At this year's Tokyo Game Show 2025 I had a chance to play Nioh 3 – the latest title from the workshop Team Ninja, a studio known for its relentless combat and precise game design. Although I only played the demo for about thirty minutes, it was enough to realize that the series is coming back in style, bringing a sense of depth and weight rarely seen in modern action games.
First impression: a perfect combination of realism and mythology
From the first step through the fog-shrouded village, Nioh 3 jasno daje do znanja da cilja visoko. Vizualna presentation je zadivljujuća - teksture, osvjetljenis and detalji okoliša djeluju gotovo fotorealistično, a efekti vatre, dthere is i kiše stvaparadiseu atmosferu who se doshuntingno može “osjetiti”. Game koristi novu version internog engine-a, what se vidi u svakom kadru: fizika pokreta, sudari oružja, and even sitni detalji like otisaka stopala u snijegu djeluju nevjerojatno prirodno.
Everything worked flawlessly in the demo version. I didn't encounter a single glitch or bug, and the performance was stable, but I heard that the team is still working on optimizing the open-world part of the game.
A fight that pulls you in
The biggest impression, however, is the combat system. Nioh 3 takes over the well-known formula of precise, tactical battles, but further deepens it. The player can now choose between two fighting styles Samurai i Ninja, and can switch between them mid-fight. The Samurai style brings strength and defensive security, while the Ninja style allows for fast, acrobatic maneuvers and the use of tricks like smoke and clones.
The most interesting addition is Style Shift, a mechanic that allows you to change your style at the right moment and counter the enemy while performing a power attack. That moment when you hit everything exactly to the second provides that familiar feeling of adrenaline and satisfaction that is the core of the Nioh series.
The battles are hard, but fair, every failure is felt, every victory is rewarding. Weapon physics feel real, every hit has weight, and every block sounds like steel colliding with steel.
A world that breathes through details
Even on the limited space of the demo version, Nioh 3 it shows how much attention he pays to the atmosphere. The sound of wind, distant drums, flickering lamps and eerie sighs of yokai creatures create a sense of presence. There is no "fast passage" through the world, every location makes you stop, look around and feel the weight of time and struggle.
Although I didn't get to try the open-world part of the game, I get the impression that Team Ninja is going for greater openness and freedom of access, but without sacrificing that sense of tension and precision that the series is known for.
Conclusion
After 30 minutes spent in Nioh 3, I can say that the game left an extremely strong impression. Physical fidelity, perfect graphics and a deep combat system make it one of the most anticipated action games of the coming year.
If the rest of the game maintains this level of quality and technical stability, Nioh 3 could easily become the new standard in the genre.
For now – clean nine in the announcement.
