Nioh 2

Nioh 2 is a prequel to the original Nioh, set during Japan's era of warring states, into which the player enters as their own created character, half human and half yokai. The combat ranks among the most technical the souls-like genre has to offer: every weapon has three stances with distinct attacks, plus a stamina-recovery system called ki pulse, blocking, dodging, and yokai abilities taken from defeated monsters. The result is action where every bit of timing matters, while also leaving enormous room for personal style. The missions take the form of enclosed maps full of shortcuts, hidden shrines, and demanding bosses inspired by Japanese mythology.

On PlayStation 4, the game ran in three optional modes depending on whether the player preferred resolution, smoothness, or a balanced compromise, and it held a brisk pace even on the base model. Visually, it rests on the contrast between realistic Japanese landscapes and wildly stylized demons, of which there is an enormous variety. The sound draws on traditional instruments, drums emphasize every heavy attack, and the music during boss fights takes on an almost ceremonial quality. The series has always also been about feverish gear collecting, and the second entry continues that, so alongside combat, players face plenty of work with inventory and the blacksmith.

Reviews were very favorable and often called the sequel a better version of everything the first game attempted. Criticism was aimed at reused environments and an overwhelming number of systems that can easily swamp a beginner. Its influence on the genre is clear in how it showed that a combat system can be deeper and faster than the one that inspired the series. Today it's one of the most substantial action games of its generation, capable of keeping a persistent player occupied for dozens of hours. Three expansions were also released for the base campaign, so anyone who finds their footing with the combat system has months of content ahead of them.