Team Ninja returns to the path of excellence with a game that is closer to the Souls saga than to Ninja Gaiden.
It is probably not fair to consider Nioh a surprise in these first bars of 2017 . First, because it has been one of the most anticipated games by a large number of users since it was announced. Second, because we had different test versions, from an Alpha to a last demonstration, which allowed us to see where the shots were going. This week the new Team Ninja proposal officially goes on sale . And without a doubt it is one of the big names that will leave us this year. Although we are only in the middle of February.
Team Ninja has been away from its best level for years. The company said goodbye to Itagaki and things did not go well either or both. Without the genius capable of referencing the genre of hack and slash with Ninja Gaiden , Ryu Hayabusa starred in a third forgettable delivery in everything he presented on screen. Neither did the co-development of Yaiba : Ninja Gaiden Z , and although Dead or Alive 5 has emerged as a remarkable fighting game, it is - for many - far from the excellence of the best installments of the series. A Itagaki thing is not that you have done better with a Devil's Third also fell far short of what was able to get to the study of Tecmo.
But things have worked differently with this Nioh. Since his presentation was spoken, especially for the impressions left by his first bars in a PS Experience, we were before a kind of mixture between Ninja Gaiden and Dark Souls. A masterpiece if it confirmed the quality of both titles merged into a single product. But the time, the trial versions and finally the final game have been responsible for denying the biggest: no, Nioh is not heir of Ninja Gaiden. Naturally in Team Ninja they know how to make an action game in the third person and that is also evident in the adventure starring WilliamBut it is the legacy of a study that has worked in the genre of hack and slash for years that no real inspiration in Ninja Gaiden. Yes, on the other hand, there is a lot of Souls. But, also important to emphasize, with its own personality.
Behind the project there are two people, and it is relevant to understand the context, that they needed to take a step forward after the departure of Itagaki. On the one hand, Yosuke Hayashi , head of Team Ninja again and also to lead a life dedicated to the Dead or Alive minor - but managed projects with excellent acabado- as Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword for DS or lesser extent, some names like Sigma and Metroid: other M. beside him, another figure that should mark next to it the new way of the company: Fumihiko Yasuda. Director of the last three Ninja Gaiden (3, Razor's Edge and Yaiba) and present in the Ninja Gaiden II level design. Both have led one of the largest projects and have decided to change the record of the pure and simple action to offer something different within the catalog of proposals of Team Ninja. The success has been enormous.
As happened in the past, the development team has listened to the community a lot. Based on the feedback received with the trial versions that have been enjoyed on Play station 4 developers have changed elements, removed mechanical and added new proposals. It is not surprising that this happened if we consider the Ninja Gaiden 3 case . The chance for the title was received as a stab wound to the fan of the series, and many of the design decisions and game mechanics were tried in Razor's Edge, a title more similar to the first two installments, although it remained far behind in terms of solidity and proposal. general. This has not happened here because we have known how to work in advance.
Nioh starts with William, the protagonist of the adventure, locked in a prison in London from which he manages to escape thanks to a kind of spirit that not all humans can see. While he tries to escape he will cross paths with an enemy that not only confronts him, but also encloses that spirit and takes him away without William being able to do anything. Here begins a journey of our protagonist while trying to find this important keeper for him. Ahead, about 50 hours of play to finish the main campaign along with some secondary missions -not all- while we visit all kinds of locations located in a feudal and fantastic Japan that is experiencing two conflicts: on the one hand, a war of clans that It captures the protagonist of Nioh. For the other, the presence of Yokai -demons- who are trying to sow chaos throughout the territory. We will see sequences on the argument between each main level, although being sincere, the story ends up being somewhat disconnected and unclear beyond the general lines about the conflict and some motivations of specific characters.
Although the references to the Souls saga will be unavoidable throughout the review, the truth is that the development of Nioh is much more traditional and understandable than it may seem at first. The From Software series stands out for offering us an open, unknown world with multiple paths to take. It is one of his great virtues. Losing us by roads that we should not take until later - nobody warns us - and connecting worlds that we did not know were close to each other. Here this does not happen. Here we have a world map that serves as a place of operations from which we choose the mission that we are going to dispute. The main missions are closed in on themselves: you start at a sanctuary, you have to go forward until you find the final boss, defeat him and end the mission.
