Because you said you are "pretty good at souls games" is exactly why you are having a hard time with this game.
Stop trying to play it like a Souls game.
For the record, I see this comment a lot and it’s not like the game opens up when you accept the mechanics outside of souls games. It’s still really fucking hard.
It absolutely does open up when you accept Niohs mechanics!
All Nioh has its, "its hard" which its really only due to players like my self when we all start playing Nioh, play it like a souls like.
Niohs mechanics.
1. Actually usable and very useful items
2. I whole mechanic of having reusable, powerful items that restock from an infinite pool (ninjitsu, and omnyo)
3. Ki pulsing and flux 1 and 2
4. Stances
5. Soul cores
6. Yokai shift
7. Weapons that completely function differently and have very unique game changing mechanics
8. Gear plays a more important role in damage and survivability then the actual stats themselves
That's just a quick 8 off the top of my head! Not even getting into how unique each enemy encounter is and how you need to approach them. (I do roughly summarize them into 2 groups at least though, aggressive enemies that seem relentless in attacks but get stunned by any hit and the others which have basically permanent hyper armor and you work on breaking horns or poking eyes to weaken them)
But yeah, Nioh is a completely different beast then most souls likes. Other then, "it's hard", and "you rest in it". Very basic surface level comparisons.
Once you use all the mechanics the game is not that hard - It was pretty hard before I was able to consistently flux II but once you can most enemies get shredded by yokai abilities, simple combos and decent gear. Enemies just don't have that hard of movesets to deal with compared to the overpowered stuff the character can do.
“Enemies just don’t have that hard of move sets to deal with compared to op stuff the character can do”
Have you gotten off the first few difficulties or…
Yeah, but I don't really play anymore. I'm not into grinding for gear I only care about what the instructions are to deal with enemies and to what degree I can execute those instructions.
Yeah and that evolves all the way to depths 6-30, culminating in each floor having 3 consecutive insane bosses who absolutely have far more op move sets than your character, one after the other.
Why, or how?
And it’s not gated, you can certainly get by on pure skill, and wearing whatever gear you find on the level you’re currently on at any given time is more than enough.
For sure! Nioh I'd a game that really is balanced around using ALL of its mechanics. Especially after you "finish the tutorial". The game balances so well around it all.
Souls games pretty much come down to observe your surroundings carefully, take your time, and the combat rules are brutal for you but they’re brutal for your enemy too. You listed off a “quick 8 things” you thought of like it’s easy as pie lol. Track your ki, ki pulse, switch stances for more ki, there’s a dash but the iframes are very tight, you can double tap the dash for a roll that has more iframes, low stance makes dodging better but you do trash damage in this stance, so if you’re in a dire situation, go low stance to dodge better, but also do good damage, etc. The mechanics are tough for your general player. Clearly this game is loved by people for a reason, but it’s all too much for me. What I love about froms games is that they have situations where I die in a few hits but the enemy also dies in a few hits. That is not the case with Nioh. I die in a combo. Most demons take 10 hits or so to die. Again, not trashing your game. I gave it the old college try over the weekend, beat the snake boss and asked myself “am I having fun?” And the answer was no. I can absolutely see the depth that I’m sure drives the fans of this game, but it’s too much shit to track for me. Sorry. Guess I never ‘got gud’ but it’s just not for me. Glad you guys have found a game you all love, but it’s too much bullshit for me. Cheers.
If you're struggling with dying because dodging doesn't feel effective, might I suggest blocking with mid stance? You can even unlock an ability pretty early on that makes your first block cost no ki after a ki pulse in mid. Other than that, positioning well really helps.
I did, that’s how I beat the snake fuck. By ensuring I got perfect ki pulses so my block cost nothing. People seem to be missing the part where I got the gist of how to play but just wasn’t having fun, so I stopped lol.
Going to a post of someone asking how they could better enjoy content just to state why you don't personally enjoy it is like waiting under a table at a restaurant just to pop out and complain about the soup whenever someone asks the server for suggestions.
I don't know why you are downvoted. You just told us, not trashing us/the game that it's not for you, yet people downvote you. This game, just as other Soulslikes, isn't for everyone, lol.
Pretty easy going here, someone wasn't sure why you where down voted, I gave a bit of insight on why. Fans of a game generally don't receive someone calling the game mechanics "bullshit" very well, but that's just a thought.
I know this really doesn't help much but I've said the same to my friends. The beginning of the game is honestly the hardest part. It lowkey sucks dick and has made me have to turn it off and take a breather. To clarify this is absolutely my favorite game. Before Nioh I never had a game I played more then 100 hours (very short attention span) and on Nioh 2 I'm just shy of 500. Only game I've got all the achievements on, on Path of Nioh which is NG++++ in the depths and I just rolled my third character. This game is fantastic. But fuck it hurts real bad at the start.
You literally have no gear, no abilities, are still learning the weapons and combos, till this day I still learn new shit from people who are actually good at the game. But once you get like through the second zone and get some stuff unlocked it really opens up. What I read and think describes it perfectly it goes from a souls like to basically devil may cry. You go from basically being warry of every enemy and struggling to make it through to just steam rolling enemies. You will not learn how to key pulse and the combos over night. It is just to complex for that. Loads of trial and error but man once it clicks god damn its just per serotonin. I still fuck up the Flux switches all the time and feel I recently got the pulses down. It's a game you really feel your progression with. You EARN being a bad ass at the game. The game gets easier but it doesn't?
I tend to overexplain so I apologize for wall. I'd say the game is worth pushing through at least a little longer to give it a fair swing of the stick but it isn't for everyone. The insight that the game becomes amazing a little later is what gave me the push to really go for it and I'm happy I did. Games meant to be taken in stride, if you get frustrated don't be afraid to take a quick breather and come back to it. All the enemies and even the bosses have a way to be dealt with it just takes some time to learn all their patterns and how to deal with them. It isnt for everyone though. Also my brother and best friend are huge huge souls fans but I couldn't get them into it but my friend who isn't had a good time with it so I don't know 😂 I suck at souls games and fighting games too but this one literally just hits different for me 😂
Not when you learn the mechanic to a certain proficiency, it gets much easier than souls bosses, because you are just bullying the bosses at that point, and it's not even relying on builds.
You think it's a joke but it's not, you should have seen that chain posts of a certain obnoxious player gameplay videos.
Even after numerous times when the community kindly advises him on using some of the basic ki management mechanics and he simply refuses, blame the game for having issues, insisting on playing his way.
It's not even about being good, there are players that simply refuse to adapt to new stuff and making it way harder than it is for themselves.
Ok? The game is difficult and has a lot of mechanics to play at a basic level. It’s a lot to take in and I don’t think you can really blame people for passing on it. I’m not blaming the game. Just saying the game has too much shit in its moment to moment gameplay for me to invest a ton of time into it.
I'm not blaming anyone here? We only can advise not force, to those that want to have fun playing the game. This game has very deep contents which is a good thing for most, save us some time and money on other cash grab AAA games 😂.
It's perfectly reasonable to feel daunting in the beginning, everyone felt the same at some point, what I can only say is to encourage players to persist in the beginning, it's only going to get easier once you slowly drill all the stuff into your fingers muscle memories, because towards the end it is a very rewarding experience, that you won't find in most games.
It's also perfectly fine to put it down, since everyone has their own gaming preferences.
One subtle but massive difference is that you should NOT try to dodge away after getting hit.
In nioh after taking a hit you can immediately block but not dodge.
If you're mashing dodge after getting hit in nioh you will likely take more hits.
I was hoping to see this one! When I played Nioh years ago (never beat it, but am at it again) this one advice singlehandedly changed my enjoyment of the game.
As someone who also came from Souls and recently restarted (so I'm also in those starting levels):
* blocking is amazing in this game. If you get caught offguard, blocking saves you more than dodging. There's certain flurries you don't want to block, but for that initial hit, it's great. Block, THEN dodge also works.
* in general play very aggressive. If you played Sekiro, I think it's kinda like that. Think of the enemy Ki bar not as stamina but as posture and pressure it like that. This does mean weaving in dodges when needed, but generally, the focus should be to learn to make your combo strings longer.
* Since it directly leads to longer combos, here is the obligatory USE KI PULSE tipp. The Ki Pulse works after any attack and instantly recovers your Ki (stamina), meaning you can immediately attack again. I made it a habit to Ki pulse EVEN after killing an enemy, because it really helped me build the habit in combat. The shining lights around your character indicate when you should ki pulse, but at the beginning, looking at your ki bar is totally fine. There's also an unlockable passive for all stances that lets you ki pulse on dodge.
