| Nioh 3 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | |||
| Alpha Demo Review | Full Release Review | ||||
Nioh 3 Review Overview
What is Nioh 3?
Nioh 3 is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo, slated for release on February 6, 2026 for PS5 and PC platforms. It is the third installment in the Japanese action RPG series.
The game takes place in a dark-fantasy version of Japan's historical eras, including the Heian, Sengoku, Edo, and, for the first time in the series, the Bakumatsu period. Players play as Tokugawa Takechiyo, on the verge of becoming shogun, who faces a rebellion led by his brother, Kunimatsu, and a horde of supernatural yokai.
Nioh 3 introduces a dual-style combat system that allows players to switch freely between a traditional "Samurai" style and a new "Ninja" style. The Samurai style retains hallmark features like multiple weapon stances and ki (stamina) management, while the Ninja style emphasises agility and ranged attacks and a "Mist" clone mechanic for distraction and sneak attacks.
Nioh 3 features:
⚫︎ Japanese Dark Fantasy
⚫︎ Time Travel
⚫︎ Two Distinct Combat Styles - Samurai and Ninja
⚫︎ 14 Different Weapons, 7 For Each Style
⚫︎ Semi-Open World Design
⚫︎ Character Customization
⚫︎ RPG Loot System
⚫︎ Soulslike Mechanics
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Nioh 3’s gameplay and story.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
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 Steam |
 Playstation |
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| $69.99 | |||||
Nioh 3 Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Stunning Dark Fantasy Setting Engaging Gameplay Loop Open Exploration Insane Build Variety Perfected Combat System |
Could’ve Done More With Takechiyo Complicated Control Scheme |
Nioh 3 Story - 8/10
The narrative isn’t as compelling as it should be, s there are clear pacing issues and repetitive writing that doesn't help its interesting premise. The story itself mostly follows a path we’ve already seen, and it’s a waste to give a fully voiced protagonist no lines. But to their credit, the characters and the historical periods you’re placed in are pretty interesting, especially with how some of the characters know that you’re moving through time.
Nioh 3 Gameplay - 10/10
Nioh 3’s gameplay clearly takes many inspirations from Team NINJA’s previous games. The result? A near-perfect combat system that builds on top of what they know best. The clear focus on exploration is evident throughout, as the inclusion of larger regions is a core reason the gameplay loop is as satisfying as it is. With engaging combat and improved exploration, it’s by far the best version of Nioh we’ve ever seen.
Nioh 3 Visuals - 9/10
The visuals of Nioh 3 look breathtaking. The overall art direction, character designs, visual effects, and aesthetic are a step above those of the previous installment, as the different regions you explore clearly showcase this improvement. However, the cost of larger areas is noticeable, as performance and buggy visual artifacts are apparent in certain areas.
Nioh 3 Audio - 9/10
From an audio standpoint, Nioh 3 is also pretty good. The music has notable highs in climactic moments, but also has considerable lows during the exploration. However, its use of sound effects is remarkable, making combat and exploration even more engaging than they already are.
Nioh 3 Value for Money - 10/10
In terms of content, Nioh 3 is a massive game, and the $70 price tag is worth its salt and more. The first region alone will take you upwards of 10 hours to complete, and that’s not even adding the hours it takes to completely explore a region. The replayability in this game is also massive, as the game allows you to create different builds and respec to your heart's content.
Nioh 3 Overall - 92/100
The Nioh franchise has come a long way from simply being a Soulslike, and Nioh 3 is clear proof of that. There may be some issues regarding the game’s narrative pacing and writing, but it still remains a candidate for best action RPG of 2026 with its stunning dark fantasy aesthetic, deeply engaging combat systems, and exploration loop that’s determined to keep you hooked.
Nioh 3 Review: Imitation Becomes Creation
More Than a Soulslike
"Imitation is the highest form of flattery."
A decade ago, the gaming industry sought to replicate the success of the Souls franchise, resulting in the birth of the Soulslike subgenre in the action RPG space. Many tried to imitate the formula and failed to create something of their own. But not Team NINJA, who knew they had something special in their hands.
Nioh has always been one of the better Soulslike franchises, and with good reason. While it shares a similar foundation with the Souls franchise, it was always different in how it approached progression, combat, and pace.
With Nioh 2, they’ve refined the system to a sheen, making the ideal version of their loot-driven action RPG that emphasizes and rewards thoughtful aggression. In a way, it was the cool, younger brother who preferred things a little faster than the progenitor. And for some, an action RPG guised as a Soulslike.
But how do you improve on something like Nioh 2? Something that’s already been touted as the idealized version of what they were offering? Simple. Take everything you know, apply it in how it makes sense, then make things reasonably bigger. That’s Nioh 3.