Surely it is not fair to penalize that such a traditional format does not replicate the game we mentioned as inspiration on many fronts, but the reality is that precisely the Souls formula lives on what it means to have a world like the one that presents us along with the other mechanics. Here we have a clearly linear development, we will not have optional confrontations with bosses or places that we should not visit and there is no possible loss. In the sense that in the end, there is a boss (yes we can get lost inside the missions, it would be missing). That feeling of uncertainty does not exist and makes things a little easier.
The first thing that overwhelms Nioh is the amount of contentthat we have ahead. We have dedicated more than 50 hours - some less are already necessary to finish the main plot - and we still have a lot of material to cut. In addition to the almost twenty main missions that we will have to overcome, we have a host of secondary missions, events of enormous difficulty, extra challenges that are opened as we move forward and some missions of high demand designed only for the most daring. Something good about this traditional game format is that on the map we see clearly everything we can do, what remains to us, the level recommended for main, secondary and twilight missions (missions in demonic places and back rises) and the rewards that we will obtain in each of them,
The base of Nioh is the combat system. At this point is where we see many similarities with the Souls saga, although the truth: the battles in Nioh have endless possibilities of their own that are worth exploring. We have two attack buttons, a button to make evasive, another to block, the system of " lock " to mark enemies and move around and complementary actions, such as jumping or running. The game formula is based on two types of bar: vitality, which when it reaches zero means our death; and Ki's, which is the stamina. This bar wears away with all the actions we do: hits, evasive, if we block attacks ... And when it reaches zero we are totally unguarded.
It is a combat system that does not surprise anyone on paper, but to which it is necessary to add several elements to take into account and an initial assessment: the great agility and perfect response with which it works from the first moment. To all these controls we must add the possibility of launching remote attacks with firearms and bows, with a very precise control type TPS , and the presence of two own mechanics. On the one hand, the recovery of Ki. Every time we throw a taco or a combo, William shines an instant blue. If we press R1in that moment we will recover the Ki bar much faster with the advantages that implies. The other is the attack position. We have three types of positions: high, medium and low (in addition to sheathed weapon) and each of them has its particularities. In high the blows are slower but more powerful, in average the balance is key and the blocks are more effective and in low the blows are faster and the expense of Ki, smaller.
It seems somewhat smaller, and during the first combat phase the average player will surely opt for the standard position. But as we gain confidence, we will understand the importance of changing positions according to each moment. This, of course, is very marked by the type of weapon we are using. During the tutorial we will be offered to choose two favorite weapons among those available: Katana, double swords, spears, axes, Kusarigama. We do not have to give it a lot of thought because as we go forward we can choose the one that best suits us, but it is true that there are important changes between them.
The Katana is the most balanced, while the double swords offer blows and combinations with greater range. An ax allows us to hit with great force but spending a large amount of Ki and the spear, keep the distances with the enemies. The Kusarigama is the most curious because it has a lethal sickle at close range and a weight at the end of a chain ideal for horizontal hits. Each weapon has its particularities. For example: The Kusarigama allows hitting several enemies that we have even separated by several steps, but a Katana can focus much more damage to a specific enemy. Although all this is only a first step: it is necessary to add the aforementioned, the position.
Each weapon has the three positions and each of them changes the way it is used. Returning to the Kusarigama, which is the most time we have used but at first it is hard to get used to: If we use the low position, we will launch attacks in a row that leave no room for maneuver to an enemy. His life drains quickly without being able to answer us. On the other hand, if we put the weapon in the middle position, the weight starts to strike left and right, allowing several enemies to be reached at the same time. This position is not recommended against a boss, since it is only a target and the damage is dispersed. The high position has more powerful and slow blows, but on the other hand it does not reach the spiders that go to ground level.
So although at the beginning we will not leave the comfort zone, the truth is that after the first 15-20 hours we will attack changing weapons constantly and changing their position according to each moment. In a natural way as if it were a more combat mechanics. It is really interesting what the combat of the game proposes. We are not in a Ninja Gaiden with combinations of several buttons and 'timing', but we can unlock movements and attacks for each weapon and each position. From new hits to combo finishers or passive skills, how to do more damage if we have little life or recover more Ki depending on the type of sequence we use.