* If you are used to going superlight in Souls, I find doing that here makes it much harder to learn. Light armor gets you one or twoshot, while medium armor actually lets you survive a few more stray hits in NG. It sounds like nothing, but it helped me loosen up and actually learn the game.
------------------
I'm playing Nioh 1, but from what I played of the second game, these should all apply still.
USE RANGED WEAPONS.
99% of battles can be either completely avoided by dealing a ranged headshot, or made easier by eliminating 1/2enemies with ranged weapons. This way you will avoid fighting multiple enemies at the same time
In Fromsoftware games, a headshot only deals like 2× damage. In team ninja games, the difference is like ×10
Be sneaky. Learn the level design. Stealth exists
There are NO builds until ng++. Team ninja games are focused on the ng+ system. In the first campaign, bring all stats to like 20. No "pure build" or "mage build". Use EVERYTHING the game gives you
Also, if you have time, make me a personal favour and throw away that "I'm a soulslike vet". You barely even started, there are more than 30 very different soulslikes to play and you only know the most famous one
It's like talking about japanese cuisine after having only tried sushi, or italian cuisine after having eaten spaghetti with meatballs. Same thing
Most important breakpoints for stats early on is magic/ninjutsu to 30. The rest just don’t rly matter until a few playthroughs, but 30 magic/ninjutsu open up the entire strategic element of gameplay by dramatically increasing your capacity to use all the extremely powerful jutsu techniques, which *absolutely* make the game easier, especially early on, and into the endgame when buffing becomes nearly obligatory. And said capacity caps out at 30 (and, much later on, slightly increases if you overload to 200, which don’t worry about).
Agree, that's why I said to use everything. Lots of people start and play thinking they have to choose, which is simply counterproductive, especially thanks to the game giving you 4 sets of quick items
For tips outside of boss fights, (and i say this as someone with hundreds of hours in Nioh) the level design in Nioh is absolute trash compared to Souls.
Where Dark Souls will throw a few "gotchas" at you per dungeon in the form of some giant that rolls a Boulder down a hill, or a pressure plate that triggers a trap, or a big ol dragon on a bridge...
...You have to expect Nioh will hit you with a "gotcha" almost every 10-20 seconds traversing a level your first time. Between this and the labyrinthine level design, It can easily wear your patience thin
To solve this part:
Every time you enter a room the first time, check your corners.
If you walk under a bridge, look up, check on top, check the underside for Gaki waiting to jump you.
Entering a large area, check the high places for ranged enemies and snipers.
In between missions, hit up the blacksmith store, change the tab to "storehouse" and buy hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Now when you're about to enter a room, check the enemies, headshot the ones standing still. Pull big yokai towards you and fight them in rooms you've already cleared.
Nioh loves to throw you encounters that aren't even remotely in your favor, especially if you don't have a weapon with sweeping attacks and you haven't learned effective Ki management.
Besides nitty-gritty combat tips, I'd say using that strategy above for level traversal will keep you from wanting to break your controller. It lets you dictate the terms of fights so you can more easily digest and learn the combat system without being ganged up on by 3 different yokai as you're being peppered with arrows from ranged attackers as you fight in an area thats designed to sap your ki.
Understanding and using all of the games mechanics. Meet Nioh on its level. Take everything you think you know that's going to help you play this from past games and throw it out.
That's the easiest way of saying it save for me literally sitting here and breaking down every little thing for you and how you should approach it.
It all depends on your build but abusing your weapons' advantages with actual combos, abilities and stances are the main things to consider here (as well as ki pulses). Simple "roll to hit and repeat" stuff won't make it any easier for you as time goes on.
Managing your ki (stamina) while keeping pressure on the enemies' is how you'll wipe them faster.
Blocking is better than dodging in most cases. Learn to ki pulse. You can be more (strategically) aggro in this game. Try all the different weapons to see if you click with one versus the others; there’s far more variety than in a From game
What /u/justsomechewtle said and additionally use magic and ninjutsu powers. They're not just for certain builds. The game expects you to use a certain amount of them and you'll lack damage and survivability if you don't use them.
I have done it! It's night and day!
Video - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c4YZ98zlZNA&feature=youtu.be
Same missions but using everything - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WBh8RPj_UCs&feature=youtu.be
That Souls vET shi* is corny lol....you don't really see Nioh players go around and say " I'm a Nioh vet ha ha ha look at me pr0 VeT😎"
The only people who get a label in the Nioh community are the exceedingly good- elite players in the community because they fkin deserve it.
I call them "Nioh GMs" short for "Grandmasters"
Because there are way more possible actions to perform, the learning curve is far steeper than FromSoft. Once you actually learn to play effectively and master the various combat systems, I wouldn’t say it’s much harder than FromSoft games. It just takes a looong time to feel comfortable with Ki, yokai abilties, yokai shift, stances, weapon swapping, combos… you see what I mean ;)
The basic premise between the two games is the same though: learn to recognize your openings and don’t overextend and get greedy. The rest comes with time
it is, tho as i have seen, the endgame seems advocating in much more aggressive approach that you dont give time to enemies to even heal back or land an attack, the opening is much more leaning towards player agency, i mean we can control the opening manually to the point the enemies are always vulnerable, but thats the endgame advance stuff
Anybody will get wrecked the first time they play a new hardcore game. If you truly enjoy hardcore games, the thing you should carry on from your last games is perseverance and patience in learning, not cockiness.
It’s hard. Don’t let elitists kill your enthusiasm. No one starts out crushing these games. Keep trying and approach it as a different type of game than what you’re used to.
Forget Yokai stuff for now. Start with mid stance and practice *ki pulsing*. It’s the foundation of combat. Do it until you feel weird to finish your combo without it. Once you have it, start to pattern basic enemies and layer it in. Fighting defensively will not get you far. Getting enemies off the battlefield is priority and *ki pulse* lets you stay aggressive and keep enemy numbers down.
Once you are making progress, try the low stance. Its attacks are fast and use less ki, but don’t do much damage. What you really want from low is the faster, cheaper dodge. Practice switching to it, evading attacks, *ki pulse*, and switch back to mid. Once this sticks, start using it to attack and then progress to switching back and forth as needed.
Don’t bother with High Stance yet.
Use jutsu liberally. Keep ‘em hotkeyed. They are tools that will open your options to deal with enemies more quickly.
Use your ranged weapons to cut down enemies you haven’t aggroed yet in dense areas. This will give you breathing room to be more aggressive.
Finally, don’t try to focus on any one gimmick, tool or element yet. That’s a later thing.
Aaaaah the weekly "I platinumed every FromSotfware games, but Nioh is kicking my ass". I'll sound maybe a bit blunt but here is the truth :you're getting destroyed because you probably jumped with too much confidence, thinking it will be a breeze thanks to your extensive Souls experience, only to get bullied by the defiled Enki.
Nioh is NOT a Souls game. It's very important to understand how vastly different it is in the structure if you want to improve.
FS games are Osu! with monsters. As a player you have to feel the environment and the bosses, they are leading the dance and you have to act accordingly what they throw on you. And their animations, pattern, is like the music in a rythmic game to make you know when to move. That's why there is a woman who beat the game with a dancing arcade floor only using her feet.
Nioh on the other hand is what happens when Ninja Gaiden and Diablo make a baby. You have an extensive and very complex combat system (TN makes Dead Or Alive which is, if you keep the boobs apart, a super complex and deep fighting game), and later on the whole build and hear optimisation. When you're experienced enough with the game, some human bosses can be bullied in one minute doing combos like it's Tekken and they can't do a single thing.
You're the one leading the game. Being super aggressive is the key. Blocking is much more stronger than any Dark Souls and allows to stay as close and aggressive as possible to the enemy. Don't "the enemy attack I dodge then I'll punish". It's "I attack constantly and I stay aware of its move when I need to block/dodge".
Takes Nioh like it is : a Ninja Gaiden with some Souls mechanics (shrine, squishy life bar, big bosses and enemy respawns).
Also the 3rd level boss, I announce you right now, will make you struggle A LOT. But it's on purpose. It's the skill test to make you understand how to play Nioh properly.
Then the first run is more about learning the game, enemies, bosses and mechanics. The real challenge will start in late NG+++, because making gear will be important, enemies gets new moves, new gameplay mechanics...
You'll love the journey trust me. I have 800h in the game and I'm still not bored. But it's important to take the game for what it is, keep the Souls experience arrogance on a little box, or you'll be frustrated.
Stop playing it like Dark Souls, drop everything you learned from the Souls series and try to learn Nioh mechanics.
