Nioh Alpha Demo Impressions

Soon after my character set foot on the village shore that begins the Nioh alpha demo, I noticed a small gathering of glowing swords sticking out of the ground. As I approached them, they displayed names that were obviously user names of other unfortunate players. As Nioh is expected to be derivative of Dark Souls, I activated a grave, expecting to see a player ghost re-enact how they had met their end. Instead, a phantom of that player appeared and slaughtered me in a single unexpected blow.

I took this to be an upfront reminder that Nioh has its own ideas and wants to be more than Dark Souls with a Japanese aesthetic.

On the whole, Nioh presents a familiar gameplay frame—combat-heavy exploration, strong and capable enemies, and spread-out respawn points in the form of shrines. Enemies drop amrita (synonymous with soma or ambrosia) which can be spent at shrines to level up your character. As you progress, you will almost certainly die and leave behind a grave containing all your amrita, which you have one chance to collect—should you die again before collecting your grave, it all vanishes into the ether. If this is starting to sound too familiar, read on, because it all diverges from here.

Before you get a chance to die, you will notice Team Ninja’s signature controls as you approach the first bandit looting a home in the decimated fishing village. The character moves almost weightlessly on the field and performs snappy step-dodges. Even when locked in combat the player moves freely, only slowing when guarding. Though the player can spend ki (what might be associated with energy or stamina) to sprint, the normal run speed feels fast, inviting rushing and carelessness.

Combat is equally fast and more complex than the competition, which makes fights more harrowing but victory all the more sweet. Success requires quick and intelligent thinking, as enemies will often rush down players and take full advantage of opportunities—a winner can be decided in a single combo which can be frustrating. Simply put, the highs are higher, and the lows are lower, perhaps too low.

There are quick-access buttons for two melee weapons, a bow, and three slots for quick item use. Within a single weapon, players have many options in the form of three stances. Each opens unique movesets for situational purposes such as wide sweeps, short jabs, leaping crushes, and simple cuts. Every move expends ki, which will leave the player winded and open to attack for a short time when emptied. This is typically a death sentence, as enemies are quick to capitalize on openings.

Enemies wield similar weaponry and strategies to the player, seeking openings and exploiting advantages in numbers when available. Like the player, enemies have both health and ki, which enables players to identify key moments to press the attack, as well as employ strategies for exhausting their opponents. Some foes will keep the player on edge, expanding their movesets as the battle becomes more desperate. These fallen foes will reward the player with amrita, gold, items, and a bevy of equipment that will add up over time.

Nioh comes from the loot-fest school of Diablo when it comes to equipment. As many enemies use the same types of equipment as the player, almost all of them will drop some type of gear you can use in varying quality colors with a wide range of passive boosts. This is absolutely a good thing, as weapons deteriorate at an above-moderate pace, and restorative whetstones are somewhat uncommon. Five types of weaponry are clearly outlined in the systems, each with distinct attacks and stances: swords, spears, axes, ninjitsu, and onmyo magic.

The different types of equipment align themselves to specific stats, and players will quickly find themselves deciding how to build their character soon after starting. Mercifully, the menus have a dedicated button for studying details with convenient tooltips, though the majority of player stats should be familiar enough to be understood at a glance.

Stats can be increased at shrines with escalating amounts of amrita per point. Your character will level up with each stat increase, and also gain skill points. These points can be spent in skill trees for each weapon type, unlocking new combo branches, parries, passive bonuses, and other customizations.

Shrines are also where players will respawn, trade extra equipment and items for more amrita, invite other players into their game, spend gold for short-term blessings, and even select a guardian spirit. There are four spirits to choose from in the demo, providing passive boosts such as increased ki damage, elemental resistance, or even enemy detection on the mini-map. Additionally, it is worth noting that the shrine menu is where the spirit of camaraderie appears to live—examining the graves of other players prompts their phantoms to attack you, as I learned within minutes of beginning the game.

In its current form, Nioh’s alpha demo shows a lot of promise and a great depth of customization. There will be inevitable comparisons to From Software’s output, which Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo must have been prepared for from the start. Nioh is simultaneously less forgiving than its mentors while attempting to be more inviting. The speed and aggressive nature of combat will appeal to those who felt even Bloodborne to be too slow, but also invites sloppy play and a quick death. Skill trees and spirits may allow players to have more unique experiences, but could ultimately feel unnecessary in the long run. I am personally a big fan of the Japanese-inspired aesthetic and the adrenaline-pumping combat. Nioh absolutely belongs on the radar, but it has yet to be seen whether Team Ninja’s take on the style of game will appeal to the audience Nioh wants to attract.