Mechanics and Move List

Master Goddess of Victory: Nikke's controls, attack properties, and resources. Learn about Normal Attacks, Combo Attacks, Special Attacks, and more.

Controls

Left Stick: Move

Right Stick: Camera

△ (Triangle Button): Strong Attack / Context Sensitive Attack

X (Cross Button): Jump

◯ (Circle Button): Dodge / (Hold) Sprint

□ (Square Button): Quick Attack

Options Button: Menu

Touchpad: Scan

Touchpad (Slide Up): Menu - Map

Touchpad (Slide Down): Menu - Missions

L1 Button: Guard / Parry / Beta Skill Menu

R1 Button: Burst Skill Menu

L2 Button: Ranged Mode

R2 Button: Interact / Fire selected ammo

L3 Button: Sprint

R3 Button: Lock On

Attack Related Properties

• Normal Attacks: Attacks which can be done without a cooldown or using a resource.
• Combo Attack: A subcategory of normal attacks which can be enhanced by Beta Chain.
• Special Attacks: Attacks where EVE or the enemy can armour through normal attacks.
• Mid Air: Attacks which consist of attacks which make EVE leap in the air.
• Air OK: Attacks which can be done from the ground or the air if all other criteria are met.
• Hold OK: Attacks which can have a delayed activation by holding the associated input, some of these become stronger on release/activation.
• Balance: Indicated by yellow diamonds, medium sized and larger enemies as well as bosses tend to need more parries or balance disrupting attacks till you can expose their weakpoint and use Retribution.
• Stun: Attacks that always deal hitstun to enemies even if they are using Special Attacks, this applies to Beta Chain and some attacks from Ranged Mode (Shotgun Shell, Blaster Cell, Explosive Shell, Stinger).
• Down: Also known as the knockdown state, enemies are defenseless during this till this get back up.
• OTG (Off the ground): The ability to hit an enemy that's downed and lying on the ground.

Resources

• HP (Health Points): Can only be restored with health items.
• SH (Shield Points): As long as you are wearing more than a skin suit - enemies also have shield broken into multiple bars which increase their defence against attacks.
• BE (Beta Energy): Hit or parry for this meter to use Beta Skills.
• BU (Burst Energy): Necessary for Burst Skills - the main ways to gain this is using Perfect Parry, Beta Chain or Perfect Dodge. You can only use related attacks after defeating Stalker during Mission 6 - Alpha Signal.
• TE (Tachyon Energy): This passively rises.

Tactics

• Crowd control: While more options open up later, using the Beta Skill, Slash, while you have Beta Energy (BE) or alternatively the first Strong Attack can hit minions that try to surround you.
• Environmental combat: Naytiba may be deadly but with the exception of ones which can fire projectiles tend to be poorly suited for elevation or human settlements, so you can often lead attack them from ledges with ranged attacks or escape into water to retreat. As an extension, there isn't a need to play fair against the Naytiba. So use items and apply use of Ambush / Assault to get serious damage which can even be followed up with a Chain Charge even if other enemies know you are there.
• Stellar blending: On select versions of the game, you blend Combo Attacks together for custom combos. One example is when using the first two attacks from Onslaught I with the following hits being from being can press △ + □ after △ to get the second hit of Onslaught II. Credit to ITOwl/IntrovertedOwl for documenting this as of 5th April 2024.
• Offset: The ability to perform an action mid-combo while continuing the same chain. The easiest one to execute may be Sprint Offset between Slash and Crescent Slash. Dodge Offset is also possible if you dodge and attack almost immediately out of an attack connecting. Credit to ITOwl/IntrovertedOwl on Dodge Offset, though he coined it something else as he didn't seem to know the associated games.
• Defense Is The Best Offense: As you unlock all of your skills, you'll find that there is a loop where dodging, parrying, repulsing and blinking in addition to some attacks give you move resources for the biggest attacks.
• Take Your Turn: While there are a lot of variables with enemy attack speed and your attack speed, it is worth practicing what attacks you can fit in the gaps or use to slip by the opponent. Examples include using Beta Skills which stun between enemy attack strings or using faster moves between a series of parries.

Skill Trees

Attack Skill Tree

This tree is divided into three branches (Attack Branch, Stealth Branch, Beta Branch). Some of these skills are linked to each other, so you are required to buy them in order.

These abilities are your bread and butter, the key skills that you don't require any resources to use and many of the grounded options are cancellable into your evasion options (Guard/Parry, Dodge/Perfect Dodge, Repulse, Blink). Select attacks have bonus properties with some being especially rare like Quadruplet with the Finishing Blow Increase as it can disrupt enemy Balance.

Attack Skill Tree - Attack Branch

• Quick Attack: □ ➜ □ ➜ □ ➜ □. Combo Attack - A quick series of grounded strikes.
• Air Quick Attack: □ ➜ □ ➜ □ ➜ □ (Mid-air only). Combo Attack - A quick series of aerial strikes.
• Quick x 3, Strong: □ ➜ □ ➜ □ ➜ △. Combo Attack - Three grounded strikes ending with a strong attack from mid-air. Unnamed in game.
• Incursion I: □ ➜ △ ➜ △ ➜ △. C