>pick up level 40 sword >level 40 sword does 150 damage >enemies on the levels where a level 40 sword drops have more health meaning the 150 damage lets you keep up pace with their increasing health values
why design a game like this? if the rpg elements are designed in a way that the game effectively has standardised damage values why wouldn't you just standardise them and get rid of all the menu usage?
other ARPGs justify this sort of loot system with items that have radical gameplay changing effects, like how in diablo 2 you can create a whirlwind assassin or teleport with any character. nioh has nothing like this, all the loot just adds damage, defence, and fluff like health or ki
From what I've seen so far (finished Dream of the Strong in Nioh, almost finished Dream of the Demon in Nioh 2) there's no real game changing loot, there's nothing that gives you more moves or adds interesting properties to your attacks outside of small amounts of elemental damage you can get elsewhere easily.
If they got rid of the loot system the game would play the same.
Elijah Kelly
Because there are more factors in play than just level.
The random effects on that sword might help you do more than just 'standard' damage, and other swords, including the one you're using, might lack them. Or maybe your lower-level weapon has good effects and you choose between a weapon that is stronger but shitty effects, or weaker but great effects.
Different level weapons will drop even within a mission. One-time enemies like aratama fog yokai and dark realm masters will drop stuff usually a few levels above the randoms in the level, so you might get a weapon that not only does more than almost anything else in that mission, but gives you a running start for the next one.
Damage isn't strictly linear in the way you describe, either.
Also serves to make returning to easier missions feel easier by killing enemies faster. The value you get is diminished because the stuff they drop also isn't very good, but it can help clear out the side missions faster if you wait a bit to do them.
Also maybe you don't find your level 40 sword, but instead find a level 40 axe, or spear, or switchglaive, and you only have a level 30 sword so those weapons are a big damage improvement. Might prompt you to try using them and you get some experience with that weapon type and maybe discover another weapon you like.
There are nuances beyond the logical reduction that you present.
James Hernandez
Nioh 2 is first and foremost about the grind. Grinding the same story through yet again, grinding gear, grinding through the bullet sponge enemies, grinding those skillpoints. Nioh 2 does have sets, but they fall victim to the same grind. It has a lot of good qualities to it too but, it all depends on the grind.
This is why Dark Souls will always be superior. It has a minimal upgrade path, and minimal grind. It is instead based on the idea of near infinite replayability. Within the same 60-120 soul levels, you can depending on gear and stat distribution create so many different builds. Counting for slight but important little variations, the viable builts must range in hundreds if not thousands. These games are based on the idea that you can reach the peak of any given build for PvE or PvP in just 10-40h or so. But when you do, that's when the game starts and you get to have fun. You're not expected to grind, only to have fun. The gear has no infinite upgrades. There is only one long sword, and once you get that to max level, which is fast, that's all you're ever going to need if you want to play with a long sword.
>like how in diablo 2 you can teleport with any character
That's a bad thing though
John Sanders
You're mostly right. All the cool stuff is on endgame set bonuses.(orange loot). There are only a few interesting effects before then, like corruption or anima bonuses.
Jordan Jones
>It is instead based on the idea of near infinite replayability Holy fucking cope, you hate nioh because you have to replay it multiple times. But praise dark souls for being "infinitely replayable" which it is fucking not. I mean I know I'm being baited. Anyone who says they have to grind in nioh is a certified brainlet. The only "grinding" is just you practicing your moves on different enemies. Which is pure gameplay.
Benjamin Green
>open gear menu >sort by ability >pick the first one that lets me stay in the weight class I want
Certainly not optimal but it's enough to finish the game if you don't want to bother fussing about the loot system
All the loot and stats are meaningless on NG and NG+ anyway This is not in defence btw, I love Nioh 1 and 2 but they have these things I don't like.
Caleb Watson
I play as a woman because I like women, it's that simple. I like looking at the beautiful woman I made in character creator and trying on different outfits for said beautiful woman.
