The dark fantasy spin Team Ninja put on the Sengoku period drove players to Nioh outside of its Soulslike gameplay mechanics. PVP is in, but since you don’t need to buy the DLC to get it, it isn’t technically part of Dragon of the North.RELATED: Ranked: The 10 Hardest Bosses In Nioh It also introduces the Odachi weapon type (read: a giant samurai sword, the first of which you obtain immediately), which sports its own dojo challenge and skill tree, and you can equip two Guardian spirits and swap them in combat (with R1+L2). You want ancillary stuff too? You’ll get four guardian spirits for your troubles (which are aesthetically pleasing but a little rote mechanically), more Kodama to find, and some new loot odds and ends. It also doesn’t have a satisfying ending, likely to tease the prospect of picking up the remaining add-ons. That’s my jam - it’s all about those little details. There is one proviso, though: if you’re at that point where you’re past the first difficulty and halfway into NG+, you’re going to be in this sort of limbo state where the former is too easy and the latter (if you’re even there yet) is too hard.

It even has its own anime-esque intro complete with a title card and a quick flashback sequence. A good mix of humanoid and beastly bosses is equally appreciated. Team Ninja has also been historically skilled when it comes to making compelling re-skins of existing enemies. While there are only a few extra Yokai to fight, they’re incorporated in neat ways, including a Resident Evil-esque human/demon hybrid - a theme that isn’t really explored as of yet.

Dragon of the North‘s layouts might be wholly familiar, but its approach isn’t. The snowy peaks of Tono complement the eerie countrysides and demonic temples from the main story perfectly. I was impressed with its juxtaposition to the main story right away. Going by the Souls series, this is more Ringed City than Old Huntersin terms of length and meat - and to be more clear, you’re basically getting a new mini-region (Tohoku) with a handful of missions, as well as some other token extras. William is now embroiled in conflict with a new enemy, Lord Masamune Date, with a few of his old pals in tow.

As the first of three planned add-ons, Dragon of the North takes us to a new area and picks up where the main story left off.

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