Nioh has been the arcadey bombastic brother to the Soulslike genre for a good while now and the most recent entry, Nioh 3, is living up to Team Ninja’s reputation for replayable, highly customisable action combat. The first DLC, Hell Rising, is available right now on PlayStation and PC and introduces a brand new open field area, loot types, 2 endgame modes and new equipment for both ninja and samurai styles.
In our review of the base game, Nioh 3 surprised us with a level of gameplay depth the genre usually limits “Where Samurai rewards discipline and timing, Ninja rewards aggression, improvisation and hit and run precision. The two styles complement each other beautifully, and being able to switch between the styles and stances at any moment adds a layer of tactical depth that neither Dark Souls nor Elden Ring attempts. Honestly, it’s too much for me a lot of the time, and players should be aware that Nioh 3 has a much higher ceiling than a lot of players will ever reach.”
Nioh 3 is the ultimate artistic expression of the Masocore Genre
Nioh’s series identity has always been more action and looting than souls-y trepidation, but the breadth and depth of Nioh 3 add in enough of that open-world juice and exploratory gameplay to elevate the series to a whole new level. The new content in the first Nioh 3 DLC Hell Rising adds more tools, more maps and more modes in which to explore this deeply rewarding combat system.
Nioh 3’s new “field” area — Keian era Edo
In a series staple, we’re doing a little time travel, as a treat. The DLC takes place in the Keian era of Edo, showcasing the spirit stones’ influence after the death of the Shogun (who, in this timeline, is Takechiyo). The area is one of Nioh 3’s “open field” maps, combining one-shot dungeons and specific enemy camps with roaming bosses, encounters and exploration goals.
New weapon type — Hoko and Shield
While Nioh 3 isolates many weapons to one style or the other, the brand new Hoko and Shield weapon can be used for both styles. This makes understanding your movesets easier, and also presents the unique opportunity to invest all your resources into upgrading, refining and blessing just one weapon. By creating a perfectly-rolled Hoko and Shield you can bravely step forward in either style, without having to worry about lagging behind in one or the other.
The weapon itself is a paired shield and spear. While using a shield as the Ninja might seem out-of-character, that doubt only lasts until you see them throw it. That’s right, you can Captain America your way through the Nioh 3 DLC!
New endgame modes — Demon Realm Scrolls and Enlightened One’s Journey
Nioh 3’s expansion adds not one, but two distinct endgame challenges for players who want to plumb the depths of their build. Demon Realm Scrolls are repeatable, equipment-bound challenges that spawn sets of enemies. They can also be configured and replayed at will. If you succeed in purifying the scroll then you can equip the bound item. Once unlocked, you can repeat the challenge to earn upgrades and re-rolls to the scroll’s effect.
The other mode, Enlightened One’s Journey, is a new game + mode that ramps up the difficulty and adds a new Curse mechanic. Enemies can become Cursed which gives them a randomised buff, but just like Demon Realm Scrolls this added challenge comes with new loot: Divine items. Divine items can be earned from the various cursed denizens of your entire Enlightened One’s Journey playthrough, meaning you have a chance to develop and craft your build to even higher levels of carnage. These Divine items can also contribute to new Divinity-level set bonuses, so there’s plenty of that loot-laden power-chasing gameplay for fans. Unfortunately, the number of sets is limited and the new guardian spirit is style-locked, but most builds should be able to find at least one of two of the new items and mechanics to suit them.
The Nioh 3 DLC Hell Rising is available right now on PlayStation and PC platforms