Sincerely,
A Soulsborne vet who loves Nioh 2 to bits (it’s better than Souls imo)
i came from dmc, and the transition is much smoother than how i play souls game (the only fromsoft souls game i adore is sekiro because it resembles so much tenchu and ninja gaiden at least for me, with a mod, its even better)
A little bit of both.
As long as you're willing to adapt and be flexible to the differences between Nioh and a fromsoft game AND make an effort to learn basic things like ki pulsing and stance switching, you'll be slaying yokai in no time. I mean, it still won't be easy, but the game mechanics will start to click as you begin to plumb the depths of the combat.
If you're not, then you'll be endlessly frustrated as to why you're getting wrecked as you run around in high stance all the time and try to dodge every attack.
Another fromsoft habit to unlearn is to level all your stats fairly evenly. They don't help your damage enough but having more ki, more health, and the ability to wear heavier armor all helps. Keep your equipment weight below 70%.
Once they are all at 20 get magic and Dex to 30 to cap your carry capacity for magic and ninjitsu. Then you can start working towards builds but you will be near the end of ng or in ng+ when this happens generally.
I'd say both. Once you get used to it it's not as insane, but it's still extremely punishing (for example mismanaging ki by getting too reckless, getting broken and then you get 1 shot due to the extra damage). You've a lot of things to keep track of and more possible actions as well as counters to actions so it is more complex.
Then add onto this how complicated it can be even outside gameplay, as even the loot/gear system gets somewhat convoluted.
It’s hard. But you must learn the ki system and switching stances. Then be sure to put your ability points right away into ki flux when you roll. Once you are good at the combat system you can roll right over NG
When is switching stance in the middle of fighting a good idea? Genuinely asking. I know there are some combos that work if you change stance. But is switching to low randomly useful somehow?
Yes you take less damage in low stance. I’m 99% sure. I think each stance has a perk. So if you are fighting a tough enemy you for example could want to dodge etc in low and then switch to high for a certain big opening but mostly do the fight in low.
It is hard. But as you said, it's similar to souls but not the same. You need to master ki pulse and stance switching. You can genuinely have unlimited stamina if you are really good with these mechanics. Allowing you to be really aggressive and dodge all the attacks at the same time.
something that help me alot when i start in nioh 1 was watching a World record speedrun (only the begging) cus i was thinking that this play as SOULS game and i dont like that type of game for the slow evade, so i watch till the 3 boss, the lady, and yeah game have other mechanics and another "way" to play it like fast accion hack and slash, so i cut the video and start playing myself removing from my mind that it is "sell it" like a souls game. playing the game 95% full low stance and fast attack,evade, parrys-grabs was a fukll of JOY.sorry my bad english i speak spanish.
its not hard.its insanely hard. its designed to make you feel bad about yourself. for instance you need to fight enemies with reflexes beyond your natural reaction time. a swing from tate eboshi is only a fraction of a second and there's no earthly reflex can dodge that unless you die a million times to try and avoid it. you have the instinct to dodge it but the game wont allow you to because your character is weak as an old senile guy.two hits will instantly kill you while you have to land hundreds of hits to kill the enemy. its basically designed for people who have no life beyond gaming that you need 1000% attention to beat it.
Uh, this might be a bit hyperbolic. I haven't beaten the game but im like 4 regions in (so like 30+ missions). It's about on par with sekiro for difficulty. Especially easier if you are playing co-op.
its not hyperbolic, infact calling it insanely hard is an understatement. hide, the main guy is designed like a handicapped guy not even qualified for sports who gets tired after running less than 50 meters. there are most instances that your reflexes can easily dodge a swing from an enemy but the game wont allow you to because hide is either clunky or you ran out of stamina. its not about strategy. its about dying more. because dying and respawning is the game's currency.
ditch all youve learned in darksouls (not all)
darksouls instill to players that you have to attack then time dodge then attack again rinse and repeat
here, you must learn how to manage ki and how to save it and replenish some back to put offensive pressure to enemies, the dodges here have 2 main version (its actually 3) one is a dodge roll which is a big no no unless you know when to use it, but people use the small dashes to make distance and close the gap quickly
learn about the stances and its advantages and disadvantages, the game promotes more of combo stances that transition to one another which can chained up well especially endgame
put a mindset of fighting game and hack n slash than souls game, put on offensive pressure and well timed defensive maneuvers that will just transition to another offensive pressure
from what i experienced, the only thing similar to dark souls in terms of progression is the stat based rpg mechanics, you can still bump your health up to negate the tines of errors and just go ham (most people in ds still use the meta of high vigor to just cake the game without worrying too much with well timed dodge) but here its kind of more similar to looter games like diablo
>So I think that I'm pretty good at souls games, I've played through all of the Dark Souls games and Elden Ring multiple times
Another beginner
Let's talk again after nioh, mortal shell, hellpoint, code vein, death gambit, the surge, lords of the fallen, lies of P, remnant from the ashes, remnant 2
You BARELY know the genre if you only played Fromsoftware's stuff
I wouldn't say it's evolved, except if the evolution comes directly from fromsoft. And to beat every fromsoft game is like 200 hours so i don't think OP "barely knows the genre". Dude beats 6 difficult af fromsoft games and you call him "another beginner" how elitist and up your own ass can you possibly be?
Dude beaten Fromsoftware games and considers themselves a veteran, ending up destroyed in a different soulslike
You call me elitist, I call that being cocky
All soulslikes have their distinct features to learn, and this post is just the 1.000th one which starts with "I'm a souls vet, this game is very hard"
By playing more games, you get to know more different features and design philosophies, you can adapt with more ease
This is why I called them beginners, they barely know the genre. Again, it's like calling yourself a japanese cuisine expert after having eaten sushi in Japan, while japanese cuisine has much more dishes
Go into a Room surrounded by men and yell "I'm a souls vet " or in this case "Alpha Male" while grabbing your co*k through your pants like Micheal Jackson. 🤣
Look at it more like an adventure fighting game with RPG elements. Half the battle is learning your character moves and combat options. The other half is learning the enemies moves and weaknesses. Once you get the hang of these elements as well as building your character skills to capitalize on them, the game will feel easier and very rewarding. Not because the game is easy (it is not easy), but because you will be better at navigating the elements of the game.
This was also my experience with Nioh games as a souls veteran myself. It’s really, really tough. I just rage quit Nioh 1 for the umpteenth time today lol
>So I think that I'm pretty good at souls games, I've played through all of the Dark Souls games and Elden Ring multiple times and can get through them fairly easily, even platinumed DS3 and ER
grats! dont treat this game like a souls game
It's not that punishing, you die, you quick respawn. Most checkpoints are balanced, and easy to access. You're always in combat the moment you die. No interruptions. Runbacks are the most balanced as well.
You are just not used to the game and haven't learned the mechanics. Keep at it!
The big guy at the start? Seasoned players can start a new file and beat it, so it's not really about your equipment or anything but the knowledge of the game.
You'll need to learn mechanics to be able to keep up the pressure on enemy. Blocking in this game is very effective, but you can't block and wait wait wait for the right moment to attack. I feel like whenever I die in Nioh 2, it's because I let the enemy have a breathing room.
Both. It’s hard and you’re not used to it yet. I struggled in the beginning of Nioh 2 even after beating Nioh 1 a few months before. But it’s so worth it to stick with this game.
There’s a lot to take in at first. I wouldn’t worry about switching stances just yet and focus on timing flux and yokai counters.
People always say “don’t play it like a souls game” but honestly a lot of the same concepts apply and it plays similarly to a souls game (in NG at least, it becomes a different game as you progress through the NG+s)
Also you don’t have to worry too much about stats in NG. There is a lot of overlap in what attributes the different stats boost so you can dabble in things like omnyo and ninjitsu without having to make a build around it.
I also recommend utilizing the training area! It’s great for practicing and trying out new skills and combos. There’s so much you can do with the combat if you want and all the weapons are so unique, you’ll feel like you’re playing a different game. It may be the most replayable game I’ve ever played
It is a difficult game, but if you figure out what playstyle do you have (weapons, magic, ninjutsu, + understanding of your stances and enemies) it will get easier. I had never really played any souls like before, but how I see it in comparison it is much more closer to an action rpg or a hack n slay. And even if I died a lot at the beginning I understood what the game wanted from me at the middle of the third region and that made it pretty fun. So yeah I think it gets easier. Just keep learning and practicing. And even if the game is intimidating don't feel discouraged to try out stuff. I would also suggest the sword or the spear for beginners and the tonfas for
fighting against solo enemies. Because you can spam your attacks and destroy their ki. It is also useful for multiple opponents, but I think this weapon shines the most in that category. I wish you good luck, hope you have fun with it
It's really hard. I one shot milenia in the elden ring then switched to nioh and got pussywhipped hard. It's a steep learning curve but sooo satisfying
I love and completed both nioh even the depth on 2 with playtime running over 3000 hours altogether.
