Mechanics

Learn Nioh 2 exploration, combat, stances, Yokai Shift, and how to handle Mujina and Nuri kabe.

Missions in Nioh 2 are large areas to traverse, leading to a boss, with shrines acting as checkpoints (a type of save point). Gathering gear from corpses and chests, and collecting all Kodama (spirits) in a region, are important for progression.

Beware of chests with 3 gold bars; these are Mujina in disguise. Opening one will cause the Mujina to emerge and mimic your emote. Copying its emote will make it leave with its loot. Alternatively, you can fight it. Using the Whistle emote can also provoke a Mujina.

Walls with two large circular holes indicate a Nuri kabe (a type of enemy). Approaching them makes eyes appear. You can fight the Nuri kabe, or appease it by performing one of three specific emotes. Hints for the correct emote can be found by checking nearby red revenant graves (markers left by other players).

Throughout Nioh 2, you will find blue and red graves. Blue graves are benevolent graves, created using a Righteous Jasper and costing Ochoko Cups (obtained from red graves). Summoning an ally from a blue grave costs Ochoko Cups and summons an NPC (non-player character — anyone the game controls, not you) ally for a limited time; they cannot heal and disappear if either you or they die.

Using your own grave (when it's used by another player) grants you Glory (a currency) and Ochoko Cups. These are often found outside boss rooms or difficult fights.

Red graves are left by players who have died. If a player dies again, their red grave moves. Even if you retrieve your Spirit Guardian (a protective entity), the red grave remains visible to others. Using a red grave costs nothing and summons an NPC wearing the deceased player's armor. Defeating this revenant has a chance to drop their armor, Ochoko Cups, and Glory. This is known as revenant trading, a method for players to share or duplicate gear.

A red grave persists in a mission as long as the player who left it is present; it disappears approximately 20 minutes after they leave. The drop rate for equipment from red graves is random and lower if the player has less equipment. If you are friends with the player whose grave you use, the drop rate becomes 90%. Orange inheritables (special gear properties) are often traded this way in NG+ missions, with players coordinating through social media like Discord, message boards, and forums.

Speed running stages: To finish missions quickly, especially when replaying stages in NG+ (New Game Plus), use the ninja tools Catwalking, Tiger Running, and Sneak Thief. These allow you to avoid most enemies and run directly between shrines (checkpoints) to reach the boss faster.

Script grinding: To efficiently farm scripts from bosses and sub-bosses that disappear upon defeat, use a shrine before the encounter. Then, defeat the boss (ideally with a build that has high luck and item drop effects). If the script doesn't drop, exit to the title screen or close and reopen the game. This will return you to the shrine, allowing repeated attempts.

Combat: Combat in Nioh 2 involves strong and quick attacks, combined with blocking. The unique stance system offers three stances: Low, Middle, and High. Each stance provides a distinct moveset for every weapon, which can be customized through skill customization. Adapting your stance to the situation is key to winning battles.

Ranged weapons like guns, bows, and cannons are effective for long-range combat, particularly against humans. Precise headshots with a gun can result in instant kills.

Yokai Shift and Yokai Abilities: You can equip up to three Yokai Shift forms, each with a unique moveset determined by your Spirit (a gauge that fills as you fight). Yokai Shift primarily functions as a trump card (a powerful, situational ability). Equipping Soul Cores (items that grant abilities) and Yokai Abilities to your Spirit significantly impacts both normal combat and your Yokai Shift form.