If FromSoftware¡¯s games were a painting, they would be a Goya ¡ª darkly visceral, yet marked by a restraint that deepens their artful gloom. The Nioh franchise, by contrast, has all the manic, infernal frenzy of a Hieronymus Bosch.
Since 2017, Nioh¡¯s eclectic mix of heavily altered Japanese history and folklore, high-velocity combat and plots that care more about spectacle than sense has kept the series largely in the shadow of other hardcore action role-playing games ¡ª often dubbed ¡°soulslikes,¡± after the FromSoftware-developed Dark Souls franchise credited with popularizing the genre.
However, the Nioh series¡¯ latest entry represents a sea change in quality. Set for release Feb. 6, is not only the strongest game in the franchise but also makes a convincing case as an early contender for game of the year.
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