Review – Nioh 3 – Gamerview

The launch marks a pivotal moment for the franchise that has won over millions of players around the world with its distinctive and challenging approach to the soulslike genre. Developed by and published by Koei Tecmo, this new title arrives promoting a gigantic expansion in the scale, narrative and combat systems that have formatted the series for years.

This third chapter of the franchise demonstrates the evolution of Team Ninja itself while at the same time representing a leap that respects the identity that Nioh created while seeking to bring somewhat ambitious innovations. Certainly one of the best releases of 2026 for those who like frantic action and enjoy good historical narratives, with challenges that can be relentless at any moment.

Evolving without losing the essence

The plot of Nioh 3 is set in the year 8 of Genna, 1622 in feudal Japan, through a narrative that combines politics, family tragedy and the constant confrontation with the supernatural. Tokugawa Takechiyo, the protagonist, is a young warrior about to receive the title of Shogun, the highest position of power in Japan at that time. However, everything changes radically when his younger brother, Tokugawa Kunimatsu, consumed by hatred and envy regarding his brother’s succession, falls into the clutches of a dark and mysterious force.

Corrupted by this evil entity, Kunimatsu commands a devastating invasion of yokai, supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore, in a devastating attack against Takechiyo and the kingdom itself. The era of peace that Japan was beginning to enjoy instantly turns into chaos, violence and demonic influence. With the supernatural threat, Takechiyo discovers the mysterious power of Kusanagi, his guardian spirit that grants him the ability to transcend time (among others throughout the game).

Ready! The developers’ great idea has been established to use a narrative mechanism that allows the protagonist to traverse different eras of feudal Japan, including not only the Sengoku period, but also the Heian period, known for its cultural sophistication, and the turbulent Bakumatsu period, at the end of the 19th century. The coolest thing about this narrative device is being able to meet historical figures, such as the legendary Takeda Shingen, famous daimyo warrior, the brothers Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Yoritomo, as well as recurring characters from the franchise that fans already know and admire, including the ever-present ninja Hattori Hanzo and the samurai Honda Tadakatsu.

From this change in the format in which the story is set up and told, which increases the replayability factor by revisiting these periods to complete missions and obtain all the collectibles on the map, Team Ninja made an audacious choice for Nioh 3 by abandoning the focus on the weapon stance system, which still exists in the game without the impact that existed before, to adopt distinct combat styles that are radically different in philosophy with a main character who can adopt Samurai and Ninja characteristics, switching between the two with just a button. with the mechanic known as Style Switching.

Two paths, one blade

If in Nioh 2 we had a Samurai and a Yokai in Hide, now we have a protagonist who maintains the essence of the original, prioritizing direct melee confrontation and dominance through powerful and precise attacks, while the Ninja has a greater focus on mobility, evasion and quick attacks. With the Samurai, traditional weapons and combos based on timing and precise positioning return, maintaining the soulslike characteristics, leaving the Ninja with a hack and slash feel due to their agility, with movements executed quickly without consuming large amounts of Ki.

Respecting its past and innovating within its own formula, although the Ki Pulse is present and as an important strategic maneuver during combat, we have a Mastery of Arts for both styles, with a bar that gradually fills as you deal damage to enemies to execute powerful attacks without consuming Ki, in addition to a clearer presence of Deflect, which previously had a greater focus as a skill, but which is now part of the basic commands and allows you to parry enemy attacks in the last moment before impact.

While the entire base remains the same, on that fine line between being or not being a soulslike, Nioh 3 managed to add a mechanic that is based on Style Switching to make an even greater impact on changing styles. From a red attack, known as Impetuous Attack, you can execute an Impetuous Break, in an offensive with transformation, which allows combos in a fluid and intuitive way to exploit enemies’ weaknesses. If before you had several builds to test against an opponent, now you can solve a difficult combat just by learning how to change your style, between Samurai and Ninja, or the ideal time to do so.

Nioh 3 also grows when we leave aside those environments that are almost like large corridors, limiting its exploration to controlled locations (even when larger). Even without adopting a completely open world, like a real Assassin’s Creed, the linear style of the series with starting and ending points ceases to exist for the introduction of more extensive open fields. These spaces are filled with shrines, many scattered chests, Umbrasal Stakes (spaces in the yokai world), Umbrasal areas, Enemy Bases, and several creatures to find that offer blessings, such as Kodama, Guardian Spirits and Sunekosuri, kittens that roll around the map before granting rewards.

Freedom is an invitation to exploration

Compared to previous titles in the franchise, Nioh 3 represents a well-executed evolution, listening to the community and observing the other games that have come out since 2020, after the launch of the second game, to be able to refine the different systems and mechanics adopted for the franchise, in addition to focusing on how the player develops combat and interacts with exploration. The same happens with the art direction, which greatly respects this history and progress, improving the lighting system and how the game signals its own level design, pointing with small visual cues to encourage exploration.

However, Nioh 3 manages to masterfully work (and much better than many games) the difference between the color palettes, alternating between the style of the eras that the story revisits, in addition to the look of the Umbrasal spaces. The soundtrack also tries to follow this evolution, but even with good themes it is still possible to notice a sameness that insists on rescuing the same style as the other two games, even though the variety of music is greater. The launch of this game after Rise of the Ronin, Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Ghost of Yotei meant that it managed to establish exactly its place and the way in which it would expand its entire proposal within a consolidated base, without losing its essence.

Nioh 3 finally manages to improve its mechanical complexity, even while still offering a way out for those who don’t want the more rhythmic style of soulslike, but without getting lost in the unbridled action with silly and unreasonable combats. Even though its difficulty curve is the biggest challenge, especially in the first part of the game, learning, testing and executing are fundamental steps that gain space in this third chapter of the franchise. Perhaps for beginners in the soulslike genre, Nioh 3 represents a frustrating challenge, but far from impossible, even more so due to the new gameplay possibilities it offers with Style Switching.