The Nioh Collection Review – Smooth Suffering

Publisher: Koei Tecmo, Sony Interactive Entertainment

Developer: Team Ninja

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5

The Nioh games are deliberately difficult uphill battles against all manner of demonic foes. As you slaughter your way through each level, the experiences boast serious loot customization and build variety, tons of content to grind and conquer, and opportunities to take on big bosses with friends. Oh, and there are many deaths to be had as well, as the Nioh games are brutal without remorse. The tough-as-nails samurai slashers are now available as a remastered double feature with the PlayStation 5’s Nioh Collection.

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This is a great time to dive into the franchise if you’ve been putting it off for any reason, as the package includes remastered versions of both Nioh and Nioh 2, plus their associated DLC and add-ons. While I’d be hard pressed to recommend going back to the original Nioh when Nioh 2 is essentially a much more refined take on that experience, it’s a bonus history lesson if you’re hungry for more (though you can also purchase these remasters individually). Chances are, you won’t be, because you can easily spend a hundred or so hours on the Nioh 2 content alone if you’re shooting for deep endgame, DLC, and more.

The remastered titles included in the Nioh collection feature 4K graphics and up to 120 frames per second. If your television or monitor doesn’t support those amenities, no problem. Both games run incredibly well and look fantastic regardless of your setup. Running at 60 FPS is important for games in the action/RPG genre, as you want to be able to effectively assess the situation before swinging, dodging, blocking, or ki-pulsing your way to victory, and you’ll have that regardless of how awesome your setup is. The fast load times facilitated by the PS5’s SSD are another extreme benefit given how many times you’ll be loading back from death.

Going back to the Nioh games after reviewing both of them separately on launch is an interesting task. Though Nioh games share similarities with From Software’s Souls series, Team Ninja made some striking design choices that players need to be aware of before diving in. For example, Nioh’s worlds are actively hostile, and seek your demise with a sort of sick cruelty behind enemy placement, boss abilities, and more. If you’re willing to take a beating from a bully and smile as you grow stronger, call your friends into the game to help, and grind yourself a massive set of powerful gear, Nioh is the right fit for you. It is fun to come back at your oppressive enemies with a host of gear and magic options hours later and crush demonic Yokai that were giving you nightmares, but you need to have the right temperament and attitude to properly enjoy the challenges that the series unloads on you.

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If you can put on a happy face as you get one-shot by a demon, enjoy repeating side missions for loot to create a perfectly-rolled item piece, and eventually overcome the most vicious adversaries, you’re going to be right at home. On the flip side, if being absolutely crushed down into the dirt before slowly clawing your way back up isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other action/RPGs to try before coming over to Nioh.

I recommend going to Nioh 2 immediately, regardless of whether or not you played the original. Nioh 2 refines and builds upon virtually every system that the first game offered, and gives you a ton of content and options to explore. Some content is reused almost wholesale from the original game, so you can get all the Nioh you need from just diving immediately into the second game. The original looks and plays substantially better than it did before, but in comparison to the sequel, it feels more like a prototype concept.

Don’t worry about going out of order; the story has never been a big draw for me with this series, and you won’t miss much there.

Even if you’ve already played Nioh 2 and know what to expect, I recommend hitting up some of the new weapons and options offered here with the full DLC on display. The fist weapons let you punch, kick, and brawl your way to victory and shouldn’t be missed for those looking for a new experience. The substantial DLC content in both games is tuned to give even the biggest and baddest demon-slayer out there a challenge, so those offer another great reason to revisit these games.

The Nioh Collection is a worthwhile return for seasoned pros to experience optimized visuals, DLC content, or different weapons and skills. For new players, this remastered collection is absolutely the best way to experience the Nioh games. Just be aware of what demonic delights you’re signing up for!

Score: 8.75

Summary: Experience Nioh and Nioh 2's remastered versions in a complete package on PlayStation 5.

Concept: Experience the punishing Nioh games with silky smooth performance and all their content add-ons

Graphics: Environment variety and flair has always been the franchise’s weakness, and that hasn’t changed here

Sound: While nothing stands out, the music adds subtle and significant inflections to the gameplay. Boss battles get the blood flowing!

