Team NINJA's most iconic ARPG series, "Nioh," released the third installment, "Nioh 3," earlier this year. Compared to its predecessors, this title has undergone significant adjustments to its combat and job systems, while also introducing new systems like "Peck Skills" that further expand the "Nioh" action gameplay. These changes have made "Nioh 3" a work that remains constantly discussed within the player community.
Recently, "Nioh 3" is also about to receive the first of its two planned DLCs—"Keian Hell Transformation." "Keian Hell Transformation" focuses on "Edo/Keian" in 1651, depicting a series of events triggered by various factions gradually appearing after the game's protagonist, "Takechiyo," becomes Shogun. In addition to yokai and rebels, foreign alchemists will join the battlefield in this DLC, bringing new weapons and ninja tools. Among them, the "Shield Spear," a completely new weapon type never seen before in the series, has sparked much speculation among players. Furthermore, the scene of rapid pistol firing in the trailer has left players curious about whether new types of ranged weapons will be introduced.
To address this, we were fortunate to interview Kohei Shibata, producer of the "Nioh 3" DLC "Keian Hell Transformation," who provided detailed answers to many questions.
Below is the specific content of the interview:
Q: Looking at the announced DLC titles for "Nioh 3," both DLCs choose events from the late reign of Iemitsu as their stage. What was the reasoning behind this choice?
A: When we decided on the theme of "Shogun" and chose Takechiyo, Tokugawa Ieyasu's grandson, as the protagonist, we roughly determined the plot content for both the main story and the DLCs. The main story revolves around "the protagonist becoming Shogun," while the DLCs focus on "what he did after becoming Shogun." When people think of historical shoguns, they often recognize them by "what great achievements this shogun accomplished." Only by touching upon the impact they had as shoguns can we truly bring closure to a story themed around a shogun.
Q: Why did the development team choose "Keian" as the historical entry point for the DLC "Keian Hell Transformation"? What is its relationship with Takechiyo's growth arc of "becoming Shogun" completed in the main story? How will the DLC handle the new contradictions arising from players changing history?
A: The Keian era was shortly after the protagonist Takechiyo became Shogun and began ruling the land. Events occurring during this period were deeply influenced by Takechiyo's rule. In this game, the protagonist will travel through time to the future, witnessing both the light and darkness resulting from his governance. We hope everyone will see how this experience ultimately plays out in the two DLCs.
Stories involving time travel often tend to create contradictions. Please understand that the eras the protagonist travels to in this game belong to different divergent worlds. The reason for destroying the Hellstones in each era is that they transcend time and space to provide Spirit Stones for the final boss of the main story. With very few exceptions, actions taken in one era do not affect other eras.
Q: The term "Hell Transformation" comes from Ryunosuke Akutagawa's novel of the same name. Does this title imply that the DLC will revolve around a character who "self-destructs for the sake of some obsession"?
A: The title of this DLC, "Keian Hell Transformation," carries three layers of meaning. First, the "Keian Incident," known as the "Yui Shosetsu Rebellion," occurred under the influence of hell; second, as the name suggests, it means the Keian era itself turned into hell; third, as many might suspect, the central figure of this anomaly, driven by some obsession, drags those who admire him into the chaos, even sacrificing himself.
We hope players will gradually uncover the truth through various clues within the game, such as letters and documents.
Q: Could you explain the setting of the Spaniard Rodrigo in this game? It seems there are significant deviations from his historical counterpart.
A: Rodrigo is based on a real historical figure who visited Japan in the early Edo period, but he has been significantly adapted for this game. Historically, he served as the interim Governor-General of the Philippines, which was then a Spanish territory, and records exist of his meetings with William Adams (the prototype for William) and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Rodrigo in this game also served as the interim Governor-General of the Philippines. In "Keian Hell Transformation," he arrives in Japan as a Spanish envoy but gets caught up in the incident. He suspects a Spanish woman collecting shiny stones called "Essence" has ulterior motives and is investigating her whereabouts.
