Underestimating the influence of the creation of from Software, perhaps, it is impossible. Thanks to the Souls series, a new life breathed into the Action RPG genre, and many developers, inspired by the work of the Japanese, began to make their versions on the topic. Someone got better, someone is worse. After the most successful Ninja Gaiden 3, the developers from Team Ninja decided to try themselves in the same genre. Whether they did them? With varying success. Let’s see what exactly the creators of the hardcore slasher did, in the genre of Action RPG. Welcome – Nioh.
This time to talk about the plot a little complicated, but let’s start with the tie. Our hero, William, sits in imprisonment in the London Tower, and expects his fate. The spirit that appeared out of nowhere says that William is waiting for death, after which, after which, our hero begins to flee. However, at the end he is overtaken by the executioner, having struck which, on the stage, a new character Edward Kelly appears, who uses mysterious magic and turns the defeated executioner into a monster. Having struck him a second time, Kelly uses magic again and takes the very spirit that turns out to be the guardian of William. Having barely escaped death, William still runs out of the Tower and goes on a trip to the east-to Japan, after the spirit and Kelly. Japan is torn off not only the war between the provinces, but also the rebellious dead people and demons – Yookey, who broke through into reality thanks to amethy, the local magical stone, possessing a supernatural force.
Hence the adventure of William in Japan begins. The plot turned out not the worst, but it has 2 main problems.
Any MGS will envy the number of characters. From feudal lords, in the person of Tokugawa, Ieyas and Ishidi Mitsunari, to less influential, but no less famous, Hattori Hanzo and Marume Nagayshi.
The problem number of times is not the most successful narrative. The plot is served through videos and briefings in front of the mission, but there are not many videos, and they are not so informative in terms of the main plot. They mainly show the meetings of William and the main Lords of the provinces with which the hero concludes unions. He helps them deal with the demons and consequences of Kelly’s influence, and the Lords, in turn, provide him with their help in search of Kelly. Sometimes more important information is presented in the rollers, but these are quite rare cases, basically all the information concerns the feudal lords and their feuds. And from here the second problem follows
Problem number two – excessive support on history. Let the demons and supernatural damnness participate in the plot, the plot’s backbone is built on historical events, and specifically the end of the Sengoku Dzidai period and the beginning of the Edo period, when the most powerful lords torn the country for the right to become the next shogun (if somewhere it was inflated in the dates and formulations, you can get my muzzle in the textbook in the comments). And in itself, the support on history is not bad, but if a person does not know even the slightest facts of that period begins to play, it will be possible to get confused one or two. The main story, William chasing Kelly, of course, can be traced quite simply until the end, but the number of characters and their relationship is very difficult to trace, which is why it is very easy to get confused in everything that is happening.
Due to these two main problems, the plot part of the game comes in quite tight. Of course, you can understand the plot, but without a specific knowledge base, it will be problematic to do it, t.To. There are too many actors, not everyone is honored, but most of the dialogs boils down to discussing the tactics of the conquest of neighboring lands, with the periodic intervention of the villain, who gives strength to the clans interesting to him, with the help of the spirit stolen by William, and Amrita.
What the Japanese cannot be taken from is amazing oddity, but at the same time attractiveness, some creatures.
But if everything is somewhat confused with the plot, then with gameplay more and more rosy, although not without problems. The basis of the gameplay, of course, is the battles and the combat system is quite curious. Unlike some Lords of the Fallen, where the mechanics were transferred, as they say, “in the forehead”, the Team Ninja studio decided to combine the Souls mechanics and developing her past games, t.e. series Ninja Gaiden, and a person playing in the past games of the studio will get used to local battles instantly. The backbone of combat mechanics is also built on fights with single opponents and endurance management. Having stumbled upon the enemy, the player aims at him and begins to look for an opportunity to attack, not forgetting to monitor the level of endurance that is spent on attacks, dumps, blocks and sprint. However, here the point differences from the Souls series begin.
The first thing I want https://heyspin-casino.uk/withdrawal/ to note is the actual management of endurance. In Souls games, it was important to monitor endurance so that when it was a shortage, not to grab Lule, but all that could be done to restore it is to quickly bounce and dance around the enemy until the green strip recovers. Nioh is approaching this issue more comprehensive. Although every blow and spends a certain amount of endurance, endurance does not leave instantly. Part of it can be restored by clicking on the corresponding button. So, having inflicted a series of blows in a row and catching the timing, you can restore up to half the ended endurance. At first, this mechanic seems uncomfortable and strange, but the more you use it, the more benefit you feel. In turn, opponents also have a strip of stamina, knocking which to zero, you can strike with a huge amount of damage.
