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What is Nioh 2?

Nioh 2 is the follow-up to Team Ninja's Nioh, which was released in 2017 to critical acclaim and a solid reception. In the original Nioh, players assumed the role of William Adams, the first Englishman to travel to Japan, in a fictionalized, dark fantasy retelling of events in the war-torn late Sengoku period. Similarly, this new entry in the franchise takes place within the same era, albeit in an earlier time period. Nioh 2 is both a prequel and a sequel in that the majority of its storyline takes place before Nioh, with its latter portions overlapping with the timeline and events of the original game. In it, players take on the role of a half-Yokai referred to as a "Shiftling", looking to uncover the mysteries of their birth, who eventually gains the nickname Hide (秀, Hide) and befriends Tokichiro, a merchant seeking glory and leaving his mark in history by selling Spirit Stones. Together, they journey through the Sengoku Era in demon-infested lands, witnessing and playing their parts in the rise and fall of characters such as Oda Nobunaga, and building a legacy that will forever change themselves, being recognized as important figures in Japan's history.

The Nioh franchise is best described as a cross between Team Ninja's own Ninja Gaiden series and FromSoftware's Dark Souls titles. Combining the former's high octane, fast-paced gameplay with the latter's modern approach to highly challenging masocore RPG mechanics, Nioh 2 features punishing melee combat that demands skill and mastery of its various intricate mechanics, as well as a deep understanding of enemy behavior patterns and your own abilities in order to best your opponents. It draws from Soulslike influences in the form of its world building and structure where danger lurks in every corner and death is an ever-persistent occurence as players strive to achieve victory through overwhelming odds.

Nioh 2 builds upon the original's fan-favorite elements such as the Ki Pulse and traditional Samurai Combat with the inclusion of Hide's Yokai Abilities. The brand new Yokai Shift elements allows players to skillfully counter opponents' perilous attacks with proper timing, draw on the souls of other Yokai to perform devastating moves, or completely transform into one of three powerful Yokai forms for a limited duration, granting them immense strength and durability to more easily turn the tide of battle.

Nioh famously blends together real-life historical accounts of events and locations in the Sengoku Period with a dark fantasy setting punctuated by supernatural elements of Japanese Mythology and Folklore. These elements and themes are also prevalent in Nioh 2. In this fictional retelling, players will come across historical figures and characters who played important roles in the era. They will bear witness as events unfold from both sides of the ongoing war and as demonic Yokai ravage the lands of ancient Japan.

Prepare for the fight of your life as you take on the role of Hide, discover the truth of your lineage, unlock the strength of the Yokai within and play your part in a tumultuous period of Japanese history.

 

Nioh 2 Key Features

Nioh 2 is brimming with the soul of Team Ninja's triumphs from the company's history of fast-paced, highly challenging games with intricate combat systems punctuated by over-the-top flair and flourish. Coupled with the punishing difficulty and modern Action RPG sensibilities of the highly praised Soulslike titles, Nioh 2 builds upon mechanics established in the original game to deliver an experience that will be talked about for years to come.