To all this we add the spirits, entities that we will collect as we go through the main plot or as a reward in secondary missions and that allow us to launch devastating attacks. When we have the active spirit we can attack in rush mode for a limited time and gain certain properties (some protect from certain elements, others make us more agile when dodging). It is not an action especially 'broken', because the bar that is spent when we hit is also lost in large quantities if they hit us, so we can not go crazy against an enemy but we must keep dodging and blocking ... With the addition that our blows are much faster and more powerful.
Although all this is very focused on the action, it is important to understand that we are first of all in an Action RPG , and that therefore without improving character, equipment and weapons we will not get anywhere. The game format works just as the Souls have become fashionable. As we eliminate enemies, we gain a material called Amrita. This can be redeemed at the sanctuaries (where game is saved) to level up. If an enemy kills us, we lose that Amrita until we reach our deathbed and recover it. If on that path we die again, we lose everything forever.
And this is where you also have to keep an eye on what we do. There are several attributes that allow us to improve life, defense, the level of Ki, the use of guardians, ninja-type projectiles (shurikens and others), being able to carry more equipment, or magic (talismans of limited uses that regenerate at visit sanctuaries) etc. The grace of this point is that the improvement of each of the attributes is also related to specific weapons.
For example, the skill allows to also strengthen the double weapons, while the heart allows to improve the use of the katanas. It is best to go up two types of weapons used and general attributes such as magic and spirits. This marks and much the way to play. In my game I only used the shurikens a couple of times, so the attributes dedicated to this point I did not pay attention to them, while everything that had to do with double weapons, the Katana and the improvement of the attacks of spirits that focused my level rise.
The equipment also plays a role almost as relevant as our decisions when it comes to improving our character. In Nioh an overwhelming amount of constant objects falls. In enemies, in chests, in hidden places ... We will not stop collecting objects of all kinds. Many of them become useless for several reasons: first because they do not have enough level and, second, because in the case of weapons has been eliminated the wear of the same as we saw in the first Alpha. This means that we do not have to have a weapons locker fund for when our favorite one breaks, and although there is a process to combine weapons and others, the vast majority do not work and they are just junk to get some extra money (the money is not it's the same as the amrita,
We can customize William with all kinds of armours for the head, arms, legs, waist and torso. In addition to raising the general defense, many of them allow to achieve properties such as being more resistant to a specific element. It is something worth taking into account, as is the weight: to more heavy equipment, slower we move. Here we are also deciding what kind of samurai we are.
In our case we always wanted to go very light to move fast and prefer not to be touched than to block attacks. That makes us always looking for armor that has good defense but weighs little, which is sometimes complicated but possible. Changing equipment according to each circumstance, in any case, is an obligation. We discussed it in our previous one after more than twenty hours and we reaffirm it: the elements (water, terra, electricity, fire, poison ...) play a relevant role in the advance of our adventure, and we must know how to counteract it. Especially in the bosses. There are bosses who will attack us with lightning, with poison or with earth.
The difference between equipping ourselvesas it is necessary or not to do it is to be able to advance or not to do it. An example: in a certain mine we find a huge enemy that shoots poison every two times three. We have antidotes to cure us, but they wear out fast. If we use equipment that prevents us from the poison, that attack that would drain us constantly the life of reaching us, with the correct armor will do us a quarter damage of state, allowing to maintain the composure much longer. To all this we can not forget the items, all kinds of objects to recover Ki, vitality, inflict states on enemies, imbue effects to weapons, return to the last sanctuary, launch attacks from a distance (temporary spirits, bombs) and many more objects that we have available with just press the crosshead - we can select up to eight for quick access - and that are also necessary.
One of the keys to the game is to review the passive abilities of weapons. It may be that one katana has a superior damage to another, but if this second one allows adding extra damage to the element that is our guardian (for example, fire) in a spring with a final boss out of the water that can give us an advantage that does not we should waste. It is all these details that make the combat system so highly satisfactory: it is not only to raise the level to be more powerful, but to know how to manage the equipment that, in turn, we can improve by forging it in the blacksmith (where we can buy, sell, combine weapons and change the design of the weapons while maintaining their properties if we want). The blacksmith is accessed from the game map as prior to starting any mission, and will allow us to get materials, change the appearance of William and some more details.
