Nioh 3 Preview – Team Ninja is being more experimental with the series’ third entry

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I really enjoyed Nioh 2 in 2020. It took the first Nioh and improved almost everything – from how you create your character to the levels themselves – earning it a spot among RPG Site’s top five games that year. The biggest critique was that it didn’t drastically change the formula of the original, focusing instead on making what was already good even better. While there’s nothing wrong with that approach, Team Ninja is aiming for something different in 2026.

Nioh 3 is aiming to be a significant step forward for the series. After a recent hands-on preview and discussions with the developers at Team Ninja, it’s clear they’re not just polishing the existing formula. They’re making big changes to the game’s overall scope and design.

Kite previously discussed some of these updates when he played the game’s Alpha Demo in June. The biggest change players will likely notice is the ability to switch between the traditional ‘samurai style’ and a new ‘ninja style’. The samurai style will feel comfortable for long-time fans, offering familiar swordplay and a Ki Pulse system for managing stamina during combat. If you’re new to the series or enjoy the original Nioh games, this style will be your go-to.

Previous Nioh games featured some ninja elements, but Nioh 3 really expands on them. This new ninja mode plays differently than the samurai style – ninjas don’t use Ki Pulses, but they consume less Ki overall and depend more on items like bombs and traps. You can instantly switch between the samurai and ninja stances with a single button press, and each stance has its own unique weapons. It took some practice to master both styles and learn when to use each one, but by the end of the demo, I was starting to understand how useful they both could be.

Changing between fighting styles is a great way to defend against attacks, especially those powerful, clearly telegraphed moves with the red glow. Ninjas also have unique strengths, like dealing extra damage when they attack enemies from behind. These details are important for planning the best strategies to defeat enemies and bosses.

Okay, so they’ve really expanded the combat in this game. Your Guardian Spirit still gives you powers, but now there’s way more to choose from – a lot more customization than in the previous Nioh games. The best part? Using these Spirit abilities doesn’t even use up your stamina! That means weaving them into your attacks is super important if you want to win fights. It’s a total game changer!

Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja have announced that the next Nioh game will feature locations from different periods in Japanese history, like the Heian, Sengoku, Edo, and Bakumatsu eras. Since the previous games already explored the Warring States period extensively, this wider range of time periods should help Nioh 3 feel fresh and avoid repeating the same story beats, though players can likely expect to see some recognizable historical figures return.

During the hands-on demo, I explored a new area set in the Bakumatsu period, specifically the Shimabara Pleasure District. I eventually battled Takasugi Shinsaku, a character familiar to players of Rise of the Ronin. This boss fight, featuring flintlock pistols and a unique guardian spirit, really captures what I love about the Nioh series: fast-paced, difficult battles against diverse enemies, mythical figures, and monsters.

I thought I’d be taken back to the world map after beating Shinsaku, like in the previous Nioh games. But surprisingly, I was able to keep exploring the area with a new goal. It felt a bit strange, honestly! I’m so accustomed to the level-based structure of earlier Nioh titles that not having it here feels a little off.

The explorable area in the pleasure district felt somewhat similar to levels in previous Nioh games, but was much larger. In an interview, Fumihiko Yasuda from Team Ninja explained they aimed to strike a balance between encouraging exploration and keeping the level design dense, like in past Nioh titles. This was noticeable in features like shortcuts back to shrines, which let you quickly move around parts of the level or even return to an enemy to recover lost Amrita.

The game now includes a map, and players can earn ‘exploration levels’ for each area they discover. These levels increase by defeating bosses and finding shrines, unlocking stat boosts, items, and revealing the locations of collectibles. This system feels heavily inspired by Rise of the Ronin. Exploring the world – opening chests, finding creatures like Kodamas and the new Chijiko (flying weasels) – and leveling up exploration has been significantly reworked compared to previous games.

I’m a little unsure about the direction Nioh 3 is taking with its more open areas. It’s hard to judge how well that will work after only playing a short demo. After recently playing Rise of the Ronin, which had fairly standard open-world elements, I’m a bit concerned the level design might focus too much on collecting items. Seeing a map filled with checklists made me worry about that. Hopefully, Nioh 3 will still deliver the fantastic combat and challenging boss fights it’s known for, even if the open areas aren’t perfect. I’m really hoping that’s the case.

I’m excited to play more Nioh, and I appreciate Team Ninja taking a slightly new approach with this game. We’ll find out if it works in February 2026.

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2025-11-21 15:57