Playability: The Nioh games are demanding, and necessitate a will to persevere through challenging (and potentially unreasonable) situations

Entertainment: If you’re a glutton for punishment and precision, look no further, as you battle your way through a dark, monster-laden vision of the Sengoku period.

Replay: Moderate

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Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood Reivew – A Silver Bullet To The Heart

Publisher: Nacon

Developer: Cyanide Studio

Reviewed on: Xbox Series X/S

Also on: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

A scan of my immediate surroundings reveals six heavily armed soldiers, two wielding firearms with silver bullets. Behind these soon-to-be-dead guards is a mech menacingly pumping a flamethrower, clearly itching for the chance to light me up. I can quietly break each of their necks in my human form, but another look at the area highlights a vent leading to a security office. I can transform into my wolf form to dart into that space to turn off the security cameras, which would open up a less-patrolled path. I’d still have deal with that mech, though. The best play may be to abandon stealth altogether, reveal my location, and transform into a werewolf that will quickly paint the walls red with their blood. I just hope I have enough rage left in me to take down that pesky mech.

Drawing from the rich lore of the World of Darkness tabletop games, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood follows a seasoned hunter named Cahal who can shapeshift between three forms at any time. This is an exciting proposition that sadly cannot escape the crushing weight of repetition that plagues every battle and scenario. The lycanthopic action is extremely violent, and some fun can come from tearing apart enemies like they’re made of paper or tossing them at their cohorts like they are a bowling ball. This fantasy doesn’t last long, and the uninteresting story and upgrade trees cannot save it in any way. This is an experience that doesn’t have much of a bite in anything it attempts, squandering what might have been a cool approach to a stealth game.

Another question this game does not answer is one that hangs over every encounter: Since the werewolf form is the most fun, why shouldn’t players use it all of the time? Developer Cyanide tries to push stealth through story setups and with missions starting with Cahal behind cover, but the player can become a werewolf whenever they want. All they have to do is hit a button to immediately transform or get spotted by an enemy, and then the slow, doldrum of repetition gives way to enemies screaming and a wolf running around like a maniac.

When the werewolf is in play, battles can be completed quickly. Razor-sharp claws and teeth are put to good use to hack away at enemies. The werewolf form controls well, but lacks any semblance of precision. It can also shift combat stances to be on all fours for swift attacks or stand on its hind legs to deal more damage with huge claw swipes. Some enemy types force you to use a particular stance, which can be annoying when they crowd you, but that’s about the extent to the strategy. Just hack away, howl to heal up, and most battles go by in the blink of an eye. Mechs pose some problems as they have huge health bars, but they are easily exploitable.

So what benefit is there to being a human or regular wolf? Hardly any. The wolf form lets you reach rooms containing computer terminals, books that deliver additional story beats, or sprit points that can unlock new skills (which don’t really change the flow of play at all). The human can break necks and shoot a bow gun to knock out lights. That’s about it. Again, controls are not an issue at all. Both of these forms function well, but just lack fun. Sitting back and watching guards move along paths mechanically is as dull as it sounds, and there is no way to spice it up. I tried to see the fun in the stealth, but the monotony of it always led to me transforming into a werewolf to finish a sequence with the hope the next combat encounter would be better. It never was.

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The repetition also extends to the level designs, which mostly use the same industrial textures and objects from room to room. Cyanide injects some variety into the environments toward the end of the game, which is a welcome change, but the damage is done well before this. Most stages feel like Twilight Zone episodes of going through the same doors over and over again.

Cahal is written and voiced well, but I never once cared about his bid for redemption or to save his tribe’s forest from being fracked to death. The entire experience falls flat, and never truly embraces the complexity of shapeshifting. The idea ends up being a mess that pushes players to just bare their fangs and get through it all as quickly as possible. – Andrew Reiner

Score: 5

Summary: Shapeshifting between three forms brings a surprising lack of variety in this dull hack-and-slash game.

