Nioh has so many features, items, options, and locations that it’s often difficult to even figure out what everything is for, especially when the game does a poor job explaining itself. I can get a little overwhelming, but you can just rely on the comparisons the game gives you to get a good idea of what is better until you settle into a style you like. You’ll be swimming in armor, weapons, and accessories at the end of just a mission or two, so you should be constantly upgrading and swapping out your gear. Learn how each feels with the weapon you’re using, and change it up based on the situation you’re facing.Ĭhange your gear: Nioh is, in addition to being a Soulslike, also somewhat of a Diablolike in how it handles loot. High stance is for slower, high-damaging strikes, Medium is a balance, and Low will allow you to perform a flurry of weaker attacks. Each stance changes the moveset of the weapon, the speed, and the damage you will do. Time your press when the lights are as close as possible to recover the maximum amount of Ki and stay in the fight.Ĭhange your stance: Every weapon you have can be wielded in three different stances: High, Middle, and Low.
You’ll see some light appear around your character that will flow into them. If not, how it works is that after you perform an attack you can recover some of that Ki you spent right away by pressing the R1 button at the precise moment. Learn to Ki Pulse: The Ki Pulse is your active reload equivalent if you’re familiar with that mechanic from Gears of War. At the same time, enemies also have Ki that you can exploit by draining it with certain skills to leave them wide open to attack. Don’t just spam your attacks or you’ll be left with no defensive options, and in a game where just a couple of hits means death, that makes all the difference. If you run it out completely, you’ll become exhausted and unable to move for a few moments. You use this to attack, dodge, block, and sprint, so you’ll need to manage it carefully.
Watch your Ki: Ki is your stamina, the green bar below your health. Don’t let that put you off, however, because once you learn how the game wants you to play, the combat can be some of the most satisfying you will experience. If you’re new to this whole Soulslike genre, Nioh isn’t going to so much tell you how combat works as much as it will punish you until you learn to play by the rules. So whether you’re a SoulsLike veteran or a quivering beginner, use these tips to get over Nioh’s steep learning curve and start your yokai-slaying career off right.