Q: The new weapon added in "Keian Hell Transformation," the "Shield Spear," is a weapon type never before seen in the series. What was the design philosophy behind it? "Nioh 3" weapons have traditionally focused on offense. What focal point did Team NINJA use when designing this defense-oriented weapon?
A: In this DLC, overseas factions such as alchemists and Rodrigo appear, so we wanted to include a weapon that could blend with Western styles. At the same time, we considered how to create a gameplay experience different from previous weapons, ultimately adopting the offensively and defensively balanced "Shield Spear."
Its greatest feature is "integrated offense and defense." Traditional combat styles usually involve defending or dodging first, then seizing an opening to counterattack. The "Shield Spear," however, allows you to parry at the precise moment of an enemy's attack, blocking the strike while immediately retaliating with your own attack. Although the timing requirements are very strict, daring to take risks and seizing the right moment yields huge rewards. It is a high-risk, high-reward weapon filled with tension.
Q: How do the "Shield Spear" and "Ninja Shield Spear" showcase their defensive characteristics? What roles do they play in the Samurai and Ninja styles respectively? And what changes will they bring to the original combat experience?
A: The Samurai's "Shield Spear" allows for powerful attacks or certain skills synchronized with the enemy's attack timing. It blocks attacks with the shield while striking back with the spear, making it a pure integrated offense-and-defense weapon. No matter how powerful the enemy, you can engage in frontal offensive and defensive maneuvers, pushing your opponent into a desperate situation.
The Ninja's "Ninja Shield Spear" can not only deflect enemy attacks with the shield but also throw the shield or step on it to combine with spear strikes, making it a versatile weapon. Players can use skills to leap into the air, throwing shields from above to maneuver freely and disrupt enemies.
Q: In the trailer for "Keian Hell Transformation," there is a scene where a character quickly fires a pistol held at their waist. Is this a move from a new weapon? Are there more moves involving pistol attacks?
A: The shooting scene in the trailer features the newly added Ninjutsu "Short Barrel." Since long-range weapons already include matchlocks and large cannons, no other gun-based skills were added. However, the "Short Barrel" can fire up to six times consecutively, offering a handling feel entirely different from previous weapons. Previously, players had particularly high expectations for Takasugi Shinsaku's "Short Barrel," and it has officially debuted in response to everyone's anticipation. We hope you will try it out for yourself.
Q: The Scroll system from "Nioh 2" will return in "Nioh 3." What are the differences between the two?
A: The "Hyakkei Hyakkai Emaki" is an improved version of the previous game's "Hyakki Yagyo Emaki" (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons Scroll). The scroll missions in the previous title consisted of enemies and stages, with only about one hundred patterns. This time, the scroll mission content will be auto-generated. Combined with special rules affecting combat, it can create hundreds of millions of different battles. These may range from low-difficulty, high-reward scrolls similar to bonus missions to extremely difficult ones.
The "Hyakkei Hyakkai Emaki" is an equipment item placed in a new slot, but you must first complete the mission set for each scroll before equipping it. After completing a cleared scroll mission again, you can change one of the scroll's special effects, thereby customizing its performance. Challenge attempts are limited, but rare items can be used to increase the number of attempts.
Additionally, the "Hyakkei Hyakkai Emaki" (Hundred Scenes Hundred Monsters Scroll) comes with a "Grace" effect at Divine rarity, further increasing its importance in build assembly compared to previous titles.
Q: "Nioh 3" is the first title in the series to adopt an open map. As players spend more time on the large map in subsequent playthroughs, will there be a separate stage selection mode or arcade mode introduced in the future to make gear farming in New Game+ more convenient and faster?
A: To allow players to challenge missions at any time, the Shrine menu now includes "Battle Scrolls." We also plan to add several features in the two DLCs for more efficient gear collection. The "Hyakkei Hyakkai Emaki" added in "Keian Hell Transformation" challenges players with auto-generated wave-based combat. Depending on the generation results, farming gear can sometimes be very efficient. However, challenge attempts are limited, so we recommend playing multiplayer with friends to leverage each other's resources. The second DLC, "Amakusa Uprising," plans to introduce more challenging content that allows players to enjoy both combat and gear farming simultaneously. Stay tuned.
