We sat back and thought about ones that have managed to make us grin to ourselves every time we think about them, and are happy to tell you about them. Without further ado, let’s get started!

10. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

With a gameplay loop that was straight out of Arkham, a version of Gotham that was absolutely enjoyable to explore, and a lot of wit, charm, and humor thrown in, this one was music to the pointy ears of Batman fans, who’ve been rather starved of a solid take on the Dark Knight ever since Rocksteady’s Arkham Knight.

Everything a Batman fan wanted was right there, from a close look at Bruce’s early days before he became an urban legend that struck fear in the hearts of Gotham’s wrongdoers, to solid takes on the rest of the cast, and a whole lot of references to the character’s long and often complex presence in DC’s stories over the years.

It’s rare to see humor work so well in Gotham, a place where there usually aren’t many laughs to be found unless they’re the maniacal cackle of The Joker, but this one had us chuckling to ourselves even as we were beating criminals to a pulp as the Dark Knight. It’s both Batman and LEGO done right, and balanced so well that it has more than earned a place on this list.

9. Mouse: P.I. For Hire

The next one we’re talking about is another charmer set in a dark and gritty world. Jack Pepper’s investigation into a magician’s disappearance, all set in a stylized version of 1930s America with a population made entirely of rodents and shrews, was a solid tale and a very entertaining shooter packed into one well-animated package.

Intelligent writing, great characters, and a lot of spilled ink were the highlights of our time with this one, and while it could have used a bit of balancing to be just perfect, what was on offer was still quite fun to engage with. We found ourselves making cheese-related puns for quite a while after we rolled the credits on this one, and that’s saying something when you consider that the game itself drops a significant number of those over the course of its runtime.

This noir adventure’s definitely worth undertaking if you’re looking for a fun game to play before the rest of the year’s releases begin to take up your free time.

8. Pragmata

As the latest addition in a long line of bangers this year, Pragmata is definitely a strong addition to a solid lineup of games this year. As a shooter that has you working a hacking minigame almost in parallel, there’s enough innovation to a tried-and-tested formula to make it an interesting proposition right off the bat.

But Pragmata’s true beauty lies in how it integrates that innovation into a heartwarming, wholesome story that sees protagonists Hugh and Diana surpass their innate differences as a human and an Android to form a friendship that delivers quite the emotional payoff. That bond was helped along by a story that explored complex themes without delving into too much philosophy, leaving just enough room for a more direct, robust pace that was very welcome indeed.

We’re quite sure we’ll be seeing more of Hugh and Diana in the years to come, and that’s something that makes us quite happy considering that their first outing ended on quite the cliffhanger.

7. Saros

Carcosa is a place no one in their right mind would want to go back to unless the person in question is a fan of Returnal’s take on bullet-hell shooters. But this one took things up a notch on all fronts, and the result was a title that was unsurprisingly awesome while remaining grounded enough to make the story it was trying to sell us not only believable, but quite emotionally resonant as well.

Arjun was a protagonist with layers and issues of his own, trying to work with the rest of the cast to uncover mysteries that tested his resolve and sanity. Getting to go along on such an adventure, and the challenges that we faced at his side along the way, were not just a pleasure, but a test of our own skill and determination to see it through.

The difficulty was always there, and perhaps even an expected part of the experience. But what we didn’t expect was for the entire thing to have us somberly reflecting on the themes it presented, even as we tried to dodge and block attacks that were ethereally beautiful whilst also being efficiently deadly. This one’s quite easy to recommend and a great one from Housemarque.

6. Forza Horizon 6

We’ve always loved to join the Horizon Festival wherever in the world it takes us. But this one’s more than just a great excuse for some arcade racing and a bevy of car-related activities to take on. It’s an authentic take on one of modern gaming’s most popular destinations, and one that takes a lot of effort to nail down in a way that has us constantly ignoring the need for sleep in order to chase the next band that will unlock more of it to enjoy.

This one’s visuals and the weather system were already strong reasons to dive in, but what’s made us stay is how it brings Japan’s many locales to life in ways that make driving around and soaking in the sights as attractive an option as engaging in some high-speed races that can really get the adrenaline flowing.

Forza Horizon 6 is the franchise’s best version of the Festival yet, and it’s going to be quite a challenge for Playground Games to top this one. However, if any studio can achieve that feat, the one behind this masterpiece certainly can.

