My expectations for the Nioh 3 DLC are higher than for its predecessors.
The reason has little to do with game quality and more to do with this title's unique gameplay mode and DLC release schedule.
On one hand, Nioh 3's open-world design differs from the level-based structure of previous series entries, leaving fewer references for how DLCs should be presented. On the other hand, according to current plans, Nioh 3 will only release two major DLCs, fewer than the three offered by Nioh and Nioh 2, which poses a challenge regarding the amount of content in this game's DLCs.
With the official release of "Keian Hellish Transformation," many of my questions regarding the game's future plans have gradually been answered.
As the first major DLC for Nioh 3, "Keian Hellish Transformation" takes place in 1651, decades after the game's protagonist, Takechiyo, became Shogun. At this time, the Edo Shogunate has established a relatively stable peace, but military scholar Yui Shōsetsu is secretly plotting an anti-shogunate rebellion.
It is worth noting that in the timeline of "Keian Hellish Transformation," Takechiyo himself has been deceased for several months. The player still controls Takechiyo, who has traveled through time from the era of the main story.
Honestly, before the release of "Keian Hellish Transformation," I had considerable concerns about whether the DLC would provide new maps of sufficient scale. After all, although Nioh 3 features several vast open-world maps, it also includes shorter scenario levels like "Ancient Times" and "Edo." If "Keian Hellish Transformation" had chosen the latter approach, it would have seemed somewhat lacking in sincerity.
However, this part brought me the biggest surprise of this DLC.
"Keian Hellish Transformation" provides players with a brand-new large map, comparable in size to any of the major maps in the game. The base game of Nioh 3 features three large maps: "Sengoku," "Heian," and "Bakumatsu." This means that, roughly calculated, the main story length of "Keian Hellish Transformation" is close to one-third of the base game.
This is actually a quite high proportion. For comparison, in both Nioh and Nioh 2, after removing repeatable challenge content, the main story length of a single DLC basically equates to just one chapter within their respective games, accounting for only about one-sixth of the total playthrough. In other words, if we calculate purely based on main story scale, the content provided by the "Keian Hellish Transformation" DLC alone is nearly double that of a single DLC from previous titles.
Although the increase in volume exceeded expectations, what surprised me even more was the significant improvement in map design for "Keian Hellish Transformation"—an aspect I hadn't even anticipated would improve.
The entire map of "Keian Hellish Transformation" demonstrates very mature spatial construction capabilities. Whether in terms of horizontal layout planning or vertical extension created by elevation changes, the scenes maintain clear层次感 (layering). Even amidst intricate roads and areas, the overall flow does not feel chaotic. While understanding spatial relationships requires some time, players won't lose their sense of direction during exploration.
On a broader scale, I would even consider this one of the most intricately designed maps in the series so far. Although map design has never been the series' main highlight, those previously "confusing shortcuts" and "visual deception traps" indeed dampened much of the enthusiasm for playing.
Furthermore, compared to the base game of Nioh 3, "Keian Hellish Transformation" reduces the proportion of scenes dominated by overwhelming red and black hues. This doesn't mean the DLC tones down its color palette; rather, it incorporates green into the mix of red and black. In certain hells, "green turning red" or "green turning black" becomes a new aesthetic, still delivering immense visual impact. Today, I prefer to call this intense interplay of light, shadow, and color the "Nioh Feel," and I have fully embraced it—as a so-called "punishment game," the intensity doesn't always need to be reflected solely in combat.
In terms of storyline, "Keian Hellish Transformation" also adopts a narrative approach different from previous entries. Although this DLC revolves around the "Keian Incident" plotted by Yui Shōsetsu, Takechiyo does not resolve all issues, and the truth hidden behind the events extends beyond the Keian era itself. "Keian Hellish Transformation" delves deeper into core concepts spanning the entire series and features some long-absent veteran characters, but the story pauses here. Considering Nioh 3 currently plans for two major DLCs, it is not difficult to predict that the game's plot may only reach its final conclusion at that point.
Of course, beyond one-time experiences like map design and storyline, "Keian Hellish Transformation" also brings many new elements to repeatable challenge content.
