Koei Tecmo sent Nioh 2 – Complete Edition in the editorial office, who is going to play it? From the editorial chat, everyone seems to like it a bit, but I stay on the sidelines because soulslike are definitely not my thing.
I grew up on bread, Pokémon and strategic myself.
The fast-paced action is not for me.
I am an omnivorous gamer.
Of course, I prefer strategic games, I have an absolute reverence for Paradox Interactive and I stuff myself with simulators and management, but I really play everything. However, soulslike is one of the few genres where I have deep gaps.
I go back to writing my articles but I feel that Telegram continues to send me notifications. What happens? Ah, poor colleagues, Koei Tecmo can only give us the PC version and all those who had proposed do not have a suitable one. Okay, our editor-in-chief Graziano will take care of it, he likes these things.
Too bad that Graziano lives in a country of a nation, Italy, where the digital divide is higher than the spread. Translated: in his part these days there is no line, it takes him 10 days to download all 50 gigs of Nioh 2 - Complete Edition.
What to do? We can't miss a important game like Nioh 2? In the editorial office there is already talk of mass punishment and whipping. Someone has to sacrifice himself. Someone who can make it run on a PC must be there. Here I am, that poor wretch is me. (Actually, after writing this first part it happened that Graziano somehow managed to download the game from the editorial account, but they are details, let's not minimize my heroic enterprise)
If you want to find out how much I suffered with Nioh 2 - The Complete Edition or if you are curious to understand if a soulslike like this could be for you even if it is not your genre, you are in the right place.
Premise
Ok, the title is a bit clickbait because it's not really the very first time I've played a soulslike: my first real take on the genre before Nioh 2 was Dark Souls 2, picked at random on Steam because it was in some bundle found for pennies on the internet… and it wasn't a pleasant experience.
I lasted one half an hour before uninstalling the game forever.
I like them action RPG and I had no problem with the difficulty, whatever my angry review of Gods Will Fall may say.
Let's say that Dark Souls has never attracted me to its atmosphere, plus the feeling with the controls was a real trauma for me: too woody and too much input-lag.
I don't know if the commands work this way on other consoles as well, but from that moment on, I haven't worked on the genre anymore. I have a huge nuisance with unresponsive controls and this episode made me completely disinterested in similar products to Dark Souls, including the Nioh franchise.
Day 1 - The wait
What is Nioh? What does the title mean? A name? A place? If you are reading these questions, yes, I know absolutely nothing about Nioh, and I'll start playing with it from the second chapter. I'm crazy? Maybe, but at least while I install these 50 giga I start to read up.
Wikipedia tells me that “Nioh 2 is an action RPG video game CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT from Team Ninja".
Ok, this page is out of date, even I know that Nioh 2 came out last February. Maybe I need to try a different approach, maybe I'll read our review of the first chapter: NioH means "Benevolent King", but also swearing, death and hardship. Here, now I think I'm in the right place.
Read also: Team Ninja has a lot of games for 2021, but forget about Nioh 3
From what I read the protagonist of the first Nioh is William Adams, an Englishman who makes his way into Feudal Japan between clashes with humans, yokai and other beings of the mythology of the rising sun. People often die but there are several to watch over the character Guardian Spirits.
Instead of the Dark Souls bonfires there are shrines, and instead of souls there are the Amrita: the Amritas are necessary to increase the player's abilities, but at each death they are lost and breathed away at the last temple where we stopped to pray. The fights are also as tough as a soulslike should be with the added bonus of being able change the way of holding weapons.
Let's say that so far the description of the title has fascinated me, now it's time to move on to the most recent review of Nioh 2 to understand what I'm about to face. Twist of the scene! It is about a prequel set fifty years earlier, in full swing epoca Sengoku. Oh my God, there is another twist: the protagonist is the fruit offorbidden love between a human and a Yokai.
If so far I feel enormously intrigued by what the title could offer me, having read aboutexperience almost entirely focused on fighting it's starting to put me off. However the fact that his combat system you look very varied should play in my favor, maybe I find that build or combination that might have fun. Now I just have to watch some gameplay and sleep, while in the night Nioh 2 - Complete Edition continues to be downloaded.