Q: "Keian Hell Transformation" adds new storylines and weapons, while also unlocking a new difficulty, "Path to Enlightenment." In previous works by the development team, the "Enlightenment" difficulty was typically unlocked around New Game+4, but this time it seems to have been moved up to New Game+3. Why was this change made?
A: Previous titles added one difficulty level with each DLC release, and this game's DLCs follow the same approach. However, since this game has only two DLCs, there will be one fewer added difficulty than usual. Previously, the added difficulties were "Asura," "Enlightenment," and "Nioh." With one less, "Asura" has been removed. Retaining "Nioh" as the final difficulty is a series tradition, and to reach the realm of "Nioh," one must first attain "Enlightenment."
Q: What is the scale of "Keian Hell Transformation"? Is it roughly equivalent to one large map from the main story? What is the proportion of content compared to the base game? How long does it take to complete one playthrough?
A: The overall scale is similar to the Heian chapter of the main story. Completing "Edo/Keian" takes approximately 10 to 15 hours. Including deeper gameplay elements like New Game+3, the entire "Keian Hell Transformation" offers about 25 to 35 hours of gameplay.
The open map of "Edo/Keian" features not only locations that still exist in Tokyo today, such as Kanda and Ueno, but also multiple areas including the massive Suidobashi bridge from which the place name derives, multi-layered underground sewer networks, and volcanic zones guarded by formidable enemies. Beyond the challenging feel of a "death match" action game, we hope players will also enjoy the rich and varied scenic landscapes.
Q: "Keian Hell Transformation" was initially scheduled for release before the end of September, but it launched in mid-August. What efforts were made to achieve this? Will the second DLC, "Amakusa Uprising," also be released earlier than expected?
A: We received a lot of feedback from players who had completed the game and were challenging New Game+, so we always hoped to release it as soon as possible. There were indeed some time-consuming processes in DLC production, but we leveraged the experience accumulated during the main story's development to improve production efficiency and effectively reduce trial and error, allowing for an earlier release. In the end, it all came down to motivation and perseverance...!
The specific release date for the second DLC, "Amakusa Uprising," has not yet been determined, but we will also devote our full efforts to its production, striving to let everyone play it as soon as possible.
Q: Will the story of the "Nioh" series conclude here? Are there any plans for sequels or spin-offs in the future?
A: The story centered on "Takechiyo" will temporarily conclude with the second DLC. Currently, the team is focused on producing the DLC "Amakusa Uprising," and there are no immediate plans for sequels or spin-offs. However, personally, I still hope to continue developing new "Nioh" series works in the future.
Q: In today's rapidly evolving action game industry,What do you consider to be the most core and irreplaceable competitive advantage of the "Nioh" series?
A: The consistent advantage of the "Nioh" series lies in its fast-paced and satisfying action experience, the resulting sense of tension and accomplishment, and the diverse range of strategies available.
Q: In your opinion, what will be the core competitiveness of the action game genre in the future? How will Team NINJA maintain its leading position in this sector?
A: High-quality action is, of course, the fundamental prerequisite. Additionally, I believe that high-quality visual presentation that directly stimulates satisfaction and delivers impact, as well as narrative and directorial prowess that enhances player immersion in the protagonist and the world, will become increasingly important.
Team NINJA will continue to leverage its strengths in speed and responsive controls while investing further effort in these areas.
Q: The three eras in the main story correspond to the Fire-attribute Hell of Scorching Heat, the Ice-attribute Hell of Eight Cold Hells, and the Thunder-attribute Hell of Needle Mountains. The "Keian Hell Transformation" corresponds to the Wind-attribute Hell. Following this logic, will the second DLC, "Amakusa Uprising," introduce a new attribute, or will it feature a hell with combined attributes?
A: That is a very sharp question. In "Nioh 3," we have brought everyone various hell-themed experiences. For the second DLC currently in development, "Amakusa Uprising," we hope to deliver a gameplay experience that can be called the culmination of "Nioh 3." Please look forward to it.