As per tradition, "Keian Hellish Transformation" adds a new weapon type: the "Shield Spear." Since Nioh 3 features both "Samurai" and "Ninja" styles, the Shield Spear is divided into "Shield Spear" and "Ninja Shield Spear" based on style. However, the differences lie mostly in martial arts techniques, while the weapon's inherent characteristics remain the same—essentially similar to the relationship between "Tonfa" and "Kusarigama."
The "Shield Spear" is an offensive and defensive weapon. Many of its martial arts techniques involve block judgments and enhance move performance upon successful blocks. Its strong defensive attributes make it very suitable for beginners, while further practice with blocking allows the "Shield Spear" to reach a high practical ceiling. As a new weapon, it is very solid.
With the release of the DLC, Nioh 3 also introduces a brand-new difficulty level called "Path to Enlightenment." Veteran players familiar with the series will recall that in previous titles, "Enlightenment" was always the fourth playthrough mode released alongside the second DLC, while the first DLC introduced the "Shura" difficulty. However, as mentioned earlier, Nioh 3 currently plans for only two major DLCs, so we cannot simply view "Keian Hellish Transformation" as a standard first DLC.
Some enemies in the "Path to Enlightenment" are granted the "First Calamity" status, commonly known among players as "Purple Skin." In this state, enemy abilities are significantly enhanced. In previous games, the "First Calamity" status could be temporarily removed via "Execution" or "Yokai Counter," but it generally lasted for a long duration. In Nioh 3, besides conventional methods, players can now remove the "First Calamity" status by destroying weak points, making combat more proactive and strategic.
In the "Path to Enlightenment," the level and enhancement value (+) of dropped equipment have been further increased. Enemies will also begin dropping Soul Cores of "Special Daimyo" quality, which also come with enhancement values. Most importantly, both equipment and Soul Cores have a chance to include rare "Star Affixes," whose effects far surpass regular affixes.
At this stage, "Star Affixes" cannot be transferred or crafted; they can only be obtained through drops. Meanwhile, Nioh 3 offers generous stats for "Star Affixes," making them highly valuable to farm. Therefore, attaching suitable "Star Affixes" to desired equipment becomes the primary repeatable challenge in the "Keian Hellish Transformation" phase—and this task is far more extensive than it appears.
However, it should be noted that even in the "Path to Enlightenment," Nioh 3 has not yet unlocked equipment of "Divine Treasure" quality. The highest current equipment quality remains "Divine Artifact." Whether to enjoy the moment or wait for subsequent DLC updates to achieve perfection is up to each player's choice.
To help players better acquire the equipment they need, "Keian Hellish Transformation" introduces the new "Hundred Realms Hundred Monsters Scrolls" system. Similar to the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons Scrolls" in Nioh 2, these scrolls drop randomly during combat. By entering and completing the unique battles within the scrolls, players can convert them into actual equipment for their characters to wear.
The "Hundred Realms Hundred Monsters Scrolls" provide unique affixes, such as "Essence Coexistence," which allows characters to equip multiple essences simultaneously, and "Profound," which triggers effects only when stats reach a certain threshold. Additionally, since characters in the base game of Nioh 3 can only equip one ranged weapon per style, set combinations are less flexible than in previous titles. Therefore, this update introduces a new affix called "Finishing Touch," giving scrolls a chance to complete the "Finishing Touch" after challenges, thereby granting "Divine Blessing" affixes to compensate for some missing options.
As an important source of equipment, the "Hundred Realms Hundred Monsters Scrolls" feature greater randomness and more complex rules than the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons Scrolls." Players can use these scrolls' special rules to target specific equipment or Divine Blessings they desire, significantly lowering the difficulty of building a viable set. This reduction in build difficulty means players can experiment with more builds and choose the playstyle that suits them best, indirectly increasing gameplay diversity. To support this, "Keian Hellish Transformation" also adds many new set bonuses.
As the first major DLC for Nioh 3, "Keian Hellish Transformation" delivers an impressive performance. Alongside a significant increase in volume, the map design stands out as a major highlight. Regarding the grinding aspect, "Keian Hellish Transformation" adopts a model that lowers the barrier to entry while raising the ceiling for endgame optimization, benefiting all types of players. If the process of handling useless gear could be further optimized, the overall experience would be even more comfortable.
"Keian Hellish Transformation" is not the end for Nioh 3. I look forward to future DLCs bringing Takechiyo's story to a close while allowing me to witness the "complete form" of Nioh 3.