Nioh 3 in reviews: Action RPG cuts as well as a katana – rating overview

Team Ninja and KOEI TECMO have delivered once again. The third installment of the Nioh series has also been widely praised by critics and press. Above all, the excellent combat design compensates for the game's minor weaknesses.

Anyone who wants to put their combat skills to the test with a rock-hard Souls-like game will be delighted with the release of the new samurai action RPG Nioh 3 on February 6th. The international trade press praises the action spectacle with its Asian setting, particularly for its gameplay – the series' fresh mix of samurai and ninja combat styles makes every enemy encounter varied.

You travel through a (semi) open game world, which is also new in Nioh, setting it apart from the more tightly nested areas of its predecessors. Although some reviewers criticize that Nioh 3 still does not offer a truly open world, but rather a semi-open one, progress has been made.

Speaking of the open world, EuroGamer they likened the approach to something like Elden Ring - giving players a world full of side quests and activities to take part in, rather than a checklist of open world filler to pad out the experience.

"Team Ninja calls Nioh 3 'open field', not 'open world', and I think the sizing and design of the maps is pretty perfect - I only found myself getting bored with one of the four huge areas, and only because I'd over-levelled myself to some degree re-doing an optional mission over and over again to get gear for an odachi-based build that carried my samurai through most of the game."*

They awarded the game 4/5 stars.

What would an action game be without it's combat? According to IGN it's received one of the highest compliments ever, by praising it's combat design as "Nioh 3 has the best combat of any soulslike, past or present, end of story. " With an impressive 9/10 given to this new entry in the series.

Of course that's just a small selection. Check out even more ratings from the trade press can be found here in the overview.

Nioh 3 review – ratings from the international trade press

• wccftech: 98
• The Games Machine: 93
• Cerealkillerz: 91
• IGN Deutschland: 90
• Gamersglobal: 90
• Destructoid: 90
• TechRadar Gaming: 90
• TheSixthAxis: 90
• The Outerhaven: 90
• Jeuxvideo: 90
• Eurogamer: 4/5
• Siliconera: 90
• Games.ch: 88
• Gamestar: 86
• Vandal: 84
• 4P: 80
• IGN Japan: 80
• VG247: 80
• PC Games: 75

Pre-order Nioh 3 on Gamesplanet for bonuses

Pre-order any edition of Nioh 3 on Gamesplanet to get the following bonuses:

• Hellfire Equipment Set (Hellfire Warrior Armor set + Hellfire Ninja Attire set)
• Scampuss Furball Netsuke Charm (accessory)

Those who purchase the game before February 19th 2026, will also obtain the "Hellfrost Equipment Set". Which requires picking up the Free DLC from the Steam store once the launches on February 6th.

Content Details:

• Hellfrost Warrior Armor set
• Hellfrost Ninja Attire set