Having shot down the endurance of the enemy, you can deliver one powerful blow that takes a considerable amount of health. The main thing is to pre -pump it
The second point is an expanded combat system. In Souls there were only 2 types of attacks, which quite rarely gave convenient combinations, it was often more profitable to just beat light or heavy attacks in a row. Nioh makes it possible for the wider use of weapons.
Firstly-there are 3 racks: low, medium, high. In a low rack, the hero inflicts little damage, but the attack speed grows strongly, and endurance is spent significantly less. A tall stand on the contrary, hits very slow and rare attacks, which, however, cause high damage and make it possible to break through the block or simply knock down more effort from the enemy. Well, the middle stand is optimal.
Secondly-each rack has its own set of techniques. With an increase in the level, or the use of certain objects, the player is given 3 types of skills that he can spend on: studying new techniques for weapons; the study of new ninjutsu techniques; The study of magic. About the last two later. Actually, biting the so -called “samurai glasses”, the player opens new techniques, and/or passive bonuses for a certain type of weapon. You can open several new combinations, several types of counterattacks, strikes with preparation, a temporary boost to attack or protection with a decrease in the opposite parameter, etc.D. The number of blows and combinations, even if it does not strive for infinity, but gives considerable scope for tactical tricks.
Each skill can first be seen to determine how much it is needed.
Thirdly-Ninjutsu and magic techniques mentioned above. In fact, the first is the banal use of all kinds of objects: shurikens with various effects, spikes, slowing the enemy’s movement, drugs enhancing the player’s attack, several types of bombs and so on. Pieces are not always used, but sometimes giving a good advantage in battles with certain enemy.
Magic is represented by talismans used by both the player and opponents. No additional items, or a separate scale of magic, is not required for its use, the main thing is the presence of the talismans themselves. Talismans can endow weapons with certain properties, magical/spontaneous damage, increase resistance to certain elements, treat, and t.D. In the attack, they can also be actively used, slowing the enemy, preventing him from restoring endurance, reducing damage and protection, etc.D. The pure magician of course will not work, but it is noble to make life easier for yourself very much.
At the same time, both ninjutsu and talismans, you can use without even pumping their branches, but in this case you will have to use only assembled objects, while pumping these branches gives access to talismans that cannot be obtained “in the field”, as well as additional bonuses to resistance or the number of certain objects worn at a time.
Correctly choosing weapons, equipment and skills, even large enemies can be quite simple.
The last difference between the combat system, from the Souls games, is the perfume system. Since William, in view of some features, can see and communicate with different spirits, he can also use their help. Each spirit gives its own bonuses to characteristics, and also has its spontaneous damage. Filling a certain scale to the maximum, you can call the spirit on the battlefield. At this moment, the player becomes invulnerable for some time, and his weapon changes the Muvset and inflicts increased damage, including spontaneous. When battles with bosses, or with a large number of opponents, you can quickly snatch an advantage or escape in a critical situation.
Gathering together three of these components, uniting them with the standard Souls fighter and working with some details, Team Ninja created a not quite unique, but rather interesting variation of the combat system. The controlled hero moves very smoothly, but faster than any character Souls games. Thanks to increased dynamics and emphasis on the attack, the fights in Nioh turned out to be quite interesting, diverse and not without a fraction of tactics. Adds diversity and arsenal. Let him not focus on the uniqueness of each type of weapon, which we will talk about a little later, the game gives out a pretty decent number of their types, and the possibility of studying different techniques compensates for the uniqueness of each weapon. At the same time, the game did not lose difficulty, because of which it is quite simple to die in the game, if not to be neat.
There were no long -range weapons either, though the choice is limited by onions, musket and gun. The larger the weapon, the stronger it lugs, but also ammunition for each, of course, its own and for its own price.
But alas, without innovations, there were not without casualties. Unfortunately, with all this wealth of opportunities, the game does not make the player use them to use them. Almost the entire game can be passed in the middle rack with one sword and the player will not experience special pressure. The number of techniques is large, but quickly having learned the enemy’s muvsets, you can use the counterattacks alone. And bosses can be completely sprinkled with talismans, having previously plugged with buffico items, and kill literally one technique of some kind of kusarigama. The bosses themselves, by the way, let them look interesting and unusual, sometimes killed to ridiculous simply, or vice versa, they like to spit with the same attack, and often do not disdain vanshots, which is why the battle goes from the category of “interesting/curious” into the category of “tedious/irritating”.
And these are quite sad facts, because in principle the game does not force the player to look for some tactics and solutions. This does not kill the combat system, since the wealth of opportunities does not disappear anywhere, but, unfortunately, does not push to experiments.
