Nioh will have its second installment coming to PS4. For those unaware, the Alpha demo started on the May 24th and ended June 2nd. I’ll be unpacking all it had to offer, new and old to the game. The Alpha test revealed a game that carries over much from the original while bringing some new changes.

The Alpha test featured three missions, two regular ones and a harder “twilight mission,” which is just about enough content to have impressions on. The first difference in starting the Alpha is the brand new character creator, which is quite a refreshing change; although there were only a few limited presets to choose from during the Alpha. There were no cut scenes whatsoever, just gameplay. So little is known about the story or events of Nioh 2.

Much like the first game, Nioh 2 brings tough, quality based gameplay similar to the Souls series but added some new unique changes to the formula. Players of the first Nioh will feel right at home with familiar weapons, armor, and playstyle, but will also be kept entertained with the new features it has.

Returning features include light and heavy attacks used for three different stances – low stance for agile but weaker attacks, mid stance for balanced attacks, and the high stance for slow heavy attacks. Just like its’ predecessor, attacking in Nioh 2 uses up stamina known as Ki. Ki can be recovered by utilizing a Ki burst, pushing a button at just the right moment during combat. Mastering each stance to better fit your playstyle is recommended.

Apart from the mechanics, weapons such as Katanas, Odachis, and Spears, returned in the Alpha. They work similarly, if not identically, to the first Nioh. The one new weapon type available, the dual hatchets, are similar to the dual blades of the original game with their short reach and rapid attacks. They can also be thrown by holding the strong attack button, which is a good practical move for dealing with enemies from afar.

Features new to Nioh 2 include Yokai and Blessed weapons. Yokai weapons build up the Corruption status in enemies. Once enemies get afflicted with Corruption they take increased Ki and Yokai force, which can also affect the player. They also have a “Sentience gauge” which fills up when attacking and “awakens” the weapon when full, increasing its damage.

Blessed weapons apply the Purity effect on enemies, which increases Ki damage dealt. However, Blessed weapons will also allow you to recover lost Ki from blocking with a Ki pulse, just as when attacking. This is improved greatly from Nioh, where blocking uses up more Ki than simply moving away from attacks. Yokai and Blessed weapons are quite rare and valuable. They can sometimes be found in chests or as rare drops from enemies.

Also new to Nioh 2 are Yokai powers: Yokai Skills and Yokai Shift. Yokai Skills are abilities found in Yokai Cores that are dropped from Yokai type enemies. These skills allow you to use their abilities for yourself. These abilities, such as the Flaming Vortex of the Enenra boss, provide more options to deal with different situations.

Yokai Skills use a new resource in Nioh 2 called Yokai Force, which is recovered through normal attacks, as well as the through the equivalent of a Ki pulse after using a skill. You can have two Yokai Forces equipped at once and each one has an equipment cost, so you can only add to skills that fit the equipment cost.

Meanwhile, Yokai Shift is Nioh 2’s replacement to Living Weapon from the first game. When your spirit gauge is full, you can temporarily transform into a Yokai yourself and return to normal when the bar depletes. You don’t take damage in this mode, but the more attacks you take, the more the bar depletes. While astonishing to look at, I found the attack damage quite lacking. For something so grand in looks, there’s not much else. This is disappointing, as it was the main cause of hype coming from Nioh 2‘s E3 reveal last year. Here’s hoping it gets a buff Before release.

We also have the spirit realm, which was a bit jarring to me at first, as it caught me totally off guard. It includes a whole lot more Yokai in one area than usual, and you’ll notice your character’s Yokai horns begin to glow, as well as a change in color and visuals when in the spirit realm. You might also notice the spike in difficulty, at least regarding the Yokai, with no warning. This was all a bit too instant for my liking. However, the look and aesthetic of the realm is interesting nonetheless.

Adding to the disappointing bits of the Alpha, enemy variety is still lacking, especially the Yokai enemies. There isn’t much difference since the last Nioh except the new half snake-half woman enemy, Nure-Onna, that poses quite a challenge at least at first. The combat, while good, is still much of the same since the last game.

As it is right now, Nioh 2 brings a lot from the first game. At times, you can barely see the difference between the two games, despite the few changes and boost in display and graphics. A lot of the weaknesses from the first game exists here as well. Though that doesn’t mean the experience of Nioh 2 isn’t fun and rewarding. This is just an Alpha, so hopefully, a lot of things are yet to change.

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