“Nioh 2” has a tipping point. It’s the moment when a “Souls”-style game finally clicks and players have an epiphany like Neo seeing the Matrix code for the first time. That came to me during a fight against Yatsu-no-Kami, a snake boss toward the end of the campaign’s first act.

To no one’s surprise, the battle was difficult. The yokai, or supernatural monster of Japanese folklore, attacks players with venom and a swordlike horn on its head. I must have died at least 30 times fighting the creature, but while I failed I was learning its ticks and habits. I picked up on the pattern of its attacks and also fine-tuned my own combat methods.

When I finally defeated the snake monster, “Nioh 2” suddenly became easier. I could read enemy attacks and counter them with hard hits. I settled into my favorite weapons (the hatchets and switchglaive) and learned to use the protagonist’s other abilities. It became a game that feels friendlier than “Dark Souls,” but at the same time, it offers challenges that are fair.

Don’t get me wrong, I still struggled in places, but after defeating Yatsu-no-Kami, no boss or level felt overwhelming. “Nioh 2” was beatable no matter how dire the situation. That’s a good sign for a game in the genre.

“Nioh 2” features a protagonist created by players. The customization options are robust in the game. (Sony Interactive Entertainment) 

“Nioh 2” takes place before the original and follows a new hero, one that players create. This character, nicknamed Hide, is half yokai and half human, giving the protagonist the ability to change into a hybrid creature. The hero can also summon yokai for brief stints in battle and transform when a meter fills up. All of this creates a fresher take on combat and opens up a flexible system that lets players craft different combat styles.

The plot of “Nioh 2” follows Hide as the hero ventures into Japan during the Sengoku period to slay yokai. The protagonist teams up with a sly adventurer named Tokichiro and together they gather a special stone called Amrita. Over the course of the campaign, they become embroiled in the politics as they enter into the service of a feudal warlord named Oda Nobunaga who is trying to unify the country. The narrative mixes fictional supernatural elements with actual historical figures and events.

Fans of Japanese culture will like those touches, but it could go over the heads of players. Thankfully, the story focuses on the protagonist’s personal history, though the narrative itself seems superfluous next to the tense skirmishes and the mazelike level design. That’s what “Nioh 2” does best even though the campaign recycles environments for side quests. The title unfolds through several missions that players can freely choose from.

The game puts players in tough situations where they’ll venture into an ambush or be overwhelmed by a slew of foes. When that happens, players can turn to benevolent graves or look for other players to help out. They can summon an AI helper or online player by sacrificing ochoko cups. They’re a big help and give players the option of making even the most difficult levels easier.

At the same time, they can challenge Revenants, which are AI-controlled ghosts of players who were defeated. If players defeat them, they can earn their gear and ochoko cups. Players can also lay down Righteous Jasper so that their ghosts can be summoned to help out other players. This creates a cycle that encourages players to help each other because they can get help in return.

The protagonist meets with other characters in the game who help the hero out in “Nioh 2’s” campaign. (Sony Interactive Entertainment) 

The other element of “Nioh 2” is the loot. Players will uncover plenty of it through their adventures and part of the fun is finding the right build for players. They’ll have to balance the bonuses of the gear with their stats and abilities. Some may gravitate toward slow weapons that require heavy defensive armor while others will opt for fast blades, magic and agility. That choice is complemented by their pick of guardians that offer distinct boosts as well as a unique set of moves such as Burst Counters.

Ideally, players should find which guardian and weapons fit their playstyle and double down on the gear that augments that. If players find a stage too hard, they can grind out Amrita and level up or defeat revenants for better equipment. Like other “Souls”-style games, “Nioh 2” is a title where patience and persistence pays off but it seems more forgiving and less reliant on execution.

The developers at Team Ninja do an excellent job of dangling that sense of progress and victory before players’ eyes just enough that it keeps them playing. That makes “Nioh 2” hard but not impossible and that feeling of struggle and accomplishment is one of the hardest thing to nail down in the genre, and the studio has gotten right with this sequel.

‘Nioh 2’

3½ stars out of 4
Platform: PlayStation 4
Rating: Mature