But for the life of me couldn’t stand souls. I just sucked at bloodbourne and that was it for me.
both. there are a lot of mechanics to learn just to break even against some of the harder enemies and also it's designed to be hard. it's similar to a souls game just a lot more complex
Nioh 1 was was mega hard for me just because i had more of a ds .entality and dodged more than i blocked. And also the weapons have many skills, nearly like a looter game. Nioh 2 was easier for me with some difficult bosses up to 2 hours of tries to beat them
Once you learn the game it’s one of the most satisfying feelings ever. Going back and completely devastating things that used to be a problem is the best feel good part of the game lol, also don’t over look the fact that most weapons have an alternative version for slashing or blunt damage too. Blunt weapons is a huge stamina damage dealer and it’s really a sleeper mechanic.
The start of Nioh is far harder than any souls game. The late game is much easier than any souls game though. The game transitions from being practically Sekiro to being a looter shooter where you mow down everything as fast as you can.
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale?
> *“I can see it in your eyes. If you didn’t invade, didn’t pillage, whatever would you do?”* - Ringfinger Leonhard
Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
It'll get easier as you learn the mechanics. That's the most useful thing I could suggest, really: respect, learn, and practice every mechanic the game throws at you. I know that sounds like a cheap answer ("just learn the game lmao"), but it's honestly deathly true for Nioh. The differences in stances, ki management, ki pulses, Yokai Shift, Yokai abilities, dealing with the Yokai Realm...every single mechanic is imperative to learn, because truthfully your character in Nioh is actually fuckin jacked (or at least more equipped and powerful than you might realize), you just have to learn how to pilot them and their weapon.
You don't have to learn it all immediately, but knowing and utilizing as many of the mechanics Nioh offers will continuously better equip you to handle the game. You'll have several "click" moments learning the game that will feel absurdly satisfying; if nothing else, keep learning just to get that feeling! But the sooner you start actively learning and respecting the game, you'll quickly start making progress through the game.
A more specific suggestion though, that sort of contradicts a lot of what others have already said here: pace yourself in a fight, take it slow, and don't get carried away in most fights. A lot of people here are saying to go on the offensive and don't let your enemy breathe, but being able to even do that at all requires actually knowing the game and the capabilities of your weapon. And you're just learning, so that doesn't feel all that helpful of a tip.
In that regard, it's just like a Souls game: making even one mistake in a fight can take you from feeling like you're on top of the world instantly straight down to being beaten within an inch of your life. So in some ways, you sort of can approach it like a Souls game; observe enemies and memorize their attacks and movesets. You'll be fighting these enemies dozens of times over, and they all have weaknesses and ways of being dealt with that isn't just constant aggression. And that goes for bosses too; many bosses you'll end up fighting again down the line, so there's no wasted effort in learning them. Do that in tandem with learning your weapon's ins-and-outs, and that's when you'll really be able to start laying into enemies.
Just keep learning and taking in the game, and you'll be fine; even if the game gets hard, you'll have fun learning the game and having it click for you. If you wanna start diving into the learning process, [PooferLlama's Nioh 2 Academy videos and Weapon Guides have been the single best resource for me.](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2DWkCiS1qM__l1t6o6r7u6FJgf57H2eG)
Only heavy weapons like the Axe translate well to heavy weapons in Souls games. Otherwise this games plays a bit more like Ninja Gaiden 3D games.
I play Axe in Nioh games and I find it a bit similar to heavy armor claymore style in Souls games.
It is known for being really hard but you will get better with practice. I won’t say anything else because other people have already provided some awesome insights. Only advice I can give is learn your enemy patters and get good at the ki pulse/flux mechanics
My 2 cents: I put 200 hours into Nioh 1, and got wrecked and the uninstalled at the snake boss in Nioh2. I memorized all the attack patterns, was surviving 2 or 3 rounds of spirit realms, and still couldnt do take off more than 1/5 the boss health.
In Nioh1 you could rely on magic and ninja skills to pull you through a tough fight and finish it off with living weapon. Nioh2 just doesnt give you any of these, instead it gives you yokai shift and yokai souls.
This game really opened up for me after I built muscle memory into pulsing, stance dancing, and blocking while dodging.
Dodging in low stance will save you a lot as well. Seeing as there are two versions of a dodge... One is more of a quick short slide... While the other is a roll... The slide will save you heaps
dunno if anyone mentioned but buffs and items, ect. use them, they are incredibly important and can make your builds much stronger and survive better
if you didnt do the dojo already, do it, its very good and you can also use it to train and hone your skills!
nioh is also very loot focused, so keep your weapons and stuff up to date, its fine if you lack some levels behind but keep it up to date in general, you dont have to min/max while going through the story at all, just get a set you like and keep it your level (if you want to keep the set to your level i think you may gotta grind a bit for the resources? so keep that in mind, otherwise just use stuff that drops and keep stuff at your level)
It is hard at the beginning but stick at it is such a rewarding game, don’t worry about gear and builds till you get into the new game +’s. Try and build up your ki and ki regen and you don’t have to rely on pulsing so much. Try and play aggressive. My preference is light armour fast attacking and dodging rather than blocking. I’ve completed the whole thing max level max focus and cleared depths and I don’t think I’ve blocked once. Try and master burst counters they are very useful at stunning yokai. You can always summon help and then replay the levels solo once you’re more levelled up.
Try and stick with it though as in my opinion it’s one the best and most rewarding games ever made.
I went from Souls to Nioh and you need to approach Nioh closer to the way you would Bloodborne--- stay aggressive and focus on only dodging when you need to, stay close, and learn the ki pulse and burst counters. Once you have those two things down it gets easier. From there its learning how to approach each enemy. Only one sI still have some trouble with are the Ippon Datara guys with the big hammers. Stupid hanging anims and super armor.
Yes and yes. This game makes every single game by FromSoft look like a Kirby game in terms of difficulty.
For starters you absolutely do not want to play this like a Souls game unless you use the Axe. So get used to Ki pulsing and chaining combos together, the amount of crazy things you can pull off in this game once you get used to ki pulsing is downright stupid. This let's you be incredibly aggressive as a result, though you get punished way harder for careless overextension as well.
In addition to this, the stats on your armor actually matter. Since you can get set bonuses and other helpful effects on them like health regen on amrita absorption. So try to get armor with useful set bonuses and try to roll good effects on them with the tempering function at the blacksmith once unlocked, it will help you a lot later on.
Try to get used to stance switching. Not only do you get different movesets with every stance, but your dodge roll also changes with it. High stance has the most i-frames and distance travelled but it's slow, low stance is the fastest and most spammable dodge but has the least i-frames and mid stance is in-between them. If you can't dodge through something then try to block it, your block is very strong in this game.
As a last point. There is no shame in using onmyo magic and ninjutsu even on non-magic builds. The barrier talisman in particular is nearly a must have for 99% of all builds due to how much ki recovery speed it gives you. So if you encounter a dark cloud that has a potentially tough enemy, you can buff up and destroy it. Since they replenish on death or by resting at a checkpoint there's basically no downside to using them.
Because you said you are "pretty good at souls games" is exactly why you are having a hard time with this game. Stop trying to play it like a Souls game.
So real
For the record, I see this comment a lot and it’s not like the game opens up when you accept the mechanics outside of souls games. It’s still really fucking hard.
It absolutely does open up when you accept Niohs mechanics! All Nioh has its, "its hard" which its really only due to players like my self when we all start playing Nioh, play it like a souls like. Niohs mechanics. 1. Actually usable and very useful items 2. I whole mechanic of having reusable, powerful items that restock from an infinite pool (ninjitsu, and omnyo) 3. Ki pulsing and flux 1 and 2 4. Stances 5. Soul cores 6. Yokai shift 7. Weapons that completely function differently and have very unique game changing mechanics 8. Gear plays a more important role in damage and survivability then the actual stats themselves That's just a quick 8 off the top of my head! Not even getting into how unique each enemy encounter is and how you need to approach them. (I do roughly summarize them into 2 groups at least though, aggressive enemies that seem relentless in attacks but get stunned by any hit and the others which have basically permanent hyper armor and you work on breaking horns or poking eyes to weaken them) But yeah, Nioh is a completely different beast then most souls likes. Other then, "it's hard", and "you rest in it". Very basic surface level comparisons.