5. Nioh 3

You were probably waiting for this one if you’ve dived into Team Ninja’s third instalment in a franchise that already had a lot going for it before this one came along. But with two distinct playstyles, the return of the stance-based combat system, a truckload of weapons and builds, and a whole wide world to test it all out in, it’s easy to see why this one has had us returning to it whenever there’s a good bit of downtime to make use of.

The open-worldish approach to its level design works very well with an exploration loop that’s designed around collecting loot, experience, and secrets in a world where even a minute advantage can mean the difference between life and death. Of course, the enemies and bosses you face down are a highlight of the experience, with familiar foes and fresh new ones bringing a level of challenge that would be daunting if not for the plethora of tools you’re given to deal with them.

If you’re looking to cut loose and enjoy a combat system that absolutely slaps, in a world that’s designed to have you in fights more than you’re out of them, Nioh 3 is the best one to pick out of all the titles that have come out so far in 2026.

4. 007 First Light

Well, IO Interactive finally managed to make a Bond game that could top GoldenEye, and we’re glad that it did. Its take on a young, more reckless, yet equally charming version of Bond has landed quite well. The gameplay loop on offer is equally captivating, making good use of the studio’s experience with great combat and stealth gameplay to deliver a title that could have you diving into a new playthrough just to satisfy your own curiosity about how different missions could play out if you were to make varying choices.

Open-ended level design, brutal combat, cool gadgets, and, of course, some very memorable set pieces help this one tell a story about Bond that hasn’t been told before. The gameplay lets you be the man himself in ways that are so darn satisfying they’re hard to describe to somebody who hasn’t joined in on the fun. And best of all is the fact that they work so well together that this one’s a title we can’t get enough of.

The Hitman DNA from IO’s previous work is in there, but it’s been used so well in First Light that it makes the game stand on its own well enough to be a strong addition to what the year has had to offer.

3. Pokémon Pokopia

A life sim and builder that weaves Pokémon into the mix? That’s clearly a recipe for success, but things could always go wrong if the execution falls flat. That isn’t the case with Pokémon Pokopia, and it’s a delightful blend of Animal Crossing and the popular anime, one that’s enough to keep you spending hours in the rather desolate version of Kanto it presents you with.

Joining Ditto in an effort to build the land into one where trainers and Pokémon can live their lives to the fullest was so full of fun and charm that this one grew on us pretty quickly and hasn’t outstayed its welcome even though we’ve been playing it for nearly three months now. There’s always something to do here, and it’s often so endearing that you can’t help but smile as you go about your day in the game’s world.

Pokopia is a great game irrespective of whether the anime and manga were a part of your childhood, and might even get you started on an obsession that many of us have carried all our lives.

2. Crimson Desert

We’re sure you’ve already guessed that, and Crimson Desert definitely ranks high among 2026’s best. Pywel’s a world that we just can’t get enough, as this one’s an evolving experience that’s constantly bringing new ways to engage with everything it has to offer.

Kliff’s fight to unify the land and return the Greymanes to their former glory might not have been released in the best of states, but this one’s managed to go past all of those initial hiccups to become an open-world experience that’s walking the line between single-player and live-service in a way that’s kept us on our toes.

It doesn’t get better than this as far as open worlds are concerned, although GTA 6 could come along and force us to sing a different tune. Nevertheless, Pywel’s a place of many fond memories, and that isn’t going to change even if Rockstar manages to pull us away from it for a while.

1. Resident Evil Requiem

Two protagonists, two different playstyles, and a setting that brought the story right back to where it started were all factors that worked in this one’s favor, to be sure. But it’s in the way that all of that was handled that made this one genuinely feel like a celebration of the genre’s long-running history.

Leon’s amazing fighting style worked well as a contrast to Grace’s sincere vulnerability in a story that could have had better big bads but was nonetheless quite revelatory as far as the franchise’s meta narrative was concerned. It was also a way to set up a future in which its entire cast could, and perhaps should, work together to take on a world that’s been forever changed by the adventure on offer here.

Requiem is Resident Evil at its finest, and there’s no bigger compliment that we can give it than that.

And that’s a wrap on our picks for the first half of 2026. We’re sure that this one’s going to have you nodding at most of the ones we’ve liked even as you think others should have made the cut. Either way, it’s been an exciting year for video games, with a very heavy second half that’s sure to keep us all on our toes. Bring it on, we say!

As for the incentive to pursue these (besides testing your skills), producer Kohei Shibata confirmed that they award new skills. There’s also the Stone of Penance, which can be used to increase accessory values and rarities “in exchange for higher difficulties.”

