Nioh 3 Guide – 15 Best Tips and Trick to Keep in Mind

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For fans of challenging action-RPGs like Nioh 3, this game is a real pleasure. It builds on the already excellent combat with some exciting new features, and its expansive world encourages exploration – you might even forget about the main story as you search for better gear, battle new enemies, and unlock skills. Just be aware that, like previous games in the series, Nioh 3 doesn’t offer much guidance, so it’s a demanding experience.

Surviving in this game’s harsh world is tough, with enemies lurking around every corner. But don’t worry! We’ve discovered some helpful tips the game doesn’t explain, and focusing on these will make your experience much easier.

Let’s dive in!

1. Master Your Burst Counters

In Nioh 3, every enemy uses special, powerful attacks called Burst Attacks. You’ll know they’re coming because the enemy glows red and makes a distinct sound. Unlike regular attacks, you can’t block Burst Attacks. While dodging is an option, perfectly timing a Burst Counter will stop the attack completely and significantly drain the enemy’s Ki.

When facing a new enemy or boss, pay attention to when they attack. Learning these timings will help you avoid damage and gain an advantage. It can be challenging, but with patience and practice, you’ll be able to anticipate their moves.

2. Learn Enemy Attack Animations

As a big fan of Nioh 3, I can tell you combat isn’t about rushing in. It’s all about being smooth, careful, and chipping away at your enemy’s defenses with well-timed, powerful attacks. You really need to hang back and study what your opponents are doing, especially when it comes to the bosses. They hit hard, and they just keep coming, so understanding their patterns is key to survival!

Understanding how your enemies attack is key to developing a winning strategy. The first bosses in the game have predictable patterns that you can learn, making them much easier to defeat by taking advantage of every small opportunity. Think of them as practice for tougher challenges, so don’t rush through them.

3. Master Ki Management

In this game, balancing your own stamina is key, but it’s just as important to consistently attack your opponents to deplete theirs. If you stay patient and keep the pressure on, enemies will tire out quickly, giving you openings to deal significant damage.

The Ninja fighting style lets you keep attacking even while dodging enemy strikes. Similarly, the Samurai’s Parry ability is effective for this, as it also deals a good amount of Ki damage.

4. Don’t Sleep On The Samurai’s Stances

The fighting style of the Samurai feels familiar to those who played Nioh 2, using the same effective stances. You start with the Mid stance available, but it’s worth unlocking the Low and High stances early on by spending a few skill points.

Okay, so I’ve figured out a really effective way to play. Using the High stance lets me add a little extra punch to my combos, which is awesome. But the Low stance is where it’s at for draining an opponent’s Ki – basically, taking away their special move energy. If I keep switching between the two, and then throw in some Ninja style moves when we’re far apart, I can deplete their Ki way faster than just trying to do it normally. It’s a game-changer, honestly!

5. Explore, Explore

The main challenges, known as Crucibles, are really tough and can quickly lead to defeat. However, taking the time to explore the areas around these challenges will reveal opportunities to strengthen your character, making the challenges themselves much more manageable.

You might find an Enemy Base with a small number of enemies, which will give you experience points and good loot. Alternatively, you could discover a Lesser Crucible – it’ll be tough, but the rewards are excellent.

6. Check the Recommended Level Of An Area Before You Explore It

The world in Nioh 3 is huge, but the developers have broken it down into smaller, more manageable sections. Each section shows a recommended character level on the map, which is helpful for efficient experience gain. It’s best to focus on areas where your level is close to, or just a bit higher than, the recommendation while you explore.

You can also become stronger than the game suggests by repeatedly defeating enemies, and then easily dominate the area. We tested it out, and it’s really enjoyable!

7. Abuse Your Ninja Style

While you’re playing, you’ll encounter basic enemies that like to hover on rooftops or in the air, just out of your reach, and bother you with ranged attacks. The Ninja Style is perfect for dealing with these enemies, letting you attack from a distance and take them out easily.

Beyond just basic attacks, you’ll quickly unlock powerful elemental bombs that deal area-of-effect damage. These are especially useful for quickly eliminating large groups of weaker enemies, like the Gaki. They’re also great for applying elemental effects and taking advantage of enemy vulnerabilities. Plus, the bombs significantly improve your ability to evade attacks and create space in combat, especially with a few initial upgrades.

