Support NeoGAF

[Yumi]

Sekiro is really something special, i played through it 4 times before trying this. this has the weapon variety but i find combat a lot simpler. there are the three stances but you can entirely ignore them and just dodge/slash as usual. level design & enemy variety is a huge step down from Sekiro for me. still, it's a lot of fun, i would put Nioh above Dark Souls II. from time to time the art design is really nice.

anyone have tips for the giant slime? feel like i know what to do but there are these one hit moves that kill me. should i bother taking out the little slimes? feel like i should ignore them but everytime i do they creep up behind me and get me.

Agree with everything you said about the differences in Nioh and Sekiro. I'll add that Sekiro is a superior action game, and Nioh has way more rpg elements but outside of elements (fire, water, etc.) they dont matter much. Theres colored loot with tons of bonuses if your into it, but im about 25 hours in and I only ever choose armor with the highest defence rating while keeping my agility at "B" and the highest damage weapon of my choice (kurisgma), and ive found no reason so far to change my weapon.

As far as the giant slime. You can use the fires in the boss arena to add fire to your weapon which he is weak to. I didnt use dodge at all and opted for sprinting until there was an opening for attack, this easily dodges the beam attack he does and opens him up to be attacked directly after for a lot of damage.

Second phase I ignored the small slimes while sprinting around him til he does his slam attack, which you can punish, then dodge out before he does aoe burst attack. I finished him off with ninjitsu kunai and shurikens, cause it was safer then baiting the slam attack. I imagine using living weapon with Kato guardian would be highly effective in this phase to finish him off as well. Good Luck!

 

[Freeman76]

Seems like u got this, just wanted to add how great this game is, my second platinum trophy after dark souls. Usually i dont care for trophies but i chased them in this just as an excuse to play a few more times.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

Sekiro is a superior action game, and Nioh has way more rpg elements but outside of elements (fire, water, etc.) they dont matter much

they are similar in a lot of ways. Nioh is a great Souls clone, and they nail a lot of things, while presenting their own vision. there are a lot of similarities and a lot of differences. the day to day combat & world traversal is really good, the art design is good and not afraid to be fantastical, and the loot/customization options are voluptuous.

but there are a lot of differences between Nioh and it's From inspirations. even moreso since Sekiro is a bit of a departure from the Souls formula that Nioh was based on. those Souls did not have swimming, a proper jump, hanging, wall climb, stealth, or the bionic commando arm, all of which were introduced to expand both the Metroidvania exploration aspect of the game as well as the combat. wonder if Nioh 2 will satisfy From fans that were unhappy with Sekiro and wanted a more oldschool Souls game.

Nioh is like the old Souls games, if you step in water, you instantly fall to your death. however the world is not really connected, nor do bonfires teleport you. it is a menu-selected series of missions that you play through, compared to Soul's more seemlessly holistic open world. it is far more linear of a game in many respects, but that is fine, and shortcuts are still included in the (rather large) mission areas. difficulty wise it matches From's games IMO, though the boss fights are a little more frustrating, and tend to be not as complex.

one gripe is that side missions appear to be main mission levels re-used, which is not so fun to play back to back with the main mission. this happened to me once, and i found myself playing in the same level again. From games re-use older areas but only sparingly, and usually as ruined/inflamed/invaded time-jumped variations, introducing key story in the lead-up to the ending of the game. still, they did a really good job, and some of the areas, like the Ocean Roars Again, are really nice to explore.

 

[Yumi]

they are similar in a lot of ways. Nioh is a great Souls clone, and they nail a lot of things, while presenting their own vision. there are a lot of similarities and a lot of differences. the day to day combat & world traversal is really good, the art design is good and not afraid to be fantastical, and the loot/customization options are voluptuous.

but there are a lot of differences between Nioh and it's From inspirations. even moreso since Sekiro is a bit of a departure from the Souls formula that Nioh was based on. those Souls did not have swimming, a proper jump, hanging, wall climb, stealth, or the bionic commando arm, all of which were introduced to expand both the Metroidvania exploration aspect of the game as well as the combat. wonder if Nioh 2 will satisfy From fans that were unhappy with Sekiro and wanted a more oldschool Souls game.

