“A whole new world” is probably the best way to describe Team Ninja’s Nioh 3, even if it’s still returning to Japan for its special mix of Yokai hunting. Unlike previous entries, players will venture through Open Field levels with multiple side objectives to tackle and grow stronger from.
The general response is seemingly positive following the limited-time alpha, but there’s still work to do, especially when it comes to balancing. Such is the nature of games in this genre, especially one as “masocore” as Nioh. However, producer Fumihiko Yasuda says the team is trying to ensure there aren’t any “sudden difficulty spikes.”
“There are players out there who probably invested thousands of hours in the Nioh series, but there are many more who may be interested in Nioh 3 as newcomers, and I’d like everyone to be able to enjoy the game,” he told Multiplayer.it.
“For newcomers, we have added a very thorough, albeit not excessive, tutorial. But the most important thing was to ensure that the game wouldn’t have sudden difficulty spikes. Everything must happen gradually. The exploration has much more freedom, but there are also very tough foes to defeat on the open field. What we focused on was offering players many more ways to defeat the bosses, be it equipment or the exploration itself. But the challenge level typical of our games was not reduced.”
For Yasuda, the focal point of Nioh 3 is “how you face defeat.” “Perhaps in a demo like the one we showed at Tokyo Game Show, you are defeated, and that can be frustrating. But what really matters is what the player thinks after being defeated. What do I have to get? How do I have to prepare to win?
“We chose to offer many options so that players could find their own way to victory, to defeat those powerful bosses. Ultimately, being able to succeed, the exhilarating sensation that comes with that, discovering that you could indeed beat that boss, is very important, and it was essential that we maintained that in Nioh 3, too.”
Of course, the action RPG attempts several new things as well, from seamlessly switching between Ninja and Samurai styles to the Bakumatsu, which debuts in the series for the first time. It even sees players fighting against the Shinsengumi for the first time. And if it turns out too easy, don’t worry – a higher difficulty level via New Game Plus will be available at launch.
Nioh 3 launches on February 6th, 2026, for PS5 and PC. Check out the requirements for the latter, though be warned: If you haven’t updated to Windows 11 or an NVMe solid-state drive, now might finally be the time.
