2020-05-01_Official_PlayStation_Magazine_-_UK_Edition

081

REVIEW

coming back to experience
familiar locations afresh.
While you might get stuck
on certain tough bosses,
Nioh 2 always provides you
with solutions. Enemies drop
amrita, which you can use
to level up your stats, or you
can trade in unwanted items
to earn that currency, which
means no matter what you do
you can be working towards
getting stronger. You can also
prepare extra healing or buff
items to give yourself an edge
in a particular battle. Where
another player has died in a
level, you can summon their
phantom to do battle. You earn
particularly good loot when
you win, plus ochoko cups,
a currency used to summon
other friendly players to help
you out online, or to summon
their AI-controlled phantoms
at player-left benevolent graves
(there are some special ones
left by the devs too).
The action is super-slick
throughout, and whether you

VERDICT

Above Boss
fights can be
tricky, but
overcoming
them can be a
real hoot.

Right Saito
Dosan wanted
a world where
human and
yokai lived in
peace. That
went well, eh?

Above Cutscenes feature your createdcharacter,andprovidesomelaughs.

THE OPM BREAKDOWN

prioritise graphical or technical

performance you’re catered

to. Even when we choose the

smoother framerate option, the

game looks gorgeous.

It’s hard to pick our favourite

thing about Nioh 2. It could

be the intense push-and-pull

of our battles with our yokai

powers at hand. It could be

the incredible, twisting,

weaving level design. It could

be the way it always enables

you to play how you want

to play; or it could be the

satisfaction of overcoming a

difficult, but fair challenge. But

one thing’s for sure: demons

can be downright nasty. And

we’re proud to be one.

Team Ninja has given the

soulsborne genre a unique twist

enabling you to match demon

power with demon power. This

journey through Japanese

history is no walk in the park,

but it always delights and

surprises. Oscar Taylor-Kent

17% Hacking

your way

through demons

with summoned

friends. Co-op

doesn’t get

better than this.

10%

Uncovering the

hidden kodama

in each level and

showing them

the way home.

23%Exploring

thetwisting,

expertly

craftedlevels.

12%Optimising

yourstatsand

loot.Fiddly,but

worth it for the

best weapons

andbonuses.

WHAT YOU DO IN... NIOH 2

35%

Tak ing on

powerful yokai

with your own

hellish powers.

3% Scritching

the scampuss

yokai so they’ll

follow you.

STAT PACK

Types of grave

where you can

use ochoko cups

to summon the

AI ‘ghost’ of

another player.

Different weapon

types to master

• though you
  can stick to
  levelling up your
  favourite one.

Is the maximum

healing elixirs

you can carry at

once, refilling

them from your

store at shrines.

3928

Types of

guardian spirit

(feral, brute, and

phantom) that

dictate your yokai

transformation.

MULTIPLAYER

While the game’s still a

challenge, summoning

friends makes things

more manageable. Just

put your cups in a shrine

and it will matchmake

you as you play, as long

as you don’t enter a

boss battle first. The

spirit of your comrade

will join in with you.

HOW TO... GETGOODIES FROMSUDAMA

1 Find cute kodama and you can guide them back to a shrine, but

their dark versions, the sudama, wander around grumpily, wanting

something from you. 2 Browse your inventory for an unwanted item

(soul cores can work great), then drop and it will appear on the ground

in front of you. 3 The sudama will run over and gobble it up. In thanks

for your helpful service, they’ll drop some goodies for you – spirit

stones, possibly, or maybe even a special soul core of their own.

1 2 3

IS IT BETTER THAN?

YES

The sequel is simply

better in every way.

We’re big fans of the

superb new yokai

powers in particular.

NO

Yharnam is a

stronger location, and

Bloodborne has

better worldbuilding,

but it’s close.

YES

Sengoku-era action

has come a long way

since this one was

released, though it’s

still a great setting.