Nioh 2 healing elixir | Nioh 2 Guardian Spirit guide | Nioh 2 best weapons | Nioh 2 Soul cores

1. Kill Gaki quickly

The first enemy you’ll encounter in Nioh 2 is a Gaki. These little monsters (called yokai in the game world) are small, Gollum-like creature who are basically just scavengers. They should then be more or less harmless. Well, no, not really. While you can take them out fairly quickly, they have the unique ability to grow stronger depending on what they do. For example, if they eat the body of another yokai, they double in size and strength. This also happens if they grab you and take a couple of bites. While they are harmless most of the time, you’d be wise to take them out first whenever you see them. 

2. You can skip the first big yokai

On the subject of yokai, after killing your first Gaki, you’ll come to an open area that is patrolled by a Gozuki. A Gozuki is a towering yokai that has the head of a bull, the body of a man, and a penchant for sadism. As such, it wields a club covered in spikes, which it will gladly introduce you to by either smashing you with it or using it as the world’s kinkiest rolling pin. Killing it nets you a key which grants passage through the gate behind it. However, if you feel as though this yokai is a little too much, you can simply hug the right-hand wall and run through the area. This allows you to take a different route through the level, and you won’t have to become as frustrated with the Gozuki as a result. 

3. Master the Nioh 2 Ki pulse

The Nioh 2 Ki pulse is a returning skill from the first game. To perform it, you simply hit R1 after a combo has finished. However, there is a proper timing to it that is dictated by your stamina bar. As it depletes it goes from green to red, but the window for the Ki Blast has the red section turning blue. If you hit R1 once the red section is entirely blue, then you’ll gain all of that stamina back. This is essential to high-level play of Nioh 2, so practice it a lot. 

4. Summon help when you need to

There are a few different ways of doing multiplayer in Nioh 2. The main way to do it is to Summon Help at one of the shrines in a level, but it’s not the only way to get a helping hand. You can also summon NPC characters based on other players by interacting with the blue graves you see dotted about. These can be laid down to help out other players, and using them can often make bosses a far easier time. After all, two targets are better than one. 

5. Keep an eye out for a cat, called scampuss

People aren’t the only helpful things in Nioh 2. You can also come across a little cat-like yokai called a Scampuss. These cuddly little creatures can be stroked if you find them, and doing so will have them following you around and even attacking enemies. They also do a surprisingly decent amount of damage too. Just don’t look up the lore behind them, or you’ll find out that they were once children who died and now crave human contact because it reminds them of their mums. 

6. Invest in one main stat

As with any soulslike, the name of the game is min-maxing, at least if you want to deal as much damage as possible. The stat you choose is up to you, of course, but it’s always worth picking one and sticking to it. Each stat will tell you which weapons it most improves, so you won’t have to do too much digging on that front. That being said, it’s worth keeping an eye on your armour as well as your weapons, as some of them can only be used properly with the right stats. 

7. Use Spirit Stones to help level up

Levelling up requires Nioh 2 Amrita, which is basically a fancy name for experience points. Once you’ve accumulated enough, you can choose a stat to improve, and voila, you’ve levelled up. Sometimes though, you’ll be a couple hundred short of the required amount, well, that’s where Spirit Stones come in. These handy items give you a chunk of Amrita when used, and keeping hold of them to boost your number just enough to level up will make your game far easier. 

8. Spend time preparing in-between missions 

A large part of Nioh 2 is upgrading your gear, levelling up your stats, skills, and cashing in the prestige you earn from gaining new titles. All of these things help boost your overall strength, but remembering all of them can be a pain. You really do need to keep an eye on all of them though, or you might find yourself struggling needlessly. Take a couple of minutes after every mission to sort out your new items, sell stuff, upgrade yokai cores, and learn new skills. You’ll thank yourself for it when you beat the next boss first time.

