Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Nioh 2 are two games with a lot in common. Both are Souls-likes, with the genre’s classic focus on challenge and progression. Both are set during the Sengoku Jidai period of 16th century Japan, a time of warring states, heroes, and villains. Finally, Sekiro and Nioh 2 both feature beautiful levels to explore, secrets to find, and bosses to overcome.
With two such similar games, the obvious question becomes: Which is better? To reach a fair answer, it’s important to break both of the games down, compare what they do the same, and what they do differently. Ultimately, there can only be one “Best Samurai Souls-like.“
The prequel of 2017’s Nioh doesn’t stray far from the formula of its predecessor. Players take on the role of Hide, a half-Yokai spirit known as a Shiftling, during the Sengoku era of Japan. As warring Daimyos clash across the country, the player battles against humans and hostile Yokai alike.
One of the biggest ways that Nioh 2 differs from Sekiro is in its loot and progression systems. Throughout the game, players not only learn new techniques, but also acquire new weaponry and armor. The variety of weapons on offer allow for a wide-range of different gameplay styles, depending on player preference. Each character is capable of equipping two weapons at once, which can be switched between freely, and this really helps keep the gameplay fresh, compared to Sekiro‘s single katana.
The other area in which Nioh 2 outdoes its samurai-competitor is in co-op. FromSoftware’s approach to co-operative play in its various series has always been a contentious feature. Neither Dark Souls nor Bloodborne encourage co-operative play, preferring to limit it by introducing hurdles for players to overcome. Even worse, Sekiro doesn’t have any kind of co-op at all. Nioh 2 not only allows three-player co-op missions, provided the invited player has already completed the level in question, but also allows players to go back and repeat their favorite levels as a team.
When lead director Hidetaka Miyazaki set out to make Sekiro, he wanted to depart from FromSoftware’s classic Souls-like formula. To this end, Sekiro moves the focus from loot, character customization, and ability scores to stealth, exploration, and boss battles. Sekiro also features a larger focus on characterization and the story of an individual.
It’s this last choice which also gives Sekiro an edge over Nioh 2. While the protagonist of Nioh 2 is a voiceless blank-slate, Sekiro‘s Wolf is an intriguing character with his own personality, backstory, and goals. This point of connection helps to draw players into the story, leaving them feeling more like a participant than a spectator.
The other major advantage that Sekiro has over Nioh 2 lies in its gameplay and polish. FromSoftware is top dog in the Souls-like business—the company started it after all—and it really shows in Sekiro. The gameplay is slick, fast-paced, and exciting, with just enough of that FromSoftware difficulty to make each triumph extra special. On top of this, the game has a level of polish in its art, music, and ambience that really helps to anchor the player in the world.
FromSoftware took a risk with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a step away from the popular formula that it first created with Demon’s Souls. That risk paid off, and Sekiro is not only the best samurai Souls-like, but also one of the best Souls-likes out there. The emphasis on characterization, the freedom of movement, and the purity of the gameplay all set Sekiro above its competitors.
None of this is a mark against Nioh 2, of course, which remains an excellent Souls-like in its own right. Its depth and variety far overshadow the simplicity of Sekiro‘s systems, but perhaps not always to Nioh 2‘s advantage. Complexity can be overwhelming for some players, particularly when twinned with the brutal difficulty of a Souls-like, and Sekiro captures that sweet spot.
Nioh 2 and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are available now.
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