Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
Nioh 3
Nioh 3 continues the dark samurai action RPG series, letting players switch between samurai and ninja combat styles. In an open world full of yokai, they face demanding boss battles in the series' signature Souls-like style.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Soulslike / Action, set in a historical period. Visually it is going for realism, and the overall tone stays dark throughout. The world is open, so wandering off and ignoring the main path is part of the deal. It rewards long uninterrupted stretches more than quick check-ins.
It is genuinely demanding, and repeated failure is part of how it is designed. The story matters and gives the mechanics a frame, without taking over. It is a single player experience from start to finish. It runs on 2 platforms. It is a full price release.
What stands out
- Samurai and ninja
- Open world
- Demanding boss fights
This fits you if
- you are after a proper adrenaline rush
- exploring for its own sake is the point for you
- you can sit down for a proper long stretch without interruptions
- you like getting lost and ignoring the main objective for hours
- you want real resistance and are fine with dying a lot
- you play alone and want a complete experience without other people
Look elsewhere if
- you want to relax and not be punished for mistakes
- you only ever get short bursts of play time
- you want something light and easy going
- you are not willing to pay full price right now
What it costs you in time
About 55 hours in total. At three evenings a week and two hours each, you will be busy for roughly 9 weeks, or 28 sessions.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 90 out of 100, which puts it above 85 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 155 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, Soulslike averages 85 points across the database, so this one sits 5 points above its own genre. The figure rests on a comparatively small number of ratings, so treat it as an indication rather than a verdict.
Released in 2026, so it is current. Expect it to run well on modern hardware and still get patches.
The facts
- Release year
- 2026
- Genres
- Soulslike, Action, RPG
- Playtime
- approx. 55 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Demanding, punishing
- Story weight
- Present and relevant
- Play with
- Solo
- Setting
- Historical, Fantasy
- Visual style
- Realistic
- Price bracket
- Full price
- Platforms
- PC, PlayStation
- Critic rating
- 90 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nioh 3 | 2026 | approx. 55 hrs. | 90 | Full price |
| Lies of P | 2023 | approx. 30 hrs. | 86 | Mid price |
| Elden Ring | 2022 | approx. 60 hrs. | 97 | Mid price |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 2024 | approx. 35 hrs. | 88 | Full price |
If you liked this, try these
- Lies of P Shared: Soulslike, Action, Historical, shorter
- Elden Ring Shared: Soulslike, Action, Fantasy, rated higher
- Black Myth: Wukong Shared: Soulslike, Action, Historical, shorter
- Dark Souls III Shared: Soulslike, Action, Fantasy, shorter
- Nioh 2 Shared: Soulslike, Action, Historical
- Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Shared: Soulslike, Action, Historical, shorter