Nioh 3

Nioh 3 is an action role-playing game played from a third-person perspective. In the game, the player controls Tokugawa Takechiyo, the grandchild of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who battles yokai and supernatural beings as they ascend to the role of Shogun. Similar to Nioh 2, players will be able to fully customize the protagonist's appearance.

The game features two distinct playstyles. The Samurai style plays similarly to previous Nioh games, with players having access to three weapon stances. Combat actions consume Ki, but players can use "Ki Pulse" to restore stamina after performing a combo or attack. As players deal damage to enemies, their "Arts Proficiency" gradually increases.

In 1622, Edo Castle stands on the brink of the protagonist Tokugawa Takechiyo's imminent appointment as the next Shogun. Takechiyo's younger brother, Tokugawa Kunimatsu, consumed by hatred toward his sibling's succession, falls into darkness. Empowered by a sinister force, he leads a horde of yokai in a fierce assault against Takechiyo. The era of peace suddenly turns into hell, and in dire straits, Takechiyo transcends time to change fate and save Japan through the mysterious power of his guardian spirit, Kusanagi.

Over the course of their journey, apart from the early Edo period, Takechiyo also ventures into the Sengoku, Heian and Bakumatsu eras, encountering both returning and new historical characters such as Himiko, Saito Fuku (who is now the protagonist's wet nurse and Onmyo magic mentor), Hattori Hanzo, Honda Tadakatsu, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Yagyu Munenori and Takasugi Shinsaku. Takechiyo also comes into conflict with individuals such as Takeda Shingen, Minamoto no Yoritomo, Okita Sōji and Tokugawa Yoshinobu.

Nioh 3 is developed by Koei Tecmo division Team Ninja, marking it as the first game in the series without involvement from fellow division Kou Shibusawa (though Shibusawa himself returns as executive producer) and publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment. Fumihiko Yasuda, director of the previous games, serves as general producer. Yasuda said that the team wanted to "create a new kind of action that would act as a major centerpiece" that marked the evolution of the Nioh gameplay formula. Popularity of ninjas in areas outside of Japan and the team's experience making Ninja Gaiden games also contributed to the decision.

To further differentiate the gameplay between Samurai and Ninja, the team decided not to give Ninja Ki Pulse, despite it being one of the signature gameplay elements in past games. However, the game does not limit players to any one playstyle. Players can freely switch between the two playstyles as the team wanted to give them freedom in how they want to approach a challenge.

Nioh 3 received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received "mighty" approval, being recommended by 94% critics.

The game reached 88,045 concurrent players on Steam during its launch week, doubling the record set by Nioh 2. By February 20, the game had sold more than 1 million copies, pushing the franchise's culmulative sales to 10 million.