Nioh is like the old Souls games, if you step in water, you instantly fall to your death. however the world is not really connected, nor do bonfires teleport you. it is a menu-selected series of missions that you play through, compared to Soul's more seemlessly holistic open world. it is far more linear of a game in many respects, but that is fine, and shortcuts are still included in the (rather large) mission areas. difficulty wise it matches From's games IMO, though the boss fights are a little more frustrating, and tend to be not as complex.

one gripe is that side missions appear to be main mission levels re-used, which is not so fun to play back to back with the main mission. this happened to me once, and i found myself playing in the same level again. From games re-use older areas but only sparingly, and usually as ruined/inflamed/invaded time-jumped variations, introducing key story in the lead-up to the ending of the game. still, they did a really good job, and some of the areas, like the Ocean Roars Again, are really nice to explore.

I definitely agree that its a great dark souls clone. Probably the best. And it still has its own identity while feeling similar. Theres definitely room for improvement, unfortunately as well as the reused area im still seeing a lot of the same enemy types which I have heard is a bit of a let down. But im still having fun with it, always look forwsrd to exploring and boss battles. But ive started to skip sub missions entirely.

 

[Clear]

The thing about Nioh is that if you strip everything down to the core missions its an arcade game at heart.

Every level is a self-contained themed area leading to boss fight. Occasional cinematics between levels, with the storytelling being a basic wrapper for the action. Its a basic 90's template.

That said, it adds so much more on top of that arcade skeleton its easy to forget that's basically what it is. The best part is that its all of equal quality, the rpg/diablo-loot aspect is fully fleshed out with ridiculously comprehensive crafting and customization options. There are tons of side-missions, in-game challenges, and the best ng+ system I've ever seen.

Best part, its all co-op friendly with good options to customize conditions to your liking. They even throw in a PVP and faction mode for good measure.

Its a generous, comprehensive package that'll keep you playing for a stupid amount of time if it hooks you. In some respects I prefer its old-school approach to FROM's, but mainly I think so highly of it because Team Ninja have clearly put a ton of work into making it as complete as possible. One of the best games of this gen in my view.

 

[Pachi72]

This game was a let down for me.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

this Ocean Roars Again boss Umi-Bozu is such a trash boss. i finally lit all three of the pyres and i can get him down to 1/3rd health but these one hit kills are fucking bullshit.

hopefully i will beat this guy soon and can get back to enjoying this. from what it sounds like he is a big difficulty wall.

Best part, its all co-op friendly

can i summon help for this boss? how?

 

[The Bloody-Nine]

I kept falling off into the water. That shit drove me nuts.

 

[Clear]

this Ocean Roars Again boss Umi-Bozu is such a trash boss. i finally lit all three of the pyres and i can get him down to 1/3rd health but these one hit kills are fucking bullshit.

hopefully i will beat this guy soon and can get back to enjoying this. from what it sounds like he is a big difficulty wall.



can i summon help for this boss? how?

Honestly, he's really pretty easy. The only thing that can kill you are his beam attacks and maybe his splash-jump in the final form, but that's just a matter of rolling well back.

To co-op any mission just select/start from Torii Gate, obviously they need to be at least as far as you into the game but other than that, no restrictions other than what you set in the session.

You may need to level up/gear better if you're having a hard time, because truthfully its not going to get any easier. As a general rule of thumb when gearing, a good offense is always better than thinking defensively. The faster stuff dies, the better, and do not overburden yourself with heavy armor because mobility is hugely important.

