The way to play Nioh 1, 2, and three in chronological historical past order with a give attention to the Japanese Warring States interval


The Nioh collection could also be higher recognized to the extra basic gaming person base for its difficult battles and gameplay techniques. Nonetheless, these titles are significantly made by Koei Tecmo Video games, which has been higher recognized within the Japanese gamer base for producing history-based video games.

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Koei Tecmo is especially recognized to have launched recreation collection primarily based on Japanese historical past with a extra specific give attention to the Sixteenth-century Warring States (Sengoku) interval, similar to Nobunaga’s AmbitionSamurai Warriors, and Kessen.

Nioh can be a recreation title primarily based on the identical historic interval. Subsequent releases within the collection step by step coated extra components of the historical past. As such, we have now tried compiling a complete timeline of the historic occasions and battles coated within the collection, with a give attention to the popularly coated Warring States period.

Take be aware that whereas this text is made with thorough historic analysis, The historic occasions additionally kind many of the plot factors within the Nioh collection’ storyline. As such, a Spoiler Warning is in impact for the article.

Begin with Nioh 2


One of the best ways to expertise a chronological playthrough of the Nioh collection is by beginning with Nioh 2. Your avatar Conceal will meet Tokichiro, and the 2 of you’ll finally go to serve below Oda Nobunaga. You’ll step by step elevate your fame with the title Hideyoshi within the battles of Okehazama and Inabayama, till Nobunaga’s brother-in-law Azai Nagamasa turns towards him.


Proceed your playthrough till the Battle of Anegawa. In Nioh 2, this battlefield can have an icy theme (regardless of traditionally happening in the summertime of 1570), and the boss combat will probably be towards the Asakura basic Magara Naotaka, who has been yokaified right into a blue large.

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Now that Nioh 3 has appeared with a brand new chapter that takes place after this battle, it is time to transfer briefly to the brand new recreation.

Go to Nioh 3’s Warring States period


You’ll inevitably expertise a time leap this manner, since Nioh 3‘s story begins at Tokugawa Takechiyo’s inauguration in 1622. However shortly after the prologue stage, you may be whisked away to the 12 months 1572.

This was when the Takeda launched the Seijo marketing campaign on the Tokugawa lands, which resulted within the battles of Hitokoto Slope, Futamata Fort, and Mikatagahara within the recreation. Though the Tokugawa had been overwhelmed in all these battles, they had been capable of stage some counterattacks by deceiving Shingen with the empty fort plot at Hamamatsu after which raiding the Takeda fort at Saigagake.

Whereas the sport’s depictions ended with the Saigagake raid, the historic marketing campaign continued with the Battle of Noda Fort in 1573. The marketing campaign was dropped at a halt when Takeda Shingen lastly succumbed to his sickness within the 12 months.

Proceed your Nioh 2 playthrough


You are actually again in Conceal’s viewpoint, as your liege Oda Nobunaga decides to remove Azai Nagamasa for good at Odani Fort in 1573. Then following a prolonged battle towards Honganji, together with many different Oda conquest campaigns, Akechi Mitsuhide will stage a coup towards Nobunaga at Honnoji in 1582.

Hideyoshi would quickly avenge Nobunaga’s demise on the Battle of Yamazaki. Whereas Mitsuhide was traditionally said to die on Mt. Tenno, the Nioh collection follows the favored fiction concept that Mitsuhide survives the battle and assumes a brand new identification because the priest Nankobo Tenkai.

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After the historic Battle of Komaki-Nagakute, there will probably be some authentic lore and time skip till Toyotomi Hideyoshi (a.ok.a. Tokichiro) has accomplished his unification of Japan within the 1590s. Proceed the Dream arc story till you see a sure Westerner arriving in Japan on a wrecked ship. That is the time to make an extended pause in your Nioh 2 progress and boot up the primary Nioh.

Play the whole thing of Nioh 1 and its DLCs


The subsequent arc within the Nioh collection will play completely from the perspective of the above foreigner within the first Nioh. Loosely impressed by the historic Englishman William Adams, the Irishman William will step by step make his method to central Japan to fulfill Tokugawa Ieyasu, who will then enlist him into his military for the key battle in Sekigahara towards Toyotomi loyalists below Ishida Mitsunari within the 12 months 1600.

The DLC expansions for the primary Nioh step by step cowl the Winter 1614 and Summer season 1615 Sieges of Osaka, which had been additionally the ultimate battles between the Tokugawa and Toyotomi.

End Nioh 2 and its DLCs


Now that every one the key battles within the Warring States interval have concluded, you might be absolutely ready to witness the grand finale, concluding the storylines of the primary two Nioh entries in Nioh 2’s last chapter.