Opponents go to the same piggy bank of not the best implementation. The opponents themselves are interesting and unusual, given Japanese mythology, with its strange, but interesting and unusual creatures, but the types of opponents are corny. Several types of ordinary soldiers, several species of Yokayev (local demons), several types of skeletons and bosses. And most offensive things that new locations do not always offer new views of opponents. Somewhere in the 2-3rd territory you will already see almost all opponents and the game will be banal to surprise you, except for the combinations of these very opponents.
But Nioh also has another distinguishing feature, unfortunately, also controversial. As mentioned a little higher, the game does not give out some unique equipment, providing instead of the Luta system a la Diablo. Killing opponents and examining chests, the player receives equipment of a certain level, with certain properties. The higher the level, the higher the properties, the more and the higher the protection or damage, if it comes to weapons. At the same time, all this disgrace can not only be collected on the field, but also change it in the sanctuary on amrita, acting as a local analogue of shower, or saves a blacksmith. The blacksmith can disassemble it for components or just buy it. He can scapit new equipment, increase the level of existing weapons, by destroying another, or change an unnecessary bonus to a random. Finally, a cherry on the cake, the blacksmith can change the appearance of the equipment, so the player can choose the set of equipment he needs, but if externally he does not like him, he can simply change his design to the one that he likes. This will not affect characteristics, just makes it possible to dress as pleasant. This also applies to weapons.
Using the same weapon, the character gets used to it, which increases its damage and characteristics. Having reached the “ceiling”, the weapon can be referred, thereby increasing its level.
On the one hand, all this disgrace makes it possible to choose the desired set of equipment for yourself, constantly hinging some clothes, pump the old ones or create new. But as we know, honey with tar is not friends. If the possibilities for personalization of the character are full, it still does not work to use it. Mostly because most of the Luta collected at the levels, this is a consume consumption only for the release, which is why after each race you have to go into the inventory, look at the assembled lutus, and it Very a lot, and decide what to sell, what to put on upgrades, and what to change. This is not only time, but also tiring. As a result, after 2-3 hours, the player simply runs along the list, in search of the strongest clothes, and the rest saves where he is more convenient. As a result, the Luta system is not banal. Again, the idea is good, the implementation does not interfere much, but the potential is simply not disclosed, because of which it simply makes no sense to apply different sets.
By the way, since we talked about levels, let’s look at the device of local locations. Although it is difficult to call it locations. There are several regions of Japan in which the hero travels. Each region is divided into several missions, 2-4 basic, and a pack of side effects. If you remember, Demon’s Souls had a similar system, only in it the player was given a choice of several large locations that he could explore and inspect. Nioh divides one region into several separate territories, without any smooth transition between them. There is a strict start of the mission and is the end of the mission, which is usually marked by either the boss or the murder of a certain enemy/group of opponents. This structure gives 2 polar effects. On the one hand, we do not have a feeling of a single world, which can be perceived in bayonets. On the other hand, such a structure gives a much more convenient distinction between time and allows you to more conveniently distribute priorities. For example, if the player does not have a lot of time, but I want to play, he can just run away a couple of short races on side tasks. Plus to this, backrtecing is minimized. The locations, of course, are still re -used, but in the framework of one mission to run, there, there is no great need, which slightly increases the dynamics.
Each mission is accompanied by a small briefing, as well as awards for its implementation.
Unfortunately, they cannot boast of a special variety of locations. For the most part, temples, fields, villages and caves are waiting for us. Outwardly, they look very pleasant, with good and understandable architecture and pleasant visual design, especially in the rays of the sunset/dawn sun. But unfortunately the very variety of these locations leaves much to be desired.To. These are the same motives, only in a different way. True, sometimes interesting places are slipped to the player, such as participation in the battle of Sekigahara. I would like more diversity, such as some large city levels or small peaceful sketches, where you could take a walk around the city, with some kind of transition to the battle.
Well, finally, we will touch the audio-visual part of the game. Technically, the game looks pretty decent, even if it lacks the seamlessness of the world and large locations. But thanks to locality, the game can work in two modes: with high resolution or frame rate. And let it cling to the "ladder" in the second mode of the eye, it is still recommended to play in it, t.To. 60 FPS, in this kind of game, they only benefit. In terms of design, as was said, everything looks extremely pleasant, albeit not so diverse. In the implementation of sounds, everything also turned out quite well. The strokes of swords are given with a pleasant metal sound, steps in heavy equipment and light robes are also pleasantly different, and most importantly in the game they acted well with voice acting. Let Japanese know William, but only at the level of understanding, so he answers in English, because of which some characters without a translator do not always understand him. The characters themselves are voiced very pleasantly and when Tokugawa Jeanas begins to speak, you understand that it is precisely a confident nobleman who does not boast of his achievements, but clearly and confidently expresses his position and gives instructions.
In musically, the game does not offer something ingenious, but several tracks have a chance to stay in the playlist.