The patch also includes balance adjustments for enhancing “certain Graces,” so expect more details in the patch notes when it goes live.

Nioh 3 is available on PS5 and PC, having launched back in February and quickly surpassed a million sales, becoming the series’ fastest-selling title. Alongside free updates, two paid DLC – Hell Rising and Bloody Insurrection – are in the works. The former launches this September, while the latter arrives in February 2027.

Both will bring new stories, enemies, bosses, loot, and Yokai, and it’s a safe bet that Team Ninja could provide additional difficulty levels, as with previous games. As always, stay tuned for more updates and check out our review of the base game, which we awarded 9 out of 10 for the stellar combat, Open Field levels and excellent boss fights.

“With the latest PSSR update, Silent Hill f now delivers an even smoother gameplay experience than before,” said Konami’s production team. “Fine details – from swaying blades of grass to shadows cast across the ground – are rendered with greater clarity, deepening immersion in the fog-shrouded Japan of the 1960s.” A short new trailer highlights the difference between the current PSSR and its upgraded version with the latter pretty much eliminating any flickering.

Ninja Theory head, Dom Matthews, noted the team’s excitement to collaborate with Sony while also being impressed by “the quality of particle effects with this latest update, helping to bring key gameplay moments to life through enhanced visuals.” Remedy’s graphical technical director, Tatu Aalto, also noted how the improved image upscaling resulted in “efficient stochastic sampling without sacrificing image stability” and how it “responds quickly to visibility changes in games, keeping motion clear while improving temporal stability.” The result is even “better, more stable image quality” in Control and Alan Wake 2.

Those worried that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on consoles would never fully depict the beauty of its characters’ hairstyles should also rejoice. Director Naoki Hamaguchi notes how “fine details such as character’s hair are naturally restored.” Of course, “less flickering and afterimage feeling” is also a bonus. You can also expect sharper edges for wildlife scenery in Nioh 3, whether it’s foliage or various flowers.

And while Capcom didn’t provide any additional comments on the technology, it will be available for Monster Hunter Wilds and Dragon’s Dogma 2. Resident Evil Requiem was the first title that leveraged Upgraded PSSR, and the results have been quite stunning thus far. Stay tuned for more details on other titles that will implement it in the coming weeks.

“Nioh 3 is a great game, but it’s not perfect,” said Yasuda. “I think there are a lot of things that we could improve upon. We want to take that knowledge that we gained with Nioh 3 and open-field elements and to be able to work on that, and hopefully incorporate and improve upon that in future titles as well.”

Further in the interview, Yasuda discussed some of the improvements that could be made to Nioh 3 going forward. Yasuda spoke about the game’s narrative and environmental storytelling as being particular vectors for improvement. While he acknowledged that the game’s density and immersion are well done when it comes to telling the world’s story, the studio wants to go into deeper details about the yokai. He wants the Nioh franchise to be more about just going to a place to beat some yokai and getting new loot.

“While we were successful with the immersion as well as the density of the game itself, I think in terms of being able to convey a lot more about the world, the narrative element, I think we could improve upon that,” he explained. “As well as the artistic elements, to give it a more distinctive look. Really understand why the yokai, or why that particular yokai, is in that environment. And why does that environment look like that? I think we could have done a lot more to really convey that aspect.”

“It’s not just a game where you sort of go in there, defeat the yokai, obtain the equipment or items in that area. There’s a little bit more to the narrative that we could have added. And I think that’s what we can see in some other titles that really give more to that experience as well. So that’s something that we saw that we could improve upon, and something that we do hope to do more in the future.”

Producer Kohei Shibata, on the other hand, believes that the studio could have done better with the variety of enemies it presents throughout its world. He noted that the studio tried to bring in brand new enemies based on Japanese folklore, as well as yokai that had popped up in previous Nioh titles. When it comes to variety, however, he said that “we do hear the criticism.”

“We are aware of the criticism on this,” he said. “In terms of how we respond to that, I think, with the yokai, these are creatures that have existed, in Japanese folklore, even before wild animals, even before humans had existed. These are creatures that existed much earlier. There is that element, that they appear as things that have been here in Japan before. We also wanted to incorporate some of the enemies that were in previous games, and we tried to make sure that there was a lot more variety to the battles against them so they didn’t feel repetitive.”

“But some people might have felt that there was a little bit of variety lacking there. So we do hear the criticism, and we do hope that, if there’s future titles, we can improve upon this. We would like to take that opportunity to look into that and see what we can do better.”