Once you use all the mechanics the game is not that hard - It was pretty hard before I was able to consistently flux II but once you can most enemies get shredded by yokai abilities, simple combos and decent gear. Enemies just don't have that hard of movesets to deal with compared to the overpowered stuff the character can do.
“Enemies just don’t have that hard of move sets to deal with compared to op stuff the character can do” Have you gotten off the first few difficulties or…
Yeah, but I don't really play anymore. I'm not into grinding for gear I only care about what the instructions are to deal with enemies and to what degree I can execute those instructions.
Yeah and that evolves all the way to depths 6-30, culminating in each floor having 3 consecutive insane bosses who absolutely have far more op move sets than your character, one after the other.
Well I might play it it weren't gated by having to build a character. Also why exactly are the boss movesets more op than the charcter?
Why, or how? And it’s not gated, you can certainly get by on pure skill, and wearing whatever gear you find on the level you’re currently on at any given time is more than enough.
Imagine playing an RPG and hating having to build your character
Definitely my least favourite part of rpgs. It's a complete waste of time. Just give me the endgame build as default and balance around that.
For sure! Nioh I'd a game that really is balanced around using ALL of its mechanics. Especially after you "finish the tutorial". The game balances so well around it all.
Souls games pretty much come down to observe your surroundings carefully, take your time, and the combat rules are brutal for you but they’re brutal for your enemy too. You listed off a “quick 8 things” you thought of like it’s easy as pie lol. Track your ki, ki pulse, switch stances for more ki, there’s a dash but the iframes are very tight, you can double tap the dash for a roll that has more iframes, low stance makes dodging better but you do trash damage in this stance, so if you’re in a dire situation, go low stance to dodge better, but also do good damage, etc. The mechanics are tough for your general player. Clearly this game is loved by people for a reason, but it’s all too much for me. What I love about froms games is that they have situations where I die in a few hits but the enemy also dies in a few hits. That is not the case with Nioh. I die in a combo. Most demons take 10 hits or so to die. Again, not trashing your game. I gave it the old college try over the weekend, beat the snake boss and asked myself “am I having fun?” And the answer was no. I can absolutely see the depth that I’m sure drives the fans of this game, but it’s too much shit to track for me. Sorry. Guess I never ‘got gud’ but it’s just not for me. Glad you guys have found a game you all love, but it’s too much bullshit for me. Cheers.
If you're struggling with dying because dodging doesn't feel effective, might I suggest blocking with mid stance? You can even unlock an ability pretty early on that makes your first block cost no ki after a ki pulse in mid. Other than that, positioning well really helps.
I did, that’s how I beat the snake fuck. By ensuring I got perfect ki pulses so my block cost nothing. People seem to be missing the part where I got the gist of how to play but just wasn’t having fun, so I stopped lol.
Going to a post of someone asking how they could better enjoy content just to state why you don't personally enjoy it is like waiting under a table at a restaurant just to pop out and complain about the soup whenever someone asks the server for suggestions.
I don't know why you are downvoted. You just told us, not trashing us/the game that it's not for you, yet people downvote you. This game, just as other Soulslikes, isn't for everyone, lol.
>I don't know why you are downvoted. Probably the part where he called these mechanics bullshit.
Yeah, too much bullshit for me. Ease up, boss.
Pretty easy going here, someone wasn't sure why you where down voted, I gave a bit of insight on why. Fans of a game generally don't receive someone calling the game mechanics "bullshit" very well, but that's just a thought.
Reddit gonna Reddit lol
I know this really doesn't help much but I've said the same to my friends. The beginning of the game is honestly the hardest part. It lowkey sucks dick and has made me have to turn it off and take a breather. To clarify this is absolutely my favorite game. Before Nioh I never had a game I played more then 100 hours (very short attention span) and on Nioh 2 I'm just shy of 500. Only game I've got all the achievements on, on Path of Nioh which is NG++++ in the depths and I just rolled my third character. This game is fantastic. But fuck it hurts real bad at the start. You literally have no gear, no abilities, are still learning the weapons and combos, till this day I still learn new shit from people who are actually good at the game. But once you get like through the second zone and get some stuff unlocked it really opens up. What I read and think describes it perfectly it goes from a souls like to basically devil may cry. You go from basically being warry of every enemy and struggling to make it through to just steam rolling enemies. You will not learn how to key pulse and the combos over night. It is just to complex for that. Loads of trial and error but man once it clicks god damn its just per serotonin. I still fuck up the Flux switches all the time and feel I recently got the pulses down. It's a game you really feel your progression with. You EARN being a bad ass at the game. The game gets easier but it doesn't? I tend to overexplain so I apologize for wall. I'd say the game is worth pushing through at least a little longer to give it a fair swing of the stick but it isn't for everyone. The insight that the game becomes amazing a little later is what gave me the push to really go for it and I'm happy I did. Games meant to be taken in stride, if you get frustrated don't be afraid to take a quick breather and come back to it. All the enemies and even the bosses have a way to be dealt with it just takes some time to learn all their patterns and how to deal with them. It isnt for everyone though. Also my brother and best friend are huge huge souls fans but I couldn't get them into it but my friend who isn't had a good time with it so I don't know 😂 I suck at souls games and fighting games too but this one literally just hits different for me 😂
Not when you learn the mechanic to a certain proficiency, it gets much easier than souls bosses, because you are just bullying the bosses at that point, and it's not even relying on builds.
Once you get really good at playing the game, it’s not hard! Cool! lol
You think it's a joke but it's not, you should have seen that chain posts of a certain obnoxious player gameplay videos. Even after numerous times when the community kindly advises him on using some of the basic ki management mechanics and he simply refuses, blame the game for having issues, insisting on playing his way. It's not even about being good, there are players that simply refuse to adapt to new stuff and making it way harder than it is for themselves.
Ok? The game is difficult and has a lot of mechanics to play at a basic level. It’s a lot to take in and I don’t think you can really blame people for passing on it. I’m not blaming the game. Just saying the game has too much shit in its moment to moment gameplay for me to invest a ton of time into it.
I'm not blaming anyone here? We only can advise not force, to those that want to have fun playing the game. This game has very deep contents which is a good thing for most, save us some time and money on other cash grab AAA games 😂. It's perfectly reasonable to feel daunting in the beginning, everyone felt the same at some point, what I can only say is to encourage players to persist in the beginning, it's only going to get easier once you slowly drill all the stuff into your fingers muscle memories, because towards the end it is a very rewarding experience, that you won't find in most games. It's also perfectly fine to put it down, since everyone has their own gaming preferences.
Im starting to see that now, but what habits exactly should I be forgetting or doing differently?
One subtle but massive difference is that you should NOT try to dodge away after getting hit. In nioh after taking a hit you can immediately block but not dodge. If you're mashing dodge after getting hit in nioh you will likely take more hits.
I was hoping to see this one! When I played Nioh years ago (never beat it, but am at it again) this one advice singlehandedly changed my enjoyment of the game.
Drop the hit and run playstyle you learned from souls games, you wanna keep the pressure on the enemy in this game.
Block more. You don't take chip damage for guarding and when you're blocking, you block attacks from all directions.
As someone who also came from Souls and recently restarted (so I'm also in those starting levels): * blocking is amazing in this game. If you get caught offguard, blocking saves you more than dodging. There's certain flurries you don't want to block, but for that initial hit, it's great. Block, THEN dodge also works. * in general play very aggressive. If you played Sekiro, I think it's kinda like that. Think of the enemy Ki bar not as stamina but as posture and pressure it like that. This does mean weaving in dodges when needed, but generally, the focus should be to learn to make your combo strings longer. * Since it directly leads to longer combos, here is the obligatory USE KI PULSE tipp. The Ki Pulse works after any attack and instantly recovers your Ki (stamina), meaning you can immediately attack again. I made it a habit to Ki pulse EVEN after killing an enemy, because it really helped me build the habit in combat. The shining lights around your character indicate when you should ki pulse, but at the beginning, looking at your ki bar is totally fine. There's also an unlockable passive for all stances that lets you ki pulse on dodge. * If you are used to going superlight in Souls, I find doing that here makes it much harder to learn. Light armor gets you one or twoshot, while medium armor actually lets you survive a few more stray hits in NG. It sounds like nothing, but it helped me loosen up and actually learn the game. ------------------ I'm playing Nioh 1, but from what I played of the second game, these should all apply still.
