Nioh 2: Beginner's Guide

Getting Started in Nioh 2

You create your own protagonist at the start. Weapon type matters because each is tied to attributes: Fextralife lists Odachi and Fists with Strength, Kusarigama with Dexterity, Swords and Bows with Heart, Spears with Constitution, and Dual Swords, Hatchets and Rifles with Skill. Pick a weapon type that suits the attribute you want to raise. Your Guardian Spirit gives passive bonuses, and its Yokai Skills come from Soul Cores you attune to it.

The game has 37 Guardian Spirits listed on the wiki, including Makami (a wolf, Fire Resistance), Nine Tails (a fire fox, Fire Damage) and Suzaku (a phoenix, burn damage).

Core Mechanics to Master

On a PlayStation controller: Ki Pulse is R1, Burst Counter is R2 + Circle, Grapple is Triangle, Yokai Shift is Circle + Triangle (needs a full Amrita gauge), and stance changes are R1 plus Triangle (High), Square (Mid) or X (Low). Ki Pulse recovers Ki after an attack, and Strength and Skill improve it. Fextralife's Ki Pulse page does not detail the timing, so practise it in the tutorial and Dojo.

The three stances give each weapon a different moveset: High, Mid and Low. Switching between them during a combo is an advanced technique.

Attributes and Soul Cores

The eight attributes are Constitution (life, Poison and Paralysis resistance), Heart (max Ki, Ki recovery, Fire resistance), Courage (Ki recovery, Lightning resistance), Stamina (life, equipment weight), Strength (heavy armor effects, Ki Pulse, Water resistance), Skill (light armor effects, Ki Pulse, Ninjutsu), Dexterity (Ninja Skills) and Magic (Onmyo Magic). Raise the ones your weapon type relies on, and raise Constitution or Stamina for survivability.

Soul Cores drop from yokai. A new core must be purified at a shrine before it has any effect, then attuned to your Guardian Spirit in the Manage Soul Cores menu; your Attunement Limit caps how many you can equip. If you die, your Guardian Spirit holds your impure cores at your grave, and they are lost if you die again before reaching it.

Essential Tips

1. Keep Ki in mind. Ki Pulse recovers Ki after an attack, so use it after combos.
2. Grapple with Triangle when you are in range of a staggered enemy.
3. Yokai Shift needs a full Amrita gauge (Circle + Triangle).
4. Purify Soul Cores at a shrine before attuning them, and recover your impure cores from your grave after death.
5. Co-op: use the Torii Gate at the Starting Point on the world map; Benevolent Graves summon AI-controlled helpers (hold Circle).

An Early Boss: Mezuki

Mezuki is a demon with the head of a horse. He appears in several main missions, starting with The Village of Cursed Blossoms. According to Fextralife, his charge attack can be stopped with a Burst Counter for high Ki damage, his horizontal swipes are better avoided than countered, his weapon slam can be Burst Countered but with strict timing, and in his Dark Realm phase he gets faster and summons more exploding ghosts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to play Nioh 1 first?
A: Nioh 2 is a prequel to the original Nioh, and you create your own protagonist.

Q: What weapon types are there?
A: 11 melee (Swords, Dual Swords, Spears, Splitstaff, Axes & Hammers, Kusarigamas, Odachis, Tonfas, Hatchets, Switchglaives, Fists) and 3 ranged (Bows, Handcannons, Rifles).

Q: How does multiplayer work?
A: Go to the Starting Point on the world map and choose the Torii Gate. Expeditions use a custom lobby; Random Encounters let you join or host a mission by using a shrine's Summon visitor option, which costs Ochoko Cups. PlayStation Plus is required on PlayStation.

Q: What does the Complete Edition include?
A: The PC and PS5 Complete Editions include all three expansions: The Tengu's Disciple, Darkness in the Capital and The First Samurai.