swords throughout my first run of Nioh 3, and the animations for these Ninja-style weapons made it hard to switch off of them.

The animations in Nioh 3 are brilliant as a whole, though. Despite its darker subject matter, it manages to remain relatively light in its palette – it’s dark, but there are moments of vibrancy that make it feel more layered than more drab genre contemporaries. Enemy designs are fantastic, too, with all manner of snarling maws, too-long necks, and gigantic forms that swamp the player. 

Playing on a base PS5, I was impressed with how well it runs, too. There are two priority modes – I ran the game prioritizing FPS – but there are smaller ways to tweak the visual experience, including turning motion blur on and off. 

In terms of performance, Nioh 3 ran well and looked solid throughout, with an intuitive interface and smooth movement. I encountered a few odd frame drops on the character creation menu, but other than this, I didn’t notice any performance problems during my time with the game.

Nioh 3 was a treat to explore as a fan of Soulslike games with well-developed worlds. Whether you’re a fan of the series or a Soulslike lover looking for a new title to rip through, chances are you’ll get a kick out of this title. 

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