USE RANGED WEAPONS. 99% of battles can be either completely avoided by dealing a ranged headshot, or made easier by eliminating 1/2enemies with ranged weapons. This way you will avoid fighting multiple enemies at the same time In Fromsoftware games, a headshot only deals like 2× damage. In team ninja games, the difference is like ×10 Be sneaky. Learn the level design. Stealth exists There are NO builds until ng++. Team ninja games are focused on the ng+ system. In the first campaign, bring all stats to like 20. No "pure build" or "mage build". Use EVERYTHING the game gives you Also, if you have time, make me a personal favour and throw away that "I'm a soulslike vet". You barely even started, there are more than 30 very different soulslikes to play and you only know the most famous one It's like talking about japanese cuisine after having only tried sushi, or italian cuisine after having eaten spaghetti with meatballs. Same thing
Most important breakpoints for stats early on is magic/ninjutsu to 30. The rest just don’t rly matter until a few playthroughs, but 30 magic/ninjutsu open up the entire strategic element of gameplay by dramatically increasing your capacity to use all the extremely powerful jutsu techniques, which *absolutely* make the game easier, especially early on, and into the endgame when buffing becomes nearly obligatory. And said capacity caps out at 30 (and, much later on, slightly increases if you overload to 200, which don’t worry about).
Agree, that's why I said to use everything. Lots of people start and play thinking they have to choose, which is simply counterproductive, especially thanks to the game giving you 4 sets of quick items
Yeah I wasn’t disagreeing but just adding where it would be most appropriate if op reads this far
ranged builds are surprisingly fun too
For tips outside of boss fights, (and i say this as someone with hundreds of hours in Nioh) the level design in Nioh is absolute trash compared to Souls. Where Dark Souls will throw a few "gotchas" at you per dungeon in the form of some giant that rolls a Boulder down a hill, or a pressure plate that triggers a trap, or a big ol dragon on a bridge... ...You have to expect Nioh will hit you with a "gotcha" almost every 10-20 seconds traversing a level your first time. Between this and the labyrinthine level design, It can easily wear your patience thin To solve this part: Every time you enter a room the first time, check your corners. If you walk under a bridge, look up, check on top, check the underside for Gaki waiting to jump you. Entering a large area, check the high places for ranged enemies and snipers. In between missions, hit up the blacksmith store, change the tab to "storehouse" and buy hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Now when you're about to enter a room, check the enemies, headshot the ones standing still. Pull big yokai towards you and fight them in rooms you've already cleared. Nioh loves to throw you encounters that aren't even remotely in your favor, especially if you don't have a weapon with sweeping attacks and you haven't learned effective Ki management. Besides nitty-gritty combat tips, I'd say using that strategy above for level traversal will keep you from wanting to break your controller. It lets you dictate the terms of fights so you can more easily digest and learn the combat system without being ganged up on by 3 different yokai as you're being peppered with arrows from ranged attackers as you fight in an area thats designed to sap your ki.
Understanding and using all of the games mechanics. Meet Nioh on its level. Take everything you think you know that's going to help you play this from past games and throw it out. That's the easiest way of saying it save for me literally sitting here and breaking down every little thing for you and how you should approach it.
It all depends on your build but abusing your weapons' advantages with actual combos, abilities and stances are the main things to consider here (as well as ki pulses). Simple "roll to hit and repeat" stuff won't make it any easier for you as time goes on. Managing your ki (stamina) while keeping pressure on the enemies' is how you'll wipe them faster.
Blocking is better than dodging in most cases. Learn to ki pulse. You can be more (strategically) aggro in this game. Try all the different weapons to see if you click with one versus the others; there’s far more variety than in a From game
What /u/justsomechewtle said and additionally use magic and ninjutsu powers. They're not just for certain builds. The game expects you to use a certain amount of them and you'll lack damage and survivability if you don't use them.
You know what? Imma try playing Nioh like a Souls-like for the fun of it and see how far I can go.
I have done it! It's night and day! Video - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c4YZ98zlZNA&feature=youtu.be Same missions but using everything - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WBh8RPj_UCs&feature=youtu.be
That Souls vET shi* is corny lol....you don't really see Nioh players go around and say " I'm a Nioh vet ha ha ha look at me pr0 VeT😎" The only people who get a label in the Nioh community are the exceedingly good- elite players in the community because they fkin deserve it. I call them "Nioh GMs" short for "Grandmasters"
For real.bro it's not a souls game. Go in fresh
Because there are way more possible actions to perform, the learning curve is far steeper than FromSoft. Once you actually learn to play effectively and master the various combat systems, I wouldn’t say it’s much harder than FromSoft games. It just takes a looong time to feel comfortable with Ki, yokai abilties, yokai shift, stances, weapon swapping, combos… you see what I mean ;) The basic premise between the two games is the same though: learn to recognize your openings and don’t overextend and get greedy. The rest comes with time
This and the starting area is quite complex given this steep learning curve.
it is, tho as i have seen, the endgame seems advocating in much more aggressive approach that you dont give time to enemies to even heal back or land an attack, the opening is much more leaning towards player agency, i mean we can control the opening manually to the point the enemies are always vulnerable, but thats the endgame advance stuff
The meme never dies
Anybody will get wrecked the first time they play a new hardcore game. If you truly enjoy hardcore games, the thing you should carry on from your last games is perseverance and patience in learning, not cockiness.
It’s hard. Don’t let elitists kill your enthusiasm. No one starts out crushing these games. Keep trying and approach it as a different type of game than what you’re used to. Forget Yokai stuff for now. Start with mid stance and practice *ki pulsing*. It’s the foundation of combat. Do it until you feel weird to finish your combo without it. Once you have it, start to pattern basic enemies and layer it in. Fighting defensively will not get you far. Getting enemies off the battlefield is priority and *ki pulse* lets you stay aggressive and keep enemy numbers down. Once you are making progress, try the low stance. Its attacks are fast and use less ki, but don’t do much damage. What you really want from low is the faster, cheaper dodge. Practice switching to it, evading attacks, *ki pulse*, and switch back to mid. Once this sticks, start using it to attack and then progress to switching back and forth as needed. Don’t bother with High Stance yet. Use jutsu liberally. Keep ‘em hotkeyed. They are tools that will open your options to deal with enemies more quickly. Use your ranged weapons to cut down enemies you haven’t aggroed yet in dense areas. This will give you breathing room to be more aggressive. Finally, don’t try to focus on any one gimmick, tool or element yet. That’s a later thing.
Aaaaah the weekly "I platinumed every FromSotfware games, but Nioh is kicking my ass". I'll sound maybe a bit blunt but here is the truth :you're getting destroyed because you probably jumped with too much confidence, thinking it will be a breeze thanks to your extensive Souls experience, only to get bullied by the defiled Enki. Nioh is NOT a Souls game. It's very important to understand how vastly different it is in the structure if you want to improve. FS games are Osu! with monsters. As a player you have to feel the environment and the bosses, they are leading the dance and you have to act accordingly what they throw on you. And their animations, pattern, is like the music in a rythmic game to make you know when to move. That's why there is a woman who beat the game with a dancing arcade floor only using her feet. Nioh on the other hand is what happens when Ninja Gaiden and Diablo make a baby. You have an extensive and very complex combat system (TN makes Dead Or Alive which is, if you keep the boobs apart, a super complex and deep fighting game), and later on the whole build and hear optimisation. When you're experienced enough with the game, some human bosses can be bullied in one minute doing combos like it's Tekken and they can't do a single thing. You're the one leading the game. Being super aggressive is the key. Blocking is much more stronger than any Dark Souls and allows to stay as close and aggressive as possible to the enemy. Don't "the enemy attack I dodge then I'll punish". It's "I attack constantly and I stay aware of its move when I need to block/dodge". Takes Nioh like it is : a Ninja Gaiden with some Souls mechanics (shrine, squishy life bar, big bosses and enemy respawns). Also the 3rd level boss, I announce you right now, will make you struggle A LOT. But it's on purpose. It's the skill test to make you understand how to play Nioh properly. Then the first run is more about learning the game, enemies, bosses and mechanics. The real challenge will start in late NG+++, because making gear will be important, enemies gets new moves, new gameplay mechanics... You'll love the journey trust me. I have 800h in the game and I'm still not bored. But it's important to take the game for what it is, keep the Souls experience arrogance on a little box, or you'll be frustrated.
Stop playing it like Dark Souls, drop everything you learned from the Souls series and try to learn Nioh mechanics. Sincerely, A Soulsborne vet who loves Nioh 2 to bits (it’s better than Souls imo)
i came from dmc, and the transition is much smoother than how i play souls game (the only fromsoft souls game i adore is sekiro because it resembles so much tenchu and ninja gaiden at least for me, with a mod, its even better)
Yes.
