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Nioh 2 |OT| Yippee-Ki-Yokai (or Die HARD)

GymWolf

Gold Member
No worries, maybe it'll help someone else lol.

If you played the first, you'll get it in no time. There are a ton of systems in part 2 for sure.
Yeah, i kinda like playing with a basic style, not much of all those counter here transformation there, and i'm probably gonna make the game far harder than it really is :lollipop_grinning_sweat:
 
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Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Yeah, i kinda like playing with a basic style, not much of all those counter here transformation there, and i'm probably gonna make the game far harder than it really is :lollipop_grinning_sweat:
I kinda do the same thing lol. I like to play as minimalist as possible with no wasted movements, like a samurai. Lots of counters and riskier defensive strategies just for fun.

But the burst counter is just something you have to use the entire game. Even a low level soldier can use unblockable moves like that, as well as every boss.

All the new demon skills are fun too. Kind of like Blue Mage in Final Fantasy.
 

GymWolf

Gold Member
I kinda do the same thing lol. I like to play as minimalist as possible with no wasted movements, like a samurai. Lots of counters and riskier defensive strategies just for fun.

But the burst counter is just something you have to use the entire game. Even a low level soldier can use unblockable moves like that, as well as every boss.

All the new demon skills are fun too. Kind of like Blue Mage in Final Fantasy.
Tbh i just forget that are available during gameplay.

I just avoid the unblockable moves with a roll...

Same for the loot, i just go with the best defense\attack stats...i feel like a caveman :lollipop_squinting:
 
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Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Tbh i just forget that are available during gameplay.

I just avoid the unblockable moves with a roll...

Same for the loot, i just go with the best defense\attack stats...i feel like a caveman :lollipop_squinting:
Haha, well caveman is a viable strat for sure lol. It's whatever you want to do.

Most of the gear stuff isn't that important. I basically try and get attack/defense too. If I see something that will auto-heal me, I get that. And I put Kodama/Enemy Sensor on my accessories 🤷‍♂️. Weapons with an element are nice, or with a healing effect on kills. I don't follow any meta, and I just get whatever looks interesting.

Half the battle is going to the blacksmith and hitting "Refashion" to make your outfit match 😎
 

Y0ssarian

Banned
While struggling to find a ps5 I been playing this recently to quench my first.

Anyone else currently playing it?
I bought it recently and the first Nioh, but I also purchased Stranger of Paradise and I was gonna play that first (still waiting on delivery). I love tecmo/team ninja
 

Y0ssarian

Banned
Nice! I played nioh on release enjoyed it alot.
However my feelings so far are nioh 2 makes nioh obsolete haha not sure if that helps you 😅
It's fine, I plan on playing both of them. I could play Nioh 2 first and then play the first game if I want more. They are fairly cheap now. How far into Nioh 2 are you? Did you play Ninja Gaiden
 
It's fine, I plan on playing both of them. I could play Nioh 2 first and then play the first game if I want more. They are fairly cheap now. How far into Nioh 2 are you? Did you play Ninja Gaiden
My character is level 96 and I just finished the 4th section of the map. A good chunk through I think.

Yeah loved ninja gaiden despite not enjoying hard games at the time.( I do now obviously lol) I had a hissy fit with one of the end game bosses on ninja gaiden 2 and quit soon after😅. They definitely had the best combat out at the time. I would eat up a modern ninja gaiden today. Nothing really plays like them today.
 

Y0ssarian

Banned
My character is level 96 and I just finished the 4th section of the map. A good chunk through I think.

Yeah loved ninja gaiden despite not enjoying hard games at the time.( I do now obviously lol) I had a hissy fit with one of the end game bosses on ninja gaiden 2 and quit soon after😅. They definitely had the best combat out at the time. I would eat up a modern ninja gaiden today. Nothing really plays like them today.
Sounds far in. I'm playing Stranger of Paradise now hopefully to get a little better at Nioh type combat. It's a fair bit easier game.

