History VideoGame / Nioh

At [[UsefulNotes/ElectronicEntertainmentExpo E3 2018]], a new game entitled ''VideoGame/Nioh2'' was announced. [[https://www.polygon.com/2019/5/22/18636322/nioh-2-alpha-test-ps4-dates New gameplay]] [[https://gematsu.com/2019/05/nioh-2-closed-alpha-test-set-for-may-24-to-june-2-gameplay-trailer trailers]] were released in May 2019 ahead of a closed alpha test. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiOEeq1LkrU The TGS 2019 trailer]] also revealed that the game is a {{Prequel}}, featuring UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi in his youth (including his time when he was known as Kinoshita Tokichiro) during his service under the younger UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga.

** During the first time meeting Hattori Hanzo, Hanzo pulls out a cat to check it's eyes, remarking on the time. And yes, [[https://www.nwf.org/en/Magazines/National-Wildlife/1991/How-to-Tell-Time-by-a-Cat-s-Eye this is actually a thing]].

-->-- Excerpt from UsefulNotes/{{E3}} 2016 trailer

Gameplay is inspired by ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', where-in an average {{Mook}} can kill a gear-appropriate player in less than four hits, players must learn to spot enemy tells and draw out opponents one at a time, else risk a swift defeat from numerous foes, while stronger ones like oni and bosses can easily OneHitKill players. Unlike ''Dark Souls'', ''Nioh'' has several things that set it apart. For starters, it features a set protagonist in William Adams (the RealLife “First English Samurai”), thus limiting CharacterCustomization to accessories, armor and weapons like traditional {{Eastern RPG}}s. Speaking of, ‘’Nioh’’ places heavy emphasis on gear, as the game uses a loot-based equipment system to bestow the player with improved stats and abilities. While the combat system is similar to its inspirations on a surface level, ‘’Nioh’’ features numerous quirks that make it unique, such as Ki Pulsing, Living Weapons, Ninjutsu, Onmyo Magic, five weapon types (with two more added in the {{DLC}}s) that have their own movelists ala a HackAndSlash game and a StanceSystem. With a pace almost as fast as, and at times ''faster'' than ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'', the game is similarly completely merciless to the unprepared.

At UsefulNotes/{{E3}} 2018, a new game entitled ''VideoGame/Nioh2'' has been announced. New [[https://www.polygon.com/2019/5/22/18636322/nioh-2-alpha-test-ps4-dates gameplay]] [[https://gematsu.com/2019/05/nioh-2-closed-alpha-test-set-for-may-24-to-june-2-gameplay-trailer trailers]] were released in May, 2019 ahead of a closed alpha test. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiOEeq1LkrU The TGS 2019 trailer]] also revealed that the game is a {{Prequel}} as it featured UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi at his youth (including his time when he was known as Kinoshita Tokichiro), during his service under the younger UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga

* AluminumChristmasTrees: There actually was a white samurai named William Adams, who was in fact the first European to ever be made a samurai by the Shogun. In fact, he was a pure blooded Englishman, and [[RaceLift his being made Irish for the game is the fictional part]]. The same happens with Yasuke - who was in fact a real person, the first recorded non-Japanese samurai, [[BlackVikings from Africa]].

* AndTheAdventureContinues: Twice. [[spoiler: The first is when Adams departs Japan to hunt John Dee before the credits, and afterward, when he decides to return to Japan after having a vision of an attack on Osaka.]]

* AppliedPhlebotinum: All the supernatural phenomena in the world of Nioh can be summed up in one word: Amrita. This golden crystal is formed from the life force of all physical entities, and powers spiritual guardians who can then perform high-quality magics for their hosts. Humans who consume this energy can gain stat points or gain temporary invincibility, but dying with an uncontrolled excess of Amrita (unless you have the right guardian spirit) or intentionally invoking a spirit beast causes their corpses to mutate into the demons that haunt Japan and beyond. The whole reason why Kelley came to Japan was to harvest enough Amrita to level up an army and take over the world, and the reason why William followed him was because Kelley stole his guardian spirit to track down Amrita.
* ArmorOfInvincibility: the Tatenashi Set (which bears a passing resemblance to the Ogre Armor from Genma Onimusha).
* AssShove: True to the folklore surrounding them, Kappa will ram their hands up William's backside if given the opportunity. To elaborate, it was believed back in the day that the souls of mankind were housed in a "shirikodama"[[note]]Literally ''butthole ball''[[/note]] and when kappa would drag their victims and pull them underwater, they would either reach into their butt to try to grab it, or suck it out. Thankfully this is ''not'' an InstantKill - [[GroinAttack it saps all your stamina instead]].

* ArmorOfInvincibility: the Tatenashi Set

** The requirements, however, are steep:

*** 10.x% (13.x% at max familiarity) rolled on armor pieces (5 armor pieces total)

* InfinityPlusOneSword: You can have the UltimateBlacksmith craft you these. Just make sure they have the ff stats:

* ArmorOfInvinciblity: the Tatenashi Set

* AluminumChristmasTrees: There actually was a white samurai named William Adams, who was in fact the first European to ever be made a samurai by the Shogun. In fact, he was a pure blooded Englishman, and [[RaceLift his being made Irish for the game is the fictional part]]. The same happens with Yasuke - who was in fact a real person, the first recorded non-Japanese samurai, from Africa.

* GrimyWater: One level starts in the sewers below a castle which the player plus pass through. Doesn't damage the player but adds an unusal defuff that makes the player retch (and also open to attack) whenever he eats a healthing item.

%%** Fun side note. These 'fog gates' can be bypassed by firing the bow's special ammo into them. Doing so cleanses the gate and removes it from the field.

