Why Nioh 3 Could Be the Best Game of the Dark Samurai RPG Series

In the upcoming third installment of the dark samurai action RPG Nioh franchise published by KOEI TECMO GAMES CO, you are going to use both of the Samurai and Ninja combat styles during the battles you lead against formidable yokai enemies as you are exploring a thrilling and much more open world field. When it first got revealed at PlayStation’s June 2025 State of Play, the latest entry in the Nioh series has been on a path of delivering what many fans had really hoped for: a faster, more brutal and ambitious sequel than any of the previous two games.

The Nioh 3 Release date is set for 06.02.26 and there would be multiple key elements to discuss such as story, gameplay and features that you should keep in mind. The confirmed Nioh 3 platforms on day one are PlayStation 5 and Windows PC via the Nioh 3 Steam page. This is the first time that the series launches on to both PS and PC platforms simultaneously since Nioh 1 and 2 had both launched on just PlayStation at first before going to the PC months later. Also, there is no PS4 version currently planned and Team Ninja has not revealed any specific intent for an upcoming Xbox release for now.

The more enthusiastic among the players would have the option to test the game out ahead of its planned release as a free demo that launches on January 29, 2026. The save file from that demo would carry over to the full version, allowing players to seamlessly continue their journey.

In this Nioh 3 review we are going to further explore what the third entry in the franchise has to offer! Ready to dive in battle with us for this one? Let’s go!

Legacy, Setting and Storyline in the Upcoming Nioh Title

In the original Nioh from 2017 you played as real-life Englishman that became a samurai - William Adams. In that game you were trying to stop an evil sorcerer, while fighting against hordes of yokai in a fictional retelling of the events during the unification of Japan before the Edo period had begun. While Nioh 2 (released in 2020) was set even earlier in Japan during the late 1500s, acting as a sort of a prequel to some of the events in the original, where you played as Hidechiyo, a human and yokai hybrid, who actually had great customization options for the player to pick from, trying to uncover the secrets of the past.

The third game is going to keep a lot of the Nioh gameplay formula, but this time there would be an open field filled with the immense sense of tension that is quite typical of the Nioh series, while also allowing you to explore the world a bit more freely. In this dark samurai world, you are going to encounter some of the most deadliest yokai, as you explore the menacing villages and districts, where darkness lurks and struggle against the ominous presence of the Crucible.

Just like its predecessors, the Nioh 3 gameplay can be best described as a very challenging action RPG combination that is primarily focused on some of the most punishing one-on-one duels and boss fight encounters rooted in Japanese culture and yokai folklore.

This time the storyline brings us to the late Sengoku period during the 16th century. The main protagonist you would play as is Tokugawa Takechiyo, a young warrior wanting to become the next Shogun, while at the same time his younger brother, Tokugawa Kunimatsu, plots to overthrow him with the help of a yokai horde. When becoming aware of this cruel plan, Takechiyo travels through time in order to change the course of history and preserve Japan with the assistance of his guardian spirit, Kusanagi.

During the course of the storyline, Takechiyo is going to travel through the Sengoku, Heian, Bakumatsu and the early Edo eras. The devs have already confirmed that within the game, players would also meet a great variety of prominent historical figures such as Himiko, Saito Fuku, Hattori Hanzo, Honda Tadakatsu, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Yagyu Munenori and Takasugi Shinsaku.

Important Nioh 3 Gameplay Features and Mechanics to Have in Mind

You would be able to enjoy an instantaneous and seamless switch between the 2 main combat styles in the midst of battle, going against your enemies with the Samurai Style and then use quick movements and special techniques that come with the Ninja Style.

Team Ninja presented Nioh 3 to fans as an evolution of the series' stance-based combat into a more flexible dual-style system in which players are able to quickly swap between Samurai and Ninja modes in the middle of a fight. The Samurai style mostly resembles Nioh 1 and 2, emphasizing on the precision melee with a katana and traditional arms, ki (stamina) management and stance variations, enhanced by new techniques and counters introduced in this new title.

Alternatively, the new Ninja style gives players a different experience that puts emphasis on movement speed, evasive tactics, aerial attacks and faster offense, thus encouraging hit-and-run playstyles. Players have the option to combo chain style swaps on the fly, opening grounds for a set of hybrid attacks that could include heavier samurai strikes mashed with evasive ninja moves.

The battle model with the two stances further expands on more traditional Nioh gameplay concepts such as the Guardian Spirit abilities, Soul Cores and range of weapons, with the number of possible combat options you have in any given fight being almost dizzying. Such freedom of choices makes you feel like an incredibly fast, deadly warrior that is able to chain all sorts of attacks together in a sort of a tornado made up of rotating blades and magic spells.

Going From Linear Development to a More Open Field that Encourages Exploration

The other major innovation is that Team Ninja moved away from the linear mission-based map of the previous entries toward what they are now calling an “open field” structure. This does not actually mean a completely open world in the traditional sense of the term; instead, you can explore larger interconnected regions with different settlements, roaming yokai groups and optional boss encounters, providing a more continuous exploration model without completely abandoning the obligatory combat arenas.