Day 2 - The cursed controllers
Meet my half-demon character, a bit of a Viking missed with that haircut, a bit of a Twitch streamer given their jaunty color.
I loved theeditor, I did not think it was so rich and detailed.
Read also: Nioh 2 | Character Creation Codes (Joker, Sephiroth, Sekiro)
There are so many weapons to choose from and the first one I take is there lancia, a choice dictated by the heart since I am reading The Chronicles of Folgoluce (The Stormlight Archive) and I am fascinated by one of the main characters who fights with the spear. Since I have chosen a weapon with a long range, as a secondary weapon I opt for the double katanas: after trying them they seem ideal for close combat with quick hits. Now is the time to venture into Japan overrun by the Yokai.
But no. Controls don't work. I am using the Stadia gamepad, and apparently all the keys are reversed a bit: I interact with the objects through the left trigger instead of the B key, while the B key is the A key. At this point I switch gamepad and use the one of the Nintendo Switch but here too I find the badly mapped keys, as well as a nice drift of the analog sticks: the result is that random menus are opened automatically while my gamepad explores the game on its own as if it were sentient.
I try to change the gamepad configuration from the menus of Nioh 2, but there is a huge problem: the B key is not customizable, it is not known for what arcane reason. In frustration, mine spirit from PC Gamer has the upper hand, so I unplug all gamepads and decide to start playing with mouse and keyboard.
What could possibly go wrong?
Read also: Nioh 2 | Kodama: the guide to find them all
Well, for example the fact that there are many combo and many types of combined inputs which require some finger stunts using a keyboard, coupled with the fact that i suggestions and tutorial always carry the graphics of gamepad controls: this means that whenever I have to learn something, I must first pause to go to the keyboard menus to try to understand which keys are associated, and then I can try out the actions in play. Dear Koei Tecmo and Ninja Theory, the controls of the goddamn keyboard in the tips?
In short, my first day of play is one of the most frustrating experiences i have ever tried. The difficulty of Nioh 2 is already extreme of him, to complicate everything we bring unintuitive commands from keyboard e poorly configurable gamepads. Is it possible that I have to take a PlayStation or Xbox controller to play a game? After hours of deaths, swearing and ragequit comes the intuition, the last resort: maybe I can configure gamepads from Steam.
And it is actually like this: through the Steam platform I find the configuration of the Nintendo Switch Gamepad Pro, to which I modify the calibration analog sticks to avoid drift. The result is that I still die often, but at least now I enjoy it. For the first time I see Nioh 2 with the eyes of curiosity, I can master the first combos you learn, I control my movements smoothly and I don't find a minimum of input-lag. I die again and again, but I'm starting to like Nioh 2. Am I enjoying a soulslike?
Day 3 - Mazzate
My curiosity and my enjoyment unfortunately continue to collide with reality: they are a blowjob.
Nioh 2, as I imagine all soulslike, is a game very technical, which requires coupons reflexes, a good command of commands and a careful study of the opponent's movements. Qualities that my soul as a strategic player greatly appreciates, but that I have never mastered enough as I have always been distant from this genre.
And it is precisely my strategic nature that pushes me to move forward with Nioh 2 despite the constant deaths. After yet another little creature that kills me by throwing a stone at me because I forgot to heal myself I don't even get angry anymore. I don't feel frustrated, but, on the contrary, all I want to do with this title is learn how to play it. Unlike the many actions that I tried and that I dismissed because they did not reflect my style of play, the technical-tactical approach of Nioh 2 is an element that keeps me glued to the screen.
Once you understand that some impossible challenges with monsters that are practically quasi-bosses I can avoid them by running away, a world has opened up for me. I had been stuck at the visible lizard above for practically a full day before the same game prompted me to avoid such a tough challenge and go back to it later in time.
And indeed, after thetraumatic experience with the lizard, Nioh 2 began to seem more within my reach, with increasing challenges until the arrival of a Enki, a monkey-like yokai, definitely too strong, but that can be tackled with a little technical and mental effort. A lot of effort, combined with the power of blasphemies.