Man Ninja Gaiden II was a tough game. I did finish Ninja Gaiden (2004), but not II (Xbox 360, 2008). I did complete Sigma 2 and Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor's Edge though. Razor's Edge was fairly recent for me with the Master Collection. I would like a new Ninja Gaiden but I'm a little concerned how it would turn out after NG3
 
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22:22:22

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Can someone please explain to me this mechanic (mentioned in the tutorial) where you have to block when flinching from an attack or something?
 

22:22:22

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Man this game is dope. Hard AF atm. Grinding for unlocking mechanics that'll open up the gameplay significantly. Truth be told I'm still not sure whatever I'm doing lol. Game demands lots of timed inputs and such.
 
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Pejo

Member
Man this game is dope. Hard AF atm. Grinding for unlocking mechanics that'll open up the gameplay significantly. Truth be told I'm still not sure whatever I'm doing lol. Game demands lots of timed inputs and such.
Until you start unlocking weapon movesets (where the game really opens up and shines), just focus on learning the stance changes, the difference between the stances, and most importantly how to Ki Pulse. It's like Active Reload from the Gears of War games, and is vital to some harder fights.

Other than moveset changes for stances, they also change how fast you regen Ki naturally, and how effective your dodge skill is.

Also, blocking attacks will negate 100% with a few exceptions, so blocking is just as viable as dodges for any attack that doesn't cause you to get staggered. Later you will have parries and a whole bunch of options to negate damage and keep attacking.

This page is a good primer of some of the combat mechanics in the game with links to read more about individual sections:

 

22:22:22

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Great Ape Zoo GIF
Me playing Nioh 2
 

22:22:22

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Until you start unlocking weapon movesets (where the game really opens up and shines), just focus on learning the stance changes, the difference between the stances, and most importantly how to Ki Pulse. It's like Active Reload from the Gears of War games, and is vital to some harder fights.

Other than moveset changes for stances, they also change how fast you regen Ki naturally, and how effective your dodge skill is.

Also, blocking attacks will negate 100% with a few exceptions, so blocking is just as viable as dodges for any attack that doesn't cause you to get staggered. Later you will have parries and a whole bunch of options to negate damage and keep attacking.

This page is a good primer of some of the combat mechanics in the game with links to read more about individual sections:


Thanks a bunch man!

Bros Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
 

22:22:22

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I don't get it. Sometimes after dying my "souls" are nowhere to be found. Annoying.

At least I beat the first area and getting more accustomed to it's mechanics.

Loving it's this far par for some frustrating moments.

I had a dude join me and help me. No clue how that happened but it was awesome!
 

Pejo

Member
I don't get it. Sometimes after dying my "souls" are nowhere to be found. Annoying.

At least I beat the first area and getting more accustomed to it's mechanics.

Loving it's this far par for some frustrating moments.

I had a dude join me and help me. No clue how that happened but it was awesome!
So Nioh's Amrita (souls) retrieval is a bit different than FROM's games. As long as you have a guardian spirit equipped, when you die, they will leave your side for the time being (can't use their specials and you don't have their passives during the time they're gone) and guard your souls. If you die and don't make it back to your souls, the guardian spirit returns to you and those souls are then gone permanently. You can also use items to return the spirit to you, one item with souls, one item (infinite uses) without the souls, if I recall.

Co-op is a main feature of the game, so don't hesitate to use the items to call for help if you get stuck or just enjoy it. Also you will have NPCs join you at certain points in the game. They kinda die a lot, but you can revive them by getting close and interacting with them while they're hunched over.

Some minibosses you are not supposed to be able to beat right away, though just like in FROM's games, you can with enough skill. A lot of people get hung up on that giant horse demon in the first level, but you don't need to kill him now. After you clear a stage, you can always return to get any missed items or fight any optional bosses/content later when you're stronger/better at the game.
 
So happy more people are getting to experience this masterpiece... Way back when, my PS4 died and I blamed it on playing this game too much.

I am a GOD with it and completed all the layers of hell, but only with ranged stuff; Throwing Hatchet and the extending pole...

