Nioh 3 Review – Team Ninja’s Best Soulslike Yet?

Team Ninja does not make sequels that play it safe. Nioh 3 dismantles the linear mission structure that defined its predecessors, introduces a dual Samurai/Ninja combat system that doubles the tactical depth, and expands co-op to three players across an open-field world. The result is a soulslike that earned an 86 on Metacritic, an 88 on OpenCritic, and 81% Very Positive on Steam with 90,000 peak concurrent players on launch day. Here is our verdict on whether Nioh 3 is worth your time and money.

For a broader look at what critics are saying, check our Nioh 3 review roundup. And if you have already picked it up, our Nioh 3 beginner guide for Samurai and Ninja builds will help you hit the ground running.

Combat That Sets a New Standard

Let us not dance around it: Nioh 3’s combat is the best in the soulslike genre right now. The dual Samurai/Ninja archetype system lets you switch between two fundamentally different playstyles mid-combat. Samurai builds emphasize deliberate, heavy strikes with traditional stance switching across low, mid, and high stances. Ninja builds favor agility, stealth tools, ninjutsu, and rapid repositioning. The interplay between these two systems creates combat encounters that feel endlessly variable.

IGN gave it a 9/10, writing that Nioh 3 “delivers best-in-class combat that revitalizes the established formula with a fantastic split between Samurai and Ninja styles.” PC Gamer called it “everything I wanted from a sequel to Nioh 2, and yet, somehow so much more.” TheSixthAxis went further, describing it as “an amazing Elden Ring-sized leap for the series.”

The boss design deserves specific praise. Each encounter feels like a genuine test of mastery, requiring you to read attack patterns, exploit stance weaknesses, and switch between archetypes on the fly. The late-game bosses in particular demand a level of precision that will push even soulslike veterans. There is nothing here that feels like filler.

Open Levels That Actually Work

The shift from Nioh 2’s corridor-based mission structure to open-field level design was the riskiest change Team Ninja made. It paid off. The exploration areas are dense, interconnected, and packed with secrets that reward thorough investigation. This is not “open world” in the Ubisoft sense of scattered map markers. It is closer to Elden Ring’s approach: large zones with organic discovery, hidden pathways, and optional encounters that feel genuinely rewarding to stumble upon.

The open design also enhances the three-player co-op. Having three players exploring these interconnected zones creates emergent gameplay moments that the linear corridors of previous entries could never produce. One player can flank a camp while the other two draw aggro. You can split up to explore branching paths and call for help when you find something dangerous. The freedom is intoxicating.

Three-Player Co-Op Is a Game-Changer

Upgrading from two-player to three-player co-op across the full campaign is one of those changes that sounds incremental on paper but transforms the experience in practice. The entire open world is playable in co-op from the start. Boss encounters are rebalanced for three players, enemy aggro tables are more sophisticated, and the game actively encourages coordination between different build archetypes.

One critical caveat: there is no crossplay between PS5 and PC at launch. If you are planning to co-op with friends, make sure everyone is on the same platform. This is a frustrating omission for a game that clearly wants you to play with others.

The Main Campaign and Content Depth

The main story runs approximately 25 hours, which is substantial but not bloated. Completionists looking to clear every side mission, collect every piece of equipment, and master both Samurai and Ninja build paths are looking at 100-plus hours. The narrative weaves real Japanese history with yokai mythology in the signature Nioh style, and while the story is not the primary draw, it serves its purpose of motivating you through increasingly spectacular setpieces.

GameSpot praised the package as a whole: “With compelling new additions and refinements to its already excellent combat, Nioh 3 sees Team Ninja return to the series at the very top of its game.”

PC Performance: The One Major Blemish

This is where we need to temper the enthusiasm. The PC version of Nioh 3 has real performance problems at launch. Camera choppiness during fast-paced encounters is the most noticeable issue, and it stems from a CPU-heavy rendering pipeline that struggles on processors below a Ryzen 7 5800X or i7-12700K. Late-game areas with heavy particle effects cause frame drops into the low 40s even on high-end hardware with an RTX 4070 or higher.

The PS5 version runs significantly smoother, holding a consistent 60 FPS in performance mode with only minor dips during the most chaotic encounters. If you have the choice between platforms, the PS5 version is the safer bet right now. Team Ninja has acknowledged the PC issues and promised optimization patches, but as of launch week, the port needs work.

Steam’s 81% “Very Positive” rating reflects this gap. The gameplay itself earns near-universal praise, but negative reviews consistently cite technical issues on PC. It is worth noting that 90,000 peak concurrent Steam players suggests the audience is there, so Team Ninja has every incentive to fix these problems quickly.

How It Stacks Up

At $69.99 for 25 hours of main content and 100-plus hours total, Nioh 3 offers exceptional value for the soulslike audience. The combat is a genuine evolution of the genre. The open-level design succeeds where many linear-to-open transitions fail. Three-player co-op is seamless and addictive. The only reason this is not a 9 is the PC performance situation, which meaningfully impacts the experience for a significant portion of the player base.