* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Nioh 2
仁王2
A 2020 action RPG developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo, set as a prequel to the original "Nioh." Players take on a half-yokai "Hunter" who crosses blades with demonic foes while encountering real Sengoku-period warlords along the way.
Description
Overview
"Nioh 2" is an action RPG developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo, released in March 2020 for PlayStation 4, with PC and PlayStation 5 versions following later. Serving as a prequel to the original "Nioh" (2017), the game is set during the Sengoku period and casts the player as a half-human, half-yokai "Hunter" who wields swords, naginata, and dual blades alongside supernatural "Yokai Shift" abilities against demonic enemies.
Real Warlords and Historical Ties
The story features numerous real Sengoku-period figures, including Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Akechi Mitsuhide, Ishida Mitsunari, and Sanada Yukimura (Nobushige), and its plot draws on historical events such as the Honno-ji Incident and the Battle of Okehazama. On the swordsmithing side, an NPC blacksmith named Muramasa Senji, presented as a descendant of the famed smith Muramasa, plays a role in the game's weapon-forging systems; this is a fictionalized character modeled on the historical smith rather than a depiction of any specific surviving named blade appearing as an in-game item.
Gameplay
The game overhauls its weapon lineup from the first title (katana, dual swords, tonfa, naginata, odachi, and more) and centers its high-difficulty action around a "Burst Counter" system for deflecting enemy attacks and breaking their stance ("Ki" gauge). Players can switch between multiple combat stances and schools of technique to build their fighting style.
Cultural Impact
"Nioh 2" was received even more favorably than its predecessor and is widely regarded as the series' defining entry. Its fusion of historically grounded Sengoku-period figures and events with Japanese folkloric motifs of yokai and the supernatural earned it acclaim both domestically and abroad, and the franchise has continued to expand, with a sequel, "Nioh 3," announced in 2024.
Real Swords Featured
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