Whether you’re into soulslike games or not, you’ve likely heard of both theNiohseries andElden Ring. Although these two share the same genre and many of the same tags, they are vastly different entities. Nioh, with its first game released in 2017, focuses primarily on Japanese mythology and folklore, with a strong character focus that has evolved into customization options.

Elden Ring, released in 2022, is a Western-style medieval fantasy with a more open-ended narrative and world. However, with Elden Ring’s massive financial and critical success, Nioh 3 will have a lot of ground to cover to catch up. Still, it is time to learn from this particular peer and consider including these elements from them.

Nioh 3 hero sees a vision of a Tarnished jumping at an enemy in Elden Ring.

8Jumping

Get Some Air

You have a diverse set of skills in the Nioh universe, ranging from aselection of weaponsto crafting and transformation. Your character can be agile and mobile while still being strong and stoic, even gaining the ability to teleport. But, despite all these skills, you can’t jump.

Certain things make it look like you’re jumping, but it’s mainly for show. Elden Ring made a wise decision to include a jump function without compromising navigation or exploration. If Nioh 3 is planned to be bigger, a jump function would not only create more options for exploration but also for combat.

Nioh 3 hero sees a vision of golden light over the Land Between in Elden Ring.

7A Vast World

Search For The Horizon

Both the Nioh titles have presented detailed worlds that feel big while you explore and fight your way through them. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that they’re essentially linear, having a main path with some side roads winding through it. They’re also divided into separate areas or levels, which inhibits some of their flow.

Now, when Elden Ring announced an open world, it committed to it wholeheartedly. The Lands Between is a far-reaching land with a mix of environments, ruins, and settlements that all interconnect, not to mention the series ofunderground systemsthat sprawl throughout. Nioh has done a good job of creating areas, but now needs to link them together to create a cohesive world.

Nioh 3 hero sees a vision of a Guiding Statue in Elden Ring.

6Show And Don’t Tell

Exploration And Mystery Are Better Than Exposition

The number of times video games have explored Japanese mythology is impossible to count, but they still make it enjoyable, and the Nioh series is a prime example. The last entry focused heavily on supernatural elements, particularly the concept of Yokai and even granting the main character Yokai powers. It also gives a lot of exposition through dialogue and text, which is fun to learn, but can limit curiosity.

Even though Elden Ring is no stranger to exposition, it leaves much of its finer and more intriguing details up to us to find and explore. We never truly understand something until we’re in the midst of it, and Nioh 3 would benefit from providing us with moments like that and multiple ways to achieve them.

Nioh 3 hero sees a vision of a Tarnished firing a beam of magic energy in Elden Ring.

5More Magic

No Wand Waving Here

Nioh has an unusual relationship with magic, as it’s primarily used to enhance oneself and one’s equipment as the situation demands. The Yokai transformation mechanic was a great addition to its magical nature, but it leaves you wanting more from your Talismans and skills.

In Elden Ring, magic is a highly viable system that can take novice players to greater heights once they’ve experimented a bit.With Sorceriesand Incantations that cover several classic elements while mixing in their own, Nioh 3 has plenty of room to go. Japanese mythology offers a wealth of magical concepts and presentations that the game could utilize creatively.

Nioh 3 hero sees a vision of a woman riding Torrent in Elden Ring.

4Traveling

“Walk? That Wasn’t Part Of The Deal!”

Due toits linear areasand level design, there aren’t many travel options in the Nioh series. You’ll spend most of the time traveling on foot, advancing from checkpoint to checkpoint (Shrines) and then leaving the area completely when you’re done. There is no consistent fast-travel system that can slow down the gameplay. Due to its open world, Elden Ring puts a lot of attention on its traveling.

You have Sites of Grace scattered all over the place, and you can jump between them instantly, and dungeons have their own internal system. You also get a sweet spectral steed for riding across the land, looking almost too majestic. If Nioh 3 is going to expand, it will need a robust travel system to shake up the process of getting around.

Nioh 3 hero sees a vision of a Elden Ring classes lined up.

3Class System

Almost As Hard As Choosing A Major

While Nioh focused on a defined character who would grow and fight how you wanted, Nioh 2 leaned hard into the customization. You have the option to create your character from the feet up (within reason) and then decide on their starting equipment. It gives you a blank slate with open-ended progression, but some of us like a bit of guidance. When you start Elden Ring, you have a large selection of classes defined by name, appearance, starting gear, and starting stats.

This helps you understand the types of options available and provides a head start on your preferred build. By including such a system, Nioh 3 would provide more options and assistance to help you get started, and then leave the customization in place to mold your character as you play.

Nioh 3 hero sees a vision of a Summoning Statue in Elden Ring.

2Summoning Up

Ash And You Shall Receive

What made Nioh 2 stand apart from its predecessor was a greater focus on multiplayer and online play. You couldn’t turn on streaming without seeing a Nioh 2 group heading off on a mission or smack in the middle of a boss fight. It works well and has helped build a community, but it also leaves more to be desired for solo players, considering the game’s inherent difficulty.

This is why Elden Ring changed things by including the Summoning Ashes, so that even solo players could summon allies offline. It also added a new element to hunt for, since theashes can rangefrom a group of foot soldiers to an arcane champion. Nioh 3 could retain Nioh 2’s online functionality, while also adding elements that empower those who want to undertake the journey alone.

Nioh 3 hero sees a vision of Elden Ring warriors fighting a giant forest spider.

1Diversity

More Flavors Of Everything

Japanese folklore is a treasure trove of stories, creatures, legends, and more, which Nioh and Nioh 2 effectively utilized. The Yokai variety keeps things fresh and makes you curious about what’s next, but that primarily applies to the bosses. One of the major criticisms of the games is their repetitive nature, both in terms of enemy types and level designs.

Even though Elden Ring is full of underground stone dungeons and ruins, they feel distinct and have something that you’re able to tie to them aside from a name. Both enemies and bosses have distinct designs linking them to different factions, locations, or beliefs. Nioh 3 should consider this, as it’s likely to be combat-focused, like its predecessors. It can pull from the vast catalog of historic Japanese design and clothing to add more flair and diversity to its animated assets.