I finally kill my first real Yokai.
I have died countless times against him and against other weaker monsters, I have lost all the Amritas several times, I have fallen from bridges and rivers, I have taken blows everywhere, but theeuphoria derived from overcoming such a tough challenge it totally galvanized me. Yet, there is a voice in my brain that tells me that I am still at the beginning of the game, who knows how difficult the next challenges will be ...
Day 4 - More blows
Definitely too tough challenges, in fact. If it happens to multiple enemies at the same time and at this point it is time to learn different approaches with different weapons.
The beasts with heavy weapons such as two-handed axes I have found that they must be approached closely, hard-nosed, with double katana bursts. The damage is slight but at least they can't attack me, paralyzed by my fury, and sometimes I can even tire them to hit them with deadly attacks.
The others, on the other hand, I face them all with the launches in the low position, my favorite fighting style because I can use a combo for jump behind the opponent after a barrage of shots.
Attack, attack, parry, dodge, strike from behind, attack, attack, attack, dodge, heal and attack. Everything is fluid and clear from my eyes to my fingers, I am often wrong, I die frequently, but this one dance of fingers and combo I like it and it satisfies me. I use the Amritas to power myself up with the spear, and direct combat skills towards the low handle. I finally arrive at the actual village of the first level and here the challenge becomes difficult: to get to the next Tempietto, which practically acts as a bit of a checkpoint, the road is longer and full of enemies (including a pissed off new Enki).
Read also: Nioh 2 | How to defeat all the bosses
It is among the crossroads of this stilt village that I understand how deep the combat system of Nioh 2 can still get, and how much I still know nothing about it. Beyond the bow and arrows that allow me a somewhat stealth approach, or at least to eliminate a few too many enemies, it becomes necessary to resort to supernatural aids: it becomes necessary accumulate Ki attacking, parrying and dodging in rhythm, in order to manifest mine half-Yokai powers with devastating attacks. And maybe temporarily transform myself into a Yokai true.
After a very long section between these stilts and yet another Enki downed with difficulty, I find myself in an area completely infested by the Yokai kingdom. There is a sanctuary, but it is not accessible until I beat the demon who has taken over this place. Well, it means I've come to a Boss or a mid-Boss… And from what I see it is a Enki huge. Needless to say what my destiny is: certain death, and it continues.
But I'll make it, in the end it's all a matter of trial & error: Nioh 2 is built to make you progress with yours manual skills more than your game stats.
Sure, you can always improve your character's powers and have access to more effective weapons and armor, but it is always the skill of the player that makes the difference. Over time, trying and trying again, I will finally be able to kill even my first Boss.
Day 5 - I give up
Before attempting my umpteenth attack on the giant Enki, I must clear the area of the little Yokai present. By now I am perfectly capable of taking care of them, I can also attack them all together instead of attracting them one at a time: I throw myself into the fray and ... one of the Yokai attacks his partner, eats him and BECOMES GIANT.
One shot and I die.
I am speechless.
I haven't learned anything yet.
It's time to quit the game.
Read also: Nioh 2 | Trophy Guide
To tame a game like Nioh 2, as a person not used to the genre, it takes time, patience and application.
These are qualities that everyone can cultivate (apart from reflexes that slow down with age), but which at present, personally, I cannot carry on. If I were 15 years younger I would have been pissed off every day for at least 12 hours on Nioh 2. At nearly 30, with a global pandemic out there and a starvation paycheck, I'm sadly forced to spend my free time on more necessary things . It will take me months and months of gameplay to finish Nioh 2, and I don't think I would continue to play it consistently unfortunately.
It was a nice experience.
Traumatic, punishing and difficult, but fascinating.
Despite what has already been said about my limited time as an adult, I am sure that from time to time I will gladly return to Nioh 2. My next goal will be to learn how to change grips of weapons during the fights themselves, to master different fighting styles in more difficult fights such as those of the Bosses - or more unpredictable like those where a Yokai feeds on another demon. And who knows who doesn't get his hands on in the future too others soulslike, as long as he can find the feeling with the controls.