• History Meets Fantasy - Build your legend in this retelling of the war-torn late Sengoku Period in Japan's storied past. Embark on a journey as the mysterious Hide who is thrust into action as they discover a power sleeping within. Quell the fires of a war-torn land ravaged by demonic hordes as you bear witness to historic events unfolding.
• Engage in Perilous Combat - Nioh 2 is a face-paced action RPG with an emphasis on frantic melee combat that demands full concentration and skill. Master the intricate and lethal arts of the Samurai as a fierce Human-Yokai hybrid warrior coming to grips with your supernatural abilities. Learn enemy patterns as you work through challenges with trial and error, and by analyzing the capabilities of both yourself and your opponents. 
• Master the Ki Pulse - Central to Nioh 2's combat is the Ki and Ki Pulse mechanics. Ki is the inner life force that fuels every action you perform, from attacking to dodging and blocking. After every combat action, you will have a brief window in which you can perform a Ki Pulse in order to regain a large portion of your expended Ki. This mechanic is the key to controling the flow of combat, and allows you to string together a lethal chain of attacks, giving your opponents no quarter.
• Train with a Deadly Arsenal - Wield the iconic armaments of the Samurai age. From katanas, to dual blades, splitstaves, hatchets, tonfas and the massive odachi - each weapon has a dedicated Skill Tree with which you can improve your proficiency and learn skills for your preferred choice in your tools of warfare.
• Take on Ferocious Foes - Aside from rogue samurai, bandits, hunters and other humanoid opponents, you will be met with the full force of a demonic Yokai army at every turn. These creatures are derived from the extremely rich Japanese mythology and folklore that is prevalent even in today's modern works of art. From the ravenous and sustenance-deprived ghouls known as Gaki, the serpentine maiden Nure-Onna, the grotesque abomination Waira, to the truly fearsome and murderous hag Yamanba, Nioh 2 hosts a huge cast of legendary creatures, most of which are hostile and serve to impede your progress, but some may yet prove a boon on your journey.
• Unleash the Yokai Within - Nioh 2 introduces a new mechanic in the form of the player's Yokai Abilities. As a Human-Yokai hybrid, the protagonist can channel their inner power to transform into a Yokai with one of three forms. This mehcanic can be used to counter the most powerful enemey attacks to leave them vulneable, channel the abilities of other Yokai via Soul Cores to devastate opponents with demonic skills, or to completely transform for a limited duration and gain great strength to turn the tide of battle. Yokai forms are attuned to the various Guardian Spirits that the player will encounter on their journey, granting various benefits and boons depending on the spirit equipped.
• Create Your Legacy - While the protagonist is very loosely based on the real historical figure Toyotomi Hideyoshi, their characteristics and appearances are fully malleable by the player. Nioh 2 sports one of the most robust Character Creation systems in all of gaming and will allow players to finetune their appearance, including Hide's gender however they please. Team Ninja also heavily draws from hardcore RPG titles, particularly the Souls games when crafting its Character Progression mechanics which feature deep leveling and customization systems to allow for full control of Hide's attributes, stats, strengths and weaknesses.

 

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Combat Basics and the Ki Pulse

Weapons & Stances

Like its predecessor, Combat in Nioh 2 is comprised of predominantly melee exchanges with the players and enemy combatants both wielding weaponry prevalent during feudal Japan such as the katana, naginata-style polearms, odachi and more complex implements such as the switchglaive and kusarigama. Supplementing these weapons for both parties are an array of ranged weapons such as bows, muskets and portable cannons, as well as various Ninjutsu and Onmyo Magic spells for attacking from a distance. Players can equip up to two sets of Melee and Ranged Weapons and they can quickly switch between them during combat.

  

Each melee weapon also has access to three distinct Stances; Low, Mid and High Stance. Each of these have their own distinct movesets and will have varying benefits in combat: 

 Low Stance attacks are the fastest and are ideal for stringing very quick combos together, but they also deal the least damage. However, being in Low Stance typically allows you to dodge more quickly and effectively, and this stance consumes the least amount of Ki per move. 

 Mid Stance's movesets are great for defense and keeping enemies at bay due to their relatively quick speed and large, sweeping strikes that can hit multiple opponents at once. 

 High Stance delivers the most powerful blows for any weapon type in exchange for longer windups and recovery times, as well as impaired ability to dodge and a much larger Ki consumption per move.

Stances can be switched freely at anytime during combat, with certain abilities and mechanics allowing for a more seamless flow between each moveset.

Ki Pulse

The basics of combat are centered around the Ki and Ki Pulse mechanics. A Ki Gauge acts as the main resource used to fuel your moves and abilities. This is represented by the green bar under your health on the HUD.

Attacking, blocking, dodging and sprinting all drain a certain amount of Ki which refills automatically based on your stats. However, in order to maximize combat efficiency, players should become familiar with the Ki Pulse ability. After performing an attack or a string of attacks, there will be a brief window where the player is surrounded by a swirling blue light. Within this window, they can press the Ki Pulse button (default R1 on PS Controllers) to center their energy and regain a portion of the expended Ki. The timing varies per move and there are optimum moments in which a Ki Pulse will grant the biggest benefit.

