Recent reviews by TTV/SkidHash

"Japanese Dark Souls" is what a lot of sites are calling this game, and while there is some merit to that claim, simply calling this game Dark Souls with Japanese influence would be to the detriment of this game. Lets get the obvious out of the way: Is this a PC port from the PS4? Yep. Does this game really not support a mouse? Yep. Is this one of the best ports I've ever played? You betcha. I have had 0 issues with this game performance wise, and playing this with my PS4 controller is one of the most seamless and enjoyable controller experiences I've had on PC; it's almost as if this game was built with this controller in mind ;).

While many people would begin their review by saying "Oh wow, the combat system in this game is....", but I'm not going to do this. The first thing that matters: the environment. It's gorgeous. If Dark Souls had the graphical appeal of this game, I would probably go back and play it again, but you can only see dark and desolate colors for so long before it gets boring. But this game? Absolutely beautiful. The amount of colors and the variety of scenery that is available in this game is amazing, and I've spent many moments just spinning around and admiring it. There is a surprising lack of reused textures from what I've played so far, and it's always exciting to get to a new level so I can appreciate the art design. Easily 10/10 for this category.

Next category: Gameplay
The combat system in this game is exactly what I wanted from Dark Souls, and it is clear that they spent lots of time and effort into constructing a combat system that caters to literally any style of gameplay. Want to save your precious Ki while still getting in some quick hits? Low stance is for you. Want to deal some major damage and be able to parry enemy hits while still having enough Ki to dodge out when the monsters inevitably swing back? Medium stance was built for you. Want to do as much damage as possible and not give a single f%*k about dodging, cause your character is Irish and the Irish just don't care? Welcome to high stance boys, where you swing your weapon around like it's nobody's business and you don't care about that weird blue bar that represents your health, cause you can't lose health if everything is DEAD. There are of course weapons that are tailored to their specific stance, like Axes and High Stance, but if you want to use a Battle Axe in Low Stance, go for it, cause like I said, your character is Irish and he just DOESN'T CARE. There are no shields in this game, so if you were one of those shield fanboys in Dark Souls, you're gonna have to learn to bob and weave, cause the only thing protecting you from those monsters is the dodge button and the block button (if you are in the right stance and have enough Ki, of course). The combat is seamless, finishing moves are rewarding, and when hitting RB perfectly after your heavy combo and instantly getting all your Ki back is enough to make a grown man cry, it's perfect. There is a decent variety of enemies, and this game really makes farming easy if that's your cup of tea, though it isn't necessary at all. Gameplay easily gets a 9.5/10, with the only detriment being with some of the combat with your enemy on the floor can be kind of weird, and I've been killed multiple times by starting a combo on a downed enemy, having none of my strikes hit, and not having enough Ki to dodge out of the way before they killed me. Still, 9.5/10.

Next Category: Music and Game Sound
The music in this game is perfect, relaxing when you need it to be and intense when the moment calls for it. I haven't muted it yet, and that says a lot, considering that probably 90% of the games I own have had the music muted because I feel that it detracts from the experience, but not Nioh. I have actually found myself doing other things while purposefully having Nioh running, just so I could enjoy the music (It's running right now, playing the most soothing music). And the in-game sound? Equally good. There is enough audio separation to facilitate knowing where your enemies are, while there are very subtle audio notes in this game that can slip right past you without you noticing, or can easily lead to you pinpointing the location of a shrine/enemy. The combat sounds are great, everything stays in sync and ends when it is supposed to. But man, the music in this game is just so relaxing for some reason. 10/10 for sure, I'm gonna go get the soundtrack to this game and put it on my playlist, it's just too good.

Next Category: Items/Inventory
It's no secret: There are a lot of items in this game. And I mean A LOT of items in this game, each with their own subtle differences from each other. In a way, the looting in this game reminds me of Borderlands, not just by the sheer amount of loot, but also by the subtle differences that one item could have over another. Even though a weapon or armor might be weaker than the one you currently have equipped doesn't mean you should instantly sell it, as you might find that the effects you get from it are well worth it taking up your inventory space and might come in handy for a boss fight. I love the loot system in this game, and I wouldn't change anything about it except for making it automatically pick up items on the ground instead of forcing me to press O to do it, but I can get past that easily (and there's probably an option in the menus somewhere to do that, I just haven't really looked for it). The inventory screen is much like a user interface on a website or app: if someone has to tell you how to use it, it's too complicated, and the inventory screen is super easy to use; in fact, I'm sure I could hand this game to someone who has never played it before and they would easily be able to traverse the inventory and skill trees. Everything you need is readily accessible within 1-2 buttons, and the ability to have 2 sets of item shortcuts via a press of a button is just icing on the cake. Really, there are no detriments to the looting/inventory system in this game. 10/10

Conclusion
This game is utterly fantastic, and it satiated my need for a Dark Souls experience but without any of the monotony that is synonymous (to me) of a Dark Souls title. Does this game have some similar qualities to Bloodborne/Dark Souls? Yep, it does, like some insane bosses that will kill you over and over and over and over and.... until you swear to whatever deity or energy you believe in that you will never play this game again, only to pick it up in 30 minutes and try again. Have some work to do the day you're playing this? Looks like you don't have to worry about working, cause this game will drain more hours than essentially every single game I've played. I started playing this morning at 9 and have played almost 12 hours straight, and not even felt remorse. This is a game for those players who love a long story (I will probably get 150-200 hours out of one gameplay) and love a game that can be replayed multiple times and still keep its charm. I'm glad I picked this game up, and this is one of the only reviews I have written about a game or will write about a game. It's just that good. Honestly, I'd pay $100 for this game in a heartbeat. Do yourself a favor and buy this game, you won't regret it and you'll have an amazing game to play with some amazing characteristics.