Nioh Remastered: The Complete Edition

Presentation

Nioh Remastered: The Complete Edition brings together the entirety of the first Nioh and its three expansions in a remastered version for PlayStation 5. The player takes control of William, a Western warrior who arrives in Japan at the end of the Sengoku period, as wars between lords, Amrita and the growing presence of yokai turn the country into an especially dangerous land.

The game is built around a fast but demanding combat system where every attack, dodge and guard action consumes Ki. Completely draining this resource can leave William vulnerable, while the Ki Pulse allows part of it to be recovered quickly after an attack when performed with the correct timing. This mechanic forms one of the foundations of combat rhythm and encourages players to alternate offense and recovery rather than attacking without restraint.

Each weapon can be used through three stances. High stance favors slower and more powerful attacks, low stance prioritizes speed and mobility, while mid stance provides a more balanced approach. Switching regularly between stances makes it possible to adapt reach, Ki consumption and attack strings to the enemy or situation.

William can use several weapon families, including katana, dual katana, spears, axes and kusarigama, with the expansions notably adding the odachi and tonfa. Each category has its own techniques and skills, allowing the player to gradually build a style around one or several weapons rather than simply replacing equipment whenever a higher-stat item appears.

Guardian Spirits form one of the game's main supernatural systems. They provide different bonuses and allow Living Weapon to be activated once the corresponding gauge is charged. William then temporarily channels the power of his Guardian Spirit into his weapon, giving him a particularly powerful way to turn around difficult situations.

Onmyo magic and ninjutsu further expand the combat possibilities. Talismans, elemental effects, projectiles and various techniques can be used to exploit enemy weaknesses or prepare for an encounter before entering direct melee combat. These systems can be combined with traditional weapons rather than functioning as completely separate paths.

Yokai also alter the battlefield by generating areas where natural Ki recovery is heavily disrupted. A properly executed Ki Pulse can purify these spaces, turning stamina management into both an offensive and defensive tool against supernatural creatures.

Exploration is organized around separate missions and regions. Villages, temples, caves, battlefields and fortresses contain main routes, side paths, shortcuts and optional enemies. Shrines act as resting and progression points, but using them also causes some defeated enemies to reappear.

When William dies, he leaves behind the Amrita he was carrying. He can attempt to return to the place of defeat and recover it, but dying again before reaching it causes it to be lost. This resource is notably used to improve the character's attributes, adding another layer of risk to the decision of whether to keep exploring or return to a shrine.

Progression relies heavily on equipment collection. Weapons and armor come in different rarities, stat ranges and property combinations. The large amount of loot allows the player's build to be adjusted continuously, while the blacksmith provides various options for crafting, improving or managing equipment.

Kodama hidden throughout the levels also reward exploration. Finding these small spirits and guiding them back to shrines can provide different blessings, giving additional value to hidden routes and secondary areas.

Traces left by other players also contribute to the world. Certain graves indicate where another warrior died and allow the player to fight their Revenant, controlled by the game using that player's equipment. Defeating it can provide access to some of that gear and introduces an asynchronous online element into exploration.

The Complete Edition includes all three narrative expansions. Dragon of the North continues William's journey in the Tohoku region around Date Masamune and notably introduces the odachi. Defiant Honor takes him into the winter campaign of the Siege of Osaka, where he faces figures including Sanada Yukimura and gains access to the tonfa. Bloodshed's End directly continues those events with the summer campaign of the Siege of Osaka and concludes William's story.

The game can be played entirely in single-player, but it also includes online features that allow players to receive help from others or complete certain missions together. Cooperation remains complementary to a progression structure designed to preserve Nioh's demanding combat.

Key points

• The remastered and complete PlayStation 5 edition of the first Nioh.
• A demanding action RPG set in a Sengoku-era Japan blending history and fantasy.
• William, a Western samurai fighting both human warriors and yokai.
• A combat system built around Ki and Ki Pulse management.
• Three combat stances for each weapon: high, mid and low.
• Several weapon families with their own techniques and progression trees.
• Guardian Spirits that provide different bonuses and access to Living Weapon.
• Onmyo magic and ninjutsu expand martial options.
• Supernatural zones created by yokai disrupt Ki recovery.
• Progression structured around separate missions and regions, not an open world.
• A large loot system with weapons and armor offering varied properties.
• Amrita lost on death can be recovered by returning to the place of defeat.
• Kodama and hidden paths encourage thorough exploration.
• Revenants allow players to fight traces of other fallen warriors.
• All three expansions — Dragon of the North, Defiant Honor and Bloodshed's End — are included.
• The PS5 version notably offers 4K, up to 120 fps and faster loading.

Conclusion

Nioh Remastered: The Complete Edition brings William's entire journey together in a version that preserves the full depth of the original combat system. Ki, Ki Pulse, stance switching and mastery of the different weapons require players to understand the rhythm of each encounter rather than relying only on equipment or character statistics.

Guardian Spirits, Living Weapon, Onmyo magic and ninjutsu add several layers of customization to this martial foundation. The loot system expands that freedom even further by supporting very different builds around weapons, armor and the bonuses found throughout the game.

The three expansions then continue the story directly after the main campaign and take William through the last major conflicts of the Sengoku era. The remastered edition therefore functions as a complete package containing the base game and all of its narrative continuation while adapting its technical performance to PlayStation 5 hardware.

Good to know

Nioh Remastered: The Complete Edition was developed by Team NINJA and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment on PlayStation 5.

This edition was released on February 5, 2021 for PlayStation 5, notably as part of The Nioh Collection, which brings together the complete remastered versions of Nioh and Nioh 2.

It includes the base game and all three expansions: Dragon of the North, Defiant Honor and Bloodshed's End. Together, they cover the entire published journey of William in the first game.

The PlayStation 5 version supports resolution up to 4K, significantly reduced loading times and a mode capable of reaching 120 frames per second when used with a compatible display.

Save data from the PlayStation 4 version can be transferred to the PlayStation 5 version, allowing an existing playthrough to continue in the remaster.

The original Nioh was first released in 2017. Nioh: Complete Edition, which already included the base game and its three expansions, was subsequently released that same year on PlayStation 4 and PC. Nioh Remastered: The Complete Edition specifically refers to the PlayStation 5 remaster of that complete package.

The three expansions continue chronologically after the main campaign: Dragon of the North takes place in the Tohoku region, while Defiant Honor and Bloodshed's End follow the winter and summer campaigns of the Siege of Osaka respectively.

This entry specifically covers Nioh Remastered: The Complete Edition. It should not be confused with the original 2017 release of Nioh or with Nioh: Complete Edition, even though they share the same narrative content and three expansions.