After a long and patient wait, Nioh 3 is finally here, and fans worldwide are all excited to see if it lives up to the hype and potentially becomes the next big soul phenomenon. On the surface, many of the elements and systems are similar to the previous games, with a heavy focus on building and playstyle customization. Still, there are some clear differences that not only fix some issues players had before, but also improve in ways never even thought of before.
7 best tips and tricks in Nioh 3
Here are some simple things you can do to change the way you play Nioh 3 while making the overall experience a little easier.
Nioh 2 was already considered an exceptional game in its own right, drawing influences from all corners of the genre and creating a unique space that brought many new fans to the franchise. It wasn't without its issues though, and players had quite a few complaints that they hoped would be resolved going into a sequel. thankfully, Nioh 3 manages to address virtually all of these issueswhether it's QOL changes, gameplay frustrations, or even some more abstract ideas that have now become driving forces in shaping the franchise's latest installment.
Smoother combat flow
Refinement over chaos
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More responsive flow between actions in battle.
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Cohesive capabilities that work together.
One of Nioh 2's trademarks was its aggressive complexity, with layered combat systems that could overwhelm new players with many different options and ways to play. Nioh 3 raises that foundation by smoothing the flow between actions to make fights feel more fluid, as attacks, dodges, style changes, and special abilities chain into each other in an almost rhythmic fashion.
Instead of abrupt transitions, which sometimes sped up in previous games, Nioh the 3rd animations are cleaner, and stamina drains are more predictable, making those combo strings feel more attainable even early on. The overall consensus is that the action is less stop-and-start and more like a continuous movement from one input to the next, making the game seem more polished and enjoyable to play in general.
Streamlined stats and leveling
Readable but still in depth
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Statistics make more sense and have more predictable effects.
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Simpler progression loop prevents overthinking.
Nioh 2 offered one of the most complex stat webs of any ARPG, making many players feel like they were struggling more with leveling decisions than the actual fights. The game had a lot of depth, and once its systems were understood they felt good to use, but these initial growing pains became a big reason for many to put the game down early.
Nioh 3 review
With its Ninja style, Style Shift system and open field design, Nioh 3 pushes movement and player freedom further than any previous entry.
Nioh 3 retains much of that depth while making the progression easier to understand at a glance. Attributes, skill points, and Guardian Spirit enhancements are presented more intuitively, with clearer explanations and immediate feedback on how choices affect playstyle. Streamlining doesn't just make things easier; it means the game provides better clarity, reducing the cognitive friction that previously distracted from the game rather than complementing it.
Smoother difficulty curve
Tough but still fair
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Exploration dictates challenge.
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Fewer roadblocks.
One of the consistent criticisms of Nioh 2 was its steep difficulty curve, where progression often felt binary and players either had to master the mechanics perfectly or hit a wall that would take a while to clear. This problem exists in many of the more linear soulslikes, and the general solution is to explore a bit more and level up, but that task can often be repetitive and far from profitable.
Nioh 3 addresses this by embedding challenge scaling into its exploration design. The same to Fire Ringthe player can effectively decide how easy or hard they want the game to be by clearing side content and leveling up their skills in ways other than just brute-forcing the next main boss. This approach is much more fun, and the world itself has plenty of interesting things for players to do when the challenge gets a little too intense.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
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More robust character creation
Crazy options again
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Impressive depth in every design aspect.
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Asymmetric face controls to make the weirdest characters possible.
Character creation in Nioh 2 was easily one of the best systems out there, giving players all the tools they needed to create the prettiest or goofiest characters they could ever wish for. While not decisive in determining whether a game is good or not, it's nice to have that extra personal touch, especially when that character takes the player on a journey spanning dozens of hours.
How to get samurai and ninja locks in Nioh 3
Players need to keep an eye out while exploring to get some locks that will help unlock new skills in Nioh 3.
IN Nioh 3things are taken a step further, with even more options for everything from hairstyles to skin tones. The customization options also extend to new worlds, as players can decide to paint their nails or even make an asymmetrical face if they really want to, improving what was already a pretty solid character creator into something truly remarkable.
Play style experiment
Multiple buildings, multiple win conditions
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Gives a good reason to focus on multiple weapons.
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Diversity without sacrificing power.
Nioh 2 introduced a lot of strong build potential, letting players choose what weapons worked for them and letting them carry them through to the end of the game. However, many found certain weapons or stances to be mechanically superior, leading to optimal builds that often took away from the otherwise fun experimentation the game had in the background.
Nioh 3 shifts its balance much more into the realm of experimentation, where each weapon class feels equally viable, and crossover between Samurai and Ninja styles that encourages hybrid playstyles rather than herding players into one dominant approach. They can switch between defensive and aggressive fighting styles without feeling like they're losing effectiveness, and while there's still the option to pick a style and stick with it, the incentive to remain versatile is hard to turn down.
Tool handling
Find the best equipment instantly
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Less messy than previous games.
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Streamlined sorting and organization.
IN Nioh 2inventory management can become a job. Many similar items would clutter screens and require constant sorting that players would probably prefer to avoid. Differentiating between gear value and power was tricky, and given how many different weapons and gear are in the game, it was a problem that persisted from start to finish.
Nioh 3 refines this process, offering better categorization, clearer stat comparisons, and quality-of-life features that reduce fatigue to virtually nothing. Players can now clearly see gear differences and more easily merge redundant items, making menu navigation much faster and letting them spend more time playing and less time organizing their pockets.
Better Traversal
Movement is no longer a problem
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Movement now has a double jump and other vertical options.
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The larger map means more movement options.
Movement in Nioh 2 was functional but sometimes awkward, especially when navigating vertical terrain or tight spaces. For the most part, this wasn't really a problem, as even when players needed to reach a higher platform, they could either just walk around it or come back later.
Nioh 3 significantly improves how players move through the world, making climbing, edge transitions and aerial maneuvers feel smoother and more responsive. These extra options also tie into combat, allowing players to jump into action and stay alert throughout, opening the door to more interesting mid-combat combos than ever before.
Cleaner UI
The fight is in focus
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Customizable element visibility.
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Generally less cluttered in the user interface.
A common complaint about Nioh 2 was a mess of information. Bars, icons, pop-ups, and nested screens can all obscure important tactical information, sometimes simultaneously, and while fights are incredibly time- and attention-focused, much of the action can be missed due to an awkwardly placed UI element.
Nioh 3 is making a conscious effort to clean up its user interface by changing how critical combat indicators and information are presented. Things like status effects are easier to analyze at a glance, reducing cognitive load mid-fight. If they'd like, players can even tweak sections or remove them entirely, giving them more options and tools to play the game their way.
- Released
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February 6, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Suggestive Themes, Violence, In-Game Purchases, User Interaction
