Nioh 2

[Silva]

Is there a way to reduce the constant sparks all over the screen? Tried giving this another chance but that shit put me off instantly.

 

[Multidirectional]

Is there a way to reduce the constant sparks all over the screen? Tried giving this another chance but that shit put me off instantly.

Not sure exactly what you mean. Did you already set Effects to Low? Those were the only annoying ones to me, when that setting is on High. It also impacts performance the most.

 

[Ivan]

Nothing else has me hooked at the moment, so I gave this a go. I see this is the classic intro experience. Took me a good while. Would have helped if I knew about the special red counter. Thus far, gotta say it feels like a smoother Nioh thus far. I've beaten most of the bosses on my first try and just made it to the serpent boss. I'm not loving it, but I'm enjoying it enough to keep on pushing. Q: did nobody complain about the ugly smear on the top left screen whenever you can initiate the devil trigger?

most levels are bland and boring, but at least this one looks nice

 

[Ivan]

thoughts on Nioh 2 after some ~10/20+hours.

I'm someone who endured Nioh 1 more than I'd say I loved it. I 'm a stubborn gamer, comes from my "finish your plate" upbringing, so I grit my teeth and pounded my skills against the game until I finished it. Nioh 2 feels like it has a much shallower difficulty curve than the first. The devil trigger helps a lot, but perhaps it's muscle memory from the first + generally enjoying these reaction heavy titles. The disconnected levels and the diablo-loot are still big turn offs for me, but I get why that explains the bite sized levels. I'd love to see them try one big world someday.

-story is a bore, but who cares, the cutscenes are short and you get into the action quickly
-I really enjoy enemies that shoot projectile waves at you, or tracking projectiles, or even AOE hotspots to keep you on your toes
-I think some "regular" enemies have ridiculously long combos that can erase your HP in a flash, not finding that too enjoyable but I can respect it
-love that the game gives you a bunch of tools to use toward your success. the magic, the ninja tools, ranged weapons, they all feel pretty powerful and make adventuring fun
-I like how they place enemies on ceilings for traps, making observation an important aspect to consider when exploring
-first time opening the skill tree reminded me of Path of Exile. It can be difficult to read the skill tree as well, I often ask myself wait why are some unlocks blue vs yellow? Oh well
- do think the Devil Trigger is a get out of jail free card that can help you trivialize encounters + bosses, but at least it has a good recharge
-dancing with enemies, navigating the space between to attack and avoid, it feels wonderful
-the Yokai ability adds a pretty fun pokemon flavor to the game and can also serve as slight get out of jail free cards for whenever the enemies catch you with your stamina all the way down

I'm starting what I think is the final chapter of the base game and so far pretty darn enjoyable, thanks to a much easier difficulty curve.

 

[Multidirectional]

So, that Splitstaff Ki pulse dodge move for low stance, not a fan. Ended up disabling it because I would keep performing it accidentally. If it at least didn't cost any Ki then I could maybe some the value in it.

 

[Rean]

I put the game down for a couple of years and now find I'm completely shit at it.

What routine do folks go through to get back into things?

 

[Silverfish]

Axe with lightning talismans. Enemies having slowed movement and no ki gives a ton of leeway while you're shaking off the rust.

 

[Multidirectional]

I put the game down for a couple of years and now find I'm completely shit at it.

What routine do folks go through to get back into things?

Play and die a lot until you stop being shit lol. Otherwise if you are looking for a powerful noob friendly weapon - Odachi. Axe is good too I guess but Odachi gives larger move variety. I switched to it from Axe in the middle of my first NG run and never looked back. Also "Life Recovery (Amrita Absorbtion)" is really good in this game. Even better when combined with Extraction Talisman. Switch to clan that gives that bonus (Toytomi) and max out its rank. In later stages of the game you also start getting equipment with that bonus and you can temper it too. Also - Toughness is a great stat and I think everyone should go for 200+ in that one, unless they want to tryhard. I always end up going over 300 and have close to 400 in very late game (Dream of the Wise/Nioh). Makes blocking really good.