Yokai, the demons we are facing
All this preparation, strategy to follow and personalization of the type of combat of the character is more than good. But to face what? Well to a list of enemies worthy of mention in which we will find possessed humans and demons, mainly. In addition to some beasts and monstrosities that make an appearance much later. The enemies are governed by two factors to consider: the first is that anyone can kill you with two hits. Yes, including those skeletons that seem harmless at the start of the game. Without a rival you get hooked with a combo you can leave without Ki and kill you before recovering. This is so and multiplyexponentially as more enemies are added in combat. The second factor to keep in mind is that they all have very strong patterns. With more or less attack movements, but limited. And that means that the player needs, on the one hand, to learn the moveset of turn to know when to attack; and second, have patience to wait for the right moment.
Among the beasts that we encounter, the demons that are summoned in the midst of small mists scattered around the stage-some of them obligatory to advance-are the most dangerous. They have a greater life and strength, a more unpredictable moveset and when we are in the middle of the nebulae that they leave in their path we recover the Ki very slowly, and in fact at the beginning directly it can not be recovered. With these enemies we will have to put into practice the choice of weapon, defensive equipment, spirit and magic or objects to use.
All enemies, including the final bosses, have a Ki / stamina bar like us, so trying to break it is a first step to crush them. Breaking the Ki bar works like Bloodborne counterattacks: the enemy is unguarded and our blows allow us to make a 'rush' without being able to react. As a curiosity, most enemies have a movement that leaves them sold: if we attack with a strong blow when that movement ends and from a specific position, we break their guard with a single blow. Discovering it is part of the charm to end monsters that sometimes seem indomitable. As we move forward, more and more types of Yokai are added to the cause, with their respective complication increasing when it comes to overcoming them. It is true that during the first half of the game we miss some more variety in the rival faction, but in the second section we are meeting new fearsome members ... Although there are yokais that we will not stop seeing in 50 hours of play.
The huge final bosses and the difficulty of the game
They are one of the great hooks of the game: the final bosses. Long, hard battles that always require a small analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses of the enemies and that in general will complicate our lives much more than the rest of the game. In addition to learning their movements and knowing when to attack and where-many of them have places that inflict more damage on them than in the rest of the body-it is also important to play with the turn level design, since there are several advantages in several of they. Without a doubt, except for some disappointing enemy that fell to the first round, the final heads are the best of the title for the demands of the fighting and the size of it: large enemies, others who have an unpredictable cast of blows we are near or far from them and in general,
In general, Nioh is a difficult game but much more balanced than it seemed in his first Alpha. The title clearly shows the level of each one of the missions that you are going to undertake, and with 4-5 levels below are surmountable locations (less the sunset missions) if you play with a head. The user familiar with Souls will not have excessive problems - except for the bosses - since it has incorporated the mechanics of going up in level when it has enough Amrita. This during most of the game, because the final section of the title itself, by the type of confrontations that they propose, can be done uphill in spite of everything. And there will still be things to do, among them the missions of the TwilightThey continue to offer a greater demand than the average. For its part, the player who comes again will need more learning in this regard. To the constant advance in the game also helps the design of levels, one of its less inspired points.
Each phase has a beginning and an end point . The development of the same is shelled in the midst of locations that do not have a design too inspired by the vast majority. The alternative paths to a chest or a reward in turn are very evident, while the path to follow to reach the final boss is also very clear. In addition, the game abuses a system of shortcuts that is also not particularly graceful. We start in a sanctuary, next we have a closed door, we advance, we make a detour, we kill enemies, we reach the back of the door, we open it, we save in the sanctuary and we almost direct to the portal of the final Boss. This is repeated many times.
It is true that there are somewhat more labyrinthine levels and in which we have lost, where we have had to do some laps to know where to go and that there are puzzle-like mechanics in some places (end with some ice butterflies to unlock a block that we prevented progress), but the disposition of the phases is not the strong point of Niohnot much less. As the objective of each location is very clear (to finish with the final boss) and the fall of objects is so constant and even excessive, one ends up not discerning if it is worth going for that chest there in the background or continuing down the path marked. We do not have the feeling that these alternative places are really rewarded for the rewards of our normal and ordinary progress. And that also ends up influencing how we see the scenario before us.
