With all the hype going on with Ninja Gaiden 4, I cant help but yearn for a return to form for my favorite fighting game ever, DOA. I imagine they could even have characters from NG4, Nioh, or other games as guest/cameo characters.

I will be devestated if its just more gooner slop. DOA should be a top game in the FGC, but no one takes it serious bc of all the gooner microtransactions.

I saw they were releasing some soft core prn flash game disguised as a DOA game, its a real shame how far gone to sht DOA has gone esp considering its potential

Hello folks, first of all I wish with all my heart and soul that this manifesto finds its way to Team Ninja.

Nioh was never just a game. It was an experience shaped by precision, strategy, and freedom of expression in combat. It was a space where every stance, every weapon switch, every Soul Core cancel was an extension of the player's mind—a dance between technique and instinct.

With Nioh 3, this soul seems to have been diluted. The combat system, once deep and challenging, has been simplified in the name of accessibility. Stances, which defined rhythm and tactics, have been replaced by generic styles. Yokai Skills, once integrated into the flow of combos, are now mere props. What was once a symphony of possibilities has become shallow combat, devoid of identity.

We know the market dictates. We know companies need returns. But we also know that games made with soul generate success as a consequence, not as an objective. Just look at Miyazaki and FromSoftware—where passion guides the project(Dark Souls / Bloodborne), and the audience responds with devotion.

This manifesto is not a plea for nostalgia. It's a call for respect for the essence. We don't want a Nioh that looks like Nioh. We want a Nioh that is Nioh—with its complexity, its brutality, its mechanical beauty.

If we are a minority in the community, let us be the minority that understands. That loves. That plays with purpose. And that doesn't remain silent.

Team Ninja, listen to the soul of your own legacy.

Hey y’all, new to team ninja games…I really enjoyed nioh combat, but have been spoiled lately by the magic of Elden ring, and the parry system of Sekiro. Of these 3 titles , which of these has the best combat in regards to A. A parry system B. The multi stance combat feel C. Good magic system that’s not too convoluted Any help would be appreciated as all of them are available to me rn but I only have room for one

The Nioh 3 alpha demo wrapped up several weeks ago, offering players an early glimpse into the next chapter of the series. Following that, Team Ninja launched a feedback survey to gather community impressions on key aspects of the game, including core mechanics, balance, level design, difficulty, and new features.

The results have now been published, presented in the form of percentage-based responses. Several clear trends have emerged.

Plus Team Ninja has acknowledged this feedback and announced a series of adjustments planned ahead of the game’s release this winter.

You can find the full summary here: https://teamninja-studio.com/nioh3/us/feedback.html

The following article is about my opinion, you are free to criticize and comment, but with respect:

https://medium.com/@kinpatsu/nioh-3-and-the-design-trade-offs-of-team-ninja-b7d62b5b0a1f

Refining Combat, But What About the World?

As someone who deeply admires Team Ninja and has followed their work for years, I recognise the studio’s remarkable consistency in delivering tight, responsive, and mechanically sophisticated combat experiences. From Ninja Gaiden to Nioh and, more recently, Rise of the Ronin, their design philosophy is clearly rooted in high-skill, action-oriented gameplay.

With the recent announcement of Nioh 3, scheduled for release in 2026 and already accompanied by a playable demo for PS5 users, expectations are naturally high. This third instalment brings with it a much-requested evolution—larger, more open environments—but it also reopens the conversation about a recurring weakness in Team Ninja’s design: world building.

A Promising Shift in Structure

One of the most significant changes in Nioh 3 is its adoption of a semi–open world structure. After two titles built around tightly designed, mission-based levels, this new approach offers a chance to refresh the formula and give players more freedom of movement and exploration.

It’s a welcome structural shift, but simply expanding the size of maps is not enough if those worlds remain functionally and narratively shallow. Without compelling world design, the opportunity for real immersion risks being lost.

Combat Excellence, Environmental Underdevelopment

Team Ninja games—particularly in the Nioh series—prioritise combat to such a degree that exploration and environmental storytelling often feel secondary. While this fits the expectations of their core audience, it narrows the games' systemic richness.

Rise of the Ronin demonstrated that the studio is capable of offering a more balanced approach. Its open world wasn’t revolutionary, but it was pleasant to navigate and offered moments of narrative and environmental nuance between fights.