Concept: A barebones stealth experience with one cool hook: If you get spotted, you turn into a werewolf, destroy everyone, and then return to the shadows for the next encounter

Graphics: Decent animations, but the environments are light on details with repeated geometry and texturing

Sound: The werewolf fights are amped up with aggressive metal beats, and the voice work does a nice job carrying the narrative forward since story cutscenes are infrequent

Playability: All missions are the same. You sneak past (or fight) enemies to reach a computer terminal that opens another door. Combat and stealth are handled well, but they lack dimension and grow old fast

Entertainment: Playing as an angry werewolf is fun for a minute, but loses its way through heavy repetition

Replay: Low

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Destruction AllStars Review – Wrecking Havoc In The Arena

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Developer: Lucid Games

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5

Destruction AllStars targets the dumbest part of our human brains with a simple proposition: Do you want to drive a car around and smash stuff? As a matter of fact, I do. The PlayStation 5 exclusive feels like a throwback to games like Destruction Derby, but it breaks ranks from its other car-combat cousins by letting players run around on foot after their car is destroyed. It’s a neat twist that emphasizes the disposable nature of everything that’s happening – including the over-the-top drivers themselves. The whiplash-inducing crashes and unique character abilities are initially satisfying, but only the most dedicated rubberneckers will find a reason to stick around.

Lucid Games wanted to try something unconventional by making the individual drivers the stars of the auto show. Each of the 16 characters has a bold presence that’s largely conveyed by their wardrobe and cheeky pre-match animations. There’s a lot of pro-wrestling-style posturing, and the introductions by UFC announcer Bruce Buffer are a perfect fit for the game’s vibe. 

Events start with a mass scramble, as each character sprints to claim one of several available cars on the arena floor. Think of it like a high-stakes game of musical chairs; if two players go for the same car, it’s first come, first served. The second player can leap onto the roof and attempt to yank the other driver out with a button-pressing microgame. A successful takeover gives the victor two options: slide into the driver’s seat, or cause a wreck and find another car. It’s a small moment in the game, but I really like this way of getting into the action. It makes the first moments a weird kind of mind game, as players either try to grab an unclaimed car or – troublemakers unite – they veer toward one that is in the process of getting claimed for the risky opportunity to score a quick K.O.

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Driving feels fantastic, with the precision handling that you’d find in a top-tier kart racer. I found the simple act of cruising around genuinely satisfying, building up enough speed to ease onto the banked walls that enclose arenas or performing powerslides to drift dangerously close to pillars, walls, and other obstacles. Of course, other players aren’t keen on indulging this Sunday-drive mentality. Fortunately, they’re at least conceptually easy to deal with. Flicking up on the analog stick engages a speed boost, which lets you escape from harm’s way – or smash into another car or hapless on-foot character. Similarly, a quick left or right will enable you to either juke away from opponents or sideswipe them, depending on what’s happening at the moment. Even though my overall enthusiasm dimmed somewhat over time, I never stopped tensing up in anticipation of a big crash against an unaware enemy vehicle. It feels crunchy and satisfying.

Cars accrue a lot of damage over the course of the matches; that’s kind of the point, after all. That’s where Destruction AllStars is at its best. Rather than be stuck in the corner somewhere in a smoldering soon-to-be wreck, you can fling yourself from your car whenever you want. Don’t ask how characters are able to so easily bound into the air. The important thing is how great it feels, and the amount of flexibility it provides once you get the hang of it. When my car was clearly on its last legs – a sensation that’s wonderfully reinforced with the DualSense’s adaptive triggers tugging away at the gas and brakes – I beelined toward one of the myriad driverless cars hovering on platforms above the arena floor. There’s just the right amount of suction that makes it easy to leap from one car into the seat of another and continue on your destructive way. You can also leap out at the last second to avoid a potential wreck, or if you just feel like it. 

On foot, you’re a potential target for anyone, but you’re fairly speedy and have access to some basic parkour techniques like wall running. Sometimes it makes sense to run toward the nearest replacement car, and other times it’s more advantageous to pick up some of the collectable gems that are scattered on various platforms. These items help boost your Breaker meters, which are also built up by making contact with enemy cars. You have two Breaker abilities, one for your character and one for your character’s unique car – which must be summoned by filling the vehicle Breaker bar. Each is unique for the character, which contributes to a dizzying amount of chaos in matches.

