For those unfamiliar with
Nioh 2 or its predecessor, the idea is that Team Ninja has mixed Japanese history into a fantasy setting filled with Yokai while taking some inspiration from
Dark Souls for combat mechanics. You could callously call it “Samurai Souls,” but that doesn’t actually cut to the core of how
Nioh works. This is more like
Diablo meets
Souls, with an emphasis on loot collecting and iterating on your strength until you’ve created an absolute beast of a character.
The plot this time concerns the rise of the great Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of lord Oda Nobunaga’s retainers that would come to be known as the second great unifier of Japan during the late 16th century. Much like the first title, you’ll be following a fictionalized take on actual events that deviate in interesting ways while informing foreigners of some of Japan’s most tumultuous times. It’s an absolutely enthralling hook for a story, but it’s let down by a lack of cohesion.