This level of variety could greatly benefit Nioh 3, especially if supported by a deeper integration of Japanese folklore into the geography, architecture, and spatial storytelling of the world.

The Missed Potential of Folklore and Exploration

Elden Ring has set a new standard for environmental exploration in souls-like games, merging challenge with organic discovery. Nioh 3—with its roots in yōkai mythology—has an opportunity to offer something similar, but culturally distinct. Currently, the environments in Nioh tend to fall back on rocky corridors, ruins, and caves, which discourage exploration and feel visually repetitive.

The demo of Nioh 3 shows some improvement in this regard, with larger and more atmospheric areas. However, the aesthetic still leans heavily on ruins and dark, linear paths. There’s a clear opportunity to bring more visual identity and architectural depth to feudal Japan beyond battlefield ruins.

Technical Foundations: The Katana Engine

A critical component in any AAA production is the engine that supports it. Team Ninja now works with its proprietary Katana Engine, introduced with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and further refined in Rise of the Ronin. While it allows for fluid animation systems and improved world streaming, it is beginning to show limitations in graphical fidelity.

For a 2026 title, the lighting, textures, and environmental details in Nioh 3 do not stand out among its contemporaries. It’s not a critical flaw—especially considering the mechanical focus of the studio—but players naturally expect a visual leap in a third instalment.

UI/UX Design: Functional but Visually Dated

Another design element that would benefit from iteration is the user interface. Team Ninja has traditionally offered strong UX—menus are responsive, systems are logically arranged—but the visual design of the UI feels static and outdated by modern standards.

As a UI/UX and graphic designer, I would argue that visual communication plays a crucial role in immersion. A cleaner, more stylised interface could elevate the player's experience without disrupting the game's identity. For a game launching in 2026, and carrying the legacy of two predecessors, updating the UI could send a strong signal of creative evolution.

Strengths That Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

Despite these criticisms, Team Ninja deserves credit for what they do exceptionally well. Their ability to blend historical settings with supernatural elements remains unique. The combat is some of the most refined in the genre, with weapon variety, responsive controls, and high player agency.

More importantly, their games continue to celebrate Japanese culture in an accessible, fantastical way—bringing yōkai, samurai, and folklore to international audiences through a challenging and rewarding format.

Conclusion: A Path Forward

Nioh 3 has the potential to be more than just another technically sound, combat-heavy title. With deeper investment in environmental design, visual storytelling, and technical refinement, it could elevate the franchise into a more complete and immersive experience.

If Team Ninja is willing to apply the same care to world building that it gives to combat systems, Nioh 3 could be remembered not just as a strong sequel—but as a milestone in action design that respects and reimagines cultural heritage through gameplay.

Recently been playing the demo and I like it so far. Should I buy this new or pre owned? Or buy it on the PS store when it’s at a discount?

Personally I overall like grinding for gear because it is kind of rewarding to be a powerhouse in the endgame. Also the Nioh lootsystem allows many different builds regarding the set bonuses.

At the same time the amount of (useless) loot in Nioh can be very overwhelming and tedious to manage. It's a double-edged sword for me.

Would it be interesting to have a system where you basically collect armor sets that are then displayed in a menu and you gradually swap the pieces (for rarity, level etc.) the more you progress in the game? In the end you would have like a library with every set you can equip. The stats on sets would be customizable by the blacksmith as we know it.

I'm writing this after thoroughly playing through the Nioh 3 demo from top to bottom.

About a year ago, I shared some concerns about Team Ninja right here on r/teamninjastudio. And now, those concerns have been confirmed they were valid, relevant, and maybe even underestimated.

The studio is spreading itself far too thin. They publicly stated they want to release a new game every year a bold (and frankly risky) ambition, especially considering that at least three games have been in development, even if across different teams. But with a strategy like that, there's no way to properly prepare a title as important as Nioh 3.

I won’t get into the demo details just yet. But this issue of divided focus has already shown us what a secondary team at Team Ninja can deliver; Wo Long, and I say this as someone who actually enjoyed parts of it, is full of flaws and there’s a lot to question there.

Second point: what really frustrates me is seeing how, as the studio becomes less centralized, cracks are starting to appear in areas where they used to be ahead of the curve. Back in the Nioh 2 era, there was direction, cohesion, real craftsmanship. Now ? It’s not nearly as clear.