 

[Ivan]

Funny, when I remember my time with Nioh 1 I strongly remember smashing my head against a wall (of its difficulty spikes), esp toward the end game and the DLC bosses. But with Nioh 2, I'm breezing by its endgame and DLC content. Most bosses take me just 1 or 2 tries but I'm still having a blast. The DLC does a great job of offering you few, but large levels. I do crave more traps and ambushes, as that's when I'm having the most fun exploring the bite sized levels.

Still, this is an easy recommend from me to anyone who felt Nioh 1 leaned too much on the masochistic side of hard. Also, I actually don't mind seeing my FPS tank when the colors and effects start flying everywhere. Takes me back to my school days when I thought the low FPS was intentional to highlight awesome, explosive moments.

I'm going to savor the last of DLC 2 and start DLC 3 today.

 

[Multidirectional]

Funny, when I remember my time with Nioh 1 I strongly remember smashing my head against a wall (of its difficulty spikes), esp toward the end game and the DLC bosses. But with Nioh 2, I'm breezing by its endgame and DLC content. Most bosses take me just 1 or 2 tries but I'm still having a blast.

Hardest part of NG to me is first half, I was also beating a lot of bosses first try further in. But it can also have to do with the build I guess, not everything is equally easy to use. NG+ is an absolute cakewalk and it doesn't start to get properly challenging again until Dream of The Wise. It's a good thing you can rush to higher NG cycles pretty fast, otherwise post game would be a bore. Higher Underground floors on Dream of the Nioh are where bosses start becoming real cunts, I save all my kitty summon consumables until then.

 

[Ivan]

I'm curious to see how I'll feel after rolling credits on DLC 3. I'm usually a one and done type of gamer, unless I really, and I mean really, love the gameplay loop. I'm curious what itch people are still trying to scratch when going beyond NG. I mean, by that point, you've run through the levels, seen all the enemy AI, seen every ambush or trap the game offers. Is it just the autistic drive for better loot?

Funny, even when I did double dip after beating a game I loved on hard to replay it on its "ultra hard" setting, completing it didn't feel as good as the first time.

 

[Multidirectional]

Your build isn't even close to being complete after finishing NG, plus you don't even get to fight enemies at their full movesets until later cycles. Better loot isn't just about higher numbers, there are bonuses that start appearing on equipment you don't even have a chance of getting in NG. There's no way I could see just completing NG as a full playthrough. In From Software games NG+ is pointless, but not here.

 

[Multidirectional]

It looks like Extraction Talisman is even better now that I'm training with Splitstaff. Ton of multi hit attacks on this weapon and just having that 50 Toyotomi clan bonus of Life Recovery (Amrita Absorption) is enough to heal me up very fast with skills like Changing Ways or those multi hit fluid form attacks. Loads of amrita orbs flying in when I use them. I don't even have Mystic Arts available yet, when I do I am definitely going for the one that gives even more hits to fluid form. Also that Shin Crusher move is destroyer of Ki bars.

 

[Ivan]

Summing up my thoughts on my Nioh 2 experience.

A had a much better time with Nioh 2 largely b/c the encounters felt easier to me. My favorite thing about Nioh 2 is the toolbox it offers you to do battle with. As I said before, I'm normally a one and done type of gamer, so once I finished the base campaign, the DLC campaigns, and the side missions, I felt satisfied and done with the game. I did replay the first level or 2 on the higher difficulty, but I felt that my incentive to play wasn't there any more. I didn't care about maxing out my stats, I cared that the adventure was completed.

Compared to Souls games, I didn't feel like I had to master or learn all of the toughest bosses' moves to be successful. You do die very fast, and it's easy to lose what looks like a sure victory in a mere matter of seconds, but as I said, the game presents you with enough tools to make fights more manageable. I had completely forgotten about one tool I made great use of in the first game, the sloth ability that slows enemies down. I did make use of it in the DLCs where you're fighting much more dangerous Yokai enemies and bosses.

What I would love to see in the future: of course, I'd love to see a Nioh game with one contiguous playspace that isn't segmented into the levels. I think they could appease that crowd by attempting something like Bloodborne's Chalice Dungeons, but as I said, for me, I feel no motivation to replay the same campaign with the same character. Perhaps if the weapons themselves had unique stat requirements like in Souls I would, but here I have no interest in continuing to play the same leveled character.

