It isn't often that a new IP releases in the gaming industry, especially one made by a veteran studio like Team Ninja. Responsible for Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden , this iconic studio has admittedly played a minor role in recent years. That changes starting today.

Thrilling combat system; Huge number of attractive skills and items; Diverse and interesting enemies; Non-linear world map; Co-op saves the day

Underwhelming visual quality; Tags

"Borne-again." "Re-Borne." "New-Borne." On and on, it didn't stop. It might sound a little callous, but after the initial batch of stor...

Playing Nioh brought out a wide range of reactions in me – passive aggressive jibes as I fall off yet another cliff thanks to those fucking bats, full on shouting at the big bastard with the boulder

Great customisation in gear; Combat can be honed in to how you play; Great design; Revanants are a cool feature

Bosses feel far harder than neccessary; Summoning is frustrating

It's been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Team Ninja's Nioh ought to have the folks at FromSoftware blushing like schoolgirls. Different in all the right ways, yet similar in all the right ways, this superb action role-playing game takes the gameplay style of the Souls series,...

After spending almost forty hours with the action/adventure title Nioh, I can say with all certainty that it is easily the first must-buy and early contender for game of the year.

After over 12 years in development, Nioh plays like a compilation of every hack-and-slash RPG since the early 2000s, and while it's almost tempting to write off most of the gameplay as being derivative of From Software's recent action RPGs, like Bloodborne and the Dark Souls franchise, there's so...

Combat is skillful and loads of fun; Open maps stuffed with encounters and secrets; Customization options are a welcome bonus; Adorable Kodama with cute little bowls for hats

Story is a bit bland; The first level is easily the worst part of the game

Nioh is brutal, fast-paced, and crushingly difficult - so everything I was hoping it would be, really. Team Ninja has taken a lot of familiar mechanics, then added its own twist on them, with the resulting game keeping both Dark Souls and Ninja Gaiden fans happy. I’m tempted to say it’s even tougher than FromSoftware’s epic adventure series, with so many more systems and abilities to master. The combat is more nuanced here, with weapon stances and Japanese folklore-inspired magical abilities adding to the familiar mix of recognising enemy patterns, learning to parry and striking at the exact moment to avoid a nasty counterattack. Nioh’s world doesn’t feel as alive as Dark Souls III’s Lothric, though - even if it looks beautiful when you get a second to breathe and take it all in. An overabundance of menu management and a fairly simple story mean it isn’t a masterpiece, but if you want a serious challenge, it’s still a must-buy.

Looks gorgeous in motion; Massive game with huge gameplay variety; Uber challenging, just what Dark Souls fans will love;

Uber challenging, if you hate Dark Souls you’ll hate this too; Complex mechanics and modes take a while to master; Seriously, it’s bloody hard;

As a hardcore SoulsBorne fan, this game ticks all the boxes – yet also stands as it's own beast. The loot system is a throwback to Diablo, the fast combat to Bloodborne, the art direction to Onimusha. Nioh is beautifully made, plays well and is the right level of challenge (punishing, but also doable with determination). I'm 10 hours down and have loved every second of it.

Have you ever wondered what the result would be if you combined the combat and brutality of a Soulsborne title and the loot system of Diablo, all wrapped up in a demonically infested feudal Japan setting- No need to strain your imagination, Nioh will answer this for you!

Great game with challenging gameplay and some really challenging post game missions. Really cool choice of fighting/weapon styles/option­s/upgrade pat­hs.