Nioh [PS4]

[drahkon]

It'll become clearer once you beat the first mission, which you may have done by now.

 

I have fought the boss once and got beaten to death quite quickly Will take a break for today and try again tomorrow.

 

As for the rest: Thanks.

Doubt I'll give the second mission a go because I won't have that much time to play in the next few days. I just hope that I can beat the first boss and get the reward for the full game

[Deathjam]

Beat the boss and my god, he had me sweating. Think I was on him for about an hour, much to the chagrin of my girlfriend but worth it. All I can say is, patience. A lot of patience is required. If you use the low stance, you can dodge him easy and retain stamina, but your damage output maybe so low that the battle drags on for too long and you start making mistakes that will cost you (all my armour broke at the same time causing me to panic a bit and ruin my concentration).

 

Instead I switched to balance and just chipped away at him, baiting certain attacks. If you have your living spirit, you can do a lot of damage in a short space of time. Probably about half his health bar, just don't go into the fight with a lot of Amirata as I did. Made me not call my spirit animal back to recharge it.

[drahkon]

I cannot for the life of me defeat the boss.

 

Three hits and I'm dead, sometimes blocking its attack works, sometimes it doesn't, I do very little damage (even at high stance) to the point that the fight would take several minutes even if the boss gave me a lot of time to attack...

 

I do love difficult games, but this boss is testing my patience. He is not unfair by all means, but annoying because he has way too much health and can kill you too quickly.

 

Not sure if I'll finish the demo, especially since this is the last day it's available.

[Deathjam]

I would say if you are already sold on the game, then finishing the demo may not be essential if you plan to get it day one most likely granting you access to the dlc if that's their model.

 

That said, it's nice to see how the game opens up once he's dead and the level of satisfaction was immense.

I would recommend balanced stance. Two attacks from behind then bait the spin move while making sure you are out of range. I gave up on blocking as the attacks which you can block to me weren't as obvious as I would have wanted.

Also sell equipment and farm elixirs till you reach max of ten. Try to get enough kodama to receive the elixir drop blessing. Other than that, patience and learn those tells. He gets easier when he looses the chains but I will not argue that some of his hit boxes are dodgy.

[drahkon]

Well, I followed your advice to farm Elixirs. Reached the maximum amount in no time.

 

Then it was time. I entered the boss room. After several fights I knew his moveset like the back of my hand.

First phase: He got rekt! I dodged like a pro, blocked a couple of swings and sliced my way through his health.

Second phase: This time! It was on. Immediately activated my Shark Guardian and wrecked his shit. Only a quarter of his health left...then I got sloppy. Got hit by the balls he threw twice...there went two of my Elixirs. Waited for an opening, attacked twice but missed the dodge...another Elixir gone.

I calmed myself down, took a deep breath and stepped up my game. Evaded every single attack of his and took him down.

 

In the end I didn't even need to farm Elixirs

 

 

As I've mentioned, I probably won't try to finish the second mission. I will, however, give it a go later tonight.

 

Nioh could be something very special. It borrows heavily from the Souls game but adds a lot of fresh mechanics (especially in combat) to make it a familiar, yet strangely different experience.

 

Day-one purchase, without a doubt. : peace:

[Deathjam]

Some of the mechanics and animations are straight or adopted from ninja gaiden which is a very good thing.

 

Happy to leave off where I finished and await the next demo or release. Definitely day one purchase. It's funny because the guy who showcased the demo a month ago made the game look so easy. Will have to re-check that video

[Deathjam]

This is what Nioh looks like when you 'git gud':

[Deathjam]

Survey results are in as well as other tidbits of info from the alpha:

 

Thank you to all who played the Nioh Alpha Demo! In just 10 days, over 850,000 gamers around the world took up the challenge of Nioh!

 

We also appreciate the tons of valuable feedback many of you also gave through our online survey. The dev team has read through the feedback and is coming up with improvements to make the final game even better. We're working on those improvements right now, and will have more information on the game soon!

 

In addition, it is safe to delete the Nioh Alpha Demo game data and save data. Deleting these data will not affect the Mark of the Conqueror.

 

 

OVERALL

 

• Add tutorials regarding the game system.

 

• Adjust balance mainly in the opening sections to make battles fairer.

 

• Improve controls and camera system.

 

• Improve the understandability and usability of the UI.

 

• Improve graphic performance

 

 

 

DETAILS

 

■ Tutorials

 

• Implement a training stage for tutorials on basic controls and core game actions.

 

 

■ Action & Controls

 

• Improve player & camera behavior during lock-on.

 

• Change the conditions under which the player character becomes unresponsive when the Ki Gauge is empty.

 

• Expand item shortcut slots.