Ninjutsu and Omnyo eventually become useless because you cannot upgrade the after a certain point.... so only weapon based attacks are truly viable since you can keep upgrading them

My favorite attack is the charging spear move and I really wanna give it a go again... but after 2 thousand hours, I don't feel too good playing with it; especially since I am so effective with the Hatchets... I was also a bit dusty and got my ass kicked, so I ran away like a B... Reinstalling now tho... time to give it another go

Never ever learned to care about anything ki or block related...
 

22:22:22

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So Nioh's Amrita (souls) retrieval is a bit different than FROM's games. As long as you have a guardian spirit equipped, when you die, they will leave your side for the time being (can't use their specials and you don't have their passives during the time they're gone) and guard your souls. If you die and don't make it back to your souls, the guardian spirit returns to you and those souls are then gone permanently. You can also use items to return the spirit to you, one item with souls, one item (infinite uses) without the souls, if I recall.

Hey man thanks for your post. Really appreciate!

Not sure what you mean by guardian spirit? The blue summons? Or those Yokai circles I'm supposed to fill? Sorry man it's a lot to take in. Makes me feel so dumb.

And yeah I've replayed the first level 2 times now. Getting "better" or rather more accustomed to it all.

So happy more people are getting to experience this masterpiece... Way back when, my PS4 died and I blamed it on playing this game too much.

I am a GOD with it and completed all the layers of hell, but only with ranged stuff; Throwing Hatchet and the extending pole...

Ninjutsu and Omnyo eventually become useless because you cannot upgrade the after a certain point.... so only weapon based attacks are truly viable since you can keep upgrading them

My favorite attack is the charging spear move and I really wanna give it a go again... but after 2 thousand hours, I don't feel too good playing with it; especially since I am so effective with the Hatchets... I was also a bit dusty and got my ass kicked, so I ran away like a B... Reinstalling now tho... time to give it another go

Never ever learned to care about anything ki or block related...

Damn. That's a lot of hours. I haven't even try to incorporate throwing stuff. Although I really like making headshots with the bow.
 

Pejo

Member
Hey man thanks for your post. Really appreciate!

Not sure what you mean by guardian spirit? The blue summons? Or those Yokai circles I'm supposed to fill? Sorry man it's a lot to take in. Makes me feel so dumb.
So when you started, you get to pick between a wolf, a shark, and I forget the other one, maybe a peacock? They're called Guardian Spirits, and when you press Triangle+Circle, it wll put you into "living weapon" mode where you won't lose any health and deal increased elemental type damage. If you press Triangle+Circle again, it will do a special attack using whatever spirit you have equipped that does a lot of Ki damage to demons. In addition, they provide stat and passive bonuses etc. I recommend the shark for beginner players always because it shows enemy locations on the mini-map while it's on your character, so you will have a lot fewer issues with ambushes. You will get a ton of these spirits over time, and at a certain point you can equip 2 of them. Might be able to from the start now, I'm not sure. Anyways, you get meter to unleash the spirits as you fight and kill stuff and collect amrita, so feel free to use them liberally when needed, or you can save them for bigger demons that are blocking your progress or even bosses. The passives are always active unless you die and the guardian spirit is stuck at your bloodstain guarding your souls. That's why sometimes it's worth more to use the infinite use item to call them back instead of guarding a small amount of souls when you are repeatedly dying at the same spot. There are a LOT of mechanics at play in Nioh 2, don't feel bad about being overwhelmed at first. If you didn't play the first one, there are even more things to learn as a new player. But once it clicks, it's one of the best combat systems in any game in the last decade, IMO.
And yeah I've replayed the first level 2 times now. Getting "better" or rather more accustomed to it all.
Yea, I bashed my head against that horse for like 2 hours until I beat him when I first started, but the game even encourages you to sneak by him when you first get to him, so don't sweat the small stuff. The game is fairly huge and going back into a stage is literally just a button click, so just tackle it later if you can't do it now.
Damn. That's a lot of hours. I haven't even try to incorporate throwing stuff. Although I really like making headshots with the bow.
Hatchets as a weapon type are mostly focused as mid range ranged weapons, despite you being able to also hack and slash with them. Everybody has a few weapon types that they gravitate towards, so just find what you like and go with it. The genius of Nioh is that you gain weapon xp just by using that particular weapon, so it's always easy to pick up a new one and play around at any point in the game. My favorites after a few hundred hours were actually the hatchets and splitstaff, but I also dabbled in Spear and Dual Swords from time to time. Nioh 2 has amazing flexibility with how you play the game.