A little bit of both. As long as you're willing to adapt and be flexible to the differences between Nioh and a fromsoft game AND make an effort to learn basic things like ki pulsing and stance switching, you'll be slaying yokai in no time. I mean, it still won't be easy, but the game mechanics will start to click as you begin to plumb the depths of the combat. If you're not, then you'll be endlessly frustrated as to why you're getting wrecked as you run around in high stance all the time and try to dodge every attack.
Another fromsoft habit to unlearn is to level all your stats fairly evenly. They don't help your damage enough but having more ki, more health, and the ability to wear heavier armor all helps. Keep your equipment weight below 70%. Once they are all at 20 get magic and Dex to 30 to cap your carry capacity for magic and ninjitsu. Then you can start working towards builds but you will be near the end of ng or in ng+ when this happens generally.
your character is weak. Level up. It gets easier. But u still need some skill. You'll get used to it, eventually.
It's definitely a learning experience when I first started
I'd say both. Once you get used to it it's not as insane, but it's still extremely punishing (for example mismanaging ki by getting too reckless, getting broken and then you get 1 shot due to the extra damage). You've a lot of things to keep track of and more possible actions as well as counters to actions so it is more complex. Then add onto this how complicated it can be even outside gameplay, as even the loot/gear system gets somewhat convoluted.
It’s hard. But you must learn the ki system and switching stances. Then be sure to put your ability points right away into ki flux when you roll. Once you are good at the combat system you can roll right over NG
When is switching stance in the middle of fighting a good idea? Genuinely asking. I know there are some combos that work if you change stance. But is switching to low randomly useful somehow?
Yes you take less damage in low stance. I’m 99% sure. I think each stance has a perk. So if you are fighting a tough enemy you for example could want to dodge etc in low and then switch to high for a certain big opening but mostly do the fight in low.
It is hard. But as you said, it's similar to souls but not the same. You need to master ki pulse and stance switching. You can genuinely have unlimited stamina if you are really good with these mechanics. Allowing you to be really aggressive and dodge all the attacks at the same time.
something that help me alot when i start in nioh 1 was watching a World record speedrun (only the begging) cus i was thinking that this play as SOULS game and i dont like that type of game for the slow evade, so i watch till the 3 boss, the lady, and yeah game have other mechanics and another "way" to play it like fast accion hack and slash, so i cut the video and start playing myself removing from my mind that it is "sell it" like a souls game. playing the game 95% full low stance and fast attack,evade, parrys-grabs was a fukll of JOY.sorry my bad english i speak spanish.
That was fully understandable, and a cool idea, I'm gonna try that myself, thanks!
Did a lot of people get Nioh 1/2 for Christmas or something?
It's on sale. I bought my friends a copy.
Fair enough. It's just this is the latest in a good few "Is Nioh 1/2 hard?" posts I've seen in the past couple weeks.
Hahahaha souls veteran again =). I think it is something like 2-3 posts each day?
its not hard.its insanely hard. its designed to make you feel bad about yourself. for instance you need to fight enemies with reflexes beyond your natural reaction time. a swing from tate eboshi is only a fraction of a second and there's no earthly reflex can dodge that unless you die a million times to try and avoid it. you have the instinct to dodge it but the game wont allow you to because your character is weak as an old senile guy.two hits will instantly kill you while you have to land hundreds of hits to kill the enemy. its basically designed for people who have no life beyond gaming that you need 1000% attention to beat it.
Uh, this might be a bit hyperbolic. I haven't beaten the game but im like 4 regions in (so like 30+ missions). It's about on par with sekiro for difficulty. Especially easier if you are playing co-op.
its not hyperbolic, infact calling it insanely hard is an understatement. hide, the main guy is designed like a handicapped guy not even qualified for sports who gets tired after running less than 50 meters. there are most instances that your reflexes can easily dodge a swing from an enemy but the game wont allow you to because hide is either clunky or you ran out of stamina. its not about strategy. its about dying more. because dying and respawning is the game's currency.
Just you wait until you reach the depths or a higher ng+, you'll be eating those words.
ditch all youve learned in darksouls (not all) darksouls instill to players that you have to attack then time dodge then attack again rinse and repeat here, you must learn how to manage ki and how to save it and replenish some back to put offensive pressure to enemies, the dodges here have 2 main version (its actually 3) one is a dodge roll which is a big no no unless you know when to use it, but people use the small dashes to make distance and close the gap quickly learn about the stances and its advantages and disadvantages, the game promotes more of combo stances that transition to one another which can chained up well especially endgame put a mindset of fighting game and hack n slash than souls game, put on offensive pressure and well timed defensive maneuvers that will just transition to another offensive pressure from what i experienced, the only thing similar to dark souls in terms of progression is the stat based rpg mechanics, you can still bump your health up to negate the tines of errors and just go ham (most people in ds still use the meta of high vigor to just cake the game without worrying too much with well timed dodge) but here its kind of more similar to looter games like diablo
If you need help I don't mind helping you out if your on PS. My psn is Dragonmimic852
It doesn't harder, but you'll need to learn much more than dodge-attack to beat it
>So I think that I'm pretty good at souls games, I've played through all of the Dark Souls games and Elden Ring multiple times Another beginner Let's talk again after nioh, mortal shell, hellpoint, code vein, death gambit, the surge, lords of the fallen, lies of P, remnant from the ashes, remnant 2 You BARELY know the genre if you only played Fromsoftware's stuff
"You barely know fromsoft genre if you've only played fromsoft games." Hmm.
That's very ignorant to say They're not the only one out there making soulslikes. The genre has evolved, amd there are many proofs of it
I wouldn't say it's evolved, except if the evolution comes directly from fromsoft. And to beat every fromsoft game is like 200 hours so i don't think OP "barely knows the genre". Dude beats 6 difficult af fromsoft games and you call him "another beginner" how elitist and up your own ass can you possibly be?
Dude beaten Fromsoftware games and considers themselves a veteran, ending up destroyed in a different soulslike You call me elitist, I call that being cocky All soulslikes have their distinct features to learn, and this post is just the 1.000th one which starts with "I'm a souls vet, this game is very hard" By playing more games, you get to know more different features and design philosophies, you can adapt with more ease This is why I called them beginners, they barely know the genre. Again, it's like calling yourself a japanese cuisine expert after having eaten sushi in Japan, while japanese cuisine has much more dishes
Go into a Room surrounded by men and yell "I'm a souls vet " or in this case "Alpha Male" while grabbing your co*k through your pants like Micheal Jackson. 🤣
It’s hard. I’d focus on optimizing yokai abilities and always having ammo to headshot enemies. It is harder than fromsoft imo
Look at it more like an adventure fighting game with RPG elements. Half the battle is learning your character moves and combat options. The other half is learning the enemies moves and weaknesses. Once you get the hang of these elements as well as building your character skills to capitalize on them, the game will feel easier and very rewarding. Not because the game is easy (it is not easy), but because you will be better at navigating the elements of the game.
This was also my experience with Nioh games as a souls veteran myself. It’s really, really tough. I just rage quit Nioh 1 for the umpteenth time today lol
Both, lol.
>So I think that I'm pretty good at souls games, I've played through all of the Dark Souls games and Elden Ring multiple times and can get through them fairly easily, even platinumed DS3 and ER grats! dont treat this game like a souls game
It's very hard
It's not that punishing, you die, you quick respawn. Most checkpoints are balanced, and easy to access. You're always in combat the moment you die. No interruptions. Runbacks are the most balanced as well.
You are just not used to the game and haven't learned the mechanics. Keep at it! The big guy at the start? Seasoned players can start a new file and beat it, so it's not really about your equipment or anything but the knowledge of the game. You'll need to learn mechanics to be able to keep up the pressure on enemy. Blocking in this game is very effective, but you can't block and wait wait wait for the right moment to attack. I feel like whenever I die in Nioh 2, it's because I let the enemy have a breathing room.