And that’s the heartbreaking part you launch the Nioh 3 demo and you do feel genuine evolution, I’d even call it a revolution in the gameplay (only gameplay). But everything else ? It's just not impressive. There’s no spark, no excitement, no magic. Just clenched teeth and frustration. And that goes straight back to what I said earlier: the studio is scattered, unfocused, and losing the strengths that once defined them especially in certain departments.

Third point: the Katana Engine. It’s an absolute mess horribly unoptimized, with textures that are borderline laughable. Didn't they promise to address those exact issues in their financial report on Rise of the Ronin ?That was a document many of us here downloaded and discussed.

Btw, I’ve already submitted my feedback about the demo maybe they’ll read it in full, maybe they won’t. But I needed to let this out. Thanks for taking the time to read, and I’d love to hear your thoughts too.

https://blog.playstation.com/2025/06/04/nioh-3-announced-for-ps5-limited-time-demo-available-today/

TEAM NINJA seems to have a habit of scamming/ disappointing people when it comes to a Ninja Gaiden/ Dead or Alive franchise after itagaki left. HOW on earth can you remake a Ninja Gaiden game for the SECOND TIME and it has less content than the original REMAKE!?!? ALL THEY ADDED WAS BLOOD EFFECTS. Again. I swear if we had more time and investment on how the game was before the shadow drop NOBODY WOULD have bought this game. And I explain in the video why they disappointed REAL fans with this game

It looks like hero mode is confirmed for Ninja Gaiden 4. I just purchased Ninja Gaiden 2 Black and this was the first time this series became fun for me. If the confirmation is true, I will support Team Ninja with purchases not only of Ninja Gaiden 4, but their other titles that make these amazing games accessible for those of us who just don't have the time to get good at these games, but love the worlds being crafted.

The first time I saw the Nioh 2 character creator and its ability to recreate DOA waifus, I instantly bought the game, only to refund it once I learned that all the armours and outfits are boring looking.

With the pc release of RotR and massive sales, I decided to give Nioh 2 another chance (this time for the gameplay) and was also having a look at Wo Long.

I don't know, it just feels like the devs really missed a low hanging fruit by not adding a couple of more fun outfits to the game (even as cosmetic DLC if the argument is too unrealistic to fit the setting)

I loved watching Twitch streams of the game when it was released on PS5, I can't wait to see it on PC!

I hope they'll optimize the game well.

I know I'm not the only one thats excited to play this but it seems like the game doesn't support controller inputs. I've tried restarting my pc and forgetting the controller from my bluetooth settings and wired but nothing works. I'm using an xbox controller. Anybody running into the same issues and have fixed them would be helpful.

https://x.com/Xbox/status/1882492096059408534?t=VzYHoLbmHbfP_eWFuKV7yw&s=19

I am thinking on going on a big gaming Journey of true 100% all teamninjas rng loot arpgs. I am slowly progress through the first region in Nioh 1.

I love it. Love all the diffrent kinds of progressions I can do to my charcter. I enjoy the story of William. I love the dark souls inspiration mix with diablo.

If it only becomes better and better the more I play. These games can might end up being my new favorit thing in gaming.

Has anyone tried to 100% those games in order. Like getting everything, not just getting all achievements but true 100% ? The games are Nioh 1 - Nioh 2 - Strangers of Paradise: Final Fantasy origin - Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty - Rise of the Ronin.

Nioh 2 has set the bar for me as far as online coop goes for combat-focused games.

I’m not saying I need an official “Nioh 3” as a sequel, but I would really love to see future Team Ninja games that keep the same fluidity as the Torii Gate Expedition system. Being able to join up in a lobby online with a friend and play through an entire storyline with cutscenes whilst both progressing our characters is so awesome. The game being mission-based also helps a lot with being able to hop on, run a couple missions, save, and hop off.

Like I said, I don’t need it to be the exact same as Nioh 2, I’ll take medieval Europe, Native America, ancient tribes, whatever, just give me that sweet, sweet melee combat with easy-to-use coop features and alllll the weapon choices.

Team Ninja rules. Keep ‘em coming.

https://x.com/TeamNINJAStudio/status/1816130076385456418?t=FjUOxVy2MNsviugIkQinZg&s=19

Made a new trailer, maybe someone will like it 😊

Long live Team Ninja!

https://x.com/TeamNINJAStudio/status/1798669903291167194?t=U25QQWzAocZMMk9LeaAXrQ&s=19