In this sense, the truth is that Nioh loses the ability to surprise when dozens of hours have passed. The mechanics we already know and what is really interesting is the challenge that is proposed to us with the enemies, the intermediate bosses and the boss of turn. In addition, the game abuses some formulas that in their rightfulness are nicer but that constantly end up losing their charm. We refer to reaching a place and that out of nowhere appears an enemy and attacks us. Falling from the sky (a spider) or hitting us as we turn a corner. Yes, it is very Souls that can lead to death, but when at a level that can last 20 minutes - without counting the boss - happens 4 or 5 times the feeling is that there has been some lack of ideas at this point.
It is fair to say that it is not something that affects the game in a lethal way, nor would it be true to say that all the main phases of the game are the same. But a large majority enough to have the feeling that more creativity has been lacking in general terms in this aspect. Nor do secondary missions help reuse known phases, but with more limited and less open roads and from other starting points. These phases, which range from ending a specific goal to liquidating all kinds of enemies or overcoming hordes of monsters, do not have the level of the main campaign but are necessary: to level up - there are jumps from the sixth main phase that they force farmear and improve- and to get rewards that are worthwhile. In any case, the missions of Ocaso are the most outstanding:
The game has several online elements that also remind the Souls saga . On the one hand we will see death tombs of other players, but here they do not serve to look like they have fallen in combat but to fight against them. In the sanctuaries we can invoke players to come and fight with us with a netcode that at least what we have been able to try so far worked seamlessly, while we can also choose to be invoked in other games. Nioh offers the possibility of organizing with friends to play specific missions in a cooperative - yes, it limits the lives we have to overcome it - so that whoever wants to enjoy it with a friend will not have the hassle of other games that sometimes find themselves a chimera
To all this we must add the concept of faction in which we can enroll in a clan -which has specific rewards- and add honor to our actions. When a clan reaches the top and wins the shift season, its members receive rewards of all kinds. The arrival of the PVP mode is also announced soon to expand the gaming experience.
Note : we have played Nioh with a normal Playstation 4. We will extend the review with the experience in PS4 Pro these next days.
Nioh is a title that stands out for the artistic direction that sets us in the middle of a feudal Japan full of fantastic elements . We will have changes of interesting locations ranging from interiors full of details to caves, mines, snowfields, fishing piers ... But all following a coherence and a fit between pieces that prevents seeing great contrasts in what level design is concerned except in some specific cases . The best in this regard is the design of the final enemies, with an original touch and in some cases unpleasant, along with casual and funny details that star in the designs of the spirits and some animals that we see throughout the adventure.
On a technical level, one of the successes is to be able to choose between several configurations. This allows us, for example, to use the action mode, the best under our point of view, where you try to point to 60fps in exchange for sacrificing graphic details. Of course, in this mode we had some framerate slumps at certain times but not too serious. Where we have had significant fps drops is in the way that points to a higher resolution and wants to block frames per second to 30. Here, in closed areas, we have seen the game suffer more than recommended (although they have been specific moments) . To all this is added a soundtrack that knows how to accompany perfectly and that stands out for the epic melodies of the great combats and a cast of voices that goes on horseback between Japanese and English depending on each character and dialogue.
PC: Graphic options, optimization and controversy
The game, therefore, keeps everything that made it succeed in February for Playstation 4. What then is the problem so that it has had so many negative points in Steam? Although at first it seems an optimization problem, the truth is that it has ended up being due to the lack of some options, both graphics and control (it is not adapted to the keyboard + mouse, something surprising although we have already advanced that from our point of view , is a title designed to play with command). The reality is that although the title is not the complete one in the world in terms of optimization, it works quite well in a good list of machines as it has already been seen by the network.
Minimum requirements:
Although many of the complaints were for the recommended processor, the truth is that there are already configurations with an i5 or equivalent and the 8 gigs of RAM recommended to make it work at 60 frames per second and resolutions higher than 1080p. In our case, we have been playing at 4K and 60 frames with some drops with an i7 4770k, 12 gigs of Ram and a GTX 980Ti yes, retouching parameters (without environmental occlusion and with reduced rendering quality). As was the case with PS4, there are two serial configurations - in addition to whether we customize it - that are based on offering an experience designed for action (that the 60fps are the protagonists) or cinematic (where the game blocks at 30fps).