It’s a gross simplification, sure. But in other words, it’s Team NINJA using everything they know to craft the greatest version of Nioh we’ve ever seen yet. Is it actually worth the hype? Or have they fallen into the trap of having too much of something? Honestly, I’d say it’s 2026’s best action RPG already.
Taking Time to Fix Timelines
You play as Takechiyo Tokugawa, grandson of the famous Ieyasu Tokugawa, and are the next heir to the shogunate. This, however, all changes, as your more talented and jealous younger brother, Kunimatsu Tokugawa, made a deal with a demon and intends to take the shogunate by force. In the face of certain death, you were transported to a rift that exists across time by your guardian spirit, Kusanagi.
It’s then that you discover that you’re transported back to the past, and that a calamity known as the Crucible is affecting the present and past timelines. It’s up to you, and a few others who know of your plight, to fight back against the yokai and stop the calamity from destroying history.
And that’s pretty much it. You become a sort of "time police" and make sure to set the correct course of history by removing the Crucible’s outside intervention.
As much as I love the time-traveling plot myself, they definitely missed the mark when it comes to the game’s pacing and, unfortunately, its protagonist. Don’t get me wrong, it was the premise that initially got me interested in playing the game, but I was disappointed that nothing about it develops until you’re past a good chunk of the story.
To put it simply, the story quickly felt repetitive. The first two chunks of the game were quite literally the same pattern: you come in, you find the ally you’re supposed to side with, do some missions, and then you take out the Crucible for that timeline.
Now, I won’t disclose the story itself, since at least the whole thing was resolved in a pretty satisfactory way, but it took me about 13 hours before anything related to the introductory plot happened. And the funniest part? It was just an optional fight.
But the pacing and the repetitive plot actually aren’t the biggest offenders; it’s actually Takechiyo themselves. It feels like a huge waste of potential to have the main character have an actual voice actor and not utilize them as much. It could’ve led to interesting dialogue with many characters who were merely legends or myths in their time, but instead they spend 90% of the time silent.
In comparison, Nioh 2 had a significant explanation as to why Hide or "Hiddy" was mute. It honestly feels like a missed opportunity that wasn't capitalized on enough, or maybe I just wanted a more fleshed-out protagonist, like William was in the first installment.
Great Audiovisuals But With Some Issues
First things first, Nioh 3 looks great. I’ve always been a big fan of the franchise's aesthetic, themes, and designs, but Nioh 3 has definitely stepped it up a notch. The new yokai and Guardian Spirit designs are amazing, and I honestly was honestly very impressed to see some of the newer designs in the game. However, there are some issues with the game’s performance.
For context, the game was played on a base PlayStation 5, and there were noticeable lag spikes in certain areas. Additionally, there were visual glitches, specifically in areas and elements that didn’t load properly. It might just be the console overheating from long play sessions, but I can’t rule that out.
Not Fully Open, But Just Enough
One of the main concerns about the game was its exploration, especially since the marketing made it feel like it would be an open-world action RPG. I’m honestly glad to tell you that it’s not a full-on open-world game, but more of a fragment of that open world. In other words, if you were expecting something on the level of Elden Ring, or even the aforementioned Rise of the Ronin, then you would be disappointed.
Honestly, I feel like it’s the perfect map size, as it’s big enough to give you that sense of wonder in exploration, but not so big that moving around is a chore. I’m glad that they didn’t fully buy into the idea of creating something Rise of the Ronin had, as the smaller map size means that you would be able to do more points of interest.
And speaking of points of interest, collecting Kodama, Chijinko, and other items was among the things I unexpectedly enjoyed most. It felt like I had something to find all the time, and searching every nook and cranny felt even more rewarding because of how the game handles exploration bonuses.
Nioh-Style Combat Perfected
Now, we’ve come to the most important part: the combat. Let me give it to you straight: this is the craziest and most overloaded combat system I’ve ever seen in an action RPG. But is it a bad thing? Definitely not.
Nioh 3 takes multiple things from their past games—Deflect from Wo Long and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Exploration from Rise of the Ronin, and, of course, the command inputs from Ninja Gaiden. Combine this with the exclusive Nioh mechanics like Ki Pulsing and add in a bunch more, and you have the most insanely packed combat system in an action RPG.
One of the biggest additions to its combat was Style Shift, where you essentially have two loadouts in one with the Samurai Style and the Shinobi Style. Each style has its own set of weapons, and each of them has 7 to choose from. So right from the gate, you already have two weapons in your arsenal and two different combat styles that highly differ in how they function.
