Team Ninja‘s Nioh 2: The Complete Edition brings the full masocore action RPG experience to PC, including all previously released DLCs. I‘ve sunk over 50 hours into this punishing yet captivating game since its February 2021 Steam launch, and have many thoughts to share.
While Nioh 2 can feel overwhelming initially, especially for newcomers, it offers some of the most polished, strategic combat I‘ve experienced once you adapt to its complex systems. The world building and lore also immersed me in Sengoku-era Japan despite some minor graphical issues.
Table of Contents
- Nioh 2 as a Port: Polished Visuals Meet Quirky Issues
- Mastering Combat: Difficult yet Strategic and Addictive
- Character Building: Customize Your Demon Slayer
- The Dark Yokai Realm: A Tragic Setting
- Epic Soundtrack and Effects Enhance the Experience
- An Incredible Value with High Replayability
- Who Should Buy Nioh 2: The Complete Edition
Nioh 2 as a Port: Polished Visuals Meet Quirky Issues
As a port, Nioh 2 looks and runs beautifully on PC for the most part. On my system with a GTX 1070 graphics card and Intel i7 CPU, I enjoyed buttery smooth 60 FPS gameplay on high settings at 1080p resolution during most encounters. Team Ninja added extensive graphics options too, like adjustable anti-aliasing, shadows, textures and more.
I did notice some distracting downsides though, even with the polished visuals. In busy fights, the frame rate would sometimes dip into the 40s momentarily. An ever-present mouse cursor also annoyed me, appearing over cutscenes and menus. And obscure display limitations prevented adjusting the resolution without editing config files.
Overall though, the port‘s graphical prowess outweighs the minor gripes. Nioh 2 especially wows with its particle effects – waves of fire or lightning fill the screen during intense magical attacks. And the lighting shifts impressively when teleporting between the human and yokai realms.
Mastering Combat: Difficult Yet Strategic and Addictive
Nioh 2 doesn‘t hold your hand whatsoever when it comes to combat. Even basic enemies can quickly overwhelm and destroy the unprepared. But with practice and patience, its gameplay systems reveal remarkable depth that kept me addicted.
Each weapon type, from lightning-fast dual katanas to crushing axes and spears, provides unique combos and special moves to master. And abilities expand your options tremendously – I loved unleashing elemental mayhem via magic. With smart use of the limited ki resource also dictating the flow of battle, each fight pushes you to find optimal strategies.
The flexibility of your warrior‘s stances adds further complexity. Swift low stance dodges keep you moving against dangerous foes, while high stance heavier blows quickly drain ki. Mid stance balances offense and defense. I needed to frequently stance dance to match enemies and situations.
This level of depth makes combat incredibly strategic and rewarding. After struggling mightily, that rush of taking down a massive demon through perfectly timed moves makes the many deaths worth it. And with so many options to build your fighting style around, Nioh 2 motivates you to keep improving.
Character Building: Customize Your Demon Slayer
Further adding to Nioh 2‘s replay value is the extensive flexibility around developing your own unique warrior. Not only can you customize their appearance, but choosing which weapon types to specialize in and abilities to unlock lets you shape highly personalized playstyles.
I built my initial character focused on a Dexterity and Magic blend, wielding dual swords imbued with lightning magic for maximum speed and elemental mayhem. But Nioh 2 pushed me to occasionally swap to hammers or axes to break tough defenses too.
The depth of the progression systems surprised me here. By the second region, I was juggling upgradable gear sets, guardian spirits granting passive bonuses, ninjutsu items to equip, samurai skill trees to unlock and more. It incentivized replaying missions to hunt for crafting materials and gear upgrades.
While the gear and stats may seem overwhelming early on, taking the time to thoroughly understand character building pays massive dividends. It empowers you to craft unique warriors honed to overcome Nioh 2‘s intense challenges.
The Dark Yokai Realm: A Tragic Mythological Setting
Nioh 2 transports players to a fantasy version of Japan in the 1500s Sengoku era – a grim period of constant political warring and strife. This bleak backdrop proves the perfect setting as humanity struggles with incursion from the demonic Yokai realm.
I loved exploring this version of Japan, where dark spiritual energy twists environments and people alike. One early mission takes you through a countryside village utterly corrupted – fields scarred by combat, settlements reduced to rubble, and merchant roads rendered unsafe by bandits and monsters.
It quickly becomes apparent that Nioh 2 tells a story of tragedy across all levels of society. The broken landscapes mirror the plight of downtrodden peasants, warlords consumed by ambition, and the spiritual turmoil of the age enabled Yokai to prey on human suffering.
From decrepit mountain shrines to shadowy caverns glowing with ominous energy, Nioh 2‘s environments further reflect this turmoil. And as you slay increasingly nightmarish demons on your quest to hunt down their source and save Japan, I became invested in cleansing the world of their evil influence.
Fans of Japanese mythology will also appreciate just how heavily Nioh 2 leans into the legendary stories. You face off against countless iconic adversaries from folk tales and legends across its missions. And the historical figures you aid have their own tales of both glory and fall from grace.
Epic Soundtrack and Effects Enhance the Experience
Nioh 2‘s audio brilliantly supports its grim, high-stakes setting as well. The soundtrack sets the tone beautifully – peaceful and serene when exploring, ominous while delving spirit-touched caverns, and pulse pounding throughout boss battles. The sweeping orchestral themes made me feel like the hero in an epic theatrical production.
The excellent sound effects also add visceral impact to combat. The crunching sounds of metal slicing flesh, the thud of arrows finding their mark, even the crisp footwork of evasive maneuvering builds immersion brilliantly. And the eerie ambient noises in demon-tainted areas kept me tense, awaiting attack.
An Incredible Value with High Replayability
For fans of action RPGs, Nioh 2 is a mind blowing game in terms of raw content. It offers a 50+ hour initial playthrough taking your customized warrior through the entire main campaign. Five meaty expansions then add substantial further adventures battling more Yokai menaces.
And it pushes replayability through the roof via New Game+. By carrying over your heroes into increased difficulty modes, you retain full character customization flexibility for trying radically new builds and gear loadouts. With new enemies and boss variations too, hardcore players can push into the hundreds of hours.
Add in cooperative multiplayer support letting you and two other players battle through missions together, and Nioh 2 becomes tremendous value, especially at its frequent discount price. The Complete Edition bundles easily over 100 hours of enthralling dark fantasy action RPG goodness.
Who Should Buy Nioh 2: The Complete Edition
Anyone craving challenging gameplay, Japanese mythology, and tons of replayability should absolutely play Nioh 2. And picking up The Complete Edition is a no brainer with its inclusion of all DLC expansions.
Of course, get ready for difficult combat demanding precision timing and strategy. But sticking through that steep initial learning curve pays off tremendously.
And fans of games like Dark Souls will feel right at home with Nioh 2‘s gritty, high risk battles and curse-filled worlds. Just be ready to eventually learn when to dodge, block or parry any attack headed your way – it makes victory so much sweeter.
