Nioh 3: Hell Rising Review – Great Combat, More of the Same

Nioh 3: Hell Rising Review

Nioh 3 was released in February 2026 and remains one of my favorite action games from a very good year for the genre. I think it’s the best Nioh game by far. The alternating samurai and ninja mechanics, along with the open field world design, all clicked for me. Nioh 3 had a great weapon system and lots of variety. It was a very long game, too, but mostly that was a positive. Nioh 3’s first major expansion is Hell Rising, and it adds a significant amount of what fans enjoyed about Nioh 3.

The Plot Lengthens

Largely ignoring the endings of the base game, Hell Rising transports Takechiyo to 1651 during the Keian era. He’s there to investigate reports of his death (in the future) and cleanse Edo of Crucible blight. A couple of pivotal NPC allies, legendary one-eyed swordsman Yagyu Jubei and the Spanish envoy Rodrigo, join him along the way.

While objectively neither good nor bad, I’m not a huge fan of DLCs that require players to have beaten the main game. I think it locks out a lot of people. It also means that all the new shiny DLC toys aren’t of much use outside of NG+. I think Lies of P gets it right. You need to have progressed relatively deep and your character needs some experience. Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree is somewhere in the middle between Lies of P and Nioh 3 in its demands.

I mention this because I played, beat, and reviewed Nioh 3 on a review account that is no longer accessible. I didn’t have an extra 40 hours to level up a new character. The devs provided me a pre-rolled Takechiyo with appropriately high-level stats, and the DLC unlocked.

More Nioh 3 is a Good Thing

Coming back to Shadow of the Erdtree, that DLC introduced a raft of new weapons, spells, armor, and significant game play mechanics. Hell Rising is much more modest. Primarily, it takes place in and around Edo castle. But there are underground levels, nearby forests, and villages overcome (no surprise) by Blight. Just like the main game, the DLC is colorful and detailed. Spell, weapon, and combat effects remain brilliant and exciting.

The basic loop in Nioh 3 consisted of exploration and questing, clearing Blight and of course, combat. That hasn’t changed in Hell Rising. If you grew weary of it in the base game, there’s nothing in Hell Rising to change your mind. Especially if you’re expecting a bestiary of new monsters and yokai to fight, you’ll be disappointed. Most enemies are variants on the base game’s roster.

That’s not to say there’s nothing new. The biggest addition is the Hoko and Shield, a powerful weapon combination that can be used in both samurai and ninja styles. It’s an incredibly fun weapon and I can easily see using it for a NG+ run. What’s particularly appealing is that the shield can be used both defensively and offensively. Maybe the most interesting and “innovative” new mechanics are the Hundred Demon Picture Scrolls. The Picture Scroll is essentially a slot that you fill by completing one-off battles with rare drops, including gear, currency, or powerful buffs.

Put in the Time First

Hell Rising is obviously geared towards high end gear, equipment, and character stats from the base game’s end. There’s even the new Enlightened One’s Journey difficulty for NG++ runs. In other words, the DLC is not for casual players. Again, this is not a positive or negative, but a conscious design choice. Maybe less positive are the reused enemies and relatively few new weapons. The narrative premise to land Takechiyo in the future is a little shaky.

Overall, though, Hell Rising is a great excuse to return to the world of Nioh 3 if you finished the base game and want to explore some new real estate. Nioh 3 is one of the best action RPGs from this year, and that’s saying something. Hell Rising might not be a monumental, game-changing DLC, but it’s a fun and challenging way to extend Nioh 3’s already excellent game play, mechanics, weapons, and story.

***PC code provided by the publisher for review***