I'd suggest grinding revenants in order to get a full set of Warrior Of The West gear early on. Its pretty balanced and has a nice set-bonus

 

[#Phonepunk#]

he's really pretty easy? lol that is such bullshit. i have beaten Sekiro 4 times. this boss i have been stuck on for hours. this has been very frustrating, i am considering giving it up. i'm just not progressing the way i do with Souls bosses, the 2nd phase just randomly kills me every time.

i don't want to farm for weapons. i have a 319 spear, it should be good enough. i feel like i have been in this mission for days now and i am sick of it. maybe i am playing the wrong game and should quit.

i tried the fire mask, i had 11, now i have 3, all of them wasted. the first time i fired it off, and it has a long wind up, and you are vulnerable the entire time it fires. so i depleted him down to 5% health then he one shot wacked me. i ran through the rest pretty quickly, in many of them, i wasn't even able to start spitting fire before he killed me. not gonna waste my last ones.

i need tips for the 2nd phase. i just need to know how to dodge his attacks. i can block them, sometimes, but it feels like he can just reach over and kill me no matter where i am. his two friends are pains in the ass.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

yeah i think im going to take a break from this game. might try again in a hew months or something. this really isn't worth it.

 

[Poordevil]

Have you tried summoning some help? Get a team mate and that fight will be history and you can move on.

 

[Kamina]

he's really pretty easy? lol that is such bullshit. i have beaten Sekiro 4 times. this boss i have been stuck on for hours. this has been very frustrating, i am considering giving it up. i'm just not progressing the way i do with Souls bosses, the 2nd phase just randomly kills me every time.

i don't want to farm for weapons. i have a 319 spear, it should be good enough. i feel like i have been in this mission for days now and i am sick of it. maybe i am playing the wrong game and should quit.

i tried the fire mask, i had 11, now i have 3, all of them wasted. the first time i fired it off, and it has a long wind up, and you are vulnerable the entire time it fires. so i depleted him down to 5% health then he one shot wacked me. i ran through the rest pretty quickly, in many of them, i wasn't even able to start spitting fire before he killed me. not gonna waste my last ones.

i need tips for the 2nd phase. i just need to know how to dodge his attacks. i can block them, sometimes, but it feels like he can just reach over and kill me no matter where i am. his two friends are pains in the ass.

Did you know you can light your weapons on fire with the braziers? Don't waste your time with the fire masks.
I am guessing you are dying in the phase where he is in the middle. Remember to stay away when he is flattening. Generally i suggest running circles around him going in for a fee quick hits and continue. Dont get too greedy.

 

[Clear]

Did you know you can light your weapons on fire with the braziers? Don't waste your time with the fire masks.
I am guessing you are dying in the phase where he is in the middle. Remember to stay away when he is flattening. Generally i suggest running circles around him going in for a fee quick hits and continue. Dont get too greedy.

I already laid out the full strat in an earlier post. And quite honestly I wasn't saying it was an easy-ish boss to brag or make him feel bad, its just that relatively speaking later bosses offer a much harsher challenge.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

yeah i lit my weapons on fire. thanks for the tips. i put 53 hours into the game so far. it was fun for the most part and i got my money's worth.

but if there are bosses harder than this, it's not worth it. this is making me mad and throw my controller. it is making me very frustrated. i don't want to smash my controller to pieces lol.

 

[Yumi]

yeah i lit my weapons on fire. thanks for the tips. i put 53 hours into the game so far. it was fun for the most part and i got my money's worth.

but if there are bosses harder than this, it's not worth it. this is making me mad and throw my controller. it is making me very frustrated. i don't want to smash my controller to pieces lol.

Yeah, I k ow that feeling. Taking a break might be best. Its sounds like you found the boss that doesnt really click for you. It reminds me of how some people have a souls boss they always have trouble with where everyone else thinks is easy. One of mine is "The one reborne" from bloodborne. It always gives me so much trouble every run and i hate it.

