Nioh: Complete Edition (v1.24.07)

Feudal Japan becomes a blood-soaked nightmare where samurai warfare collides with demons, sorcery, and political intrigue. You play William, a foreign sailor drawn into the turbulent final years of the Sengoku era, hunting the mysterious power of Amrita while crossing paths with historical figures and monstrous yokai. Nioh: Complete Edition delivers the tense, punishing rhythm of a Soulslike, but its identity comes from Team NINJA’s fast, technical combat and a setting steeped in Japanese folklore. The mood is grim, violent, and relentlessly demanding, with every ruined village, burning fortress, and moonlit shrine concealing another lethal threat.

Combat revolves around precise melee duels, split-second dodges, blocking, and careful Ki management, with Ki functioning as stamina for attacks and defensive movement. Each weapon supports high, mid, and low stances, allowing you to trade power, reach, speed, and mobility depending on the enemy, while Ki Pulses reward well-timed button presses by restoring stamina and clearing dangerous yokai corruption. Missions send you through compact but intricate battlefields filled with shortcuts, shrines, ambushes, bosses, collectible Kodama spirits, and a Diablo-like stream of weapons and armor to refine into a preferred build. Guardian Spirits, ninja tools, Onmyo magic, skill trees, and online co-op assistance provide meaningful ways to tailor a character, though the toughest encounters still demand mastery rather than easy solutions.

What separates Nioh from most Souls-inspired action RPGs is its depth: it feels closer to Ninja Gaiden’s aggressive combat philosophy wrapped around a deliberate stamina-based structure. Loot can become overwhelming, yet the sheer range of weapons, stance techniques, elemental effects, and replayable missions gives committed players plenty to experiment with after the campaign. The Complete Edition includes all three substantial expansions—Dragon of the North, Defiant Honor, and Bloodshed’s End—adding regions, weapons, story material, and escalating endgame challenges tied to figures such as Date Masamune and Sanada Yukimura. Fans of Dark Souls, Sekiro, and demanding character-action games should feel at home, while newcomers should expect a steep but exceptionally satisfying learning curve.