Take Lupita, for instance. Her on-foot Breaker allows her to leave a trail of fire behind her, which sets opponents alight. Her unique vehicle’s Breaker has a similar function, leaving Back to the Future-style flaming tire tracks behind her low-slung race car, which can bathe a tightly packed area in devastating flames. Or it can be used defensively to scorch someone who’s following closely behind. Blue Fang, on the other hand, has a burlier unique ride with an array of sawblades mounted on front. For a short while, they can be turned on and, well, you can figure it out from there. His on-foot Breaker makes him resistant to enemy attacks, knocking down on-foot rivals who make the mistake of trying to melee him. I had a lot of fun testing out each hero and seeing how their various moves function. There’s a great training mode that makes it easier to figure out the timing and duration of the Breakers, since each one is so different.

Characters are the source of much of the game’s variety, for better and worse. Destruction AllStars has four modes, two of which are free-for-alls and two are team based. Mayhem is the flagship mode, where 16 competitors battle for points in timed matches. Points are awarded by doing damage and wrecking opponents. It’s about as simple as it gets. Gridfall gives you one life to see how long you can last in an arena that, frankly, doesn’t seem safe. The floor steadily collapses, pushing players closer together and making navigation more and more precarious. Stockpile and Carnado have teams collect gears from opponents and deposit them into safes or a tornado, respectively. Offline, you can play a few story-based missions, like one inspired by Crazy Taxi. The modes are all pretty fun, but I kept coming back to Mayhem. It feels like it’s the one closest to the game’s core identity, and it’s a nice way to blow off some steam.

Lucid and Sony envision this as a live-service game, with new characters and modes coming as time goes on. Players will also be able to purchase cosmetic customizations for their favorite drivers. For now, I don’t see the point of spending either the game’s earned or premium currencies. For a game with such personality, the skins are boring palette swaps. I appreciate the fact that character skins affect the cars, too, but I didn’t feel incentivized to spend the coins I earned over several hours to get a blue version of the thing that was green. You can also buy voice clips, emotes or other doodads, but I didn’t find any of those particularly compelling, either. 

Destruction AllStars is a PlayStation 5 exclusive, and it does show off what the console can do. It’s hindered by the game’s basic design, through no real fault of Lucid Games. Sure, the SSD load times are fast when you’re engaging with the offline single-player combat, but matchmaking can be a drawn-out bottleneck. And the action moves so quickly that it can be tricky to fully appreciate the visual fidelity. Time slows down during your best crashes in single-player, giving you a chance to savor every bit of bent metal. In multiplayer, you’re obviously only given the slow-mo visuals when you’re wrecked. I was stunned to see the level of detail when a giant sawblade sliced my car in half in the London arena. For a few seconds, I could see inside my car’s cockpit and marvel at its lovingly rendered roll cage – and even its emergency fire extinguisher. Those kinds of moments are rare, however, since you’re mostly plowing ahead at such ridiculous speeds that you can’t bask in all the mayhem – or even know that the guy who T-boned you just used an emote they spent several bucks on.

I had a good time behind the wheel in Destruction AllStars, even if I don’t know that it has enough to keep me around forever. That’s not to say there isn’t anything to do; there is a decent-enough selection of modes and activities between online and offline, with more on the way. And I appreciate the instantly satisfying action that’s as easy to drop in and out of as the cars themselves. Even if the novelty of vehicular mayhem isn’t enough to sustain my interest for many more long-haul sessions, I’m looking forward to taking it for a quick spin every now and again.

Score: 8

Summary: Whiplash-inducing crashes and unique character abilities are initially satisfying, but only the most dedicated rubberneckers will find a reason to stick around.

Concept: Smash and crash your way to victory in car-combat arenas, using one of 16 over-the-top drivers

Graphics: Everything moves at a blistering speed, making it tricky to appreciate its visual depths. Car destruction is detailed and satisfying

Sound: The crunching of metal grinding on metal is front and center, with little danger of being upstaged by the sparse arena-side commentary

Playability: Figuring out the basics is as simple as any kart racer, but a relatively high skill ceiling leaves room to master the nuances of each driver

Entertainment: Destruction AllStars’ frantic blend of bumper-car and on-foot action offers plenty of short-term fun, but the thrills are less thrilling after a few hours

Replay: Moderately high

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