Nioh 2 is an action RPG video game developed by Team Ninja and distributed by Koei Tecmo Games. Although the name suggests a sequel, the game is actually a prequel to the original Nioh, set in late 1555.
Originally released On March 13, 2020 on PlayStation 4, a PlayStation 5 version will be included in The Nioh Collection which will contain both chapters with all DLCs and will be released on February 21, 2021. Nioh 2: The Complete Edition instead, it will land on Steam on February 5, 2021.
We at Binfogamer.com, today we will talk about this latest version, for which we would like to thank Koei Tecmo Games, as they have provided us with a copy of the game.
If you are curious to know what we think, you just have to read our review.
On the hunt for Yokai
Set in the late 1500s, the plot of Nioh 2 arises chronologically before the events of Nioh. Players will take on the role of a character nicknamed Hide, a half-yōkai, whose journey into the Sengoku era will begin by making friends with Tōkichiro, a merchant and demon hunter, eager to make his mark on history by selling Amrita.
In Nioh 2, therefore, we will not have a default protagonist like that of William Adams of the first chapter. Our avatar will be "only" the son of a valiant Samurai and a noble Nigitama, one of the most benevolent Yokai in existence. At the same time, the group will be approached by Kashin Koji, a mysterious entity involved in Hide's past that will hinder them on every occasion.
Once a new game has started, the first thing to do will be to customize our character, choosing his gender and physical features with a rich, complex and layered editor.
As for the story we are light years ahead of the story of the first chapter, and for those who have played the latter will also find pleasant surprises, like the presence of characters already seen during William's adventures.
Yokai… if you can't defeat them, join them!
Similarly to its predecessor, Nioh 2 is an Action RPG, in which once you have decreed the features of your avatar you will face increasingly difficult missions, you will have at your disposal a remarkable variety of weapons, and new skills as the game progresses.
Whenever you defeat a hostile yōkai, you may get "soul cores" that will allow you to use the abilities of the yōkai and transform into them briefly after they are stored in the sanctuary.
Scattered around the maps we will find the "Tombs of Mercy" through which players can summon up to two avatars of the other players, controlled by artificial intelligence, which will assist you in combat.
An unconvincing disciple
Inside the package of the PC version of Nioh 2 there are all three additional paid content, released over the months on PlayStation 4.
The first content, the disciple of Tengu, takes place almost four centuries earlier than the main story. The story will begin with Hide coming into contact with a peculiar mythological artifact, which will catapult us back in time, taking us to the distant 1185, between the Heian e Kamakura.
The location is that of Genpei war, with the protagonist who will find himself involved in the events that will lead him to collaborate with the legendary Yoshitsune, historical warrior of the clan Minamoto. The first thing that catches the eye is that the latter, just like the protagonist, is a half Yokai. Within the narrative will also make the appearance Benkei, who has a deep connection with Yoshitsune.
Unfortunately, this first DLC is rather banal and meager both in content and in the plot, not even allowing to bond too emotionally to the two characters, despite their melancholy story. Fortunately, due to the lack of longevity of the content, the new first weapon present in Nioh 2 comes to the rescue: the Composite Bo.
Il Bo Composite is a stick-like weapon, fast and snappy, which will allow you to create a countless sequence of endless combos. It is still one of the deadliest weapons when well accompanied by magic.
Even the Bosses present are very few and not too difficult. We would have expected greater aggression from the fearsome Uminyudo. Fortunately, the countless side missions manage to patch up the narrative and content gaps in the main story of the Disciple of the Tengu.
When the capital does not see the light
As for the Darkness in the capital, the second additional content of Nioh 2, we will meet again during the period Heian, an era central to Japanese culture, as it is considered to be the one with the greatest influence.
And it is in this context that the historical figures of Minamoto no Yorimitsu e Abe no Seimei. The former was reimagined as a demon hunter, the latter as a wizard of devastating power. Their aim is to free their land from the clutches of demons and finally bring an age of peace.
Unfortunately, the narrative sector is once again very weak, especially when compared with what is seen in the additional contents of the first chapter. Although at first it seems to arouse good interest, the narrative is truncated and finished in a banal and hasty way.
Also this time we find a new weapon, i Tekko brass knuckles, which allow you to devastate enemies with bursts of close range combo, which will allow us to consume the opponent's Ki in a short time. Although the clashes can last longer with this weapon, it guarantees us an aggressive approach even against the most resistant enemies, thanks to the altered statuses that we can inflict.
Impossible not to appreciate the mention to another brand made in Koei Tecmo. In fact, these gloves seem to be a very strong tribute to those used by the good old man Ryu Hayabusa di Ninja Gaiden.
An interesting mechanic is that of the "Stone of Constriction", which once charged with Amrita, will allow us to obtain a loot of Divine quality or higher.
This mechanic dramatically increases longevity for those looking for the perfect equipment, or for those who want to farm in order to create different builds for each type of weapon. The only negative is that the stone will empower our enemies, making the clashes more and more difficult, but in turn increasing the quality of the loot.
Hide's farewell
Probably the last additional content is the most successful and compelling one. The First Samurai proposes an interesting story that ends in a dignified way, adding a considerable amount of hours to the main production.
Once again we will find ourselves projected into the past, precisely in the eighth century, before the birth of the first real Samurai. The burden of the story is to close the narrative circle that began with "The disciple of the tengu". Once the DLC is finished we will finally have a complete picture of the events of Hide, reconnecting to the events of the main story of Nioh 2.
The longevity of the story stands at five hours, dividing into only two fairly long and demanding missions. The bosses present gave us a hard time, but we had fun above all thanks to the unique and dynamic mechanics present during the clashes.
Even those who have reached the level cap of Nioh 2 will often find themselves in the death screen. The First Samurai leaves no way to anyone, not even the most experienced players.
We were pleasantly surprised by the appearance of Nyotengu, character belonging to the universe of Dead or Alive. Within the content there is also a veiled reference to the ninja Hayabusa, but we leave you the pleasure of discovering where this “easter egg” is.
This time too it comes into play the abyss, a series of plans where we will have to use all our fighting skills to continue. Each floor will allow us to equip up to four blessings and as we advance in this tortuous descent, the enemies will become more and more aggressive.
For each enemy killed, we will have points that we can invest in enhancing our character. These 108 floors present a considerable difficulty, which will make true lovers happy of the challenges that only Team Ninja can give.
Even higher performance
PC configuration:
- CPU: Ryzen 5-1600X 3,6GHz
- GPU: AMD RX 580 8GB
- RAM: 16GB 2400MHz
As mentioned at the beginning, the one reviewed is the Steam version, and we can tell you that it is an excellent port. PC users will in fact have some additional features such as: a complete customization of mouse and keyboard, compatibility with gamepads, support for 4K Ultra-HD, compatibility with Ultra Wide screens, support for HDR and 144Hz monitors with 60/120 FPS mode.
In-game footage will be capped at 30fps in 16: 9. The only demerit note is that during the movies the audio jumps in some situationsThis problem will probably be fixed with some future updates.
In conclusion
In conclusion, Nioh 2: The Complete Edition is an excellent title which includes both the base game and all the released DLCs, increasing the already excellent longevity, maintaining an above average difficulty and a layered and complex combat system.
We certainly recommend the title to anyone who appreciates the genre or is looking for a challenging challenge. If you manage to overlook some slight technical smudging you will find yourself in your hands one of the most beautiful titles signed by Team Ninja.
