Nioh 3 tutorial boss Yamagata Masakage is the game's toughest fight

Nioh 3 is the first game in the series to adopt an open-world approach, letting you explore most areas freely. There are limits: each subregion within the game's four huge maps contains enemies at set power levels, so veering off the recommended path too early can get you killed.

That newfound freedom only opens up after you complete the tutorial and defeat Jakotsu-baba, the first crucible boss. The tutorial throws a lot at you quickly, introducing what feels like a hundred mechanics and systems in a short space of time. I only felt like I had a solid grip on how things work around 10–15 hours in, and the mandatory boss at the tutorial’s end, Yamagata Masakage, proved brutal; I even messaged deputy editor Ari Notis and nearly had to cede writing our review before finally beating him.

Masakage is about seven feet tall and built like a brick shithouse, but he’s otherwise a straightforward opponent: predictable moves, a single weapon, and no Dark Realm phase.

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