Ranged weapons (guns, cannons, bows, etc) are a different category, which are able to be aimed and consume ammo. They can definitely deal some damage and are great for sneak attacks/openers, but I mostly use them for pulling single enemies to avoid getting grouped up on.
 
the hatchets and splitstaff, but I also dabbled in Spear and Dual Swords
That's exactly my preferences as well, in that order.... The Hatchet Throw is my best skill; but there is also a spinning attack with the hatchet you get from one of the most difficult(IMO) bosses in the game that worked extremely well for me; it direct contact melee.

Splitstaff skill from DLC oversized ninja was good too me....

I love spears; I can do well with the axe too but Im terrible with the katana. I reached my skill ceiling with the dual swords too... It was like NG+++ final boss.
 

22:22:22

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So you build up the GS ability by way of defeating enemies, correct?

I'm using a single Katana and a switch glaive atm. Hatches seems cool reading you guys posts.

I'm so used to blocking I'm trying to dodge more.

And yeah lots of stuff is getting thrown at you. That's fine though.
 

Pejo

Member
Thanks man.

Go Ahead Yes GIF
Thanks for the gold man, I really appreciate it! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. You actually inspired me to reinstall the game and get back into it a bit.

That's exactly my preferences as well, in that order.... The Hatchet Throw is my best skill; but there is also a spinning attack with the hatchet you get from one of the most difficult(IMO) bosses in the game that worked extremely well for me; it direct contact melee.

Splitstaff skill from DLC oversized ninja was good too me....

I love spears; I can do well with the axe too but Im terrible with the katana. I reached my skill ceiling with the dual swords too... It was like NG+++ final boss.
High Stance splitstaff is so incredibly strong. I almost always start out tougher encounters with that and then switch as needed. Great taste in this thread. Dual Swords is just so damn stylish. The sheathing animation alone probably gets me playing with them for the ultra satisfying weeb factor. Every action game needs sheathing animations.
 

22:22:22

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Thanks for the gold man, I really appreciate it! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. You actually inspired me to reinstall the game and get back into it a bit.


High Stance splitstaff is so incredibly strong. I almost always start out tougher encounters with that and then switch as needed. Great taste in this thread. Dual Swords is just so damn stylish. The sheathing animation alone probably gets me playing with them for the ultra satisfying weeb factor. Every action game needs sheathing animations.

You're welcome man. Well deserved. Imma take a few days fucking around with different weapons. I always default to Katana =/
 

Pejo

Member
So you build up the GS ability by way of defeating enemies, correct?
Just by hitting them actually. When you see those little yellow orbs flying into your character, that's filling your gauge. Amrita Charge% will buff the amount of meter you get per orb, which is one of the stats you can get on armor. Some people play a guardian spirit-focused build and that's one of their best stats. The entire magic build from the first game pretty much revolved around spirits.
I'm using a single Katana and a switch glaive atm. Hatches seems cool reading you guys posts.
Katana is an extremely good all-around weapon, and I mained it in the first game, but in Nioh 2 there were so many cool options, so I went with something else. Switchglaive is a very technical weapon, but I found it hard to use in practice. Then again, I never put a significant amount of time into learning it. All weapons are viable though.
I'm so used to blocking I'm trying to dodge more.
You'll get there naturally from experience. Some moves are better blocked/parried, some are better dodged. I wouldn't say one defensive method is necessarily better than the other. Real "masters" of the game won't use either of them defensively, they just ki pulse and constantly attack, only using dodges to close gaps or reposition. Nioh gets very offensively focused at high level play. It's all about staggering and stamina management.

