Release Date: March 13th, 2020
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Koei Tecmo Games; Team Ninja
Genre: Action RPG
Platforms: Playstation 4
Game Size: 36GB
Price: $59.99 (Standard Edition) $79.99 (Deluxe Edition)
ResetEra Review Thread
What is Nioh 2?
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Koei Tecmo Games; Team Ninja
Genre: Action RPG
Platforms: Playstation 4
Game Size: 36GB
Price: $59.99 (Standard Edition) $79.99 (Deluxe Edition)
ResetEra Review Thread
What is Nioh 2?
Nioh 2 is the sequel to the commercially and critically acclaimed action-RPG, Nioh. The game combines tight, fast and demanding weapon based combat with loot and stat based character customization, which allows great flexibility to accommodate all sorts of builds and playstyles.
Story
Like its predecessor, Nioh 2 is set in the Sengoku period of Japanese History. The land has been overrun by the monstrous Yokai; supernatural monsters and creatures from Japanese folklore. The player will meet several historical figures such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi that ultimately aided in the unification of Japan.
Official story synopsis:
"The year is 1555 (50 years before the first game), an era that precedes the unification of Japan by Ieyasu Tokugawa.
The protagonist, the spawn of a human and a yokai, lives in Mino Province while spending their time as a mercenary battling yokai. One day, the protagonist is victorious in a battle against a ferocious yokai, but this causes the yokai powers to go berserk. The protagonist is calmed thanks to a man who runs to the scene - a wandering Spirit Stone seller by the name of Tokichiro.
As the two set off to take the Sengoku period by storm like a pair of Nioh, the curtain rises on the tale of "Hideyoshi"..."
Some useful links:
Fextralife's Boss guide (spoilers, obviously)
Nioh 2 Tips for Newcomers
Nioh 2 offers refreshing flexibility for console players to customize their experience. First and foremost, there are three game modes to choose from, which impact image quality and performance.
Action Mode focuses on performance, at the expense of image quality. Draw distances, shadow resolution and terrain geometry are reduced as well as some post-processing effects. This mode locks the framerate at 60fps.
Movie Mode focuses on image quality, at the expense of framerate. Dynamic resolution is deployed to maintain the framerate at 30fps. The game targets an optimal resolution of 1080p on base PS4 and 4K (with checkerboarding) on PS4 Pro. Highest terrain, foliage and shadow detail.
Variable Mode seeks to offer a middle ground between the two aforementioned modes. Framerate is unlocked and therefore fluctuates according to the strain put on the system at a given moment. This mode is useful if you want the sharper image quality of movie mode without being restricted to the higher frametimes, but some people are particularly sensitive to the jerky motion and inputs that result from the variable frametimes.
You'll have to experiment to find which mode suits you best. Given Nioh 2's precise and demanding input timings Action Mode is recommended for the best gameplay experience.
Nioh 2 plays fundamentally in similar fashion to the first Nioh.
Press Square for a quick light attack that drains some Ki
Press Triangle for a slower heavy attack that does more damage, but drains more Ki and can leave you exposed.
Hold L1 to block
Press X to dodge / dash; double tap to roll.
There are three stances: low, medium and high. In order to switch to any given stance, hold R1 and press the corresponding button (Triangle for High, Square for Mid, X for Low).
Each Stance has its strengths and weaknesses.
High stance
High Stance has the highest damage and slow overhead attacks but the worst blocking and dodging.
Mid stance
has the best blocking (lowest Ki expended while blocking) and also the widest horizontal sweep on attacks.
Low stance
has the fastest attacks and the best dodge (also consumes the least Ki while dodging), but low damage and short range.
Ideally, you'll be changing stances in the midst of combat to make the most out of your arsenal
Anima, AKA Yokai Force, is a new resource in Nioh 2, and can be seen on the top-left corner of the screen, underneath the Ki bar. Anima is used for Yokai Shift transformations, which expend some of it, as well as the new Soul Core Yokai Skills that can be attuned by the player. Anima can be regenerated by attacking enemies, or performing successful Burst Counters. Anima also regenerates faster in the Dark Realm.
Yokai Shift
Yokai Shift is a new mechanic in Nioh 2 that replaces the Living Weapon mechanic found in the first game.
When your Amrita Gauge is full (upper left corner), pressing Triangle + Circle simultaneously will activate Yokai shift, unleashing your character's Yokai Powers. In this mode, your life and Ki bars will be replaced by a Yokai Shift bar that will deplete over time, or as you take damage. In this form, your attack power will be enhanced and your character will be able to disperse the Yokai Realm, turning it into absorbable Amrita instead.
The Yokai form your character takes while in Yokai Shift mode will depend on which Guardian Spirit is currently equipped.
Burst Counters
Burst counters are a new technique in Nioh 2, which make use of the player's latent Yokai abilities to react to enemies' Burst attacks. By pressing R2 + Circle at the right time (telegraphed by a glowing red attack from the enemy), your character's Yokai form will emerge, inflicting substantial Ki damage in the process. The type of Burst Counter will depend on the type of Guardian Spirit equipped by the player.
Ki Pulsing
One of Nioh 2's stand out mechanics, and vital if you want to survive the game's callous difficulty.