First, we have the Samurai style, which is Nioh’s trademark since its first iteration. This is where you’ll be using the different stances of High, Mid, or Low, the ability to Deflect, and the series’s most defining feature: Ki-Pulse, which is a feature that allows you to regain a bunch of your stamina after most commands.
Next, the Shinobi Style. It is highly mobile and offers access to perfect dodges and Ninjutsu tools for a variety of ranged options and even magic. Instead of Ki-Pulse, the style grants you access to Mist, which is a feature that lets you cancel your actions into a dash for better positioning, movement, and even additional actions. It’s also worth noting that any attack done on the opponent’s rear is automatically a critical hit.
To put it rather simply, Samurai Style lets you play Nioh’s trademark combat system, while Shinobi Style lets you play something close to Ninja Gaiden but with a Nioh twist.
But what’s the use of having two different styles? Can’t I use a singular style for the whole game? Definitely, but you might want to consider getting used to both.
The main thing is that each Style has its own features that are advantageous in certain situations. In essence, there are times when you want to use Deflect, Stance Flux, and Ki-Pulses, while there are also other times when you want Ninjutsu, Mist, and Perfect Dodges. Sure, you can stick with playing one for the whole game and probably beat it, but being able to use both effectively and at will makes a world of difference.
In my case, it took me a while before the Style Shifting clicked, and it was thanks to a few passive skills that enhanced the Style Shift command that really took things to the next level. For instance, there was a skill that let you regain Ki (stamina) when you Style Shift, and it grants you even more Ki if it was less than 50%. Not to mention that there are essentially skills that enhance the opposite Style, be it buffing your next Martial Art to have stronger damage or giving you a free charge of a Ninjutsu.
While many say that too much of a good thing is bad, this is the exception. Nioh 3’s combat system managed to give you more of that flow state combat by essentially overloading it with even more mechanics. It feels so greedy to have such an in-depth combat system, but I can’t help it. Seeing how satisfying it is to combo from Shinobi and successfully shift into my Martial Arts combo in Samurai Style is so dopamine-inducing that it feels wrong.
Build, Build, Build
Nioh’s combat system is enabled because of its RPG loot and stat system. This is what functionally sets Nioh apart from the rest of the Soulslikes, as there’s an emphasis on set building, stats, and spreadsheet mathematics. Gearing is functionally the same as before, except that you have two sets instead of one.
Soul Cores also make a return, but it’s much different than their application in the previous game. Without overcomplicating things, Soul Cores have two sides that you can use and equip: one is the stat-boosting side, while the other is basically granting you free spell charges to use. In essence, you have a Soul Core that boosts your attributes, and other Soul Cores are equipped as spells that you can use.
One of the biggest changes in the game, though, is the ability to respec at any shrine, meaning you can experiment to your heart’s content. If you want to try out the Splitstaff or the Odachi, you can just pray at a shrine and move your stats around to be able to use these weapons more effectively. Same thing with Weapon Skills, Samurai Skills, and Ninja Skills, as you’re able to respec them as well.
I won’t lie to you and say gearing and building your character was never daunting, but it’s not as hard as people make it out to be, especially since you don’t have to optimize your build to finish the game.
Is Nioh 3 Worth It?
Absolutely, It’s Time to Become a Shogun As Well.
So is Nioh 3 worth the hype? Absolutely. I was admittedly skeptical about how the various additions to the game’s already loaded combat mechanics would affect gameplay, but overall, it still feels natural and easier to play despite having even more options.
I would even go so far as to say the franchise has evolved into its own brand of action RPG, and calling it a Soulslike feels like a disservice to what it actually is. It’s so much quicker and mechanically diverse than your typical Soulslike that it doesn’t feel like one anymore.
And outside of its gameplay? The game looks and sounds great, and its art direction, sound design, and overall aesthetic continue to improve with every release. I will say that I’m not as impressed with the narrative this time around, but it’s still pretty good for what it’s worth.
For $70, this is an amazing action RPG that will be appreciated most by series fans and genre fans, but will also be a hit with those who want to try their hand at the series.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam |
Playstation |
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| $69.99 | |||||
Nioh 3 FAQ
Should I Play Nioh 1 and 2 Before Nioh 3?
Short answer, no. The stories of all three games are mostly independent, and while there are connections between them, these are not the main focus of each story.
Will Nioh 3 Have Crossplay?
No. Players may only match with others on the same platform.
Game8 Reviews
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Nioh 3 Product Information
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| Title | NIOH 3 |
|---|---|
| Release Date | February 6, 2026 |
| Developer | KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. |
| Publisher | KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam), PlayStation 5 |
| Genre | Action, RPG |
| Number of Players | 1-3 (Online) |
| ESRB Rating | M17+ |
| Official Website | Nioh 3 Official Website |
