With the arrival of Nioh 3, Team Ninja builds on years of refinement, delivering one of the strongest open-world games of 2026, even this early in the year.
The original Nioh drew clear inspiration from FromSoftware and its popular Souls titles, while ultimately delivering a distinct take on the character action genre as players stepped into the role of William. Nioh 2 expanded on that foundation, introducing new weapon types, a robust character creator and larger, more densely packed levels. Those improvements not only surpassed the quality of the first game but also helped the series come into its own.
Nioh 3 expands on the formula even further, drawing on lessons learned from titles such as Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and Rise of the Ronin. The influence of Rise of the Ronin is particularly evident in Nioh 3, which gives players an expansive, interconnected open world to explore and conquer. The result is a massive playground that feels as though Team Ninja has taken the tight, focused level design of earlier entries and scaled it into a map comparable in size to Rise of the Ronin, if not larger, with a greater variety of activities.
“With the arrival of Nioh 3, Team Ninja builds on years of refinement, delivering one of the strongest open-world games of 2026, even this early in the year.”
Of course, by “activities,” that largely means eliminating everything in sight and then some. Unlike Rise of the Ronin or Dark Souls, the world of Nioh 3 feels more openly hostile. NPCs are largely confined to cutscenes, with only brief pockets of safety breaking up long stretches of dangerous territory.
Thankfully, as with earlier entries in the series, Nioh 3 includes full co-op support. Players can summon AI-controlled fallen warriors through the Ochoko Cup system or team up with other players. These options help soften what is otherwise a steep and often unforgiving difficulty curve.
One of the best aspects of Nioh 3’s adoption of the open world is the fact that you’re playing a Nioh game, by which I mean, Nioh 3 isn’t afraid to limit itself to mostly Yokai, with the game now offering a much more robust mix of human enemies towards the player. For example, prospect Samurai can now look forward to taking on enemy enclaves or encampments, featuring a slew of min-bosses that far outpace your typical human grunt, while still feeling comparatively restrained when compared to the demonic might of Yokai encounters.
The interwoven structure of Nioh 3 feels more deliberate and thoughtfully designed. Main story missions retain the tight, focused approach seen in Nioh 2, while the open-world elements, including the enemy bases scattered across the map, feel better suited to large-scale exploration. Importantly, these elements avoid many of the repetitive pitfalls commonly associated with the genre.
One way Nioh 3 keeps its open world feeling fresh is by ensuring that encounters within enemy bases, or points of interest, feel distinct. Mini-boss encounters in particular stand out, featuring unique designs and strong personality. This variety helps elevate the experience beyond the routine checklist progression that defines many lesser open-world games.
Nioh 3 does not introduce new weapon types, but it gives players access to the full roster of weapon permutations, including those added as downloadable content in Nioh 2. For a game with a combo system that recalls a fighting game, that depth is more than enough to support a wide range of play styles. Notably, the Talons and Caestus weapon classes are now distinct from one another, giving players access to more specialised skills tailored to those builds.
“The interwoven structure of Nioh 3 feels more deliberate and thoughtfully designed.”
Beyond the addition of an expansive open world, one of the marquee updates in Nioh 3 is the fully realized Ninja class, which now stands toe to toe with the Samurai. Alongside the return of the Samurai stance system, the Ninja subclass finally feels like a complete and fully featured play style. It offers a deep skill tree and a bevy of Ninja-specific abilities to unlock and master.
Switching between Samurai and Ninja, particularly when paired with the quick-switching mechanic, can feel like playing two different games. While that may sound overwhelming, longtime fans of the series will feel right at home. Newcomers are also well supported, as Nioh 3 provides clear opportunities to practise and refine skills in the Dojo.
Instead of relying on ki pulses to recover stamina, Ninjas employ a mist ability when players press the R1 bumper. This approach gives characters greater flexibility to deal damage quickly and retreat from hostile threats. Pairing the Ninja’s fast, chip-damage-focused play style with the slower but formidable strength of the Samurai, equipped with a weapon such as an Odachi, gives players the tools to shift tactics on the fly. The result is combat that produces genuinely thrilling moments and deeply rewarding highs.
“Nioh 3 is an absolute must-play and the best of the series, combining elements of Team Ninja’s larger body of work to produce what is one of the best action-adventure titles to come out from the company.”
Another clear benefit of Nioh 3 adopting an open-world structure is how distinct its environments feel. Rather than relying solely on oppressive, demon-blighted landscapes dominated by red and black tones, the game offers moments of reprieve. Lush forests, open fields, seaside fishing hamlets and other signs of everyday life provide a strong contrast to the moments when demons emerge to sow chaos.
For all that Nioh 3 does well, there are still areas that feel in need of refinement, particularly the game’s approach to loot and its narrative. Starting with the latter, which is less damaging to overall enjoyment, the story once again leans into the same hokey, outlandish tone seen in previous entries. It centres on a convoluted, time-bending plot in which players assume the role of a shogun and travel to key moments in Japan’s history, only for the narrative to veer into excessive mythological absurdity. The result feels closer to Power Rangers than anything especially nuanced or compelling.
Loot management is a more persistent frustration. As with earlier efforts from Team Ninja, Nioh 3 makes little attempt to streamline the overwhelming volume of gear drops. The issue becomes even more pronounced in co-op, where players can stall progress by stopping to micromanage equipment during active gameplay. A quick-equip option, or a broader rethink of the loot system, would have gone a long way. As it stands, Nioh 3 often feels closer to an MMORPG in its handling of disposable gear than to a tightly focused character action game.
In closing, if you’re a fan of the Nioh series, Nioh 3 is an absolute must-play and the best of the series, combining elements of Team Ninja’s larger body of work to produce what is one of the best action-adventure titles to come out from the company.
