Nioh
A 2017 action RPG set in Sengoku Japan with yōkai.
Nioh is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo for the PlayStation 4. Set in a fictionalized version of Japan during the year 1600, the game follows the Irish samurai William Adams as he pursues the sorcerer Edward Kelley while battling yōkai creatures amid the final battles of the Sengoku period. It received positive reviews for its gameplay and graphics, though its story was criticized as lacking or confusing, and it shipped over 3 million copies worldwide.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Nioh
- Developer
- Team Ninja / Kou Shibusawa
- Publisher
- Koei TecmoWW · Sony Interactive Entertainment (PS4, PS5)
- Director
- Fumihiko Yasuda · Yosuke Hayashi
- Producer
- Hisashi Koinuma
- Programmer
- Yuta Yamazaki
- Artist
- Hirohisa Kaneko
- Writer
- Kazunori Taguchi · Masahiko Kochi · Makoto Shibata
- Composer
- Yugo Kanno
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4 · Windows · PlayStation 5
- Released
- PlayStation 4NA · 7 February 2017 · PAL · 8 February 2017 · JP · 9 February 2017WindowsWW · 7 November 2017PlayStation 5WW · 5 February 2021
- Genre
- Action role-playing, hack and slash
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Nioh began development in 2004 for PlayStation 3 as part of a multimedia project based on an unfinished Akira Kurosawa script. The project went through a turbulent pre-production period with multiple revisions until its final version began development in 2014 for PlayStation 4. Alpha and beta demos were released during 2016 to gauge public reaction and make adjustments, pushing the release from 2016 to 2017. Upon release, Nioh received positive reviews, with praise for its gameplay and graphics, while the story was criticized as lacking or confusing. It reached high positions in sales charts, shipping over 3 million copies worldwide.
Reader's Guide
Nioh is significant as a successful action role-playing game that revitalized interest in the genre with its fast-paced hack and slash combat, Ki management system, and stance-based fighting. Its setting in a fictionalized Sengoku Japan with yōkai and historical figures offered a unique blend of history and fantasy. The game's development history, spanning over a decade from an initial PlayStation 3 project to a PlayStation 4 release, highlights the challenges of game production. Its commercial success led to two sequels: Nioh 2 (2020), a prequel, and Nioh 3 (2026). The game's legacy includes its influence on the action RPG genre and its demonstration of how player feedback from demos can shape a final product.
Did You Know?
- The game shipped over 3 million copies worldwide.
- Nioh 2, a prequel, was released on March 12, 2020 for PlayStation 4.
- A remastered version was released for PlayStation 5 on February 5, 2021.
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