8. Complete Enemy Camps ASAP

It’s best to tackle Enemy Camps right away when you find them. They’re usually simpler than Lesser Crucibles and often contain Samurai or Ninja Locks, which are needed to improve those skills. Plus, you have a good chance of learning new abilities you can use after returning to a respawn point.

The game’s improved stealth features let you quietly eliminate lone enemies to gain an advantage before tackling larger groups. Just play cautiously, and you’ll be successful.

9. Activate Auto Pickup

Similar to previous games in the Nioh series, Nioh 3 has a lot of loot dropped by enemies and found in chests. Picking up everything individually can become repetitive, but thankfully, the game has an auto-pick-up feature. Make sure to enable it in the settings before you start playing so your inventory automatically collects useful items and gear, which you can review whenever you have time.

Okay, so as I’m playing, I always make sure to check my gear. It’s super important to keep my Samurai and Ninja skills upgraded – I’m talking maxing out the damage, defense, and any special perks they have. Gotta be ready to take down those yokai when they stumble into my blade!

10. Time your Ki Pulses 

When using Ki Pulse to recover stamina, the game doesn’t explicitly tell you to time it right. Watch your stamina bar closely and press the button only when the white portion is full – this will restore all your stamina at once.

Each weapon feels different, but you’ll quickly learn the timing for your favorite combos. In Nioh 3, keeping track of your Ki (energy) is crucial for survival, and mastering the timing of your Ki pulses is a key part of combat.

11. Use The Ninja Right

The Ninja excels at taking down opponents from afar, but is also surprisingly powerful up close. Its enhanced dodging skills let you slip past enemy attacks and strike from behind for extra damage, making it a versatile and dangerous fighter.

We discovered that enemies lose health incredibly quickly, even faster than using a powerful Samurai attack. Getting back into the fight is simple with a well-timed dodge. It’s best to use all your Ninjutsu abilities first, then briefly switch to the Samurai style for a few attacks to recharge your Ninjutsu, and then repeat this process.

12. Use Your Ranged Weapons Right

Both the Longbow and Matchlock Rifle are effective at taking down enemies from afar, but accuracy is key. Try to stay hidden and position yourself at a good distance before attacking. A well-aimed shot to the head can instantly defeat weaker enemies without helmets, and may even work on tougher ones depending on your character’s level.

These techniques are excellent for exploiting an enemy yokai’s weaknesses, rapidly depleting their energy before they can react. If successful, this can also create a chance to deliver a powerful, finishing blow.

13. Pick A Couple Of Favorite Weapons

The game has many different skills for each weapon. It’s best to choose a couple of weapons you enjoy for your Samurai and Ninja characters and focus on those. This way, you can spend your skill points wisely, unlock stronger abilities faster, and become more powerful than if you tried to learn everything.

Early in the game, you don’t have enough points to be good at everything, so it’s best to pick a fighting style you enjoy and stick with it. Focusing on a few weapons and getting really good with them will significantly increase your damage. Just keep practicing with the weapons you like, and you’ll improve quickly.

14. Be Smart About Your Stats

Although the open world in Nioh 3 makes leveling up a bit easier, it’s still important to carefully choose where you put your stat points. We suggest focusing on weapon types that benefit from either Strength or Skill, assigning them to your Samurai and Ninja classes, and then maximizing the corresponding stat for a damage boost. After that, prioritize Constitution, Heart, and Stamina. If you prefer magic, then focus on Magic and Intelligence instead of physical attacks.

This will be a big help in challenging areas where enemies are tougher and more resilient.

15. Pick Your Revenants Wisely

Bloody Graves are a fantastic source of useful items and Ochoko Cups, which are essential for getting help during challenging fights at Lesser Crucibles or against bosses. To maximize your rewards, focus on defeating Revenants that are around your level – or slightly higher – as they offer better gear to use in battle.

Finding better gear in Nioh 3 is crucial for survival, as it provides increased durability and damage – both of which are essential in the game’s challenging world.

That concludes our tips to help you enjoy your experience in feudal Japan. Becoming Shogun will be more achievable as you expand your influence, and we’ll be here to support you throughout your adventure.

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2026-02-10 21:46