Whenever a new soulslike game drops, the comparisons to genre titans like Elden Ring are pretty much guaranteed, regardless of whether the game is set in a fantasy realm, a futuristic city, or somewhere entirely new. Very few developers have managed to deliver an experience on par or better than those created by FromSoftware, but Team Ninja has proven that they are not only able to compete in that realm with the latest installment in the Nioh series, but that they can go even further, pushing into new ground and showing that they are capable of being the very best in the genre.
7 Best Tips & Tricks in Nioh 3
Here are a few simple things you can do to change the way you play Nioh 3 while making the overall experience a little easier.
The first two games in the franchise were already pretty widely loved, and the hype around Nioh 3 was incredibly high, driven largely by the incredible demo that gave players a taste of the game before it released. Now that the game is out in the wild, many fans are flocking in and singing its praises. Many feel that it is arguably the best Team Ninja soulslike to date and a real contender for the top spot in the wider genre. It's clear to see where those claims are coming from, as, despite how good Elden Ring is, certain features and ideas in Niooh 3 allow it to overtake the long-standing king.
Less Overwhelming Open Areas
Quality Over Quantity
- Dense focus rather than massive scale.
- Smaller but less empty points of interest.
Elden Ring was the first big soulslike to leap into the open-world genre, and despite the immense challenges, it somehow pulled it off perfectly. Nioh 3 also makes a bold new move for the franchise, replacing the series' linear mission structure with a far more open formula that looks to compete with FromSoftware's ground-breaking world design.
However, unlike The Lands Between, where every direction feels like a daunting step into the unknown, the areas in Nioh 3 are far more digestible. They're smaller overall but put a greater emphasis on specific points of interest and meaningful locations. This makes each location feel far more manageable to clear piece by piece. Rather than scouring the outer edges for any missing loot, players can instead focus more on the larger objectives at hand and pick up any extra loot afterwards without feeling as though they are skipping over huge swaths of content.
Combat Depth And Variety
Faster, Better, Stronger
- Style swapping mid-combat.
- Distinctive playstyles even within each weapon class.
Nioh has always been a stellar series in terms of combat, and this third entry is no different. Style swapping takes center stage, as players are given the ability to swap between Samurai and Ninja styles at the press of a button, drastically transforming how combat encounters play out and how players engage with the tougher enemies found throughout the world.
Nioh 3 Review
With its Ninja style, Style Shift system, and open-field design, Nioh 3 pushes movement and player freedom further than any entry before it.
Elden Ring does have plenty of weapons and builds to choose from, but the freedom to try and play with multiple styles at once is basically non-existent. Team Ninja understands all too well that players like to have options, and even within the two main styles, there is a huge amount of additional variety to explore, all of which is incredibly accessible and easy to switch to whenever players are looking for a change.
Progression Loop
Immediate Growth To The Next Step
- More impactful than single stat upgrades.
- Early changes that don't take hours to come into effect.
FromSoftware has never been great at creating satisfying progression for players, and Elden Ring follows suit by having them level up basic stats alongside upgrading their weapons, without a lot else to focus on. In comparison, Nioh 3 looks like a completely different genre, as players constantly feel a sense of progress with every step forward, without that progression coming in the form of a single digit going up.
Each weapon type has a unique set of skills that can be unlocked and added to the player's toolset. Beyond that, they will gain access to new Guardian Spirits and specific martial arts combos, which they will need to tackle the later stages of the game. Overall, it genuinely feels like things are always moving forward, with no awkward plateaus or boring build paths, even at the start.
Challenging Yet Fair
Easier Than Most Soulslikes, But Still Pretty Tough
- Sits at the lower end of the difficulty spectrum.
- Equally satisfying and engaging encounters
Soulslikes are difficult by nature, and a lot of that challenge comes down to the combat style and the enemies within the world. Elden Ring is definitely on the easier side of things, primarily because the overall difficulty is largely dictated by the player's build and how heavily they lean into one archetype, but even then, the actual fights can be taken down without much trouble (excluding Malenia).
On the other side of things, Nioh 3 feels a lot more forgiving, while still offering enough challenge to satisfy die-hard fans and newcomers alike. Attack windows are very easy to read, abilities like the Burst Break are incredibly easy to use and powerful, and all those things aside, there are countless summons that players can use to turn tricky fights into trivial ones, making the whole experience just a bit more balanced.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
Option To Grind But No Need To
Level Up However Much You Want
- No need to explore or grind.
- Paths can be chosen without worrying about mandatory extras.
Grinding is something that Elden Ring players know all too well; it is an annoying aspect of soulslikes that a lot of people turn to when things get tough. The open nature of the game means that if a roadblock appears, and they often do, players can just run off and do their own thing for a few hours, gaining some more levels and upgrades to help them when they finally return for round two.
How To Get Samurai And Ninja Locks In Nioh 3
Players need to keep an eye out while exploring to get some locks that'll help unlock new skills in Nioh 3.
Nioh 3 takes a much less forceful approach to its grinding philosophy, as, despite it being a perfectly viable playstyle for those who want to do it, there is never any point where players should feel underleveled or out of their depth. If they need some extra Amrita or gold, then they are more than welcome to farm some mobs until they are happy, but the way the game's progression is laid out, players should feel pretty comfortable with their power level right up until the credits roll.
Controlled Pacing Of Encounters
Fewer Bosses Isn't Always A Bad Thing
- Condensed list of memorable fights.
- Much less repetition.
Elden Ring’s open world frequently thrusts players into dramatic moments, but sometimes the pacing suffers as a result. The difficulty spikes may feel inconsistent, and the lack of structure can turn an otherwise interesting boss into a pretty mediocre one.
Nioh 3 avoids that variability with purpose-built zones that balance the challenge and flow while keeping the momentum high at all times. The game respects player agency by offering routes that make sense rather than exposing players to abrupt threats with little warning, and the result is a loop that feels far more curated and predictable, even when the difficulty starts to creep up.
Rewarding Loot
Items That Truly Matter
- Combat styles change rather than just stats.
- Bonus effects on top of weapon types.
Where Elden Ring treats loot as a thematic reward with occasional upgrades, Nioh 3 makes gear and item drops an integral part of build identity. Loot isn’t just stat inflation; it actively changes the player's combat options, style, and tactical choices when encountering a newly discovered enemy.
Weapons obviously carry distinct move sets like any other game, but they also come with bonus effects and interactions that can make the player more powerful as well as change their entire approach to combat. The different kinds of drops also allow for far more experimentation, as there will never come a time when players find a cool new weapon that can't easily slot into their loadout within a few moments.
Better Side Quests
A Reason To See The World
- Clear indicators as opposed to aimless walking.
- Genuine rewards that can help any build.
Many players find Elden Ring's side content scattered or disconnected due to the sheer vastness of the world. There are many cases where a compelling NPC will mention a quest that they have for the player, yet the actual steps in completing it are beyond confusing, and the eventual rewards are often mediocre.
Nioh 3’s Myths are far more specific and easy to understand, while also being generally more enjoyable to complete. Rather than tedious errands that may feel like filler, these quests reinforce challenges, offer build-enhancing rewards, and provide narrative anchors within each region, feeling like a crucial part of the player's progression and so much more than an optional distraction from the main quest at hand.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
- Released
- February 6, 2026
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Suggestive Themes, Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Koei Tecmo
- Publisher(s)
- Koei Tecmo