 

As you level up and gain access to more skills, you will also be able to improve your Ki Pulse ability, allowing you to perform feats such as Ki Pulsing as you dodge, as you switch stances and even as you swap to your secondary weapon, creating a seamless flow between your abilities as you learn and master this key component of battle.

Skill Trees

Nioh 2 also features a deep Skill Tree system that encompasses every combat aspect of your character. Each weapon type has its own individual Skill Tree and there are also four additional Skill Trees centered around your playstyle; Samurai, Shiftling, Ninja and Onmyo Magic. 

 

Each of these Skill Trees are comprised of branching ability nodes of both the Passive and Active Skill variety that players can unlock as they progress. Each Skill Tree has its own set of Skill Points that can be earned by continuously using a particular Weapon type or playstyle and earning experience for them. There are also special items you can acquire that will grant Skill Points in a given tree.

Unleash the Demon Within

As a Human-Yokai hybrid, you have the ability to channel your Yokai blood and assume one of three deadly forms in combat: the  Brute,  Feral and  Phantom Yokai forms. The form you assume depends on the Guardian Spirit you have equipped. Guardian Spirits are ethereal creatures from Japanese mythology that grant various passive boons to your character, and each one is attuned to either the Brute, Feral or Phantom Yokai forms. Players have access to three types of Yokai abilities with varying effects and uses in combat:

Burst Counter

Opponents you face will sometimes use powerful moves called Burst Attacks which are unblockable and deal an immense amount of damage to your Health and Ki should they land. While these moves can be dodged, a more effective retort is to use the Yokai Burst Counter ability. This is a quick reaction skill that consumes 1 segment of the Anima Gauge, the purple bar under your Ki which fills as you land melee attacks on opponents.

  

Each Yokai form has a distinct Burst Counter animation with varying properties:

The Brute causes you to wind up for a massive strike that hits with a wide arc using your arms. While this move is tricky to land due to the timing, it also allows you to chain your standard attacks into the burst counter and vice versa. The Brute Burst Counter is effective for attacks of all types.

The Feral counter causes you to dash forward and slash to parry your opponent. This move is not only the easiest to time, but it also grants a lot of mobility. Outside of countering an opponent's burst, the Feral Burst Counter can also be used as a quick getaway when you run out of Ki.

The Phantom Burst Counter causes you to spin your Yokai form's weapon while standing firmly in place. This move comes out very quickly and reduces the opponent's Ki the most effectively but lacks any mobility and may be the more difficult of the three counter moves.

The Burst Counter is an important tool in the player's arsenal for managing the most powerful enemy attacks and gaining the upper hand in combat. Each opponent has a different timing for their Burst Attacks and players will need to adapt to each encounter.

Yokai Skills

Yokai Skills are special attacks granted by Soul Cores. When defeating Yokai, they may drop their Soul Core which you can pick up and purify at any Shrine within a mission. However, dying before being able to purify your Soul Cores will cause you to lose them forever. Once purified, they can be attuned to your currently equipped Guardian Spirit and their skills can be used in combat by expending the Anima gauge.

 

Each Yokai's Soul Core has a unique skill with varying effects and can help you gain an edge in combat. However, players are limited to 2 Soul Cores per Guarian Spirit initially, with the ability to unlock a third slot as you progress in the game. Each Soul Core also has an equipment cost and you cannot exceed your Guardian Spirit's maximum soul capacity. Each Soul Core also belongs to either the Brute, Feral or Phantom attunement and matching cores with a Guardian Spirit of the same attunement may provide bonuses such as increased damage, lower Anima consumption or reduced equipment cost.