There would be main missions that keep the experience relatively straightforward, but every side tracking, whether it is for loot, completing sidequests given to you by NPCs, clearing enemy bases or hunting Crucible Wraiths - pushes up your regional Exploration Level that grants you some very good permanent benefits, from ways to increase your powers and upgrade the gear you got, extra blessings from friendly yokai and Jizo Statues all the way up to a fully revealed map with points of interest marked on it, some of which could only be reached with the new double jump mechanic activated.

Like a lot of things in Nioh 3 release, the open field approach to its levels feels like a natural progression of some past ideas that were partially implemented before. You would still often fight and explore your way across different paths or use various shortcuts, but the levels are much larger, with hidden areas and additional objectives.

All that not so linear exploration does provide players with greater gameplay options; if you end up in a battle that is very tough to pass, you have the ability to go somewhere else, often finding various opportunities to level up your character and earn extra rewards that could help you overcome the more difficult foes. Speaking of tough opponents and challenges, you are certainly going to enjoy one of the newest introductions to the Nioh franchise - the Crucible.

Enter the Crucible and Test your Might in that Deadly Realm

As mentioned earlier, most of the other popular mechanics such as the guardian spirits, yokai abilities and loot-driven progression are marking a return, although they are now all related to the newest endgame challenge framework named The Crucible, which could be explained as a high-risk, high-reward gauntlet positioned on top of the main campaign.

Entering the Crucible takes you to a demonic landscape where Yokai have increased damage output. In addition to that, if you get hit while inside a Crucible, the player would be inflicted with Life Corrosion, which would reduce the max health capacity until you are able to deal damage or defeat the enemies. While inside a Crucible, you will be able to use your Living Artifact transformation more frequently, since your gauge for that fills faster. Beware of the damaging spike traps, lightning fast spinning blade demons and the powerful foes waiting for you in positions for ambush.

Taking down Tough Enemies has Never Been so Cool Before

Nioh 3 presents you with a whole lot of combat options to keep track of and at first, it can be a lot to manage but after some practice it should all click together so very well, once you get the hang of it of course!

During the game’s storyline there would be multiple boss fights against powerful opponents such as the samurai Takasugi Shinsaku – an agile and strong fighter that frequently switches between fast sword slashes and shooting from a revolver and the assistance of his Guardian Spirit.

Another example we got information and seen footage of is the battle against Nuribotoke, an enormous yokai boss, who is a giant statue controlled by twisted black tendrils that periodically transform and take on new attack patterns as well as deadlier abilities such as expanding the reach of their sweeping attacks.

Deflect Blows to Gain an Advantage and Exploit the Helpful Haptics

Another new addition brought to the combat in Nioh 3 is Deflect, a parry mechanic charging your Ki and meters when you manage to perfectly time a block. The parry gives you the chance to exploit your quick reflexes in order to maintain your momentum even against the hugest enemies, paired with all the rest of the options you have available, it is a great Nioh 3 gameplay addition that rewards you for playing with sharper skills.

The feel of combat is further enhanced through the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback, actively emphasizing a lot of the gameplay elements. You are going to actually feel strikes and attacks as you deflect or land them, while the adaptive triggers channel could mimic other actions such as pulling the string of a bow. The developers have stated that they were careful not to overdo it though, since the game is mainly focused on quick reactions and speedy combos.

Nioh 3 Multiplayer, Supported Languages, Pre-order Bonus and Available Versions

Yes, there would be a Multiplayer mode that is coming in Nioh 3, including various co-op features such as Visitor Summons and Expedition Missions. Team Ninja has not yet given detailed PvP information yet, but taking into account the past entries to the Nioh series, it is very likely to happen. No matter if you are helping friends or summoning them for assistance in tough spots, multiplayer would remain a core component to the Nioh gameplay.

The title supports both Japanese and English audio dubbing as well as a great variety of subtitle language options like French, Italian, German, Spanish, Korean, Russian, Brazilian-Portuguese and even Arabic included.

The Nioh 3 Steam page is offering to pre-order both the standard or deluxe edition and they are both coming with some nice goodies to take advantage of.

The Pre-Order Bonus consists of the Hellfire Equipment Set (Hellfire Warrior Armor set + Hellfire Ninja Attire set) and Scampuss Furball Netsuke Charm (accessory), whereas the Early Purchase Bonus grants you access to the Hellfrost Equipment Set (Hellfrost Warrior Armor set + Hellfrost Ninja Attire set). Koei Tecmo clarified that these bonuses could possibly be offered separately or even given away for free at a later stage.

The Nioh 3 Deluxe Еdition includes the Base game plus a Season pass comprising of two DLCs, one coming by the end of September 2026 and the second one is planned to happen by the end of February 2027 as well as the Season pass bonus "Chijiko Netsuke Charm" (accessory) and the staggering Infernal Weapons Set that has 14 types included.

The latest entry in Team Ninja’s extremely difficult samurai souls-like seems to be bigger and bloodier than ever, since Nioh 3 is positioning itself to be a probable favorite in the series up to now, not only through its massive improvements and the split between personal builds and progression for both the Samurai and Ninja Modes, but also with the addition of open-field levels, coming with their own separate Crucible challenges to overcome.

This is certainly going to be a title to enjoy for fans of the genre and we can’t wait to see how it goes as we keep on bringing you interesting news and reviews of the latest in the world of gaming!