Introduction

Nioh released in 2017 by developer Team Ninja and publisher Koei Tecmo, a combination that immediately intrigued me. Team Ninja is known for the Ninja Gaiden series and Dead or Alive fighting games, but Nioh was something else entirely—a third-person action-adventure game heavily inspired by the Dark Souls formula. As a die-hard fan of anything Souls-like, I pre-ordered Nioh and was in love from day one. It was tough, action-heavy, and had a narrative more grounded than the often-ambiguous Souls series.

Needless to say, I adored it. But when Nioh 2 dropped, my excitement quickly faded. Gone was the real-world historical mythos, replaced by a loosely connected sequel that just didn’t click with me. The gameplay felt stiffer, the musou-like design tweaks didn’t land, and I walked away disappointed.

So when Nioh 3 was announced, I was torn. Would it follow in the footsteps of the first game, or repeat the mistakes of the second? Well, the demo was made available for a few days, and while I didn’t pour countless hours into it, I played enough to confidently say: Nioh 3 is back on my radar. Here’s why it might deserve your attention when it launches in 2026.

Why You’ll Like This

Nioh 3 feels like a step back from Nioh 2—but in all the right ways. The game brings back character creation and plunges you once more into a world of strife, yokai (demons), and mythological monsters. While it borrows inspiration from Dark Souls and Elden Ring, there’s a clear Ninja Gaiden flair baked in.

Players can choose between two distinct styles—Ninja and Samurai—each offering unique strengths and weaknesses. Combat feels much tighter than in Nioh 2, and each style brings something fresh. I preferred the Samurai path for its powerful flourishes, but the Ninja style gave me more agility and fun special moves. Regardless of your playstyle, the combat in this demo felt incredibly fluid and rewarding.

Another feature teased both on the website and in the demo is open-world exploration. While still somewhat linear in structure, the map is noticeably more expansive than previous entries. The alpha gave us only a glimpse, but it looks like players will be traversing a diverse world filled with hidden items, secrets, lore, and plenty of enemies to fight. I’m genuinely excited to see just how vast the full game becomes.

Why You’ll Want to Skip This

Let’s get one thing straight—Nioh 3 looks… okay. Visually, it doesn’t impress. Perhaps I’m spoiled by recent graphically intense titles, but this game looks like it belongs in the late PS4 era. While the performance was smooth—something that’s impressive for an alpha—it never once wowed me on a visual level. Depending on its price point, Nioh 3 might be a hard sell for players expecting cutting-edge visuals.

The second issue I have is longevity. I’m not burnt out on Soulslikes—I loved Elden Ring and The First Berserker: Khazan—but it’s getting harder to ignore the repetition. So many games borrow from one another that even minor overlaps can lead to fatigue. While Nioh 3 doesn’t feel like a direct copy of anything else, we’ll have to see if the full game delivers something fresh or falls into the familiar.

Conclusion

Despite my issues with Nioh 2 and some mild concerns from the Nioh 3 demo, I’m still genuinely excited for the full release. I believe this entry could surpass the first two games and finally give the series a definitive identity in the action-RPG space.

That said, I wouldn’t recommend Nioh 3 to just anyone—not yet. The visuals are dated, and there are some lingering concerns about innovation and staying power. But for fans of tough, rewarding combat and dark, yokai-filled worlds, this could be the game to watch in 2026. I know I’ll be picking it up early and diving headfirst into whatever twisted journey Team Ninja has crafted.

ーAaron