Nioh 2’s DLC packs would then shift the main focus to the sooner Heian interval, however the obligatory ranking of every DLC varies by iteration. I might say taking part in via the primary DLC pack (The Tengu’s Disciple) is very beneficial and even virtually obligatory in case you are to proceed your Nioh 3 playthrough, as the following chapter in Nioh 3’s story will happen proper after this DLC, which occurred within the late Heian period (1185-1189) and starred Minamoto no Yoshitsune, considered one of Japan’s prime widespread heroes.

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The second (Darkness within the Capital) has a much less urgent necessity however continues to be beneficial, as you possibly can meet up with the characters who will seem in Nioh 3’s Heian map as relic mentions and even revenants. I might then say the final one (The First Samurai) is totally non-obligatory for this context.

Play via the remainder of Nioh 3


If in case you have adopted my earlier recommendation, you should have cleared no less than the primary DLC of Nioh 2 and be able to expertise the Heian period storyline in Nioh 3, which takes place shortly after the occasions of the previous.

This episode is definitely loosely impressed by Minamoto no Yoritomo’s go to to Kyoto in late 1190, as he was consolidating energy in a transitional interval, and he would finally set up the Kamakura shogunate in 1192. Nonetheless, there’s plenty of fiction infused right here, considered one of which is the favored hero Minamoto no Yoshitsune staying alive. Traditionally talking, the latter was speculated to have died along with Benkei on the Battle of Koromo River that came about on the finish of Nioh 2’s DLC1 storyline.

The remainder of Nioh 3’s storyline will function principally authentic storytelling. The Yamatai Kingdom within the Antiquity period has few detailed sources, although it’s value noting that the 12 months 247 was traditionally the twilight 12 months of Queen Himiko, who died both in that 12 months or the next 248. In the meantime, the futuristic Bakumatsu period on this recreation can be massively distorted through the occasions triggered by Tokugawa Kunimatsu in Nioh 3’s prologue.

Abstract of Occasions

Heian Period

  • 797 – Sakanoue no Tamuramaro’s slaying of Otakemaru (Nioh 2 DLC3 – Legendary)
  • 976 – Rivalry between Abe no Seimei and Ashiya Doman (Nioh 2 DLC2 – Legendary)
  • 1185 – Battle of Dan-no-Ura (Nioh 2 DLC1 – Minamoto vs Taira)
  • 1189 – Battle of Koromo River (Nioh 2 DLC1 – Minamoto no Yoshitsune vs Fujiwara no Yasuhira)
  • 1190 – Minamoto no Yoritomo’s visitation to Kyoto (Nioh 3)

Warring States Period

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  • 1556 – Dying of Saito Dosan (Nioh 2)
  • 1560 – Battle of Okehazama (Nioh 2 – Oda vs Imagawa)
  • 1567 – Battle of Inabayama Fort (Nioh 2 – Oda vs Saito)
  • 1570 – Battle of Kanegasaki (Nioh 2 – Oda-Tokugawa vs Azai-Asakura)
  • 1570 – Battle of Anegawa (Nioh 2 – Oda-Tokugawa vs Azai-Asakura)
  • 1572 – Battle of Hitokoto Slope (Nioh 3 – Tokugawa vs Takeda)
  • 1572 – Battle of Futamata Fort (Nioh 3 – Tokugawa vs Takeda)
  • 1573 – Battle of Mikatagahara (Nioh 3 – Tokugawa vs Takeda)
  • 1573 – Battle of Odani Fort (Nioh 2 – Oda vs Azai)
  • 1578 – Ishiyama Honganji Conflict (Nioh 2 – Oda vs Honganji – The precise battle ran from 1570 to 1580)
  • 1582 – Incident at Honnoji (Nioh 2 – Akechi vs Oda)
  • 1582 – Battle of Yamazaki/Tennozan (Nioh 2 – Hashiba vs Akechi)
  • 1583 – Battle of Shizugatake (Nioh 2 – Hashiba vs Shibata)
  • 1584 – Battle of Komaki-Nagakute (Nioh 2 – Tokugawa vs Hashiba)
  • 1598 – Dying of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Nioh 2)
  • 1600 – William Adams’ arrival in Japan (Nioh 1)
  • 1600 – Battle of Fushimi Fort (Nioh 1 – Tokugawa vs Ishida)
  • 1600 – Battle of Sekigahara (Nioh 1 – Tokugawa vs Ishida)
  • 1600 – Battle of Sawayama (Nioh 1 – Tokugawa vs Ishida)

Edo Period

  • 1614 – Winter Siege of Osaka (Nioh 1 DLC2 – Tokugawa vs Toyotomi)
  • 1615 – Summer season Siege of Osaka (Nioh 1 DLC3 – Tokugawa vs Toyotomi)
  • 1622 – Tokugawa Iemitsu’s Shogun Inauguration (Nioh 3 – The precise inauguration traditionally occurred in 1623)