Nioh 2: The Complete Edition Preview – Almost an Absurd Amount of Content

Once held to PlayStation 4 exclusivity, Nioh 2 is now being brought to PC with a fair amount of content that extends across multiple time periods as Nioh 2: The Complete Edition. Interestingly, even with the latest DLC releasing back in December, players will find that this version of the game features all the DLC including, “The Tengu’s Disciple,” “Darkness in the Capital,” and “The First Samurai.” Each DLC comes with a host of content that expands the game’s armory, story, and systems to the point where you can experience the adventure after multiple updates and balancing have already been implemented on the PS4 version. In short, this is the best version of an already amazing game.

Exploring Nioh 2 on PC first begins with the updated graphical options available to the player. I never considered I was playing a limited version of the game until playing it at 120 fps. The smoothness of the attack animations and movement felt like it took a level of challenge off of the battle system. The controls are as responsive as they’ve always been, but there is just something so satisfying about seeing a game I deemed as mechanically sound feel better.

The 4K Ultra HD-Support along with 144Hz monitor support compliments this, but you’ll need to adjust for performance over graphics. I always put performance first when playing, but then again, I never felt like Nioh 2 was a bad looking game. Adjusting the shadows and other options only opened the door to a more refined experience, but all I cared about was a steady framerate to survive the challenging enemies.

Now, when it comes to content available, you’re looking at around 100 hours of things to do, following the 40-hour campaign of the base game. As you progress through the timeline, you’ll unlock three additional DLC campaigns after the credits roll. Given that this content was previously staggered, I would suggest pacing yourself through it, if only to get the hang of each of the additional weapons, spirits, and missions.

Rushing through the DLC content may cause players to miss some significant gameplay additions, including skills, Soul Cores, and Items. It’s borderline overwhelming in a way because you want to continue your journey, but you also don’t want to progress too quickly so that you can get the hang of the added features.

Luckily, players can travel through each time period from a menu and take on missions multiple times. The difficulty changes throughout the adventure, but Nioh 2 has battle systems in place that keep the challenge high while still offering ways that players can feel like a powerhouse. I believe this is addressed in weapons and armor’s passive abilities along with Ki and ways to counter and utilize Soul Cores and Guardians in battle.

Nioh 2 is a dense action game that offers a significant amount of content from the base version. This definitive release doubles down on that by giving players hours upon hours of gameplay to experience well after the credits roll. There’s a great story here, if not a bit confusing if you really try to dissect the lore, but it’s still great. Returning fans will have a graphically better time playing, but understand that the core systems remain unchanged. This release feels more geared towards those who have held off on diving into this challenging experience.

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Nioh 2: The Complete Edition is coming to PlayStation 5 and PC-via Steam on February 5.