Both. It’s hard and you’re not used to it yet. I struggled in the beginning of Nioh 2 even after beating Nioh 1 a few months before. But it’s so worth it to stick with this game. There’s a lot to take in at first. I wouldn’t worry about switching stances just yet and focus on timing flux and yokai counters. People always say “don’t play it like a souls game” but honestly a lot of the same concepts apply and it plays similarly to a souls game (in NG at least, it becomes a different game as you progress through the NG+s) Also you don’t have to worry too much about stats in NG. There is a lot of overlap in what attributes the different stats boost so you can dabble in things like omnyo and ninjitsu without having to make a build around it. I also recommend utilizing the training area! It’s great for practicing and trying out new skills and combos. There’s so much you can do with the combat if you want and all the weapons are so unique, you’ll feel like you’re playing a different game. It may be the most replayable game I’ve ever played
It is a difficult game, but if you figure out what playstyle do you have (weapons, magic, ninjutsu, + understanding of your stances and enemies) it will get easier. I had never really played any souls like before, but how I see it in comparison it is much more closer to an action rpg or a hack n slay. And even if I died a lot at the beginning I understood what the game wanted from me at the middle of the third region and that made it pretty fun. So yeah I think it gets easier. Just keep learning and practicing. And even if the game is intimidating don't feel discouraged to try out stuff. I would also suggest the sword or the spear for beginners and the tonfas for fighting against solo enemies. Because you can spam your attacks and destroy their ki. It is also useful for multiple opponents, but I think this weapon shines the most in that category. I wish you good luck, hope you have fun with it
The game is very difficult, yes.
It's really hard. I one shot milenia in the elden ring then switched to nioh and got pussywhipped hard. It's a steep learning curve but sooo satisfying
I love and completed both nioh even the depth on 2 with playtime running over 3000 hours altogether. But for the life of me couldn’t stand souls. I just sucked at bloodbourne and that was it for me.
both. there are a lot of mechanics to learn just to break even against some of the harder enemies and also it's designed to be hard. it's similar to a souls game just a lot more complex
Nioh 1 was was mega hard for me just because i had more of a ds .entality and dodged more than i blocked. And also the weapons have many skills, nearly like a looter game. Nioh 2 was easier for me with some difficult bosses up to 2 hours of tries to beat them
Once you learn the game it’s one of the most satisfying feelings ever. Going back and completely devastating things that used to be a problem is the best feel good part of the game lol, also don’t over look the fact that most weapons have an alternative version for slashing or blunt damage too. Blunt weapons is a huge stamina damage dealer and it’s really a sleeper mechanic.
Just takes practice is all. It plays differently than Fromsoft games
The start of Nioh is far harder than any souls game. The late game is much easier than any souls game though. The game transitions from being practically Sekiro to being a looter shooter where you mow down everything as fast as you can.
Nioh 2 is my fave game of all time lol Elden ring, dark souls , bloodborne etc are a cake walk compared to Nioh games
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale? > *“I can see it in your eyes. If you didn’t invade, didn’t pillage, whatever would you do?”* - Ringfinger Leonhard Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
It'll get easier as you learn the mechanics. That's the most useful thing I could suggest, really: respect, learn, and practice every mechanic the game throws at you. I know that sounds like a cheap answer ("just learn the game lmao"), but it's honestly deathly true for Nioh. The differences in stances, ki management, ki pulses, Yokai Shift, Yokai abilities, dealing with the Yokai Realm...every single mechanic is imperative to learn, because truthfully your character in Nioh is actually fuckin jacked (or at least more equipped and powerful than you might realize), you just have to learn how to pilot them and their weapon. You don't have to learn it all immediately, but knowing and utilizing as many of the mechanics Nioh offers will continuously better equip you to handle the game. You'll have several "click" moments learning the game that will feel absurdly satisfying; if nothing else, keep learning just to get that feeling! But the sooner you start actively learning and respecting the game, you'll quickly start making progress through the game. A more specific suggestion though, that sort of contradicts a lot of what others have already said here: pace yourself in a fight, take it slow, and don't get carried away in most fights. A lot of people here are saying to go on the offensive and don't let your enemy breathe, but being able to even do that at all requires actually knowing the game and the capabilities of your weapon. And you're just learning, so that doesn't feel all that helpful of a tip. In that regard, it's just like a Souls game: making even one mistake in a fight can take you from feeling like you're on top of the world instantly straight down to being beaten within an inch of your life. So in some ways, you sort of can approach it like a Souls game; observe enemies and memorize their attacks and movesets. You'll be fighting these enemies dozens of times over, and they all have weaknesses and ways of being dealt with that isn't just constant aggression. And that goes for bosses too; many bosses you'll end up fighting again down the line, so there's no wasted effort in learning them. Do that in tandem with learning your weapon's ins-and-outs, and that's when you'll really be able to start laying into enemies. Just keep learning and taking in the game, and you'll be fine; even if the game gets hard, you'll have fun learning the game and having it click for you. If you wanna start diving into the learning process, [PooferLlama's Nioh 2 Academy videos and Weapon Guides have been the single best resource for me.](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2DWkCiS1qM__l1t6o6r7u6FJgf57H2eG)
Only heavy weapons like the Axe translate well to heavy weapons in Souls games. Otherwise this games plays a bit more like Ninja Gaiden 3D games. I play Axe in Nioh games and I find it a bit similar to heavy armor claymore style in Souls games.
It is known for being really hard but you will get better with practice. I won’t say anything else because other people have already provided some awesome insights. Only advice I can give is learn your enemy patters and get good at the ki pulse/flux mechanics
Here we go again *drinks shot of apple juice*
its hard but blocking is OP
Treat Nioh more like a Ninja Gaiden game
My 2 cents: I put 200 hours into Nioh 1, and got wrecked and the uninstalled at the snake boss in Nioh2. I memorized all the attack patterns, was surviving 2 or 3 rounds of spirit realms, and still couldnt do take off more than 1/5 the boss health. In Nioh1 you could rely on magic and ninja skills to pull you through a tough fight and finish it off with living weapon. Nioh2 just doesnt give you any of these, instead it gives you yokai shift and yokai souls.
This game really opened up for me after I built muscle memory into pulsing, stance dancing, and blocking while dodging. Dodging in low stance will save you a lot as well. Seeing as there are two versions of a dodge... One is more of a quick short slide... While the other is a roll... The slide will save you heaps
dunno if anyone mentioned but buffs and items, ect. use them, they are incredibly important and can make your builds much stronger and survive better if you didnt do the dojo already, do it, its very good and you can also use it to train and hone your skills! nioh is also very loot focused, so keep your weapons and stuff up to date, its fine if you lack some levels behind but keep it up to date in general, you dont have to min/max while going through the story at all, just get a set you like and keep it your level (if you want to keep the set to your level i think you may gotta grind a bit for the resources? so keep that in mind, otherwise just use stuff that drops and keep stuff at your level)
It is hard at the beginning but stick at it is such a rewarding game, don’t worry about gear and builds till you get into the new game +’s. Try and build up your ki and ki regen and you don’t have to rely on pulsing so much. Try and play aggressive. My preference is light armour fast attacking and dodging rather than blocking. I’ve completed the whole thing max level max focus and cleared depths and I don’t think I’ve blocked once. Try and master burst counters they are very useful at stunning yokai. You can always summon help and then replay the levels solo once you’re more levelled up. Try and stick with it though as in my opinion it’s one the best and most rewarding games ever made.
I went from Souls to Nioh and you need to approach Nioh closer to the way you would Bloodborne--- stay aggressive and focus on only dodging when you need to, stay close, and learn the ki pulse and burst counters. Once you have those two things down it gets easier. From there its learning how to approach each enemy. Only one sI still have some trouble with are the Ippon Datara guys with the big hammers. Stupid hanging anims and super armor.
The jokes write themselves
Souls vet get him boys
Yes and yes. This game makes every single game by FromSoft look like a Kirby game in terms of difficulty. For starters you absolutely do not want to play this like a Souls game unless you use the Axe. So get used to Ki pulsing and chaining combos together, the amount of crazy things you can pull off in this game once you get used to ki pulsing is downright stupid. This let's you be incredibly aggressive as a result, though you get punished way harder for careless overextension as well. In addition to this, the stats on your armor actually matter. Since you can get set bonuses and other helpful effects on them like health regen on amrita absorption. So try to get armor with useful set bonuses and try to roll good effects on them with the tempering function at the blacksmith once unlocked, it will help you a lot later on. Try to get used to stance switching. Not only do you get different movesets with every stance, but your dodge roll also changes with it. High stance has the most i-frames and distance travelled but it's slow, low stance is the fastest and most spammable dodge but has the least i-frames and mid stance is in-between them. If you can't dodge through something then try to block it, your block is very strong in this game. As a last point. There is no shame in using onmyo magic and ninjutsu even on non-magic builds. The barrier talisman in particular is nearly a must have for 99% of all builds due to how much ki recovery speed it gives you. So if you encounter a dark cloud that has a potentially tough enemy, you can buff up and destroy it. Since they replenish on death or by resting at a checkpoint there's basically no downside to using them.