Nioh 3 Reviews
Nioh 3 proves to be more than just another Souls-like entry in an abundant genre. Nioh 3 turns out to be an experience that was both rewarding and deeply engaging. Its greatest strength lies in its combat depth. The dual-stance system—Samurai and Ninja—creates a dynamic back-and-forth that forces players to think, adapt, and master timing rather than rely solely on button-mashing. The KI system, switching between stances, varied weapons types, Ninjutsu, martial arts abilities, talent tree, and expansive build options ensure that no two battles feel the same. Boss fights are challenging yet fair, offering flexibility and strategic freedom that make victories feel earned rather than frustrating. Beyond combat, the open-field design marks a major evolution for the series. Exploration feels meaningful and rewarding, filled with mini-bosses, side missions, and powerful loot that truly impact your build. The added mobility through sprinting and jumping enhances both combat tactics and world traversal, making the environments feel alive and immersive. Even with minor technical hiccups in performance mode on PS5, the overall experience remains smooth and visually impressive. Ultimately, Nioh 3 refines everything that made its predecessors strong while boldly expanding the formula. It is challenging yet accessible, complex yet well-introduced, chaotic at first yet deeply satisfying once mastered. For fans of action RPGs—and especially those who enjoy strategic, skill-based combat—Nioh 3 stands as the most complete and ambitious entry in the series to date.
Nioh 3 was more of a discipline to study than a game to finish for me. Every loss made me better; every win felt like I had really worked for it. Not only is it a sequel, but it is also the end of the story. It shows how good Team Ninja is at making high-intensity action RPGs and is a defining statement in the genre’s ongoing evolution.
Nioh 3 makes considerable changes that feel second nature to the essence of the series and makes for its most exciting and accessible title. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review. PC version reviewed.
Players, both new and used to soulslike games, should dive into the world of Nioh 3 if they are looking to experience some ARPG goodness to kick off 2026 the right way.
Nioh 3 is undoubtedly an evolution of Koei Tecmo's Soulslike-tinged action RPG formula. This is thanks to the introduction of the Ninja style and the openness of its maps. All of this is achieved while maintaining the technical depth in combat that characterizes Team Ninja. However, the game has its flaws, such as: repetitive content, overuse of recurring enemies, a somewhat uninhabited open world that sometimes feels deserted after clearing out enemies, and inconsistent difficulty spikes. Fortunately, if you enjoy its combat, you'll find the deepest and most fun title in the entire trilogy.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Nioh 3 masterfully carves out a distinct identity, marrying its tactical stance-based roots with a blistering, Ninja Gaiden-esque fluidity. While the time-hopping narrative and repetitive enemy skins occasionally falter, the exhilarating combat flow and refined accessibility make this the franchise’s most polished and exhilarating evolution to date.
Nioh 3 shines with a thrilling narrative and unique art style that more than compensate for its engine's shortcomings. Its dual samurai-ninja system is gameplay perfection, enhanced by masterful sound and complete freedom of builds. While its technical aspects are mediocre and in need of an upgrade, it's the price to pay for the best combat and narrative in the series.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Nioh 3 refines and expands the franchise into an exhilarating, deeply rewarding action RPG experience. With fluid combat, dense exploration, and countless layers of progression, it sets a new benchmark for Soulslike design.
Nioh 3 is another Team Ninja home run when it comes to action combat in video games, this time with a new system that lets players choose between the strength of a samurai and the agility of a ninja, unfortunately it's held back by a middling narrative and my experience was dragged down by tons of crashes and bugs.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Nioh 3 nails the marriage between RPG and hack-and-slash from a gameplay perspective. I’m excited to jump back in to leave no stone unturned in its open world, too, but not without compromise. Barring the essentials required to make a kick-ass Samurai/Ninja hybrid, I’ll be keeping my distance from its most annoying spreadsheet simulators and lavishing attention on mastering Style Shift. Could Nioh 3 be prettier? Sure, but its looks aren’t a deal-breaker. Being discouraged from following the time-hopping narrative as a result of flat voice acting is the biggest downer alongside unnecessary feature bloat. Ignoring or accepting those as downsides, Nioh 3 is one hell of an adventure. It will gladly devour your free time and richly reward you for mastering its combat, which continues to be the star of the series.
Nioh 3 is Team Ninja firing on all cylinders. Combat hits harder and feels more varied than anything else in the genre right now. This is the action RPG to beat this year.
The transition into an open-world game feels natural and gives you plenty to do when not in an intense and gruelling battle. The action-packed and unapologetically difficult battles are where the game truly shines, testing your skills and reflexes. Nioh 3 is easily the best in the series and an incredibly rewarding experience.
Nioh 3 is Team NINJA firing on all cylinders, with the semi-open world structure being a huge improvement to the flow and momentum. I also loved the dual-style Samurai and Ninja setup that keeps combat flexible, and lets you experiment and instead of locking you in.
Nioh 3 is a sequel in every sense of the word, as it substantially enriches the gameplay and bridges the gap between newcomers and veterans of the genre in the best possible way.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Nioh 3 gave me, throughout his adventure, the feeling of playing a Ghost of Yotei DarkSoulished. Nervous, twirling, he has not managed to get rid of his defects inherent in the equipment or his generosity in terms of personalization (powers, skills, blessings, preparations, ...). Consumables, items in general are too many if you do not have a fixed idea quickly enough. Technically a little in pain and with an open world facade, the lovers of the 2 will love the 3.
Review in French | Read full review
Nioh 3 is an excellent sequel, with Team Ninja daring to introduce a Ninja style that refreshes the gameplay and an open-world structure that allows for exploration without sacrificing pace. It's worth noting, however, that the game is less than perfect in its balance and the AI is sometimes iffy, but otherwise, the package remains solid, deep, and rewarding. The revolution has begun for Nioh: it may not be perfect, but it's incredibly fun.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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Review in Italian | Read full review
Knowing when to dodge, strike, fire off a few spells, and back up for a devastating whiff punish are all key to survival, and this dance is the fire that fuels just about every encounter. And while much of that is true for just about every entry in the genre, Nioh 3’s specialty lies in its speed and responsiveness.
Despite the inventory headaches and a narrative that largely fades into the background, Nioh 3 stands tall as a masterclass in action RPG design. The shift to open fields breathes fresh air into the exploration without sacrificing the series’ signature difficulty, while the new Samurai and Ninja dual-system offers the most satisfying, fluid combat Team Ninja has EVER crafted (and believe me, that’s saying something). It is punishing, beautiful, and endlessly rewarding, with Nioh 3 not just a worthy sequel, but the best that the series has ever been.
No matter how flawed it is, Nioh 3 is a statement of purpose. It's not following trends or making its processes easier to use to appeal to more people. Team Ninja is special because of its accuracy, depth, and respect for player skill. This update does not change those things.