Nioh 2 Update Addresses Yokai Abilities And More, Full Patch Notes Revealed

Developer Team Ninja has dropped a new update for the PS4 samurai Soul-like Nioh 2 that "primarily focuse[s] on Yokai abilities." We've compiled the full patch notes below.

The update makes a number of adjustments to Nioh 2's various Soul Cores. Many of these tweaks make the Yokai abilities easier to execute, cause them to do more damage and produce more hits, decrease startup and recovery time, increase drop rates, and more. Team Ninja said these alterations should provide "a more balanced and well-rounded experience for the player."

In addition to adjusting the Yokai abilities, Team Ninja also tweaked some of Nioh 2's mechanics to make them a little more forgiving. These include increasing the success window of the Ki Pulse, adjusting a bunch of different weapon skills, fixing a host of issues related to Yokai Shift and the Blacksmith, and more.

Elsewhere in the patch, Team Ninja addressed a variety of bugs that continue to plague Nioh 2. Weapons such as hatchets should gain element buffs, the Ki Pulse should trigger after activating certain skills, various "minor bugs" should be ironed out, and much more.

We awarded the game an 8/10 in our Nioh 2 review, saying, "Though it sometimes feels like a curse as you play, it is a testament that Nioh 2 successfully grabs and holds your complete attention so close for so long."

Nioh 2 Version 1.08 Update Patch Notes (April 10)

Adjustment of Yokai Abilities

Adjustments focused mainly on abilities that felt underpowered and/or ineffective in order to achieve a more balanced and well-rounded experience for the player.

• Gyuki Soul Core: It is now easier to hit with this attack.
• Kasha Soul Core: Increased damage and reduced Anima consumption.
• Daidara Bocchi Soul Core: Can now hit directly across from where it appears.
• Shuten Doji Soul Core: Shortened the recovery and made it easier to hit with.
• Magatsu Warrior Soul Core: Shortened the recovery and increased the damage output.
• Toxic Slime Soul Core/Umi-bozu Soul Core: Shortened the recovery and increased the rate of attack.
• Gaki Soul Core: Improved the amount of Amrita produced with the bite attack.
• Yamanbe Soul Core: Improved the startup speed and buffed the duration.
• Tesso Soul Core: Increase the number of hits.
• Karasu Tengu Soul Core: Shortened the recovery and increase the damage output.
• Mitsume Yazura Soul Core: Made it easier to hit with this attack.
• Rokurokubi Soul Core: Increase the number of hits.
• Aberrant Soldier Soul Core: Shortened the recovery.
• Kodama Soul Core: Increase the drop rate of elixir when the attack hits.
• Gozuki Soul Core: Adjusted the usage cost. Now causes the opponent yokai to flinch when hit.
• One-eyed Oni Soul Core: Made it easier to hit with this attack. Adjusted Ki damage and Anima consumption.
• Yotsu-no-Kami Soul Core: Adjusted the number of times the attack ricochets off of terrain and Anima usage.
• Otakemaru Soul Core/Karakasa Umbrella Soul Core: Decreased damage to the following bosses and objects:
  • Gyuki
  • Lady Osakabe
  • Daidara Bocchi
  • Shard

Adjustments

• Increased the drop rate of several Soul Cores:
  • Umi-bozu
  • Toxic Slime
  • Infernal Oni-bi
  • Maelstrom Oni-bi
  • Thunderstorm Oni-bi
  • Karakasa Umbrella
  • Flying Bolt
• Adjusted the enemies in the training mission "Training Ground" to get stronger as the mission progresses.
• Adjusted tutorial missions "Basic Actions" and Yokai Shift Control: Brute/Feral/Phantom" to always sync with the player's level.
• Increased the damage of the Katana skill "True and Through" at max charge.
• Adjusted Spear skill "Rainbow Ruse" so that it can be customized.
• Increased the success window of Kill Pulse and damage output when the Spear skill "Triple Threat" is successful.
• Adjusted the Spear skill "Bracing Breeze" to make it easier to follow-up after a successful counter by shortening the recovery.
• Fixed an issue where the following skills could not be customized to give elemental effects: Axe Skill - "Bear's Bane."
• Fixed an issue where the following skills could not be customized to give elemental effects: Tonfo Skill - "Storm of Strikes," "Sweeping Kick."
• Improved the timing of when the Samurai skill "Flux" can be executed after Tonfa skills "Demon Dance Heaven/Man/Earth."
• Attacks that can be triggered by the Switchglaive Mystic Arts now hit sooner and their power has been increased.
• Shortened the usage time of techniques that give positive effects to the player (such as forbidden fire talisman) in Onmyo Magic Mystic Arts "Awakening."
• Made adjustments so that Ninjutsu-related effects (such as Life Drain (Ninjutsu Hit)) will occur when using the "Gunpowder Bomb" and "Shrapnel Bomb."
• Made an alteration so that there is a moment of transformation which maintains buffs and debuffs when the player transforms into their Yokai form via the special effect "Critical Yokai Shift (Dark Realm)."
• Fixed an issue with "Azai Nagamasa's" behavior.
• Adjusted the line of sight when holding a ranged weapon to make it easier to use.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue with the active skills "Piercing Hurl" and "Dual Hurl" where the special effects "Skill Damage + %" were not being properly reflected once upgrade to (Shadow/Light).
• Fixed an issue where some hatchet attacks do not gain element buffs.
• Fixed an issue with the Kusarigama skill "Serpent Strike." When hitting certain enemies, it could not trigger Ki Pulse.
• Fixed an issue where the Switchglaive skill "The Path of Three" was too easy to accidentally activate.
• Fixed an issue with the Kusarigama skill "Water Drop" could not trigger a Ki Pulse.
• Fixed an issue where the follow-up attack of the Spear skill "Chidori" may go through the opponent.
• Fixed an issue where the following Customized skills would not take effect:
  • Dual Swords Skill - Ultimate Sign of the Cross
  • Spear Skill - Flying Monkey II: after the first hit
  • Kusarigama Skill - Water Drop, Second Wind
  • Switchglaive Skill - Infinite Retribution II
• Adjusted the "Ki Pulse Man" effect so that it no longer disappears when entering poisonous bogs or tainted waters.
• Fixed an issue in the Shifting skill "Refulgent Strike" that caused Amrita to be gained instead of the Amrita gauge.
• Fixed an issue where the special effects of "Enemy's damage over time" and "Enemy's received damage over time" existed separately and were not calculated together, so the two have been merged.
• Fixed an issue where in some cases Yokai abilities were mistakenly showing the effects for unarmed attack power as well.
• Fixed an issue where the attack power of Yokai abilities while unarmed were very low.
• Fixed an issue where the attack power of the Yokai abilities would not syn with the player's level.
• Fixed an issue where Soul Coul Kamaitachi would not reliably hit properly.
• Fixed an issue where some yokai would float up and become stuck after being hit by guardian spirit "Genbu."
• Fixed a problem where the player could not Yokai Shift Grapple some yokai when they are downed by a Burst Counter.
• Fixed an issue in the "Soul Match" option of the "Blacksmith," if a transferable soul core was chosen as a material, a separate candidate could not be chosen for the finished item.
• Fixed an issue with the "Soul Match" option of the "Blacksmith" when a ranged weapon was chosen as a base, a different weapon type would show up as a material.
• Fixed an issue where the damage dealt by a visitor was still visible even after setting it to "Hide" in the option "Damage display - others."
• Fixed an issue where players could not buy "Transformation" in the "Tea Room" if their saved data has been deleted, even if all conditions were met.
• Various other minor fixes.