The only tip I can give if you do decide to go back to it is to sprint not dodge. For me, i could just sprint around his 2nd phase and he would always do the slam attack before I ran of stamina. I found a majority of the bosses easier then him.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

i finally defeated the giant slime blob. i hadn't played for a long time until this week, but every time i tried, i died. soon enough i got really good at getting it to the 2nd phase wo issue, and started learning how to dodge that. it took me a long time to read his 2nd phase moves, but eventually i figured out when to dodge. today i killed him in one go, dodging and them hitting with the flame mask (i forgot what it's called) which i used twice to take off 1/3 damage.

anyways thank God i am past this level. it feels like i have been stuck here forever.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

well that was short-lived lol. i was on a bridge that had a gauntlet of enemies that got tougher and tougher. everytime i killed one, they disappeared. now i have to run past a lot of empty bridge to get to the enemies, a wheel and a giant tongued tough Yokai. the whole area is filled with holes you can fall in, and you are trapped there, to fight a giant enemy, and two floating sub enemies. it's very easy to instantly die, and not very fun. the worst thing about it is having to run through so much empty bridge to get there. i would totally fight these enemies on that part of the bridge. instead there is a bs fog wall preventing that. ugh.

 

[Clear]

well that was short-lived lol. i was on a bridge that had a gauntlet of enemies that got tougher and tougher. everytime i killed one, they disappeared. now i have to run past a lot of empty bridge to get to the enemies, a wheel and a giant tongued tough Yokai. the whole area is filled with holes you can fall in, and you are trapped there, to fight a giant enemy, and two floating sub enemies. it's very easy to instantly die, and not very fun. the worst thing about it is having to run through so much empty bridge to get there. i would totally fight these enemies on that part of the bridge. instead there is a bs fog wall preventing that. ugh.

Yeah, its a sectioned gauntlet. Basically its teaching you the importance of positioning, so you get a series of increasingly tight "fight in phone-booth" scenarios, until you reach the end of the bridge where if you don't move you will die.

Its a side-mission. If its too hard for you just bail.

Btw. The reason that open space before the next section is important is because its the perfect opportunity to duel revenants repeatedly and farm gear. Initially that's what you should be aiming to do, and not clear the level fully. Being able to fall off the bridge is actually useful in this regard because its how you force slain revenants to respawn, allowing you additional chances of getting their loot.

In this respect its probably the most useful mission of its type in the game.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

Yeah, its a sectioned gauntlet. Basically its teaching you the importance of positioning, so you get a series of increasingly tight "fight in phone-booth" scenarios, until you reach the end of the bridge where if you don't move you will die.

well i lucked out lol after several frustrating deaths falling through the floor while dodging, the big tongued yokai leaped at me, and ended up falling to his death. the following battles were much easier with more space to move so i ended up beating the mission easily after that. so if you are stuck here, consider bating the yokai into jumping in a pit!

 

[Clear]

Just be careful with side missions, their difficulty varies a lot more than the main path ones.

Some you want to do asap (for farming) others you should leave until you are much stronger. Its very apparent why this is a good thing on higher difficulty cycles because you have a bar showing what it takes to unlock the next area, so you can tactically pick and choose how to get to the most important missions with minimal hassle.

First time around its a bit different, especially as its the cycle where revenants are really crucial in gearing your char up.

Like I've said before, the deeper you get in the game the more you appreciate the way TN have designed the progression. Its not just From's "more but harder" NG+ system, its hub-based system encourages you to move forwards and backwards along the progression path.

This is present in the initial cycle, but its not so obvious what the benefits are. I guess this is where the criticism of repetition comes from, people kinda automatically assume that all the missions in a given area will be easier than those in the next, so they try and do everything in an area before moving on. Whereas in actuality the optimal route is usually to stick to the main-mission path, as that will always give you better loot.