Nioh 3 is available on PC and PS5. For more details, check out our review. Also take a look at our thoughts on how it stacks up against FromSoftware’s Elden Ring.

This Nioh 3 guide is an exhaustive list of every boss to be beaten in the game, their locations and eras, along with some basic tactics to do so. Note that you will encounter some bosses in multiple distinct eras and locations, but their attacks and your counter tactics will usually remain the same, with a few exceptions such as Hattori Hanzo.

Those are all 81 known bosses in Nioh 3 with the eras and locations they are encountered in, as well as the recommended tactics to defeat them.

An accolades trailer has been released to celebrate this milestone, and you can also check out our review – we gave it a nine out of ten, praising Nioh 3’s open field levels, combat system, and boss battles. As a reminder, Nioh 2 sold over a million units in a few days, having launched on March 12th in Japan and March 13th worldwide on PS5. Koei Tecmo hasn’t provided a time frame for the sequel’s sales.

Of course, there’s more to come for hardcore fans of the hack-and-slash, Yokai-slaying title. Team Ninja has yet to outline what its free updates will include, but two paid DLC are in the works: Hell Rising and Bloody Insurrection. The former launches in September, while the latter is available in February 2027.

Both add new stories, enemies, loot, and bosses, and if they follow Team Ninja’s traditions with the series, you can expect higher difficulty levels, new endgame activities and fresh weapon types.

Grand Theft Auto 6

Rockstar’s upcoming return to Vice City is easily the biggest open-world release on the horizon, and the perfect candidate to start off the list. Grand Theft Auto 6 promises a living, breathing world packed with dynamic NPC routines, reactive law enforcement, and an unprecedented level of environmental detail. The dual protagonists inspired by the adventures of Bonnie and Clyde look to be a promising storyline filled with several emotional moments. Of course, missions, side activities, and emergent mayhem are also important pillars of the experience – so we are definitely looking forward to this one.

Interestingly, China constituted the largest number of players on both platforms at 48.7 percent. That number rises to nearly two-thirds of all players when Japan and Taiwan are included. A healthy chunk of Nioh 2 players showed up for the sequel with 66.6 percent on Steam and 69 percent on PlayStation.

However, over 80 percent players had previously delved into Elden Ring on Steam. Black Myth: Wukong fans were also out in force, with about 71.3 percent of Nioh 3 players having experienced Game Science’s action RPG on the platform.

In terms of overall sales, it’s a stronger start than Nioh 1’s one million-plus sales in two weeks. However, it’s trailing Nioh 2, which sold the same in just two days (and without a PC release). You have to wonder if the $70 price point had an impact, but these are only estimates. Koei Tecmo has yet to provide official sales figures.

For more details on Nioh 3, check out our review. You can also see how its open field design matches up to Elden Ring’s open world here.

Nioh 3 is the result of several titles that did very exciting things with the Soulslike concept, and is a culmination of Team Ninja’s journey over two past entries and a couple of other great titles.

They’re both giants in their own right, with very different philosophies that govern how they interpret the combat, exploration, and general vibe of a Soulslike. They represent differing design goals that underline core aspects like how player freedom and agency can be woven into combat in a manner that gives it depth, or how difficulty and a challenge is balanced against fairness, and even in how you express your build and how that carries over to New Game Plus.

There’s no way we’re saying that either one of these masterpieces is better than the other. But we think that it’s fascinating that they both deviate and intersect with one another in important aspects of their gameplay loops. Their design goals merit closer scrutiny, and that’s exactly what we’re setting out to do. Let’s get started!

Clear Visions, Forward-Thinking Directions

While Nioh 3 takes a very clinical approach to the open-world, combat, and its take on the player agency that a Soulslike provides, Elden Ring is focused on being an experience that puts you right at the center of an epic tale.

The story in Nioh 3 is there, but it isn’t where Team Ninja has focused its efforts, existing to give you an excuse to do battle across time periods which almost feel like a logical extension of the Spirit Stones’ utility after the first two games. Team Ninja, however, isn’t trying to tell a good story in Nioh 3, aiming to bring a combat-focused game to a region-based progression system that improves on the mission-based one in its previous Nioh games.

The focus on creating builds that suit you, and unleashing your best moves after a lot of practice, potential min/maxing, and a lot of grinding to gain mastery over your chosen weapons. You could choose to ditch your build entirely, with no costs associated with doing so. Nioh 3 is all about the action, and unabashedly so, and it’s a choice that works well for the experience it is trying to be.