To perform a Ki Pulse, press the stance button (R1) after performing an attack to instantly restore some Ki. When the player attacks, a blue essence will swirl around the player, indicating that a Ki Pulse can be performed. The more precise the timing of your Ki Pulse, the more Ki will be recovered. It is imperative that the player master this mechanic as soon as possible, since Ki management is at the core of playing this game.
Ki Flux
Similar to Ki Pulsing, Ki Fluxing allows the player to recover huge amounts of Ki very rapidly. Ki Flux is performed by changing stances as soon as a Ki Pulse is successfully performed. The player should start practicing Ki Fluxing as soon as she feels comfortable with Ki Pulsing.
Dark Realm
While exploring levels, the player will eventually reach an area that has been shrouded by the Dark Realm. While in the Dark Realm, the player character will grow Yokai Horns, and Ki regeneration will decrease drastically. Yokai enemies will also receive a buff to their Ki regeneration. The player can traverse the Dark Realm at his own peril, though it is possible to locate the Yokai that emanates the Dark Ream, identifiable by small, blooming flowers around him. Killing it will dissipate the miasma and Yokai enemies in the area will stop spawning. Additionally, the player will be able to open chests previously inaccessible within the dark realm. Anima will recover faster in the Dark Realm.
Soul Cores
Yokai enemies will drop Soul Cores, a new powerful resource in Nioh 2. Once purified at a shrine (if the player is able to reach the shrine without dying), Soul Cores can be attuned just like Magic or Ninjutsu, and assigned to R2 + Triangle, or R2 + Square. Each of them corresponds to a Yokai Skill that can be executed by the player at the cost of some Anima.
Bloody Graves and Revenants
When a player dies (when playing online), he'll leave behind a Bloody Grave that has a chance of spawning in another player's world. Head on over to a grave and it'll tell you their level, mode of death and other information about them. By interacting with Bloody Graves, players can then summon an NPC incarnation, a Revenant, of the player who left the Bloody Grave. These revenants can be farmed for gear or Ochoko cups, which in turn can be used to summon friendly players or NPC
Benevolent Graves and Acolytes
Nioh 2 now features a friendly version of revenants: Acolytes, who are NPC incarnations of fellow players left behind to aid you if you find yourself in a tough spot. Similar to bloody graves, benevolent graves will display information about the player who left the Benevolent Grave. By spending Ochoko cups, Acolytes will be summoned to fight at your side.
Kodamas and Sudamas
Kodamas are friendly Yokai who inhabit the wilderness of Japan. They can be found scattered throughout levels. Finding Kodamas imbues the player with blessings that can be activated at the shrine. Their blessings include increased amrita dropped from enemies or increased elixir drops, to name a few. Only one blessing can be activated at a time. As the player finds more Kodamas in each region, the number of elixirs that are resupplied when resting at a shrine is increased.
Sudamas are new to Nioh 2, and they are Kodamas who have been corrupted by the Dark Realm and now covet treasure. Instead of directly aiding players, Sudamas will ask for an item and will provide the player with a reward in return.
Hot Springs
Like kodamas, Hot Springs are hidden in levels and provide a temporary buff to your character, healing you over time and negating harmful status effects.
Loot and Builds
Nioh 2, like its predecessor, is a loot driven game, on top of being a skill based action RPG. This makes the game fairly unique, in that not only does your proficiency in the game grow as your abilities as a player develop, but also your character will become vastly more powerful by selecting the right gear for your unique build. The game includes a robust, and intimidating blacksmith system that allows players to forge, temper, refashion and dismantle the oodles of loot that they'll recover during their missions. While it's not crucial to delve in depth into the mechanics of the blacksmith, doing so will unlock the most powerful possible builds for the game.
Scampuss
Number of games with Scampuss= 1
Players can become visitors to other players' worlds after completing a mission. They can then be summoned to assist players in need who might be having difficulty with that mission.
A new mode in Nioh 2 is called Expeditions. During expeditions, two players cooperate to complete missions sharing a common life pool. Every time a player dies, she can revive herself by expending a part of the common life pool. Players can also revive one another at no cost of the common life pool. If both players die, the expedition will end.
Nioh 2 features an staggering amount of weapons to accomodate a plethora of play styles. Once you create your character, you will be presented with a choice of two starting weapons. This choice does not lock you into these two weapons; you can equip any weapon you find, buy or craft at any time.
Each weapon scales to different stats. Each weapon has a core stat, as well as secondary stats off which said weapon will scale, to a lesser degree. While you are free to pair any two weapon types, it is recommended that you pair weapons that synergize with one another. All the weapons from the original game make a return, including DLC weapons.
Axe: Stamina +1
Dual Swords: Skill +1
Kusarigama: Dexterity +1
Odachi: Strength +1
Spear: Constitution +1
Sword: Heart +1
Tonfa: Courage
In addition, Nioh 2 introduces two brand new weapons, the Hatchet and the Switch Glaive:
Hatchets: Skill +1
Switch Glaive: Magic +1
A transformable melee weapon with three forms, depending on stance. Glaive, Scythe, and Saw.
The following table shows which weapons benefit from which stats, and how well they scale:
Some general information to get players started.
BUILDS
Nioh 2 places a great amount of emphasis on builds. Choosing the right build can make the game much more engaging. It unlocks imaginative playsyles that wouldn't be feasible otherwise, and can help out in a tough spot, specially when playing the game in higher difficulties.
FextraLife has added several unique and interesting builds to their website and YouTube channel. Check them out!
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