Nioh 3 promises tons of improvements despite 91% positive alpha demo

Koei Tecmo's action-RPG threequel, Nioh 3, isn't slated to release until next year, but feedback is already glowing. The developer has released anonymised feedback from fans who have had the chance to play a recent alpha test, and it's glowing. 91% had a positive experience with the game, with 85% praising the music and sound design. The only area where players really felt let down was with switching between Samurai and Ninja styles, which 15% of players had a negative response to. Despite the overall positive feedback, Koei Tecmo is enacting numerous improvements ahead of the game's release.

As one of the most hotly anticipated upcoming PC games, it's interesting to get an insight into how alpha test players think Nioh 3 could improve. While most of the player feedback is written in the form of anonymized graphs, we can surmise that the responses were more in-depth, and that the improvements Koei Tecmo is making to the game are based on things players have picked up on while trying it out.

Koei Tecmo plans to make controls more responsive and customizable, as well as adjust the balance of some enemies and stages that felt unfair. Specifically, some "overpowered" enemies have had their performance adjusted and HP lowered. The Crucible Wasps seem to have been hit particularly hard, but the developer has also added the ability to run away from bosses if it all gets too much.

The tutorial will be more clear going forward, and notifications less obstructive. There are so many other disparate tweaks and adjustments in the pipeline, and if you want to analyze every single one, you can do so here.

It's worth remembering that these aren't patch notes per se, they are a list of changes that Koei Tecmo intends to make before the Nioh 3 release date arrives. Some of it may not come off, other things may be rolled back. As with any game in active development, plans change and priorities shift.

Koei Tecmo seems to be listening to fans, though, which is incredibly important if it wants Nioh 3 to stand among the best open-world games. If you want to try out one of the best RPG games while you wait for Nioh 3's full release, our list has you covered.

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