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How to survive the brutal world of Nioh
Inspired by Dark Souls and Japanese history, Team Ninja’s first action-RPG is a huge test of your combat skills. Its director tells us how to stay alive.
“Nioh is a tough game,” says Yosuke Hayashi, director of Team Ninja’s new action-RPG. “We strongly recommend it to those who love challenging games.”
The rise of brutal games such as the critically-acclaimed Dark Souls and Bloodborne are touchstones for Team Ninja, a studio which has been making the action-packed hack ’n’ slasher series Ninja Gaiden for more than a decade.
Nioh is inspired by Dark Souls
© Team Ninja
Fans of the Souls series will enjoy taking on the challenge, but with Nioh’s star being English samurai William Adams, it has its own identity. Set during the 1600s – at the end of the Japanese warring states era – William is based on historical figure Anjin Miura, who arrived from England and served Ieyasu Tokugawa as a samurai.
Hayashi told us that Team Ninja used the the novel Shogun and the Japanese play Ajin to research William Adams, but there is also a fantasy element inspired by the stories of novelist Shinobu Orikuchi, plus the works of W.B. Yeats and T.S. Eliot. So as well as using his ninjutsu skills against samurais, ninjas and thieves, William can also use Onmyo Magic as he faces ghosts, spirits and yokai, supernatural monsters from Japanese folklore.
“The game’s theme is based on gaining strength and improving while experiencing death many times,” Hayashi explains. “Hack-and-slash elements are also a big difference [between Nioh and Dark Souls] with weapons such as katanas and spears, plus Japanese armour [being used in the game]. The sync between Samurais not fearing death and Katana actions are some of Team Ninja’s areas of expertise, and I believe that makes this title stand out.”
So your character might not fear death, but what do you need to do to survive in Nioh? We asked Yosuke Hayashi for some help!
Remember to block
© Team Ninja
The combat system is punishing – what’s the best way of getting the most out of it? Do you have any top combat tips that will help players?
Yosuke Hayashi: When encountering a boss or a choke point and you don’t have a simple solution to overcome it, analysing the situation will offer hints to pave your way. You should also strengthen your character by boosting levels or armour, and try co-op play. I also recommend taking advantage of the ‘block’ moves when playing.
Which are the best weapons that players should use against certain foes?
For beginners, the katana (sword) is the most balanced weapon, both in offence and defence. Depending on the situation and characteristics of the enemy, spears would be good to invoke attacks in a broad range, and Axes enable massive damage, although players will sacrifice speed compared to other weapons.
I feel it is more interesting to try out your favourite weapon because they all have the ability to help players build up their unique manner of combat by gaining skills or improving action control.
High stance attacks will cause big damage
© Team Ninja
How important is hand-to-hand combat – what’s the best way to win a fight?
It’s important to be cautious of the opponents’ attack and distance, but furthermore the character’s Ki is what counts. If players attack consecutively without giving it much thought, you’ll use up the Ki and be defeated. To avoid this, use the Ki Pulse which allows players to recover Ki even during battle. This will give you advantage in the combat.
Is is better to take risks and use heavy attacks in a high stance to dole out maximum damage or are swifter, faster attacks more effective?
This depends on the situation. Generally, high stance will invoke big damage, and balancing defence and offence will be in mid-stance, while low stance will enable quick moves and attacks.
In Nioh you can change the stance quickly from high, mid to low. As the player’s skill increases, you can do things like quick attacks in low stance, followed by a fatal blow from the high stance when you find a chance.
You'll face many fantastical enemies in Nioh
© Team Ninja
Give Nioh a go
Nioh may be tough, but that doesn’t mean that anyone should be put off going back in time to the 1600s. As Hayashi tells us: “For those of you who do not prefer challenging games, when you defeat a boss or a strong enemy you’ll feel your skills and techniques improving along with a sense of achievement which will be satisfying and worth the challenge.”
So play Nioh when it’s released on PlayStation 4 on 8 February – not only does it feature an excellent combat system to play around with, but the bosses are brilliantly brutal. With the historical story being based on actual events during the age of the Battle of Sekigahara, you might even learn something!
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