9. Complete the dojo missions 

The Dojo is basically Nioh 2’s tutorial system. It’s worth diving into once you’ve booted up the game just to learn a few things about the new systems and make sure you’re familiar with all of your abilities. You also unlock new missions as you progress through the story and you’ll want to do these as soon as possible as they unlock new skills and will, in turn, make you much more powerful. Don’t neglect your training. 

10. Aim for the head

Once you’ve unlocked a bow, you’ll be able to take part in ranged combat. While the ranged weapons are generally always useful, they can often one-shot many of the smaller enemies if you aim for the head. That can be tricky to tell depending on the distance, but there’s a handy UI hint you can use too. There is a small dot that lights up in the middle of the targeting reticule when you’re aimed at a creature’s weak spot; you can use this to take out partially obscured enemies as well as using it to guarantee a critical hit. This remains useful throughout the game, so never forget this tip. 

The post 10 Nioh 2 tips to help you survive this demon filled test of skill appeared first on Game News.

Remastered editions of Team Ninja’s Nioh and Nioh 2 will be coming to PS5 in the form of a collection, featuring 4K 120fps support, as well as individual remastered versions of both entries.

In a PlayStation blog post (opens in new tab)Team Ninja’s creative director, Tom Lee, went into further detail on the new collection and how they will be celebrating the anniversary. He said, “As a token of our appreciation, we thought there was no better way to celebrate the Nioh series, one very near and dear to our hearts, than remastering the entire story for both veterans and new players alike to enjoy utilizing the latest hardware.” 

On February 5, 2021 the following titles will release simultaneously to celebrate the 4th anniversary of the franchise:

• Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition (available on PS4)
• Nioh 2 Remastered – The Complete Edition (available on PS5)
• Nioh Remastered – The Complete Edition (available on PS5)
• The Nioh Collection (available on PS5)

Nioh 2 Completed Edition for PS4 will include all three DLC expansions.  The Nioh Collection will include both remastered entries including all DLC from both titles, only available on PS5. All of the titles available on PS5 will support 4K resolution and up to 120fps gameplay, with the ability to transfer your data from the PS4 version to your PS5. 

For those of you who already own Nioh 2 on PS4, there are two upgrade routes for you to take if you decide to play on PS5:

• Players that own Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition on PS4 can upgrade to Nioh 2 Remastered – The Complete Edition on PS5 at no additional cost. 
• Players that own Nioh 2 on PS4 can upgrade to the base game – Nioh 2 Remastered on PS5, and receive the PS5 version of any DLC expansions they own on PS4. 

The PS5 has just launched in the US, but isn’t going to release for the UK for another week, November 19. Take a look at our PS5 review if you’re still on the fence about upgrading, or are you currently on the lookout for a next-gen console, here’s where to buy a PS5.

Head over and take a look at all of the upgraded games coming to PS5. 

The post The Nioh Collection announced for PS5 appeared first on Game News.

• Xbox E3 2019 (opens in new tab) Recap: Best of Microsoft Xbox at E3 2019
• Nintendo E3 2019 (opens in new tab) Recap: Best of Nintendo at E3 2019 
• Bethesda E3 2019 (opens in new tab) Recap: Best of Bethesda at E3 2019
• Ubisoft E3 2019 (opens in new tab) Recap: Best of Ubisoft at E3 2019
• Square Enix E3 2019 (opens in new tab) Recap: Best of Square Enix at E3 2019
• EA E3 2019 (opens in new tab) Recap: Best of EA at E3 2019
• Sony E3 2019 Recap (opens in new tab): Why Sony skipped E3 2019

The Elder Scrolls 6 

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA

Elder Scrolls 6 (opens in new tab) is still a long, long way off by the sound of things, and we already knew it wouldn’t be at E3 2019 (though Todd Howard did dare to speak its name during the Bethesda E3 2019 show). Given how little we have to go on at the moment, it’s very likely that Elder Scrolls 6 will arrive on the next generation of consoles ushered in by the PS5 (opens in new tab) and Xbox Project Scarlett (opens in new tab), so it’s totally understandable that it’d have nothing to show at E3 2019. Still, that doesn’t make the waiting any easier, especially considering we won’t be getting it until after the launch of the equally mysterious Starfield. 

