The story of Nioh 3 is set in a fantasy version of the Sengoku period and puts players in the shoes of Tokugawa Takechiyo, who is about to become the next shogun. Kunimatsu, the younger brother, does not accept the succession and after succumbing to darkness he enlists the help of a sinister force made up of a horde of yokai to go against Takechiyo. To stop his brother and put an end to the civil war he has started, Takechiyo begins a journey that will take him through time thanks to the power of Kusanagi, a guardian spirit. This tour of history includes the Edo, Sengoku, Heian and Bakumatsu periods.
To stop his little brother's plans, Tokugawa must confront Purgatory, a realm consumed by negative energy born from malevolent and harmful thoughts that torment others. To purify Purgatory, its energy source must be destroyed.
As in any other action RPG, one of the most important elements of Nioh 3 is the combat system, which in this installment is based on two types of tactics: Samurai and Ninja. Samurai is a style that increases the power of martial arts and can block enemy attacks. If protected at the right time, Ki is recovered and both the Art and Ninjutsu gauge increases. The Ninja stands out for his fast, evasive movements and aerial actions that he executes using Ninjutsu techniques. This style allows you to attack from a distance with shuriken stars and special moves as well as dodge enemy attacks to obtain the same benefits as the Samurai style with the deflect maneuver.
Nioh 3's combat system is complemented by the power of guardian spirits to execute powerful attacks. These skills can be useful for exploration because they allow you to jump over cliffs or destroy large rocks that block your path. These exploration options will be useful considering that Nioh 3 presents new possibilities with an open world that «offers total freedom of exploration», a feature that Team Ninja says does not detract from the «intensity» of its saga.
Nioh 3's post-launch content plan includes the release of two add-ons, each of which will add new stories, yokai, bosses, and gear. The season pass with both expansions costs 39.99 euros.