This video is a good example of that style of gameplay. I never got to this level, I still play fairly defensively and wait for my opportunities. Coincedentally, that makes several (mostly human) bosses much more difficult.


And yeah lots of stuff is getting thrown at you. That's fine though.
Yea, just work on improving fundamentals, the rest comes with time. As I mentioned, the game is absolutely massive, so there's plenty of time to learn stuff.
 

22:22:22

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Just by hitting them actually. When you see those little yellow orbs flying into your character, that's filling your gauge. Amrita Charge% will buff the amount of meter you get per orb, which is one of the stats you can get on armor. Some people play a guardian spirit-focused build and that's one of their best stats. The entire magic build from the first game pretty much revolved around spirits.

Katana is an extremely good all-around weapon, and I mained it in the first game, but in Nioh 2 there were so many cool options, so I went with something else. Switchglaive is a very technical weapon, but I found it hard to use in practice. Then again, I never put a significant amount of time into learning it. All weapons are viable though.

You'll get there naturally from experience. Some moves are better blocked/parried, some are better dodged. I wouldn't say one defensive method is necessarily better than the other. Real "masters" of the game won't use either of them defensively, they just ki pulse and constantly attack, only using dodges to close gaps or reposition. Nioh gets very offensively focused at high level play. It's all about staggering and stamina management.

This video is a good example of that style of gameplay. I never got to this level, I still play fairly defensively and wait for my opportunities. Coincedentally, that makes several (mostly human) bosses much more difficult.



Yea, just work on improving fundamentals, the rest comes with time. As I mentioned, the game is absolutely massive, so there's plenty of time to learn stuff.


Thanks again for explaining a lot which makes sense now. I'm going to keep at it. Games feels so fast and visceral. Love the graphics/vibe and I'm sure it'll only get more fun the more you understand the mechanics and "go to town" as it were. Again thanks for your detailed posts <3
 

22:22:22

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That video is insane.

Btw that R1/2(?) + O to counter those red attacks.. Cant seem to find the timing. Its very strict feels like. Maybe I'm countering to early..
 

Pejo

Member
That video is insane.

Btw that R1/2(?) + O to counter those red attacks.. Cant seem to find the timing. Its very strict feels like. Maybe I'm countering to early..
Try switching to a different demon form. They each have different timings. I had the easiest time with the "Phantom" yokai form. Brute I think you want to time early, Phantom had a pretty generous window, and Feral was more towards the end of the attack, if I recall. It's been a while.
 

22:22:22

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As i understand you can unleash 2 demon attacks with R1 and Triangle or Circle. Pressing those together transforms you into your demon.

Getting my ass handed to me by the second apelike boss in that purple poisonous forest.

I may go back the first area and practice.

I think i get it now
 
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Pejo

Member
As i understand you can unleash 2 demon attacks with R1 and Triangle or Circle. Pressing those together transforms you into your demon.

Getting my ass handed to me by the second apelike boss in that purple poisonous forest.

I may go back the first area and practice.

I think i get it now
Yep, you can equip all sorts of different soul cores that do all sorts of things. They also generate a good bit of amrita. Make sure you experiment since pretty much every demon enemy in the game can drop their core and be used.
 

22:22:22

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Yep, you can equip all sorts of different soul cores that do all sorts of things. They also generate a good bit of amrita. Make sure you experiment since pretty much every demon enemy in the game can drop their core and be used.

Yeah that whole sub menu with equipping and fusing etc is still a mindfuck atm. I'll get there. Thanks Pejo
 

Pejo

Member
Yeah that whole sub menu with equipping and fusing etc is still a mindfuck atm. I'll get there. Thanks Pejo
Yea, definitely a lot of systems in place. Nothing wrong with just equipping temporary ones and spamming them to increase your gauge in the meantime though. I think the Enki core was my favorite one early game. Short cooldown, comes out quick, and does a lot of Ki damage to enemies.