The key difference between Nioh and Souls games is that in Nioh loot is more important than levels. Failing a mission can still be a major win if you come out better geared than how you went in. Amrita is cheap comparitively, so never worry about losing it.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

my game is humming along. last two bosses were really nice, the ice lady and the White Tiger. right now im at a ninja mansion, which has a zillion hidden doors, and it was getting confusing, then i realized i found the entrance to the boss, and it really wasn't that hard to get to. then i saw the boss. lol i love this character design.

 

[Rodolink]

Sorry to bump this up. Just finished the game this weekend. And today i played Dark Souls and felt like a complete tank, its so slow in comparison lol

 

[Fbh]

Sorry to bump this up. Just finished the game this weekend. And today i played Dark Souls and felt like a complete tank, its so slow in comparison lol

Dark Souls 1?
Yeah, that one is pretty slow even when compared to newer entries in the franchise.
Bloodborne, Sekiro and Dark Souls 3 have faster combat (though Nioh is probably still faster)

 

[Rodolink]

Dark Souls 1?
Yeah, that one is pretty slow even when compared to newer entries in the franchise.
Bloodborne, Sekiro and Dark Souls 3 have faster combat (though Nioh is probably still faster)

Dark souls 3 actually xD

 

[Roufianos]

Nioh rules, one of the best games this gen. The only Souls game that ever clicked for me.

 

[Chittagong]

Giga bump, but in my desperation for decent things to play after Elden Ring plat & Nightreign, I decided I'd try and make 2026 the year of Nioh, if I could get into the series.

The transition to Nioh from From games was quite rough, initially found even just the basic enemies tough and died a lot. The game is certainly much more unforgiving with damage. The first boss took for ages, then Hino-Enma was a bit better.

The mechanic that you have to collect your souls stash after dying in a boss to have the spirit on your next run is bullshit, I never have time to do that so every second boss run is without the spirit - I just started to ignore the whole mechanic. No idea why they tied the spirit to your soul stash.

I am immensely enjoying the game, the flow is great, and the level selection system gives me a better chance to dip in often. The difficulty is exhilarating, and think if I manage to complete the first one, I will do the whole series.

My main worry at this point is whether I am skilled enough to complete the first game. With From games I had build this confidence that I am able to always finish them, once I understood their method.

 

[Northeastmonk]

Giga bump, but in my desperation for decent things to play after Elden Ring plat & Nightreign, I decided I'd try and make 2026 the year of Nioh, if I could get into the series.

The transition to Nioh from From games was quite rough, initially found even just the basic enemies tough and died a lot. The game is certainly much more unforgiving with damage. The first boss took for ages, then Hino-Enma was a bit better.

The mechanic that you have to collect your souls stash after dying in a boss to have the spirit on your next run is bullshit, I never have time to do that so every second boss run is without the spirit - I just started to ignore the whole mechanic. No idea why they tied the spirit to your soul stash.

I am immensely enjoying the game, the flow is great, and the level selection system gives me a better chance to dip in often. The difficulty is exhilarating, and think if I manage to complete the first one, I will do the whole series.

My main worry at this point is whether I am skilled enough to complete the first game. With From games I had build this confidence that I am able to always finish them, once I understood their method.

NiOh 2 is so much better. The counter they give you made me not want to go back except for nostalgia purposes. I did try to go back to NiOh 1 until I realized "wtf am I doing? NiOh 3 is almost out". So I uninstalled NiOh 1 and preordered the big deluxe edition of NiOh 3. Maybe someday, far from now I'll go back cause NiOh 1 had some pretty cool bosses.

My point is, if you find any frustration jump to NiOh 2 immediately.

 

[DaciaJC]

NiOh 2 is so much better. The counter they give you made me not want to go back except for nostalgia purposes. I did try to go back to NiOh 1 until I realized "wtf am I doing? NiOh 3 is almost out". So I uninstalled NiOh 1 and preordered the big deluxe edition of NiOh 3. Maybe someday, far from now I'll go back cause NiOh 1 had some pretty cool bosses.

My point is, if you find any frustration jump to NiOh 2 immediately.

