I recorded many, many hours in Nioh 2 on PS4, so I was thrilled to get my hands on Nioh 2: Full Edition for PC, a preview version lacks some technical features such as HDR support and ultra wide resolutions that will be in complete construction. It includes everything in the basic version of the action-RPG, of course, along with all three DLCs. But the real drawing here is the PC-specific features, which are mostly visual.
Smooth framerate? Absolute. Large screen compatibility? Pshh, yes, why not. 4K Ultra-HD support? I’m still not sure what that means, but damn it. It certainly looks great to play.
For those unfamiliar with Nioh 2, it is a so-called “soul” (meaning “like a Dark Souls game”) that is still called “masochistic”, which is just an elegant term to be extremely difficult. At first glance, it’s easy to confuse it with a Souls game wearing Japanese clothes, but that’s not the case at all. I would say that it trades the complexity of the environments you navigate in a Souls, for a greater complexity in the personalization of the characters.
Great significance lies in the equipment you equip, the statistics you increase and the materials you pick up. In a strange way, the Nioh 2 community reminds me of Formula 1, this is the extent to which everyone’s fine-tuning weapons and armor are built in a continuous search for the optimal.
This might seem daunting to someone who has never tried Nioh 2, and that’s because it is. There is no hand here. So get rid of your Sengoku clothes and get out there, buddy. If you’re killed by a demonic horse wielding a bloody saw, it’s your fault.
That being said, if you are interested in giving Nioh 2 a try or if you are already a mega fan and want the absolute best experience, then the full edition is for you. Like a Hello Fresh box the size of a shark, you have everything you need to support you for months. And the ingredients are, thanks to the aforementioned framerate, super butter. It is a very nourishing experience.
To give you a visual idea of the difference: on my PS4 copy of Nioh 2, I will experience fairly frequent drops in frame rates if I rotate my camera in a crowded environment and an occasional problem if I engage in a fight with a giant chipmunk with sword for tail.
In stark contrast, I’ve never experienced a drop in frame rate, playing this on the PC. My equipment is quite capable, which means I didn’t even need to downgrade the graphics settings. But there are enough options here to host budget PCs, so I wouldn’t worry if you throw away more dusty components. Oh, and there are keyboard and mouse options, as well as controller options, of course. I opted for the latter and it worked like a dream.
As with kit optimization, accuracy is everything when it comes to fighting Nioh 2. You need to be aware of the enemy’s battle cues, for example, if they are preparing for a wide oscillation, so you know if you have enough Ki to to move away or if they are suddenly about to shoot you in the Yokai Realm, for a titanic clash in which they have the advantage of the home team.
This is where that framerate came in handy on a practical level, because it meant I never missed a beat. The drops on the PS4 frame can take you out of periods of intense concentration, but there was no such discord here.
But aside from these PC-specific sliders and switches, I don’t think there’s much to influence those who aren’t fans of Nioh 2, or even people like me who have been casting for a long time in the PS4 version.
I think part of the problem is that I’m already too far away. Nioh 2 is very bloody and, while the full edition contains DLC that I miss and has all these visual delights, I can’t part with my beloved PS4. I just can’t. Restarting will be an insurmountable task and it’s not like this new version transforms the game or adds a new exclusive region to explore or any new bosses to fight. I can buy the DLC on PS4 and, apart from a few drops of FPS, I will have actually cobbled together Nioh 2: The Complete Edition – Lite. And that’s enough for me.
Nioh 2: The full edition arrives on Steam on February 5th.