Nioh 3 Demo Receives Overwhelmingly Positive Player Feedback

Players Praise Nioh 3 Demo Ahead of 2026 Release

Two months after its exciting announcement at a State of Play presentation, Team Ninja’s upcoming action RPG, Nioh 3, gave PlayStation 5 owners a chance to dive into an exclusive demo from June 5th to June 18th. Following their playthroughs, players were invited to complete an optional survey to share their thoughts. Today, Team Ninja revealed the survey results, confirming that a vast majority of players were highly impressed with what they experienced.

The feedback paints a promising picture for the game, which is currently slated for an early 2026 launch on PC (Steam) and PlayStation 5.

Overwhelmingly Positive Impressions

The survey results show clear enthusiasm from the player base. Here’s a breakdown of the key findings:

• Overall Demo Impression: A striking 90.9% of players rated the demo positively, with only 6.4% finding it average and a mere 2.7% giving negative feedback.
• Difficulty Balance: While 56% found the balance satisfactory, there was a notable split among the rest, with 12% deeming the demo too easy and 32% feeling it was too challenging. This suggests areas for fine-tuning before launch.
• Visuals: The game’s graphical presentation received strong approval, with 62.7% of players satisfied, 25.5% finding it average, and 11.8% expressing disappointment.
• Music and Audio Design: Audio quality was a standout, with an impressive 85.1% calling the sound excellent, 13.3% average, and a minimal 1.6% weak.
• Samurai Combat Style: The core gameplay loop seems to resonate well, as 80.5% were pleased with the Samurai combat style, 13.2% rated it average, and 6.3% negatively.
• Ninja Combat Style: Similarly, the Ninja combat style was well-received, with 80.1% positive feedback, 11.3% average, and 8.6% negative.
• Switching Between Combat Styles: The dynamic system for changing styles was also a hit, with 70.6% positive responses, 14.6% average, and 14.8% negative.
• Guardian Spirit Skills: These unique abilities garnered significant praise, with 72.9% positive, 22.9% average, and 4.2% negative.
• Living Artifact: Another distinctive feature, the Living Artifact, was well-regarded by 77.3% of players, 19.7% found it average, and 3% negative.
• Demo Stages: The content presented in the demo also impressed, with 84.5% positive feedback, 11.6% average, and 3.9% negative.
• “Expedition” Co-op Mode: The cooperative multiplayer experience was highly appreciated, with 80.1% positive, 16.5% average, and 3.4% negative.
• Tutorial Quality: The introductory guidance was mostly effective, with 75.1% positive, 13.8% average, and 11.1% negative.
• User Interface (UI): The UI was also generally well-received, with 74.2% positive, 14.8% average, and 11% negative.

Developer's Commitment to Improvement

Team Ninja emphasized that the demo was based on an alpha version of the game, meaning there's still a significant amount of development work ahead. The studio stated its intention to use the gathered feedback to refine all aspects of Nioh 3 before launch. This includes improving in-game balance, controls, animation speed, lighting, visual effects, and more.

What This Means for Players

The overwhelmingly positive reception of the Nioh 3 demo is excellent news for fans of the franchise and newcomers alike. It suggests that Team Ninja is on the right track with its core gameplay and artistic direction. While the developers acknowledge the need for further polish, their commitment to acting on player feedback ensures that the final product aims to deliver a highly refined and enjoyable experience. With a release set for early 2026 on both PC and PlayStation 5, players can look forward to a promising addition to the action RPG genre.