Gears Tactics

Platform(s): PC
Release date: TBA 

At E3 2018, Microsoft pushed the Gears of War franchise harder than it has ever done in the past. Alongside the reveal of Gears 5 and Gears Pop! it also showed pre-alpha footage of Gears Tactics in action. The game, set to be a real-time strategy game for PC looked pretty awesome but it was sadly absent from Microsoft’s E3 2019 briefing. Microsoft has since confirmed that Gears Tactics is still in development in an effort to quell fears that the game had been cancelled – it hasn’t been seen for a year after all – but provided no further clarification as to when the upcoming game would come back into the public eye. 

Death Stranding 

Platform(s): PS4
Release date: November 8, 2019

Sony E3 2019 was an underwhelming affair because, well, PlayStation wasn’t there. Thankfully, Death Stranding (opens in new tab) went big in the weeks leading up to E3 2019. Hideo Kojima got to throw fans a bone with a huge new Death Stranding trailer (opens in new tab) two weeks before E3, but its absence was felt at this year’s show after it featured so prominently since its big debut at E3 2016. The good news is that the Death Stranding release date (opens in new tab) is locked in for later this year, so Kojima fans won’t have to wait long to see the game in full. The bad news is that we have no idea when we’ll get to hear about those other PlayStation exclusives, as Sony continues work on the PS5 lineup behind the scenes. 

Metroid Prime 4 

Platform(s): Switch
Release date: TBA

All it took for Nintendo to make people’s heads explode at E3 2017 was a logo reveal for Metroid Prime 4 (opens in new tab), confirming that a new game in the sci-fi FPS series starring Samus Aran is in development. But this past January, Nintendo delivered the bad news that the game needed to be delayed and rebooted (opens in new tab) after it was failing to meet internal standards. On the upside, Metroid Prime 4 is now being developed by Retro Studios, which made the original Metroid Prime trilogy, though the team is still looking to fill some key roles (opens in new tab). With Retro Studios needing to restart everything from scratch, there was no way Metroid Prime 4 could ever be ready to be shown at E3 2019. 

Starfield

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA

Bethesda had a fairly strong showing at E3 2019, but many of us were left disappointed by the lack of Starfield (opens in new tab) and The Elder Scrolls 6 information. Todd Howard gave both titles a passing mention in the Bethesda E3 2019 conference, confirming that development was moving forward, but failed to share any further details. This isn’t a huge surprise, the studio told us the pair of games wouldn’t be at E3 ahead of the show starting, but that didn’t stop any of us from hoping that we were being lied to. Here’s hoping that we get more info on Bethesda’s ambitious sci-fi game before the year’s end. 

Beyond Good and Evil 2 

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA

Beyond Good and Evil 2 (opens in new tab) went from leaked trailer vaporware (remember Jade parkouring around that nondescript city?) to an actual, in-development project in 2017, but it’s still tough to get a bead on Ubisoft’s plans for the game. Case in point: a Beyond Good & Evil 2 stream that took place the week before E3 2019. Most companies would use that kind of time slot to get out ahead of the publicity blowout and share some big news about their projects. Beyond Good and Evil 2 used that time to show us to concept art of animal-human hybrids dying and some pot-smoking rhinos (opens in new tab). Once that stream was over, it was pretty clear that Ubisoft had no big intentions for Beyond Good and Evil 2 at E3 2019. Maybe it will kick back into gear once the new console generation begins? 