Yokai Shift

The final Yokai ability in your repertoire is the Yokai Shift. This causes you to fully transform into either the Brute, Feral or Phantom Yokai form for a limited time, granting you immense strength, replacing your Health and Ki gauges with the Yokai Shift gauge, essentially preventing you from taking damage, and granting you access to a unique moveset depending on the form you assume.

The Yokai Shift ability is powered by the circular Amrita Gauge to the left of your Health, Ki and Anima gauges, which fills as you absorb Amrita by defeating opponents, destroying crates and pots or using certain consumables. Once the gauge is full, you can perform the Yokai Shift and devastate your opponents in a short amount of time. Each form has its advantages and disadvantages during the Yokai Shift. The Brute has slow but powerful sweeping attacks that deal large amounts of damage. The Feral has the fastest moveset and unparalleled mobility via its quick dashes. The Phantom has superior range and a teleport move for quickly closing the distance.

The Yokai Shift is a powerful trump card in your arsenal that can be used in dire situations to overpower even the toughest foes.

Ninjutsu and Onmyo Magic

Players have even more tools in their arsenal in the form of Ninjutsu and Onmyo Magic which have a plethora of effects for use in and out of combat.

Ninjutsu or the Ninja Arts focus on stealth and subterfuge via the use of thrown ninja tools such as shuriken and bombs to deal damage from a distance. They also have access to scrolls that grant buffs to the user such as improved run spead, healing-over-time, or increasing the rate at which defeated opponents drop items. Another important aspect of Ninjutsu is the ability to coat weapons with various status effect-inducing compounds such as poison and paralytic hemlock.

Onmyo Magic focuses on elemental effects and powerful spells via the use of talismans. Many of these talismans provide devastating elemental attacks that are great for thinning an enemy group and exploiting opponents' elemental weaknesses. Onmyo Magicians can also imbue their weapons with elemental effects, granting weapons elemental damage capabilities for a limited duration. Onmyo Magic is also proficient at boosting a player's defenses and resistance against specific elements and can be extremely valuable for the toughest encounters.

Ninjutsu and Onmyo Magic can be readied before a mission or at a Shrine. Ninjutsu Tools and Onmyo Magic Talismans are represented as consumables which can be assigned to your quick slot bars for easy access in combat. There is a limit to how many of a particular Ninjutsu Tool or Onmyo Talisman you can have readied, as well as an upper limit to the overall amount of these items you can have at one time. Both capacity limits can be expanded by investing in either Skill trees, among other methods.

Perilous Foes Await

The lands of Sengoku Era Japan are fraught with danger and a persistent demonic threat. Enemies in Nioh 2 come in the form of standard humanoids such as rogue bandits, samurai and hunters, possessed individuals and the more powerful Yokai that roam the desolate villages and locales.

    

Many of the Yokai you will encounter are hostile and each one is based on local mythological and folkoric literature. Each one has a unique characteristic, behavior pattern and a varied moveset that will test your concentration, skill and ability to read telegraphs.

Yokai Realms & Dark Realms

Yokai also have the peculiar ability to summon Yokai Realms — pools of malignant energy that bolster their abilities while hindering those of humans. As part Yokai, you have the unique capability of using these pools to your advantage or getting rid of them completely. While within the AoE of a Yokai Realm, your Ki consumption and regeneration are negatively impacted greatly but you may purify these pools by performing a Ki Pulse within their area of effect.

Even more dangerous are the dreaded Dark Realms. These are essentially Yokai Realms on a much larger scale, covering entire sections of a mission with a malignant aura and bolstering all Yokai within. Dark Realms are tied to one particularly vicious Yokai within them. They can be identified by the aura of Spider Lillies that emanate from the ground around them. Defeating this Yokai will purify the realm and render any other Yokai within greatly weakened, should any still stand. 

Finally, many Missions will have a Boss waiting at the end. These are highly involved encounters that can have many varying Phases that require specific strategies and mastery of your capabilities to overcome. Most Bosses can also plunge the entire arena into a Dark Realm state, making the encounter more difficult for you as a human, but which you can also leverage by shifting into Yokai form.

