DLC review – Nioh 2: The First Samurai
Nioh 2 came out early last year and the game is more or less a prettier version of the 2017 original. Much like the original game, Team Ninja has released three paid DLC packs for Nioh 2.
The third and last DLC for Nioh 2 is called 'The First Samurai' and it offers more levels as well as boss fights for you to partake in. It is also speculated that this is the last Nioh content to be released as there might not be a Nioh 3 after this.
Anyway in 'The First Samurai', the main character has to go back in time to meet their mother. Your task is to defeat her brother who is the main villain of the DLC named Otakemaru.
Much like the other DLC before it, it's best you finish the main game before you actually tackle the DLC. This is because the DLC requires you to be a certain level in order to effectively beat the baddies. If you are under levelled, you're not going to have a pleasant time.
There are two main missions in this DLC and with the first level pitting your character inside of a forest with lots of pretty flowers. It's not too hard to navigate through this level and many of the enemies here are easy to beat.
The end boss in the first level is an attractive looking female named Tate Eboshi. She has a very large scythe, although she isn't as hard as the other bosses that were in the previously released DLC packs.
The second main mission is more challenging than the first thanks to a more complex level design. The level takes place in a castle with many elevated stories to them. I kind of got lost in this level because you had to find a key to get to the next area.
Aside from the awkward level design, the enemies and end boss weren't too troublesome for me. In my opinion, this DLC had the easiest story bosses compared to the other ones.
Even though this DLC has new bosses, there are also new yokai demons added too. One is a giant bird-like creature called Itsumade while another is a baby faced enemy named Konaki-Jigi.
As for side missions, I felt they were more challenging than the main objectives. One mission, in particular, is called "Against All Odds" and this puts you up against waves and waves of enemies and bosses you faced before. It felt like the level lasted forever, but I still managed to beat it thanks to some generous checkpoints.
Another challenging mission is one where you have to face a boss called Nyotengu. This is the sexy looking female character that some people may recognise from the Dead or Alive fighting game series.
For this DLC, there were no new weapons although they kindly added new skills for you to use for all weapons. That being said, I usually just used the Wolverine style claws to kill most of the enemies in this DLC.
Lastly, this DLC added the Abyss Mode that fans may recognise from the first Nioh game. It's a long mode as you have to beat 108 levels full of enemies and bosses. While it may take a long time, the 108 levels were much shorter than the 999 levels that I had to endure in the first game.
Anyway, 'The First Samurai' DLC offers the same amount of content and enjoyment from the other DLC packs released earlier in 2020. Sure one of the main missions was a pain due to the level design, but the actual combat is still fun to play through.
If you loved the base game of Nioh 2, the DLC packs are worth buying if you want more of a decent challenge. Avoid the DLC though if you haven't finished playing the main game yet!