Agreed. I had to force myself to play through the last third of Nioh 1. Meanwhile I got through NG+2 of Nioh 2, including DLC, and would have gladly done some more runs had I more time.

 

[larrybrady]

Agreed. I had to force myself to play the last third of Nioh 1. Meanwhile I got through NG+2 of Nioh 2, including DLC, and would have gladly done some more runs had I more time.

Which game you find harder of the 2? I've heard the bosses are a little easier in Nioh 2, but,getting to the bosses in the first place is harder in Nioh 2 compared to 1

 

[DaciaJC]

Which game you find harder of the 2? I've heard the bosses are a little easier in Nioh 2, but,getting to the bosses in the first place is harder in Nioh 2 compared to 1

Overall, I'd say the first game felt harder.

 

[Chittagong]

Overall, I'd say the first game felt harder.

That's a good thing for me, since completing 1 would then give me the confidence to get 2 and 3. I have taken down Malenia and Promised Consort Radahn, but I have serious doubts on whether I manage to finish Nioh, the beginning is already so hard. Won't stop me trying!

 

[Nocty]

this game kicked my ass, bad.

I got to the ...third boss I believe? a vampire that scream in a cave and I just can't beat. I simply cant.

I've seen youtube tutorials how to beat it and I can't. The past stages werent that hard, but this one is impossible to me.

Any tips?

Be glad you saved wasting your time banging your face against a wall because that boss is quite easy compared to what comes later in the game

shit is absolutely brutal. Nioh2 was even worse. I had to cheese every opportunity I could because I simply could not git gud enough to beat the game. Gave up around 20 hours in

 

[kuti]

I'm not sure if I played too many games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring, and now I feel bored. I tried Nioh, and it's such a refreshing change. It's a true hidden gem that I don't know why I missed.

 

[NeverYouMind]

Be glad you saved wasting your time banging your face against a wall because that boss is quite easy compared to what comes later in the game

shit is absolutely brutal. Nioh2 was even worse. I had to cheese every opportunity I could because I simply could not git gud enough to beat the game. Gave up around 20 hours in

Try using ninja tools and omnyo magic. If all else fails spam tonfas with power ups and passive skills. Maybe try traps.

 

[Gandih42]

That's a good thing for me, since completing 1 would then give me the confidence to get 2 and 3. I have taken down Malenia and Promised Consort Radahn, but I have serious doubts on whether I manage to finish Nioh, the beginning is already so hard. Won't stop me trying!

I 100%'ed Nioh 1 (+ all DLCs) a couple of years ago and then Nioh 2 (+ all DLC) last year - I have no doubts that you can beat them if you managed Malenia and Promised Consort Radahn.

Even though it is a souls-like it has a very different feel from the FromSoftware games and it takes some time getting used to. But If you give yourself time, I'm sure it will become second nature in the same way Dark Souls / Elden Ring / Bloodborne has for all of us souls-fiends. You are struggling because you don't yet intuitively feel the rhythm of combat, you can't yet innately sense spacing and positioning, you don't yet know your weapon attacks and combos by heart. But it will all come in time.

A few tips that should apply to both Nioh games:

• Don't fuss too much about gear during your first playthrough (unless you just love it like I do). Just keep going for whatever weapons you like at the highest level / rarity you can get, and try to find moves that work well in their skill trees. Builds only really start to come into play in NG+ and beyond.
• Ninjutsu / Onmyo magic can make some fights a lot easier similarly to how magic does it in FromSoftware games. It is also just really fun to use! (bombs, shurikens, scrolls and what-not).

I was playing Nioh 2 (NG++++), Elden Ring: Nightreign and Bloodborne on simultaneously on rotation last year and it was suuuper confusing having to heal on d-pad, square, and triangle respectively, and attacking on face buttons vs triggers, hahahahaha. Good times.
Now just a few weeks until Nioh 3 baby!