 

• Revise the objects which require holding a button and the response to the hold input.

 

• Improve detection for the half-circle analog stick input.

 

 

■ Enemies

 

• Adjust attack and defense parameters of enemies.

 

• Revise enemy pursuit of the player.

 

• Revise superarmor (stagger/no stagger) for each enemy and attack.

 

• Adjust Revenant AI.

 

 

■ Level Design/Stages

 

• Improve exploration elements such as shortcuts, etc.

 

• Add hints to guide players to boss areas.

 

• Revise the display of objects that block the view of the player character.

 

• Adjust fire area damage.

 

 

■ UI

 

• Improve layout and displayed information.

 

• Adjust text size.

 

• When making an offering at a shrine, allow the player to perform all actions at once.

 

 

■ Online

 

• Improve online synchronization.

 

• Allow the host to use the Shrine menu during co-op play with a Visitor.

 

• Adjust the rate at which enemy parameters increase during co-op play.

 

 

■ Other

 

• Remove durability stat for weapons and armor.

 

• Adjust the drop rate for equipment.

 

• Add a new control type.

 

• Implement a flow to allow players to exit a mission.

 

• Fix other bugs.

 

Check the source for survey results. Seems like Asia is very difficulty adverse which is a bit surprising. Thought they were more hardcore than that.

 

Source

 

Generally very positive although I hope there aren't so many changes to the mechanics that it feels like a totally different game.

[Hero-of-Time]

Edited June 14, 2016 by Hero-of-Time

[Deathjam]

Info from E3 taken from the reddit Subreddit:

 

•The game is 60-70% done.

•The game is 30-40 hours long

•There will be sub-missions that you can do to level up and get good items.

•There WON'T be an easy mode.

•William is the only playable character in the game.

•William will not understand Japanese in the game, that'll lead to unique character interactions and fun situations

•There are bright areas in the game that have no enemies where you can interact with friendly NPCs.

•Sometimes you will come across Hot Springs that restores your health and give you various buffs when you bathe in it, but make sure no enemies are around because one hit would kill you when you're naked.

•If you use a certain weapon a lot, you will get rewarded for it.

 

Info regarded the upcoming beta:

•There will be 3 stages and a tutorial, the first two stages are the ones we played in the alpha, the third one is called Nakatsu (In Kyushu), the area is very bright in appearance, and the boss of the stage is the succubus-looking Yokai we've seen in trailers, but they are unsure if they will include the boss in the beta or not.

•The tutorial level is called the dojo, designed to walk players through the game's mechanics, you can skip it if you want.

•There will be two new weapons, Dual Wielded Katanas, and a Rifle.

•You will still be able to get the Mark of the Conquerer in case you missed it in the Alpha.

 

Changes from the Alpha:

•You can now strafe-run while locked on

•Lock on camera is now above the player a bit instead of behind him

•More item shortcuts

 

Cannot wait!

[Hero-of-Time]

[drahkon]

That enemy design. :awesome:

 

Looking forward to the beta next week.

[drahkon]

Just a reminder: The Beta is out now. :awesome:

 

@Deathjam : peace:

[Deathjam]

Just a reminder: The Beta is out now. :awesome:

 

@Deathjam : peace:

 

Only 3 and a half hours till I can be destroyed all over again...

[drahkon]

Only 3 and a half hours till I can be destroyed all over again...

 

 

I just wanted to give it a quick go...ended up playing for an hour.

 

The missions from the Alpha are available and I've worked my way through a good chunk of the first. Haven't died, yet, but that was to be expected because now I know what the hell I'm doing.

 

Pretty sure I'm ready to battle the first Yokai (the one in the hut). I can already see myself dying

 

Thank god weapon durability has been removed. Now I don't suffer from the "too good to use syndrome" and just use the best weapon I find.

[Deathjam]

 

I just wanted to give it a quick go...ended up playing for an hour.

 

The missions from the Alpha are available and I've worked my way through a good chunk of the first. Haven't died, yet, but that was to be expected because now I know what the hell I'm doing.

 

Pretty sure I'm ready to battle the first Yokai (the one in the hut). I can already see myself dying

 

Thank god weapon durability has been removed. Now I don't suffer from the "too good to use syndrome" and just use the best weapon I find.

 

Gonna focus on getting good and getting the stamina management down to the point where it is second nature. Can see this being akin to a bloody rhythm game!

[drahkon]

Gonna focus on getting good and getting the stamina management down to the point where it is second nature. Can see this being akin to a bloody rhythm game!

 

Sometimes I can get a perfect Ki pulse 4 times in a row and own enemies.

Sometimes I fail absolutely everthing and in turn become too reckless.

