Ni-Oh E3 2016 Preview, Interviews and Gameplay Footage

We’ve rounded up some additional coverage of Ni-Oh, Koei Tecmo’s upcoming action-RPG for PlayStation 4, still coming our way from the E3 expo in Los Angeles, even two weeks after the end of the event.

We start with an interview over at Destructoid, which discusses the game’s various incarnations, what convinced the designer to opt for the current game design, and the story of the game and its protagonist:

I asked Yasuda what rescued the title from development hell, wondering if there was a particular catalyst that caused Koei Tecmo to finally move ahead with production. In a moment of candor, he said From Software’s Souls series and its hardcore following had a significant impact on Team Ninja.

“As anyone can see, we have that influence,” Yasuda said via an interpreter. “We have a lot of Souls fans on our design team. It’s not something we’re trying to hide. There’s an obvious inspiration there.

“Of course, it’s an honor to be compared to a series we ourselves love, but we also really want Nioh to be recognized as its own unique thing,” Yasuda added. “If people spend time with Nioh and play it, I think they will discover the unique qualities the game brings to the table.”

Fextralife also has an interview:

FL: How does matchmaking work in online play? Are you matched up by level, gear or something else? In the Alpha, you could only summon one other player so is that still the case or are there any plans to increase that number?

Yasuda: For the moment there have been no conditions for matchmaking, but we do want to make it so that people on the same stage or with same level would be more likely to be matched together for Co-Op. However what exact form this matchmaking and co-op system takes is still in development as of now.

FL: Will there be any PvP? If yes, how would it work?

Yasuda: For the time being, our main focus will be on the singleplayer campaign and co-op. Although in the future we may want to incorporate some PvP on a smaller scale, like duels in a small arena or something of that nature. We will announce more on that as we have the details in the future.

FL: With durability being removed, will there be a replacement system put in place or will there be no equivalent in the game?

Yasuda: It wouldn’t be as fun if we simply got rid of a feature and didn’t replace it with something else. So we have replaced it with a “familiarity” system, which is inspired by the traditional Japanese belief that every day objects have a spirit residing in them. So the longer you use a weapon, the stronger it gets, with that spirit making a deeper connection with the user. So it adds a kind of strategic element where you will ask yourself – do I use that really strong weapon I just picked up or should I continue using this weapon that I have had since the beginning?

PlayStation Universe concludes the interview part of our round-up:

Looks like the combat has advanced from the alpha version?

Yes, firearms are something that have been added since the alpha version so switching between melee weapons and firearms is new. Also, switching between dual-wielding and single-wielding blades is new. With a single katana, each stroke has more impact. Then with dual-wielding, you have more speed and it’s more nimble.

What were the main takeaways the team learned from the alpha demo?

This is supposed to be a challenging, difficult game, where you keep dying as you learn the mechanics. But there is a difference between something being challenging due to difficulty versus the design being unfair or counterintuitive to the player. We were able to get feedback, for example, on the camera lock-on system. The way the camera behaves while locking on was something fans felt punished them in an unfair way and not in a fun, challenging way. So that’s one aspect we sought out to change.

RPGFan has a preview:

The demo opened with a tutorial, which was added after fans voiced concerns that the game seemed to throw the player to the sharks and never look back. It introduced protagonist William’s three attack stances, a Ki absorption mechanic, and a few other basics before beginning the action in earnest. I appreciated how easy it was to become acclimated to the controls, but combat itself retained the hard edge I expected it would. Enemies are aggressive and quickly exhaust William’s stamina by forcing him to dodge and block their flurry of attacks. A harsh penalty for running out of stamina remains: William is temporarily stunned and left open to deadly strikes that have the potential to kill him instantly. Thus, the player must be defensive, but not excessively so. I found it difficult to strike a balance between attacking and backing off, which I suspect is due to the demo’s stamina-light character build. I’m willing to admit that I could also have simply been playing poorly, though I still think combat could use some fine-tuning.

Finally, Neoseeker and Twitch have some gameplay footage.