Had the cat girl ears/armor set on for most of the game...made it tough to fight but i looked dam good dying.

I used to be sad that ninja gaiden 4 doesn't exist, but then I played nioh 2 and I feel a lot better now

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (10/10)

Nioh 2 is an absolute masterpiece that effortlessly blends fast-paced, skill-based combat with rich, immersive world-building. From the very first battle, I was hooked by the game's deep mechanics and brutal yet rewarding difficulty.

I played it on PS4 back when it first released, but life got in the way and i did not complete it. Love the combat, the loot system and the vibes. Honestly I prefer the game to Elden ring, because of how fun the loot system is.

The combat system is one of the most polished I've experienced in an action RPG. Every weapon feels distinct, and the ability to switch between stances adds a layer of strategy that constantly keeps you engaged. The Yokai abilities bring a unique twist, allowing you to harness the power of your enemies and unleash devastating moves that can turn the tide of battle.

The customization options are vast, whether you're fine-tuning your gear for optimal performance or crafting your perfect playstyle with the robust skill trees. The character creation is also top-notch, giving you the freedom to create a protagonist that truly feels like your own.

What sets Nioh 2 apart is the balance between challenge and satisfaction. Every boss fight feels like a test of skill, and when you finally emerge victorious, the sense of accomplishment is unparalleled. Yet, even when you fail, the game never feels unfair—it always encourages you to adapt, learn, and improve.

Visually, the game is stunning. The environments are richly detailed, and the enemy designs are a fantastic blend of history and folklore. The soundtrack is equally epic, perfectly complementing the intensity of the action.

If you love action RPGs, tight combat mechanics, and a satisfying challenge, Nioh 2 is a must-play. It's one of those rare games that feels better with every hour you put into it. Prepare to get hooked, because Nioh 2 will push your skills to the limit—and you'll love every second of it.

Highly recommended!

That being said, a few small issues hold Nioh 2 back from absolute perfection. The game’s difficulty, while rewarding for fans of challenging combat, can sometimes feel overwhelming for newcomers. The learning curve is steep, and without proper guidance, some players might find it frustrating.

The level design, though visually impressive, can occasionally feel repetitive. Some environments blend together, making it easy to get lost in areas that feel too similar. And while there’s plenty of loot to collect, the sheer volume of it can feel overwhelming—constantly managing gear can slow down the otherwise exhilarating pace of the game.

The g*rman male lacks commitment.
Every day almost I see that FILTHY two-timer Castell come on to steam and play another game, when we decided to lock in and play this one together.
He's sat there now, his dog slowing filling his room with foul farts (on a german dog diet so they're going to be 10x worse than normal btw), wondering what to play, and not once does he @ me and say we should play this and DIP BALLS asap.

It's this sort of half-hearted weakness that cost them two world wars, I swear to Christ. Absolutely no follow through what so ever beyond soiling himself in the shower and then POWER STAMPING it down the drain.

Clunky combat, boring bosses and uninspired level design.

"Ass Ahoy"? More like "this is a good game", Peter.
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absolute disgrace, I got brain cancer

imagine playing sekiro but if it was more evil

Nioh 2 is fantastic, if you enjoyed the first game you'll love this one with the new weapons, skills and QOL stuff

An incredibly flawed masterpiece.

Instead of listing everything that is good about this game, I'm going to list a bunch of things about the game that may or may not be a deterrent to you, and if after reading this review you're convinced that what I've listed here doesn't sound all that bad, then this may be one of the best games you will ever play in your life.

1. This game is an Action RPG first and a soulslike seventh.

People love to say this game is a "soulslike", but it really isn't, and if you go into this game with the mindset of it being a soulslike, you're going to have a terrible time like I did when I first played Nioh 1. This game is an Action RPG with randomized loot and extensive build options, and if you try to play this game like a soulslike where you just bang your head against a boss with a blue katana and no onmyo magic or ninjutsu for two hours and say it must be a skill issue when you don't succeed, you're going to have a bad time. You can probably get by with that mindset during your first play through, but if you don't have a good build and good gear in the later parts of the game, you're going to get your ♥♥♥♥ pushed in no matter how good you are. "But what about insert streamer/content creator here who can beat the game at level 1 naked?" You're not that guy. You need to beat this game five times in order to access the actual "end game" content, so ask yourself, do you really wanna bang your head against the same boss five times in a row with your "uber l33t dark souls skills" or do you wanna create a competent build and clear the boss in 2-3 minutes? Which leads me to my second point.