Bayonetta 3 

Platform(s): Switch
Release date: TBA 

It’s a miracle Bayonetta 3 (opens in new tab) is in development at all given the rocky road Bayonetta 2 faced, but Platinum Games says the sequel is coming along well despite skipping E3 2019. In an interview with NintendoLife (opens in new tab), studio head Atsushi Inaba said: “Things are going well and I know a lot of people are asking for it. Giving updates for everything at E3 isn’t the smartest PR strategy to begin with. So just because we’re not showing it here, doesn’t mean it’s not going well.” He also assured concerned players that “it’s going to be a high-quality title and we’re putting our all into it,” which is precisely why the studio’s staying silent for now. Bayonetta was great and Bayonetta 2 was phenomenal, so there’s little doubt Bayonetta 3 will be worth the wait. In the meantime, Switch owners have Platinum’s Astral Chain coming this August.  

The Last of Us: Part 2

Platform(s): PS4
Release date: TBA 

We are desperate for more information on The Last of Us: Part 2 (opens in new tab). Naughty Dog has been hard at work on the highly anticipated sequel for years now and many had hoped that Sony would give The Last of Us: Part 2 the State of Play treatment during the week of E3 in an effort to pull some attention away from Microsoft and its slew of announcements. Sadly, that didn’t come to be. The time will soon be upon us, however, for more details to be revealed; questions regarding its supposed 2019 release date are starting to be asked, as too are questions over whether it will be a PS4 game or positioned as a PS5 launch title. 

Session 

Platform(s): Xbox One, PC
Release date: Late 2019

In our timeline where EA vehemently refuses to confirm Skate 4 (opens in new tab), Microsoft used that absence to its advantage by channeling all that skateboarding game hype into Session (opens in new tab) with an impressive trailer the Xbox E3 2018 press conference. This 3D skating game has a similar emphasis on lifelike tricks, and looks great despite being made on a Kickstarter budget rather than EA’s deep pockets. But as developer Vincent Da Silva posted in a Kickstarter update (opens in new tab) near the end of May, the team decided to skip E3 to keep plugging away on the game. “With early access getting closer every day, we knew it would have an impact on the development,” said Silva, “so we decided to stay focused on developing Session instead.”  

Skull and Bones 

Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: TBA

Here’s another no-show we knew about ahead of time, but anyone who didn’t hear the news about the latest Skull and Bones delay (opens in new tab) might’ve been thrown when it didn’t show up in the Ubisoft E3 2019 show. The multiplayer ship-vs-ship battles between pirates and naval officers in Skull and Bones (opens in new tab) need more time in the dock, with producer Karl Luhe saying “We will be back as soon as we can with exciting new updates.” Until then, the earliest you can expect to play Skull and Bones is April 2020, as the recent Ubisoft earnings call placed its release date sometime in the 2020/2021 fiscal year.

Need For Speed

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA 

EA had a pretty light showing at E3 2019. While we knew we were never going to get the Skate 4 we’ve all been dreaming of for a decade, we were hoping to get a sneak peak at the new Need for Speed (opens in new tab) game that’s in development. Criterion has since confirmed that the new entry to the long-running series is happening and, amazingly, will be launching later this year. Details are thin on the ground, but it sounds as if Criterion opted to skip E3 2019 to continue working on the game. Stay tuned, basically! Need for Speed is coming back and we truly do hope that the studio is able to get it back into the right lane after a divisive few entries. 

Nioh 2

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA 

Here’s the thing, Nioh 2 is technically – technically – a PS4 console-exclusive, which meant developer Team Ninja opted to follow suit with Sony and skip out on showing its latest samurai action game off at E3 2019. Revealed at last year’s Sony E3 conference, the game seems to be moving through development nicely. In fact, word out of the recent Nioh 2 closed alpha (opens in new tab) were positive enough and a good sign that the game is still on the right path. Nothing to worry about here, it’s business as usual over at Team Ninja even if we were a little disappointed we didn’t get to see a new Nioh 2 trailer. 

