Nioh 3 review roundup: Team Ninja nails the open field design that worried fans

When Nioh 3 was first announced, the reveal of its "open field" level design sent a ripple of concern through the fanbase. After Rise of the Ronin landed as a somewhat diluted take on the Nioh formula stretched across an open world, fans had reason to be skeptical about Team Ninja going broad again.

According to VG247's review, those fears turned out to be unfounded. The outlet calls Nioh 3 Team Ninja's most accomplished action game to date - high praise for a studio that already had two strong entries and the excellent Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty under its belt.

A more welcoming Nioh without sacrificing depth

The review highlights that Nioh 3 also earns the distinction of being the series' most accessible entry. That's a meaningful claim for a franchise known for punishing players with deep loot systems, stances, and ki pulse mechanics that take real time to internalize. Making that approachable without gutting what makes the series special is a genuine design challenge.

The open field structure, rather than fragmenting the experience the way open worlds often do to action games, appears to complement Nioh 3's design rather than work against it. The distinction between a traditional open world and an "open field" approach suggests Team Ninja found a middle ground - something more expansive than the mission-based corridors of the original games, but without the padding and empty space that plagued Rise of the Ronin.

What this means for the series going forward

Nioh as a franchise has always sat in an interesting position in the soulslike space - mechanically deeper than most competitors, but also niche enough that it never quite broke into mainstream conversation the way Elden Ring did. If Nioh 3 genuinely lowers the barrier to entry while delivering the series' best action, that could shift things considerably.

For existing fans, "most accomplished" from a studio this experienced is exactly the kind of validation that makes a day-one purchase easy to justify. For players who bounced off earlier entries, the accessibility angle might be worth a second look.

Nioh 3 is available now on PC, with the full review from VG247 available at their site for the complete breakdown.