Why Nioh 3’s Ninja Style Is Perfect For Ninja Gaiden Fans

The original Ninja Gaiden quickly gained a reputation as an incredibly difficult game on the NES, and that challenging reputation continued when it was reimagined for the original Xbox. Team Ninja established itself with this Ninja Gaiden reboot, delivering a tough but fairer experience than the classic NES version. Since then, Team Ninja has created many other games, including the challenging Nioh series, which are similar in style to the ‘Souls’ games.

The first two Nioh games centered around the samurai experience, but Nioh 3 introduces a new gameplay style called Ninja Style. This style gives players controls similar to those found in the Ninja Gaiden series, which might finally attract fans of those fast-paced action games.

The Weapon Variety

Going Beyond Ninja Swords

The first two Nioh games offered a decent selection of weapons, but Nioh 3 significantly increases that variety. Players using the Ninja Style can now wield Kusarigamas and Tonfas – weapons also seen in the Ninja Gaiden series. The Samurai Style introduces Switchglaives, which transform into scythes. Each weapon type features both standard and powerful attacks, and the powerful attacks can be charged for extra effect. For instance, Hatchets can be thrown when charged, while a charged Kusarigama attack involves a sweeping, whirling motion.

The game lets you unlock new abilities for each weapon through a detailed skill tree – it’s actually even more in-depth than those found in the Ninja Gaiden series. If you favor a particular weapon, you can increase its power and unlock even more moves as you use it. You’re not limited to just swords and spears either; like in Ninja Gaiden, you can also equip ranged weapons like bows or guns. No matter how you choose to fight, you’ll be prepared to face both human enemies and demons.

Ninjutsu Moves

Use Spells And Tools Like Ryu

In the Ninja Gaiden games, the powerful Ryu Hayabusa wasn’t just skilled with weapons—he also had access to magic and ninja tools. Nioh 3’s Ninja Style lets players equip up to four of these special abilities at once. Two examples of starting moves are throwing shuriken and launching fireballs. These Ninjutsu skills can only be used a limited number of times during a fight, but they regain uses as the player attacks enemies, similar to cooldown systems in many action RPGs.

As a Nioh player, I’ve found a really cool trick with the Ninja class! If you just unleash all your shuriken at the start of a fight and then get into the thick of it, your pouch refills super fast. It’s actually better to use all your special abilities – the Ninjutsu – right away, so you’re recharging them during the battle. This isn’t a huge deal for regular enemies, but it’s a game-changer against the big bosses in Nioh 3. And honestly, that’s a big reason I’m leaning towards the Ninja Style – the Samurai class doesn’t have anything quite like those powerful Ninjutsu abilities!

The Speed Of Ninja Style

Zip, Dodge, And Counter On The Battlefield

Look, cool weapons, tools, and magic are awesome, but they’d fall flat if the game felt clunky and slow like other Soulslike titles. Thankfully, the Ninja characters are super mobile – they actually feel like ninjas! I can zip around the battlefield using a button press – on PS5 it’s R1 – and even leave behind ghost images after a few attacks. The Samurai style is different though; instead of dodging, holding R1 builds up Ki, letting you unleash a really powerful special attack. It’s a cool change of pace!

Ninja Style offers a dodge button, and you can unlock skills in Nioh 3 to make dodging even better – increasing how quickly you react and how far you move. Your character’s speed also depends on the equipment you choose, letting you create builds that feel different from other similar games. Generally, characters using Ninja Style will be faster than even the quickest Samurai Style characters.

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More Games

Platform Like A Ninja Hero

More Than A Soulslike

Fans of the Ninja Gaiden series adore its fast-paced, challenging combat, but this new game won’t simply string battles together like a roguelike. Ninja Gaiden is also known for its exciting platforming – quickly dashing, wall-running, and using rails to get around. While Nioh 3’s larger environments don’t offer quite as many opportunities for quick, precise platforming as a Ninja Gaiden game, there’s still plenty of enjoyable movement and traversal for players to experience.

The game begins with a double jump, making it simple to reach higher areas and climb buildings. Using rooftops for stealth or ranged attacks is a great tactic. As you progress, you’ll unlock upgrades inspired by Metroidvania games, letting you access hidden areas called Spirit Veins. One early ability lets you run on walls – a move familiar to fans of Ninja Gaiden. While these moves work in both playstyles, they look especially impressive when using the Ninja Style.

Living Artifacts Are Equivalent To Ultimate Techniques

Go Super Saiyan In Battle

Okay, so in some of the older Ninja Gaiden games, characters like Ryu could pull off these super powerful attacks called Ultimate Techniques. Nioh 3 takes that idea and seriously levels it up with Living Artifacts. Basically, whether you’re playing as a ninja or a samurai, you can equip different Guardian Spirits. These spirits give you bonuses, but the really cool part is when you max out your spirit gauge, you can actually transform into a powerful Living Artifact form. It’s a total game changer and feels awesome!

Think of these powerful transformations like going Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball Z. When a character activates their Living Artifact, they become temporarily invulnerable to damage and don’t lose stamina. However, taking hits will shorten the duration of the transformation. For instance, a Ninja Style character can equip Enko to give their Living Artifact form fire-based abilities. These forms are incredibly strong – even more powerful than anything seen in a Ninja Gaiden game – allowing players to wield demonic power.

Stealth And Exhausted Takedowns

Going In For Brutal Kills

Players of games like Ninja Gaiden are familiar with both attacking and skillfully countering enemy moves, and Nioh offers the same opportunity. Even if you prefer a fast-paced, offensive style, it’s smart to invest in your Samurai skills. Switching between styles can catch enemies off guard and open them up for a counterattack. You can also break an enemy’s defenses by depleting their stamina, indicated by a red circle appearing around them. This creates an opening for a powerful, visually impressive execution move, though it doesn’t always guarantee an instant kill.

The combat in these games is intense and visually rewarding, with a variety of weapons to use. It’s surprising that the Ninja Gaiden series doesn’t focus more on stealth, considering ninjas are known for sneaking. While Nioh 3 doesn’t offer the same level of stealth as games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows or Ghost of Tsushima, players can still land powerful critical hits by getting close and waiting for enemies to become vulnerable – indicated by a red glow, similar to exploiting an enemy’s exhaustion.

2026-02-11 22:08