Nioh 3 Puts Its Toughest Test Right at the Start
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Nioh 3 introduces an open-world design to the series, but players must first survive a notoriously brutal tutorial boss named Yamagata Masakage before they can explore freely.
Team Ninja is back with Nioh 3, and the studio is shaking up its traditional formula by shifting to a sprawling open-world design. Players now have the freedom to explore vast maps across the Warring States period, meaning you can simply walk away from a brutal boss, grind out some levels elsewhere, and return when you are properly geared. It is a welcome change of pace that brings the franchise closer to the modern open-world philosophies seen in other major action RPGs. You can wander off and find new ground instead of endlessly farming the same encounters for experience points.
There is a major catch, however, because this newfound freedom only unlocks after you survive the game's intense opening hours. Before the open world opens up, players have to clear a mandatory tutorial sequence that culminates in a massive difficulty spike against Yamagata Masakage. As reported by Polygon, this early encounter serves as an unforgiving wall for veterans and newcomers alike. You are dropped into a fight with limited healing items, a bare-bones moveset, and zero option to out-level the threat through exploration.
While Masakage is essentially a standard human adversary without any reality-warping supernatural phases, his relentless aggression and massive health pool make him an absolute nightmare for players who are still getting used to the mechanics. The fight demands mastery of Ki recovery and timing-heavy defensive moves before you even understand the rhythm of the game. For anyone diving into Nioh 3 right now, the key takeaway is resilience. Pushing past this initial roadblock unlocks a phenomenal, deep experience that rewards your patience once the combat systems finally click.
Tags: Nioh 3, Team Ninja, Action RPG, Soulslike, PC Gaming
Original article: Polygon