It was cool to see some boss fights and even levels return from the first Nioh. And yeah, the game's a total blast the first time through. I did burn myself out forcing myself to engage with as many of the side quests as are offered to you, and fatigue set in, but I'm glad I exhausted all the content I could from the base mode.

I gave Wo Long a try but everything felt like a huge downgrade from Nioh 2. It left a big sour taste in my mouth that I put it down. Rise of the Ronin like it plays it too safe as well and doesn't feel as lethal or precise and Nioh 2's combat flow. I do hope they return to Nioh, just this time take a stab at one self-contained playspace.

 

[Deflowerer]

I feel no motivation to replay the same campaign with the same character. Perhaps if the weapons themselves had unique stat requirements like in Souls I would, but here I have no interest in continuing to play the same leveled character.

Whut, in this game mastering one weapon per playthrough is more interesting than creating 10 "builds" in Souls games.

 

[Multidirectional]

Fucking Splitstaff is so OP even "The One Who Lives in The Shadows" dojo mission was easy, and that fucker has caused me the most grief on previous two runs. I told myself I wasn't going to get stuck on one weapon all the way until Dream of The Nioh this time so now that I'm in NG+ I will have to figure out which weapon to learn as secondary. Fists seem pretty fun at first glance.

 

[Multidirectional]

Fisted my way through few NG+ missions. Pretty fun to play this like a kung-fu master. Though I am not sure if I will be able to get good at that "Unbroken" shit, mechanics like that might be a bit too convoluted for me. Probably unnecessary too, from what I see so far. But maybe that's just NG+ being too easy.

 

[Multidirectional]

Yeah doesn't look like I will be learning to utilize that "Unbroken" skill. I am not that tryhard. And it sucks that both Mystic Arts are tied to it too. But loving the fists anyway, very enjoyable to use.

 

[Multidirectional]

So fisting appears to be actually broken. Off to NG++ soon and I think it will be time for a switch to another unlearned weapon. I expected fists to be more of a mechanical challenge but it looks like it works fine as just a noob button mash weapon. That Unbroken skill pretty much never gets up to more than 2/10 stacks and I don't feel lacking in damage at all. No Carnage talisman either. Stunlocking things is way too easy. Human enemies especially stand no chance, bosses included. It was amusing for a while but I think I will just pick up bad habits if I continue using them. Still haven't played Spear so maybe that one next.

 

[Silverfish]

I think you'll dig spear. Ton of versatility, low stance has crazy damage potential, high has some of the flashiest stuff in the game barring mystic arts and dlc.

 

[Multidirectional]

I haven't really tried a weapon I disliked so far. I'm sure I will find at least one eventually. I remember having shit time with dual swords in N1, before I solved the game by switching to Odachi, so I never felt like trying those in N2 yet. This playthrough might end up being my last run from start, I can see myself staying in Underworld for a good while trying out all types of weapons. Maybe even finish all these fucking floors this time. I hear there's some Depths thing too, still never played that far into it. Would always stop at underworld floors 80-90 something.

 

[Multidirectional]

So I was used to NG++ being easy mode but now it's actually challenging as I'm learning spear in it. Died to Enenra a bunch of times, definitely unexpected. I am sure it's just until I learn the weapon properly though. It's proving to be a bit more complicated than splitstaff and fists.

 

[Silverfish]

Enenra's just weird like that. Some weapons really struggle against him since his gameplan runs counter to their strengths (spear benefits most from combos, which he can easily punish, for example), while others (hatchets, odachi) render him almost helpless.

 

[Multidirectional]

Yeah perhaps it was just Enenra because I beat the snake boss in third mission first try no problem today. Still, spear doesn't seem as op as some other weapons I've tried. If there's a skill I could just spam to win then I haven't found it yet, because right now I actually have to flux between combos to feel powerful.

 

[Silverfish]

Yeah, without stacking a bunch of buffs and prerequisites (melee damage vs poisoned opponent and so on), spears don't have the big knockout hit that a lot of other weapons boast. Actually, I think that's a big part of what I dig about them, they remind me more of Ninja Gaiden-style combat relative to the others.