2. This game is not balanced at all.

Some builds are better than others. Much better than others. There's a reason why most people pick Toyotomi as their clan. Toyotomi clan lets you gain life with amrita absorption, combined with extraction talisman to give you amrita on hit, gives you an absolutely absurd amount of life gain on hit, which trivializes most boss encounters when you can just face-tank their repeated attacks with your own attacks without touching a single elixir. Some people would call this "easy mode", I'd call it "you'd be stupid not to pick this" mode.

Once you reach NG+ mode, Yasakami Magatama accessories start dropping, which become a permanent staple to one of your two accessory slots, due to it reducing set bonus requirements by 1. I can't think of any competent build that doesn't use this accessory, which makes every other accessory in the game feel inferior by comparison.

The combat in this game can be incredibly complex, pulling off insane combos that require precise button pressing, stance switching, and perfect timing. Or you can spam Changing Ways with a splitstaff and do the same amount of damage as someone with a build that requires 200 APM. Both are equally viable, so its entirely up to you how much effort you want to put into your combat.

3. Half of your time spent playing this game will be in menus.

Looking at loot, disassembling loot, selling loot, crafting loot, tempering your loot, soul matching your loot, remodeling your loot, managing and maintaining your soul cores, scrolls, tea sets, and guardian spirits; this game as a lot of micro management. If spending hours looking at thousands of different items with different stats and set bonuses, and building your character around them doesn't sound like your idea of fun, this game isn't for you. If you're the type of person that has spreadsheets on a second monitor and likes watching numbers go up, this game is for you.

4. You need to beat this game five times just to access the actual end game.

Woah whiplash, didn't you say this in point one? Yes I did, but its worth repeating. The fact that you need to beat this game five times just to access the underworld, which is where the real meat and potatoes of the end game lies, feels like a huge waste of time. Underworld should've been accessible after you beat the game once. To some people though, that's just content, so if you don't mind repeating the same content over and over again as long as you're getting hundreds of hours of gameplay out of it, this won't be a deterrent for you.

5. The level design leaves a lot to be desired.

For a game that's all about playing the same levels over and over again, the level design doesn't exactly light a fire under me. I can't think of a single level in this game that I actually enjoy playing through, I merely tolerate them for the sake of the gameplay.

6. Drop rates can be absurd sometimes.

Bosses and certain enemies have a small chance to drop smithing texts, which you'll need to craft specific gear in the game. If you're looking for a specific weapon or piece of armor you need for your build, you either need to obtain those items organically through randomized drops, or you need to obtain the smithing text to smith them. Sometimes the text can drop on the first try, sometimes they don't drop even after 50 attempts. I once spent four hours trying to farm a single smithing text once before I eventually gave up.

If you made it this far, and you aren't deterred by anything mentioned here, then welcome to one of the greatest Action RPGs you will ever play that will provide you with hundreds upon hundreds of hours of gameplay. Here are some tips to get you started:

Don't use DLSS, it doesn't work properly and they never fixed it.

When you are given the option to pick a clan, pick Toyotomi. Don't be a hero. Pick Toyotomi.

Your inventory space is limited, your storage space is not. Don't be afraid to use your storehouse. This may seem like a no brainer, but I spent the first hundred hours pretending the storehouse didn't exist, and I feel like an idiot in hindsight now that I use it religiously in the later half of the game. It has cut down my micro management significantly.

The red swords sticking out of the ground everywhere are Revenants. Farm as many as you can. They are a good source of loot, and they're the only way to obtain glory, which you will need later to buy materials that you don't want to spend hours farming. Glory is account-bound, which means it is universal to all your save files. They also drop ochoko cups, which you will need to increase divine item drop rate in NG+ content. They also over tune the difficulty of Revenants once you reach NG++, so farm as many as you can before you reach NG++, because not only do they become harder to find due to less people making it that far, they're also significantly harder to fight, which makes them more tedious to farm since their drops don't improve to compensate.

The same build you have during NG is not going to be the same build you have once you reach Underworld content. Set bonuses and item tiers change significantly, so don't get too comfortable with the build you come up with in the first half of the game. Underworld and NG may as well be two separate games.

There's a status ailment called confusion that happens when a target is inflicted with two elemental status ailments at once, (lightning, fire, water). It increases damage dealt against that target by 50%. Much like Toyotomi clan, making a build around inflicting confusion on a boss will become a staple in the later half of the game. Some bosses are immune to certain elements, so having the ability to inflict all three elements at once will be advantageous to your build. There are also plenty of stats that increase your damage to enemies inflicted with poison or paralysis if you use ninjutsu instead of onmyo magic. These stats are super important for a good build.

Once you gain access to the stone of penance, it's smart to have duplicates of the accessories you use, so you can simply swap the accessories around to build them up using the stone of penance, instead of trying to clear content while missing one of your vital accessories.

Don't be afraid to experiment with your build, respecs are a dime a dozen.