One of the setbacks is the lack of options to customize at the graphic level. From within the game we are allowed to choose the frames per second (between 30 and 60), the quality of the shadows, if we want dynamic reflections, ambient occlusion and motion blur. Little more. In the settings menu before starting the game we are allowed to choose the resolution, rendering resolution and options mentioned above. The final result has two readings: on the one hand we have few options to tinker and optimize as we prefer our experience; on the other hand, the game looks and moves much better than on Playstation 4, where if we chose a version based on graphic quality rather than performance it suffered from important drops in several moments that we have not been given here. Here, at the viewing distance level, of sharpness and stability of fps is superior to the version for consoles unless we have a graphics card within the recommended spectrum. Finally, the game allows you to activate highlights of Nvidia, recording key moments such as deaths, clashes with bosses and others.
Complete Edition: your extra content
The PC version comes with all the content that has been coming out over these months. That means we will have the three built-in DLCs to enjoy, quietly, more than 100 hours of play. It is due in part to the difficulty and level required by the DLC, and that force the player to squeeze the base title to be prepared. Among the additions are new weapons (such as the odachi, large katana that is equipped with two hands, or tonfas, small canes that are wielded from the forearms), new difficulty modes, new guardians and other elements that came with updates Later: online duels and playable changes. This is what we have in mind at the time of each of the three DLCs, analyzed in Meristation by Fran J. Bella.
The Dragon of the North is a very good starting point for this trilogy destined to increase its legacy as demon fighters of feudal Japan. The snowy region of Tohoku offers a dozen missions, and while some do not get rid of the simplicity or repetition that sometimes weighs down the optional content of the base game, when we explore the main high levels, or face their bosses, the Nioh's best face resurfaces again to the delight of his fans.
Set during the siege of Osaka , Revolutionary Honor reflects the brutality of the war and puts us to the test with new threats in the middle of the battlefield. Although the content can be done fairly, especially when choosing an end that simply paves the way for what is to come instead of concluding in a clearer way, the design and challenges are pure Nioh. What is very, very good. Team Ninja continues to enrich a game that already had plenty of content in its launch to satisfy the most gluttons, and now enjoys another region with three new levels, several bosses, a new type of weapon to experiment, and more extra content.
The end of the massacre
This third DLC works as a storyline culmination of the new arc, and also of the growing legend of William in more general terms, turning an adventure of more than 50 hours into a "biology" that brings it closer to the terrain of the three figures before including rejugados and different difficulties in the equation. You can not talk about great news or reformulations along the way, but the level has been constantly maintained, making one of the best action games of 2017 also one of the biggest.
Is Nioh worth it on PC?
Definitely yes. We are not before the most adapted version and designed for the possibilities of the PC (neither at the level of graphic options nor at the time of adapting, for example, to the claimed control of keyboard + mouse) but in exchange we are facing one of the great games of action of the last time, in its most complete version (base game and three DLC) and more spectacular at visual level. Nioh knew how to mark his own path with a first-class setting, an agile and versatile combat system and a challenging development. And all this remains intact in this version for PC that, despite having room for improvement as a product, stands as an excellent video game to close the year among all those who have not already enjoyed the console.
conclusion
When things are done well, they usually go well. This is what happened with Nioh , a game that serves to reconcile the Team Ninja with the general public. They do it with a game that was presented as the heir of the way to understand the Action RPGof the Souls saga, but that is much more than that. A title with a combat system full of options and possibilities to explore, endless content to overcome that will have us trapped for tens of hours and a demanding experience from the start, difficult but balanced after the feedback received by the community. Nioh is tremendously solid and expresses his main virtues through a fight that unites the best of the ARPG genre and the know-how of those who - although it did not seem so in his last games - have been creating action games for decades. Of course, the gaming experience ends up being more conservative of the account in as the hours pass and has a somewhat irregular level design in general terms. But it's fun, satisfying to overcome,Team Ninja promising.
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