 

[kuti]

I 100%'ed Nioh 1 (+ all DLCs) a couple of years ago and then Nioh 2 (+ all DLC) last year - I have no doubts that you can beat them if you managed Malenia and Promised Consort Radahn.

Even though it is a souls-like it has a very different feel from the FromSoftware games and it takes some time getting used to. But If you give yourself time, I'm sure it will become second nature in the same way Dark Souls / Elden Ring / Bloodborne has for all of us souls-fiends. You are struggling because you don't yet intuitively feel the rhythm of combat, you can't yet innately sense spacing and positioning, you don't yet know your weapon attacks and combos by heart. But it will all come in time.

A few tips that should apply to both Nioh games:

• Don't fuss too much about gear during your first playthrough (unless you just love it like I do). Just keep going for whatever weapons you like at the highest level / rarity you can get, and try to find moves that work well in their skill trees. Builds only really start to come into play in NG+ and beyond.
• Ninjutsu / Onmyo magic can make some fights a lot easier similarly to how magic does it in FromSoftware games. It is also just really fun to use! (bombs, shurikens, scrolls and what-not).

I was playing Nioh 2 (NG++++), Elden Ring: Nightreign and Bloodborne on simultaneously on rotation last year and it was suuuper confusing having to heal on d-pad, square, and triangle respectively, and attacking on face buttons vs triggers, hahahahaha. Good times.
Now just a few weeks until Nioh 3 baby!

100% agreed. If you resist changing the play style of the Dark Souls series and want to keep playing like that in Nioh, you will have a big problem.

Sometimes you just have to move on to adapt.

 

[Chittagong]

I 100%'ed Nioh 1 (+ all DLCs) a couple of years ago and then Nioh 2 (+ all DLC) last year - I have no doubts that you can beat them if you managed Malenia and Promised Consort Radahn.

Even though it is a souls-like it has a very different feel from the FromSoftware games and it takes some time getting used to. But If you give yourself time, I'm sure it will become second nature in the same way Dark Souls / Elden Ring / Bloodborne has for all of us souls-fiends. You are struggling because you don't yet intuitively feel the rhythm of combat, you can't yet innately sense spacing and positioning, you don't yet know your weapon attacks and combos by heart. But it will all come in time.

A few tips that should apply to both Nioh games:

• Don't fuss too much about gear during your first playthrough (unless you just love it like I do). Just keep going for whatever weapons you like at the highest level / rarity you can get, and try to find moves that work well in their skill trees. Builds only really start to come into play in NG+ and beyond.
• Ninjutsu / Onmyo magic can make some fights a lot easier similarly to how magic does it in FromSoftware games. It is also just really fun to use! (bombs, shurikens, scrolls and what-not).

I was playing Nioh 2 (NG++++), Elden Ring: Nightreign and Bloodborne on simultaneously on rotation last year and it was suuuper confusing having to heal on d-pad, square, and triangle respectively, and attacking on face buttons vs triggers, hahahahaha. Good times.
Now just a few weeks until Nioh 3 baby!

100% agreed. If you resist changing the play style of the Dark Souls series and want to keep playing like that in Nioh, you will have a big problem.

Sometimes you just have to move on to adapt.

Thanks guys. The fight style is indeed a big adjustment.

In From games I would hang out super near the boss, preferably behind, shield up, roll into its attacks, punishing at every opening possible. That recipe seems a total disaster in Nioh.

Poke, jump back, bait, poke, jump back… seems to be the method of Nioh. A single greedy poke gets severely punished. Overall getting hit is a much bigger deal here due to bigger HP hit and fewer elixirs.

I returned to the twilight version of the first boss after Hino-Enma and it's still hard as nails

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

I have taken down Malenia and Promised Consort Radahn, but I have serious doubts on whether I manage to finish Nioh, the beginning is already so hard. Won't stop me trying!

malenia was 1000x harder than anything in nioh1 or 2 for me