Elden Ring, on the other hand, was targeting a different gameplay loop, with a sense of discovery underlining a player-authored adventure. Yes, it does have a lot of build-freedom and multiple options to suit your playstyle but switching things up midway does come at the cost of a Larval Tear, a fairly rare item with a limited number being present in each playthrough. Its story backs all of that up while giving the game a distinct identity, going for a fantasy-adventure vibe instead of Nioh 3’s mythology-driven approach.

But where both games come together is in their pacing, with an exploration-driven focus on allowing your character to gradually grow more powerful and take on more dangerous regions of their maps. They’re both Souslikes in that regard, but their priorities differ wildly enough to make them very different experiences in terms of their combat and gameplay.

Similar Fights, Different Techniques

As far as combat is concerned, it’s a good idea to see where the two titles intersect in terms of how fights are structured before we examine how they vary. They’re both challenging games in their own right, and you’re going to find that out within an hour in either ancient Japan or The Lands Between.

That’s true for both the grunt enemy and boss designs in both titles, as they come with well-telegraphed, readable animations, and openings that you’re meant to exploit as well as you can after considering the situation in a matter of microseconds. That’s a very specific vibe that Soulslikes bring to the table and is almost a given in any title that now enters the genre.

But then you see the differences in pacing and the tools you’re given to do damage in each game. Nioh 3 frankly brings a whole array of systems to the table to better support its faster pacing and a more aggressive playstyle for your character. Deflections are now a thing for the Samurai style, adding on to Ki pulses, stances, and Onmyo magic that can either summon yokai or use spells.

Couple that with the evasive Ninja style and you see a combat experience that has you constantly on the move, seeking an advantage against foes that hit hard and hit fast. It’s pressure-heavy to the point where every fight feels like you’re freestyling a very complex and nuanced dance, and once you get good enough, the consistency of your wins is a reward in and of itself.

Come over to Elden Ring and things are a tad more slow-paced although you’re always in danger of being summarily dispatched towards the nearest Site of Grace. Enemies, especially bosses, come at you with long combos with delayed strikes that vary their timing, requiring a more methodical approach and solid positional awareness for you to exploit openings that they provide.

The timing of each attack, dodge, and counterattack is more deliberate, and you’re meant to recover stamina the old fashioned way without opportunities to quickly regain it in the heat of battle. While you could argue that stamina isn’t an infinite resource in Nioh 3, and with good reason, it’s a lot more precious in Elden Ring thanks to the fact that you don’t get to pulse back chunks of it right after a combo.

But Elden Ring has its own tricks up its sleeve, with the Ashes of War, spells, a hidden poise system, and a focus on moveset mastery to let your Tarnished take on even the most fearsome of foes. Its combat is about spectacle, and a sort of push and pull in which you’re almost always the underdog until you see more of the world it presents and begin to give your Tarnished a distinct identity. Nioh 3 gives you everything you need to dominate its early game and trusts you to make the most of it, in comparison.

And that brings us to an aspect of the experience that is both crucial, and one in which the intersectionality and divergence between these distinct design philosophies begin to be more prominent. And that’s the open-world and their respective approaches to it.

Encouraging Exploration

From the very outset, Nioh 3’s version of Japan stands out in contrast to The Lands Between. The spaces are tighter, and getting from point A to point B is distinctly faster thanks to the Gale Sprint, and perhaps even the fact that you’re travelling on foot instead of a horse. The semi-open level designs are structured around a density of activities packed tightly in every region, and each of them leads back to combat in some way.

That helps with tying the world neatly to your character’s progression, and the approach to loot helps with that. You’re meant to keep updating your Samurai’s and Ninja’s loadouts, trying new combinations to create synergies between your gear, weapons, and stat investments. You’re meant to try and squeeze out as much damage as you can from your build, and exploring the world to make that happen is the way to go.

It’s more like a build-engineering system that’s backed by the exploration loop, the two of them working in tandem to keep you constantly trying out new builds or ideas, or even changing things up entirely if the situation demands it.

In Elden Ring, it’s more about forming an identity for your build, directing your take on the Tarnished in a way that encourages planning your stat spread early for the type of weapons and gear you’re looking at. Are you going to channel your Strength and deal devastating blows to your enemies while tanking their attacks? Or do you prefer a more agile approach, weaving in and out of enemy combos while dealing damage with quick slashes or stabs, or perhaps staying away and using your spells? All of it is viable, and any approach still results in a potent character.