At UsefulNotes/{{E3}} 2018, a new game entitled ''VideoGame/Nioh2'' has been announced. New [[https://www.polygon.com/2019/5/22/18636322/nioh-2-alpha-test-ps4-dates gameplay]] [[https://gematsu.com/2019/05/nioh-2-closed-alpha-test-set-for-may-24-to-june-2-gameplay-trailer trailers]] were released in May, 2019 ahead of a closed alpha test. The TGS 2019 trailer also reveal that this game is a {{Prequel}} as it featured UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi at his youth (including his time when he was known as Kinoshita Tokichiro), during his service under the younger UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga

At UsefulNotes/{{E3}} 2018, a {{Sequel}} entitled ''VideoGame/Nioh2'' has been announced. New [[https://www.polygon.com/2019/5/22/18636322/nioh-2-alpha-test-ps4-dates gameplay]] [[https://gematsu.com/2019/05/nioh-2-closed-alpha-test-set-for-may-24-to-june-2-gameplay-trailer trailers]] were released in May, 2019 ahead of a closed alpha test.

* MightyWhitey: [[AvertedTrope Averted]], despite appearances. Although Nioh strongly implies that the conspirators and the ''Yokai'' were a big part of the UsefulNotes/SengokuJidai, William killing them [[spoiler: just keeps the situation from getting worse than it already is. It does nothing to actually STOP the war, and the bloodshed that happened historically happens just the same.]]

* MightyWhitey: [[AvertedTrope Averted]], despite appearances. Although Nioh strongly implies that the conspirators and the ''Yokai'' were a big part of the SengokuJidai, William killing them [[spoiler: just keeps the situation from getting worse than it already is. It does nothing to actually STOP the war, and the bloodshed that happened historically happens just the same.]]

Gameplay is inspired by ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', where-in an average {{Mook}} can kill a gear-appropriate player in less than four hits, players must learn to spot enemy tells and draw out opponents one at a time, else risk a swift defeat from numerous foes, while stronger ones like oni and bosses can easily OneHitKill players. Unlike ''Dark Souls'', ''Nioh'' has several things that set it apart. For starters, it features a set protagonist in William Adams (the RealLife “First English Samurai”), thus limiting CharacterCustomization to accessories, armor and weapons like traditional {{Eastern RPG}}s. Speaking of, ‘’Nioh’’ places heavy emphasis on gear, as the game uses a loot-based equipment system to bestow the player with improved stats and abilities. While the combat system is similar to its inspirations on a surface level, ‘’Nioh’’ features numerous quirks that make it unique, such as Ki Pulsing, Living Weapons, Ninjutsu, Onmyo Magic, five weapon types (with two more added in the {{DLC}}s) that have their own movelists ala a HackAndSlash game and a StanceSystem. It is faster paced than even ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'', and is completely merciless to the unprepared.

At UsefulNotes/{{E3}} 2018, a {{Sequel}} entitled ''Nioh 2'' has been announced.

* NameOrderConfusion: When someone speaks in English and refer to a Japanese character (which is pre-Meiji), they used Western Order. But on normal texts or when a Japanese person talks, they used the Eastern Order. The former just happened TWICE, once with an English character (Kelley), and once with a ''Japanese'' character speaking English (Hanzo).

* TranslatorMicrobes: Early on in the game, a Guardian Spirit gives William the ability to speak and understand Japanese; it's not perfect though, even with the magical helping on the side Tachibana remarks that William's Japanese is a bit rough.

Gameplay is inspired by ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', where-in an average {{Mook}} can kill a gear-appropriate player in less than four hits, players must learn to spot enemy tells and draw out opponents one at a time, else risk a swift defeat from numerous foes, while stronger ones like oni and bosses can easily OneHitKill players. Unlike ''Dark Souls'', ''Nioh'' has several things that set it apart. For starters, it features a set protagonist in William Adams (the RealLife “First English Samurai”), thus limiting CharacterCustomization to accessories, armor and weapons like traditional {{Eastern RPG}}s. Speaking of, ‘’Nioh’’ places heavy emphasis on gear, as the game uses a loot-based equipment system to bestow the player with improved stats and abilities. While the combat system is similar to it’s inspirations on a surface level, ‘’Nioh’’ features numerous quirks that make it unique, such as Ki Pulsing, Living Weapons, Ninjutsu, Onmyo Magic, five weapon types (with two more added in the {DLC}s) that have their own movelists ala a HackAndSlash game and a StanceSystem. It is faster paced than even ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'', and is completely merciless to the unprepared.

* HarderThanHard: Way of the Wise, the final difficulty you unlock, is magnitudes harder then anything that came before it. Not only are the missions insanely high level, but some enemies have new moves and powered up enemies show up much more often. Only the best builds and best players really have a hope of beating it.

* MightyWhitey: [[AvertedTrope Averted]], despite appearances. Although Nioh strongly implies that the conspirators and the ''Yokai'' were a big part of the SengokuJidai, and William DOES thwart their plans and slay the most dangerous of the demons, [[spoiler: it does nothing to actually STOP the war, and the bloodshed that happened historically happens just the same, with William not having much of a major impact on it one way or another.]]

-->-- Excerpt from UsefulNotes/{{E3}} 2016 trailer and [[spoiler: Saoirse at the end of the main story]]

''Nioh'' (仁王; "Benevolent King"), formerly known as ''Ni-Oh'', is a 2017 HackAndSlash ActionRPG for the Sony UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, developed by Team Ninja (makers of ''Franchise/DeadOrAlive'' and ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'') and published by [[Creator/{{Koei}} Koei Tecmo]]. Set in the [[JidaiGeki Warring States period of 16th-century Japan]], players take on the role of an Irish-born English Samurai named William Adams as he combats against human and supernatural foes from Japanese folklore, such as {{Oni}}.