Though I think the Enki might be the boss you're having problems with, who you find out afterwards is just a regular enemy that you'll fight often in stages.
🥶
 

22:22:22

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Yea, definitely a lot of systems in place. Nothing wrong with just equipping temporary ones and spamming them to increase your gauge in the meantime though. I think the Enki core was my favorite one early game. Short cooldown, comes out quick, and does a lot of Ki damage to enemies.

Though I think the Enki might be the boss you're having problems with, who you find out afterwards is just a regular enemy that you'll fight often in stages.
🥶

Yeah that ape motherfucker. I think I should be more cautious and aware. Getting some hits in and hit R1. Backstep and dodge. Time the red attack with R triangle and circle etc. Sigh lol. Stepping stones.
 
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Pejo

Member
Yeah that ape motherfucker. I think I should be more cautious and aware. Getting some hits in and hit R1. Backstep and dodge. Time the red attack with R triangle and circle etc. Sigh lol. Stepping stones.
With demon enemies, it's usually more important to try to break their Ki bar than try to go toe to toe with them. Then when it's flashing red, you do your big ballso damage attacks where every move staggers them. If you get prompts for the Oni counter stuff, that's probably the fastest way to do it. Guardian Spirit skills also do a TON of Ki damage to demons (triangle and circle when you're in living weapon mode). I used that a lot early on in tougher demon fights to get the upper hand early.
 

22:22:22

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What's the most efficient way to get their ki down? Normal attacks/combos? How about that weird ground area you can disperse with R1. Does that take priority?

Sorry of asking man.
 

Pejo

Member
What's the most efficient way to get their ki down? Normal attacks/combos? How about that weird ground area you can disperse with R1. Does that take priority?

Sorry of asking man.
No worries at all. So usually the Soul Core skills and counter bursts do the most damage, but it will also get damaged just from attacking. I think in general, High/Mid stance does more Ki damage to enemies than low. Each weapon has better/worse attacks for reducing Ki. The heavier weapons seem to do a better job of it, but there's a lot more commitment and opportunity cost with those. I also think elemental damage does more Ki damage to Yokai. When you get far enough that they start dropping, I always recommend running an elemental infused weapon for this reason.

The dark mist zones that the demons make on the ground will heal their Ki and slow your Ki regeneration. You get rid of those by standing near/on top of them and timing a perfect Ki pulse (the active reload type thing with your stamina bar). There are also spells/skills and I think even items that you get later that will also wipe them out, but it's better to get used to Ki Pulsing them away, since it's a very common mechanic. They are always left behind when a demon recovers from a full Ki depletion.
 

22:22:22

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Btw timing a perfect ki has to come after an attack right? Like square + R1. R1 in its own does nothing correct?
 

Pejo

Member
Btw timing a perfect ki has to come after an attack right? Like square + R1. R1 in its own does nothing correct?
Ki Pulse itself is just R1 at the right time. You can look at either your stamina bar when the missing portion flashes white, or the blue aura that accumulates around your character. Eventually you'll just kinda get a feel for when you should be doing it. You can unlock weapon skills later to allow you to Ki pulse and change stances simultaneously with different button combos, but that's more advance tech to allow you to stay offensive all the time.
 

22:22:22

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Not sure how but Enki is dead. Strange I couldn't completely transform. Must've been a good reason though.
 

Pejo

Member
I don't see an option to return to the world map. Correct?
There is. You go into your items and use the Divine Branch Fragment. You will lose your current Amrita though. It's an item you get automatically at the beginning of the game.
 

22:22:22

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Sorry if I sound stupid. But high stance gives more block value no? Some soldiers block for ages...
 

Pejo

Member
Sorry if I sound stupid. But high stance gives more block value no? Some soldiers block for ages...
What do you mean by block value? Like when you attack a blocking enemy it does more ki damage? if so, yes. If you mean that when you block it takes less of your ki, I don't think so. It does slow down your own Ki regeneration though. There are also special moves that indicate that they are better than others at taking down ki damage. Usually they are low damage, but high Ki damage, like kicks and stuff.
 

22:22:22

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Guess I need to go back and learn whats what. Normal soldiers block me into oblivion so I must be missing something. Not all but some.
 
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