However, new weapons, spells, Ashes of War, and gear are not dropped all over the place. They’re earned in a design choice that ties in to the game’s exploration loop just like Nioh 3, but diverges from it by encouraging a more calculated approach to the open-world. It helps that a plethora of side quest chains and hidden events constantly underscore The Lands Between, encouraging you to take as much of it in as you can with every session of play.

Elden Ring also has The Shadow of the Erdtree, a DLC that feels like a whole game all on its own. It’s going to be interesting to see what Nioh 3 does on that front. But both games do have an excellent replay value in common, with New Game Plus being almost a requirement for players who want to actually enjoy the characters they’ve invested a lot of time in building. Elden Ring a more sprawling, larger map that encourages you to explore it, yes, but for a set of reasons entirely different from Nioh 3.

Where Elden Ring is about an adventure that is built around a sense of wonder, Nioh 3 is one that’s built around a sense of constant danger, and a need for vigilant responses to threats that come at you. And yet, both their gameplay loops drive you towards a throne.

A Shared Crown

Elden Ring and Nioh 3 are excellent at probably the best titles to represent the distinct ambitions they bring to the table. As an adventure myth, Elden Ring places a spotlight on rewarding discovery, weaving in a sense of awe and adventure into its world that’s reflected in the spectacle of the battles you fight in it.

Nioh 3 takes a more combat focused approach, constantly keeping its players engaged through a more technical approach to combat that can get very addictive, very fast. It’s about taking down anyone getting in the way of your rise to the Shogunate with brutal efficiency and stylish grace.

Nioh 3 is sort of a combat laboratory, where you’re constantly looking for ways to tackle its new world design via experimentation and exploration. Elden Ring, on the other hand, is about an adventure that’s uniquely your’s, discovery-driven rewards and a sense of wonder woven into a story and gameplay loop that can have you thinking about it long after you leave The Lands Between.

And yet, despite their differences, the main thing that they share in common is that they’re both excellent titles, and brilliant showcases of what a good studio can do with the Soulslike formula.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

This guide for Nioh 3 is all about earning souls as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Repsawn Point Reset

The simplest method to amass souls is to simply farm enemies in the vicinity of any given Respawn point. Plot a route that takes you through as many enemies in the surrounding area as possible, in the shortest amount of time, and then fast travel right back to the Respawn point in order to respawn them and do it all over again.

Battle Scroll

Later in the game, certain side missions can be replayed ad nauseum using the Battle Scroll option. Boss completion is not necessary for farming the souls you are seeking, though it does provide a significant bonus if you can do it efficiently.

Instead, simply fast travel to the respawn point at the beginning of the Battle Scroll in order to reset and repeat the run. Sometimes the run can be as short as the nearest mid to high-level enemy you can encounter, rather than a full gauntlet of low-level enemies.

Equipment Bonuses

Be sure to hold on to any equipment that grants you bonuses to souls, so that you can then equip them specifically for souls farming runs. These particular Special Effects are listed as ‘souls Earned’ or ‘Gain souls’ alongside either a percentage or a flat bonus.

Trade

Trade in all of your excess equipment, and receive souls in return. You will be looting a great deal of weapons and armor, most of which will soon be made defunct by something better, so keep trading up and earning souls for your efforts.

Items with higher Familiarity will earn more souls as well.

Be sure to turn on Item Auto Pick-Up to avoid having to mash buttons in order to recover loot, saving both time and effort.

Skill Bonuses

Certain Skills such as ‘Vital Spirit’ confer passive bonuses of extra souls for defeating enemies. This secret skill in particular offers a 4% bonus and can be found inside a chest atop a wooden lookout platform on the edge of the Enemy Base. This base is situated north of the Prospect Hill respawn point. Once acquired, fast travel back to a respawn point to learn it via Skill Management.

Clan Pledge Bonuses

When you finally get the opportunity to make a pledge to a clan, the Toyotomi clan in particular offers a 5% bonus to all souls earned. This will add up massively when grinding specifically for souls on farming runs.

Do Not Hoard souls

Since respec is both free and easy via the Reset button on the Level Up screen, be sure to spend souls as often as possible, rather than hoarding it. This is to avoid losing large amounts of souls in the event of your death. While you can always recover lost souls, it does carry with it the potential risk of dying yet again to whatever killed you the first time.

Those are all the tips and tricks you can use to farm souls and level up quickly in Nioh 3.