Age of Empires 4 

Platform(s): PC
Release date: TBA

RTS fans have been dying for news on Age of Empires 4 (opens in new tab), a new entry in the legendary strategy series featuring a wide range of civilizations and time periods of war. It’s being developed by Relic Entertainment, the same studio behind beloved RTS series like Company of Heroes and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. In an interview with PC Gamer (opens in new tab), Xbox boss Phil Spencer explained why we didn’t get to see Age of Empires 4 during the Xbox E3 2019 show. “We’ll talk about it more this year,” he said, adding “Relic’s great as a studio, [and] we’re making good progress with it.” To tide Age of Empires fans over, Microsoft is launching Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition later this year, which remasters the 1999 original with 4K-ready visuals and a new campaign called The Last Khans. 

In The Valley of Gods 

Platform(s): PC
Release date: TBA

Firewatch (opens in new tab) was a humdinger of a debut game for Campo Santo: it was evocative, funny, and expertly subverted expectations. In The Valley of Gods (opens in new tab) looked like a fantastic follow-up when it was announced in 2017. Then Valve bought Campo Santo (opens in new tab) and all expectations of a normal development schedule dissolved into the quantic phenomenon known as Valve time. The developers formerly known as Campo Santo announced the acquisition with assurances that In The Valley of Gods was still their top priority, and I don’t doubt that’s still the case. But with how long it’s been since we’ve heard anything new about the game, it’s hard not to imagine them all just wheeling their desks over to this project for a few weeks, then that project for a few weeks… until it’s E3 2019 and we still barely know anything about it. 

Dragon Age 4

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA 

Back in December 2018, BioWare revealed that Dragon Age 4 (opens in new tab) – as we’ve taken to calling it, in lieu of an official name – was a real game that was definitely in development. Then Anthem happened and, well, you know the rest. While it was reported that the Anthem creative leads had moved to working on Dragon Age 4 full time (opens in new tab), and that BioWare was pushing for Dragon Age 4 live-service elements (opens in new tab) internally, it also sounds like development has been tricky. BioWare is still very early in production, which made its absense from E3 2019 expected but no less disappointing. 

Fable 4

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA 

What happened Microsoft? The fact that Playground Games is working on Fable 4 (opens in new tab) is practically an open secret in the wider games industry now, thanks in no small part to numerous Fable 4 leaks (opens in new tab) and clear signs that the studio is working on a third-person open-world adventure game. Playground was purchased by Microsoft last year and so it looked as if the stars were aligning to give us the reveal we’ve spent so many years waiting for. Sadly, the Xbox E3 2019 conference came and went without ever a mention of the legendary Xbox franchise. It is yet to be confirmed that this game exists, but we are now holding out hope for the Xbox fan event this November, XO19, which is being held in London, could be where Fable 4 is finally shown to the world. 

Rocksteady’s new game

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA 

Rocksteady, what are you doing to us? The studio behind the critically acclaimed Batman Arkham series of games has been suspiciously quiet since it release Batman Arkham VR back in 2016, sadly it skipped E3 for the second year in a row. Aware that fans would be disappointed, Rocksteady’s co-founder Sefton Hill clarified that the upcoming mystery game wouldn’t be at E3 2019 (opens in new tab) to continue work on its next big project. It means we are still no closer to knowing what Rocksteady is working on, outside of the knowledge that it will 100% not be a Superman game (opens in new tab). Here’s hoping we aren’t made to wait for a year to see what the team is working on. 

Ghost of Tsushima

Platform(s): PS4
Release date: TBA 

It’s been a long time since we last received an update on Ghost of Tsushima (opens in new tab). The upcoming open-world samurai game from developer Sucker Punch, set to let you explore 13th century Japan as you battle back against Mongol invaders, has long been one of our most anticipated PS4 games. Sadly, the game was forced to bow out of E3 2019 when Sony made the decision to skip the annual event entirely. That means we’ll be waiting a little longer to find out whether rumours of Ghost of Tsushima slipping to 2020 (opens in new tab) are true, and to see whether it’s still set to launch on PS4 or whether it’ll end up as a PS5 launch title.

For a look at a long-awaited game that was at the show, check out our E3 2019 preview of Marvel’s Avengers (opens in new tab):

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