A tale of Japanese history revealed through solid gameplay
Last year’s samurai-centric Nioh hits a ton of different chords with me. I’m a huge fan of hack-and-slash games, Japanese culture and blisteringly difficult action-oriented video games. So, you can imagine how I feel when you put all three together.
It’s hard to beat the feeling of conquering a tough level or enemy, and it never hurts to build that street cred as a gamer: “I beat that boss on this difficulty setting.” It should come as no surprise that Nioh draws comparisons to tough titles like Dark Souls or Bloodborne while still treading its own excellent path.
But what makes Nioh such a standout? Why should you care? Let’s talk about this and examine the game a bit more closely.
Japanese history
The rich history and folklore of Japan has taken residence in nearly every medium known to man: film, television, plays, books and even other video games. Sometimes, these adaptations paint an accurate representation of that history, but it’s not uncommon that tall tales win out and spin things into the otherworldly or romanticized. That’s not all bad, though. In fact, Nioh finds itself somewhere in the middle of this tug-of-war, and the overall production is certainly positive.
While it’s true this samurai-era tale sees the player fighting demons, spirits and all manner of other unsavory creatures, it’s also deeply rooted in real Japanese history.
For instance, the main character is William Adams, an English trader and businessman who eventually became one of the first Western samurai – there were only ever a few. Whispers of the late Oda Nobunaga – one of Japan’s most brutal lords – resonate through the game’s myriad set pieces, and players get to experience living in something of an alternate-history Tokugawa shogunate. There are the usual digressions from fact throughout Nioh’s story, but while the tale is a bit sparse in detail, it holds everything together nicely.
It’s easy to forget just how cool history is, especially when combined with a twist of the supernatural. Nioh delivers a truly unique blend of the two, striking a fine balance in the process. I’d argue that Japan’s folklore takes the driver’s seat throughout most of the title, but it’s cool to see the unexpected real-world influence. Historical games haven’t been capturing the market in the way they used to, so there’s a sense of welcomed change that accompanies Nioh.
Superior swordplay
What would a good samurai or hack-and-slash game look like without good gameplay? Probably pretty boring, but you’ve got little to worry about with Nioh. In short, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find many games with more fleshed-out combat mechanics than this one. There are a ton of weapons, armor and fighting styles from which players can choose. In fact, would it be complaining if I said sometimes it feels like you’ve got too many options?
While I’m not quite finished with Nioh, I can say without a doubt I won’t tire of the gameplay anytime soon. So long as you aren’t sticking to one specific playstyle throughout the game – and it’s hard to do this – you’ll find plenty of variety.
You’ve got to use different weapons to tackle different enemy types, as each presents its own unique challenge to overcome. Some enemies are big, hulking demons called “Yokai,” while others come in the form of your fellow man. As you might imagine, the Yokai tend to be a bit slower and more powerful; humans are the inverse.
And all of this flows together gracefully. It’s important to try to expand upon your skillset as a player throughout the game because the difficulty ramps up in a very steep direction after just an hour or two. Nioh is a very kind host but only to those who tread lightly and prepare for the journey.
In short, there haven’t been many times I felt cheated; when my character bites the dust, it’s because I messed up. There are a number of mechanics introduced early that I still haven’t quite gotten the hang of, but I can see the pieces starting to line up and it’s a thing of pure beauty.
Should I play Nioh?
While it’s a true gem, Nioh is not a game for everyone.
It’s a title that asks players to come equipped with a basic knowledge of gaming skills and Japanese history. It’s not an experience I’d recommend to new gamers, but it’s worthy of more notice than it’s gotten. In fact, it’s simply the latest in a long line of great Japanese games that just don’t get much attention.
And given the Land of the Rising Sun’s distinct background and high-level game development pedigree, I think it’s important for us to grab these stories while we can. This isn’t to say Nioh is going anywhere, but the incentive to play games from yesteryear dampens with time. This is especially true considering the sheer number of quality games published in today’s gaming space.
Don’t miss out on a stellar piece of gaming history – one that’s sure to be dubbed a cult classic by another writer in the not-so-distant future.