Amrita, Death & The Leveling Mechanic

Character Progression in Nioh 2 is tied to your Core Stats — Constitution, Heart, Courage, Stamina, Strength, Skill, Dexterity and Magic. This is essentially a variation of traditional stats found in many similar titles and each one governs certain aspects of your character. Upon defeating opponents, players will accumulate Amrita — the key currency that can be invested for points in any of these Core Stats.

At the various Shrines scattered throughout, players can allocate their earned Amrita into any of the Core Stats. Filling the Amrita requirement for a stat will raise its value by 1, as well as your overall character level and each subsequent point will require more and more Amrita.

  

Each Stat governs several aspects of your character such as Attack, Physical & Elemental Defense, Ki Consumption and Regeneration, Ninjutsu and Onmyo Magic capacity and many more. The Stats you choose to invest in will also impact the effectiveness of your chosen Weapons as each weapon type has dominant Stat Scaling associated with it. For example, the Kusarigama scales primarily off of the Dexterity Stat and you will gain certain bonuses with all Kusarigama weapons for investing heavily in this stat.

Players will need to be careful however, as Death will cause you to lose all of your accumulated Amrita, as well as any unpurified Soul Cores you may have obtained. Dying will resurrect you at the last Shrine you visited and it will also respawn most opponents, similar to praying at the Shrine. When possessed by a Guardian Spirit, it will attempt to retain all your lost Amrita and impure Soul Cores at the site of your death and you can reacquire these by returning to the site and touching your grave. Dying once more before getting back to your Guardian Spirit will cause you to lose all the Amrita and Soul Cores forever. Be especially careful when returning to the site of your death as you will be lacking the protection of your Guardian Spirit and will not benefit from the passive bonuses they grant.

There are special items you can use that will recall your Spirit back to you, along with the lost Amrita and Soul Cores you dropped but use these items sparingly as they are scarce. You can also recall your Guardian Spirit via any Shrine, but you will lose all dropped Amrita and Soul Cores. Throughtout your adventure, you will come across consumable items called Spirit Stones which will grant a certain amount of Amrita depending on their grade. These are useful for "banking" a certain amount of this currency and using them when needed, such as for leveling right before a Boss fight.

Quest & Mission Structure

Where Nioh 2 takes a departure from its Soulslike inspirations is in its Quest & Mission Structure. Instead of the large interconnected worlds found in titles like Dark Souls and Bloodborne, Nioh utilizes an overworld map depicting the regions of Japan covered during the events in the game.

Players are able to select Missions on the map which will lead to the various locations featured including villages, temples, mountain passes and even entire cities. These Missions are self-contained and do not allow for seamless travel between different locations. Missions are unlocked by progressing and completing other content. There are Main Quests which are integral to progressing the story, as well as Side Quests which are optional but provide additional challenges, rewards and backstory. Within Missions however, players familiar with the Soulslike titles will recognize the availability of shortcuts you can activate in order to cut down on backtracking and revisits.

Benevolent Graves, Revenants and Online Play

Throughout Missions, players may encounter Benevolent Graves — markers with a blue aura where players may summon a friendly Acolyte that can aid them in combat until the end of the mission or until they are defeated. Acolytes come in two forms: Pre-set ones that exist in Missions perpetually and Acolytes based on players who have set their Benevolent Graves in a location via the use of a special item called a Righteous Jasper. In both instances, the Acolyte summoned is AI-controlled. You can also place your own Benevolent Grave and you will receive rewards based on the number of times other players use it.

 

When playing Online, you may also encounter some Bloody Graves. These red markers are the site where other players have fallen during the Mission in their own gameworlds. You may approach these graves to glean some information on the player including their cause of death so you can get a clue as to what may be in store for you further on in the mission. You can also view their equipment and interact with the grave to summon the player's Revenant.

These are AI-controlled phantoms with the player's equipment and abilities that you can fight. They can prove very difficult but successfully defeating a Revenant will reward you with Ochoko Cups which are used to summon Acolytes, as well as invite Visitors into your game session or asssist other players in theirs. You may also be awarded with a piece of the player's equipment upon defeating thier Revenant and this is an excellent way for quickly upgrading your gear, if you are up for the challenge.

