Today sees the release of the highly-anticipated Nioh 2. Team Ninja’s answer to Dark Souls is one of the toughest games of 2020. It is so challenging that it makes FromSoftware’s infamous franchise seem like it’s on easy mode. That’s not hyperbole on my part. Nioh 2 will kick your butt without a hint of mercy or compassion. Given the insane difficulty, this isn’t a game for everyone. Only the most committed (and masochistic) gamers need apply. But no matter how bad-ass you think you are, you are not ready for the horrors in store for you.
To help ease you into Nioh 2, we’ve listed 10 tips every beginner should know. Note that this knowledge won’t help you master the game overnight. You’ll still need practice and patience to persevere. With that said, these tips will give you an edge and keep you (mostly) alive during the early hours.
Choose your weapons wisely
Nioh 2 features a wide variety of weapons. Every weapon controls and feels different, making it hard to choose the right one for you. If you’re brand-new to the series, it’s best to go with a weapon like an ax that hits hard and a weapon like a katana or a dagger for faster (albeit weaker) hits. You can always go to the training ground (covered below) to see which weapons suit your playstyle best.
Train, train, train
There is an almost overwhelming amount of combat techniques to use, even from the beginning. Sure, you can learn the basics by continuously dying. Or you can train somewhere safe. The training ground is an option under Dojo (selectable from the starting point on the world map). Here, you can try out all the moves you’ve unlocked against a myriad of foes. This is also an ideal spot for mastering your stances and demonic abilities. Don’t be afraid to visit the training ground often to keep your skills sharp.
Stand your ground
Your character can assume three different stances. A low stance facilitates quick attacks and fast dodging. It is perfect for dispatching small enemies and for quickly dodging attacks. Mid stance is the one you’ll use most of the time. It works great against most enemies and provides a perfect balance between offense and defense. Lastly, high stance utilizes hard attacks that break past enemy Ki. This stance provides little defense and a missed attack can leave you wide open. Mastering the different stances is essential.
Manage your Ki
Performing most actions (attacking, dodging, running) depletes Ki. If you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself winded during the most inopportune moment. Because of that, you’ll want to be mindful of your Ki at all times.
White light leaks out of your character whenever you attack. Pressing R1 concentrates this energy, thus recovering your Ki via a Ki Pulse. You’ve successfully performed a Ki Pulse when a circle of light bursts from you. It’s possible to gain a significant amount of Ki depending on your timing. I don’t need to tell you how important it is to maintain a healthy amount of Ki, especially during boss fights.
Performing a Ki Pulse isn’t always easy. A great alternative is the Running Water skill found in the Samurai branch of the skill tree. Instead of performing a pulse by pressing R1, you do so by dodging. Each weapon stance has its own version of Running Water, so be sure to snatch them all. Using this technique along with the normal Ki Pulse ensures you never run out of Ki at the wrong time.
Yokai abilities and Soul Cores
New to Nioh 2 are Yokai abilities. Releasing a Yokai Burst can stop and counter enemies surrounded by a red aura. The trick is performing a burst just as the enemy strikes. If performed successfully, you’ll deal massive damage and leave your foe open to continued attacks. You get three Yokai (in the form of spirit animals) from the jump and each has its own Yokai Burst window. Try them all out and see which one you like best.
Stronger foes drop Soul Cores, which you can use to perform special Yokai attacks. Soul Core attacks correspond to the enemy that drops them. For example, an ape-like creature you fight early on gives you the ability to fling a spear at enemies. Upon getting a Soul Core, it’s best to get to the nearest shrine to purify it. Should you die in transit, you’ll lose the Soul Core unless you’re able to retrieve your Guardian Grave. You can fuse Soul Cores of the same type to make them stronger. Try to collect as many cores as you can and experiment with their abilities.
The Dark Realm
Early in the game, you’ll find an area enveloped in Yokai energy. This Dark Realm presents a unique challenge for the player. For starters, one’s stamina regeneration is severely hampered. Enemies are tougher, and you cannot access any Shrines within. It is also possible for yokai to drag you into the Dark Realm.
The only way to escape the Dark Realm is defeating the yokai that dragged you in or the one who rules the area. If you see a yokai surrounded by red flowers, that’s your target. But as I mentioned before, enemies here are no push-overs. Thankfully, you can use your own yokai abilities much more efficiently here. This serves as a way to even the odds against the deadlier foes you’ll encounter.
Visit Shrines
Shrines are safe havens from the hellish world around you. They provide a number of useful functions, including replenishing your items, restoring your health, and acting as a respawn point. You can also use amrita (obtained from killing enemies) at Shrines to level up your character’s core attributes, receive blessings from Kodama spirits, and summon players to help you. The main drawback of using Shrines is that doing so resurrects all regular enemies you’ve defeated. This isn’t a bad thing, as we’ll see in the next tip.
Grind on
You will die and die often. Thankfully, you can use the game’s own systems to your advantage. Specifically, the aforementioned Shrines.
Since enemies return whenever you use a Shrine, you can repeatedly fight them and grind for amrita. Do this long enough and you’ll amass plenty of amrita for leveling. While this may sound like cheating, it’s a perfectly viable option to help you move forward to the next Shrine and grind spot. Yes, fighting the same foes over and over again can get tiresome, but the results speak for themselves. Want to stay alive longer? Get used to grinding.
Skill tree
Nioh 2 features a robust skill tree. At a glance, it is easy to get overwhelmed by all the options available. The best approach is to decide what kind of character you want to build early on. Do you want to face foes with katanas and spears or do you want to attack using deadly magic? The choice is yours. You’ll eventually get to completely respec your character if you feel you’ve gone down the wrong path. This is great, but don’t become over-reliant on respec-ing since it costs 10,000 gold each time. You’ll gain a lot of experience points, especially if you level grind early on. If you do things correctly, you’ll have created a truly formidable demon slayer.
Share the suffering
You don’t have to face the terrors before you alone. You can call for help two different ways. One is by resurrecting NPC allies at blue Benevolent Graves. Using ochoko cups, you can also call in up to two other players at Shrines. The NPC mostly serves as a distraction that keeps enemies from focusing all their aggression on you. Player-controlled characters are much more useful since they’re actual people. Allies remain at your side until either you or they die.
Bloody Graves are the opposite of Benevolent Graves. By interacting with these red markers, you’ll summon a formidable opponent. What’s the advantage of taking on a spirit that’s potentially harder than a boss? The sweet loot they drop. Stronger weapons and better armor are always good to have. With that said, it’s best to tread carefully when interacting with Bloody Graves. After all, you may lose hours of hard work if you fall in battle.
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