 

I'm almost at the first boss again (on the ship). I am very afraid

 

A little advice: If you open up shortcuts they appear to reset when you exit and then re-enter the mission. Not sure if this happens on purpose but I had to find out the hard way...

 

Edit: Beat the first boss without dying. He seemed to be nerfed, though.

 

I was wrong about the two missions from the Alpha being available in the Beta. It's only the first mission from the Alpha that's included.

 

Just finished the sub-mission and will start the second mission

Edited August 23, 2016 by drahkon

[drahkon]

I finished the Beta and got the Mark of the Strong DLC : peace:

 

The Beta isn't completed, though, because...well, I won't spoil it

[Deathjam]

Was playing this yesterday and was thoroughly enjoying, though it is remarkably easier than before and I kind of miss that healthy challenge that was previously there.

 

The improvements to UI, FPS, graphics, controls, networking are very welcome and very noticeable. In general, it feels more complete and a different, distinctive beast when compared to Dark Souls. If this is a Beta then the former version was definitely a 'true alpha'.

 

Will smash through it some more today when I am out of work.

[drahkon]

Was playing this yesterday and was thoroughly enjoying, though it is remarkably easier than before and I kind of miss that healthy challenge that was previously there.

 

Did you reach the second mission? It's more difficult than the first.

I've died several times during my playthrough there (mostly against the boss). But I agree, it's not as difficult as the Alpha. I think that's a good thing for new players, though.

I feel that if playing the Beta was my first time with Nioh I would probably get my ass handed to me a lot.

 

In general, it feels more complete and a different, distinctive beast when compared to Dark Souls.

 

Agree! You can feel the influence and inspiration the devs got from the Souls games but Nioh is definitely something different.

 

 

Twilight mode opens up which makes the available missions a lot more difficult.

 

I managed to beat the first mission in Twilight. The boss got a little more annyoing because he sometimes spawns an enemy that shoots arrows or throws bombs at you...

 

Other than that there are basically only Yokai enemies now

 

[Deathjam]

My god I take back everything I said about the difficulty. That sub mission omg.

Sometimes this game gives you a challenge, and you internally shout "REALLY?!" then the challenge just gets ramped up and you then say "I'm sorry I even said anything".

But loving it. Love the changes and I think this game has one of the best third person cameras in an action game. Not once has it screwed me over and that's a rarity in this genre.

Onto the last mission!

[RedShell]

This game is amaaaaaaazing!

 

Unfortunate then that I am so extraordinarily shit at it.

Still can't beat the first boss. (Although at least I can reach him now! )

 

Team Ninja, please include a super easy mode for utterly incompetent samurai, so that I might be able to purchase and play through this wonderful game.

[Deathjam]

This game is amaaaaaaazing!

 

Unfortunate then that I am so extraordinarily shit at it.

Still can't beat the first boss. (Although at least I can reach him now! )

 

Team Ninja, please include a super easy mode for utterly incompetent samurai, so that I might be able to purchase and play through this wonderful game.

 

I think the first boss has too much HP still and it basically requires you to chip away at him while being extremely cautious. I mistake can ruin you and leads to a pretty stressful encounter moreso than it being fun.

May want to see if you can summon in someone to help out and make the encounter easier, Souls style.

 

Glad you can see the potential here though. Think a few may have written it off without even giving it a try which is possibly down to the lacklustre marketing. To be fair though, that's how it was with the souls franchise in the beginning.

 

Completed the demo again after a monster 5-6 hour session on Saturday and had to stop right there as I was getting the addiction dreams that I have when I REALLY like a game. Can't be getting too attached when it will be gone so soon so going back to playing the waiting game. But fundamentally I loved it. Want more.

[RedShell]

May want to see if you can summon in someone to help out and make the encounter easier, Souls style.

Damn, I completely forgot that was even possible.

Will have a few more goes later on, and then try to summon help if I still can't beat him.

 

I often managed to get to the point where his balls drop and he starts freaking out, but that's also when the increase in attack speed really messes with my stamina management.

 

What stance do think is best for this particular fight, or do you actually switch during it? That's something I really can't get my head around in the heat of battle though, so prefer to just choose one and stick to it.

[drahkon]

I think the first boss has too much HP still and it basically requires you to chip away at him while being extremely cautious.

 

Hm, I thought it was much better in the Beta. Adequate HP and I could take two hits without dying. And I was at a lower level than I had been when I beat him in the Alpha

 

What stance do think is best for this particular fight, or do you actually switch during it? That's something I really can't get my head around in the heat of battle though, so prefer to just choose one and stick to it.

 

Because I used an Axe for 99% of my playtime I usually went with the high stance for immense damage output.

I switched it up during the second phase of that particular fight, though. Being able to evade more is valuable than damage.