For a more involved Co-Op experience, you can offer Ochoko Cups at a Shrine within a mission which will allow you to invite other players as a Visitor into your world for the duration of the current Mission. You may offer up to two Ochoko Cups at one time for a 3-player Co-Op experience.

On the overworld map outside of missions, you can also select the Starting Point and the Torii Gate function. From here, you may select Random Encounters in order to become a Visitor and help other players in their worlds but you can only do so for Missions you have already completed. This will transport you to a random world within which the host had offered an Ochoko Cup at their Shrine.

You can also go on Expeditions from the Torii Gate. These are sessions where you can set the conditions such as Mission and player levels and it will find players for you to play with. Within expeditions, there is an Assist Gauge mechanic. When players die, the gauge will start draining but you can revive them as long as the gauge has not emptied. Doing so will refill the gauge slightly and allow you to continue with the mission. When the Assist Gauge is at 0 and a player dies, the mission will end in failure. Players can also revive themselves at the cost of a much larger chunk of the Assist Gauge being consumed.

The Tengu's Disciple

Release Date: July 30, 2020 (PS4)

Price: US$9.99

 

Following the conclusion of Nioh 2’s campaign – unleash your darkness once more and extinguish the lingering flames of war.
Travel to the new coastal region of Yashima and go back in time to the final years of the Heian period. There, you’ll meet new allies, face fearsome yokai and discover the connection between the legendary Sohayamaru and Otakemaru.

Features:

• 10 new Missions across 3 distinct new Locations
• New Bosses, Yokai and several new enemy variants
• New Weapon Type: Splitstaff
• New Armor variants
• New Guardian Spirits, Yokai Skills, Ninjutsu Abilities and more

Darkness in the Capital

Release Date: October 15, 2020 (PS4)

Price: US$9.99

Prepare to unleash your darkness once more in the second thrilling expansion for Nioh 2.
Venture back in time to the capital city of Kyoto and join forces with legendary heroes, including Japan’s foremost demon slayer and history’s most powerful Onmyo mage. Together with your new allies, face the yokai threat and discover a mysterious connection between the distant past and the troubling present.

• 10 new Missions across 3 distinct new locations
• Face deadly new bosses as well as new and returning yokai variants.
• Become a master of martial arts with brutal new Fist weapons.
• Collect new guardian spirits, Ninjutsu abilities, Onmyo magic and much more.

The First Samurai

Release Date: December 17, 2020 (PS4)

Price: US$9.99

Steel yourself for the ultimate challenge in the climactic final chapter of the Nioh 2 story.
Take up arms and travel through time to the land of the fabled youth who defeated an oni. Here, Otakemaru’s past, the secret of Sohayamaru and the truth behind the first samurai will all be revealed. The end of your hard-fought journey draws nigh.

• Explore three all-new stages as you face more than 10 intensely difficult missions.
• Take on ferociously tough new bosses and challenging new enemy types.
• Unleash deadly new Active Skills, Yokai Abilities, Guardian Spirits, and more.

 

To coincide with the release of Nioh 2 on PC on February 5, 2021, a Nioh 2 Remaster was made available for Playstation 5 systems. Featuring faster framerates, higher resolutions and ultra-fast loadtimes, Nioh 2 has never looked or performed better on console! 

This remaster is available in various options:

• Nioh 2 Remastered: Complete Edition (PS4 & PS5) - Features the upgraded base game along with The Tengu's Disciple, Darkness in the Capital and The First Samurai DLC packs.
• Nioh 2 Remastered (Upgrade Only) - Available for Free for players who already own the PS4 version of Nioh 2.*
• The Nioh Collection - Includes the remastered versions of both Nioh and Nioh 2, along with all the major DLCs for each game.

*Note: Players who already own the PS4 versions of any Nioh 2 DLC packs are eligible to download the PS5 versions for free.