Over 70,000 players are now experiencing a uniquely haunting feature in Nioh 3: the ability to battle the ghosts of other players’ past failures—and potentially loot their hard-earned gear.
A Digital Graveyard of Samurai Struggles
Nioh 3 isn’t just another challenging action RPG; it’s a shared space where every death leaves a mark. Scattered throughout the game’s historical Japanese landscapes are “bloody graves,” each representing a player felled in combat. Inspecting one reveals the circumstances of their demise—and offers the chance to fight a revenant, a spectral echo of that player as they were when they fell.
This asynchronous multiplayer isn’t about cooperative play, but a strange, compelling form of digital archaeology. It’s a system that transforms failure into opportunity, both for the fallen player (whose ghost can be repeatedly challenged) and for those seeking to improve their own builds.
Looting the Fallen and Seeking Aid
The rewards for vanquishing these restless spirits can be substantial. One player described completing two full armor sets—the ‘Crimson General’ and ‘Pride of the Crimson Army’—by defeating other players’ revenants. The ‘Pride of the Crimson Army’ set, complete with a powerful odachi, proved particularly effective in early-game battles. Later, they bolstered their Ninja gear collection in the game’s final area, relying on the ‘Devious Loyalty’ set for its Skill-based attack scaling.
But the ‘bloody grave’ system isn’t solely about scavenging. Players can also find “benevolent graves,” which summon friendly NPCs to aid them in battle. These helpful spirits can be invaluable when facing challenging bosses like Takeda Shingen, providing a much-needed distraction or extra damage output.
A Cycle of Humility and Revenge
The open-ended nature of Nioh 3 encourages frequent engagement with this system. Players often find themselves facing unexpected ambushes, spotting a red grave, and impulsively summoning the fallen foe, hoping to claim their loot. However, this can backfire, leading to a humbling defeat at the hands of a well-equipped revenant.
This cycle of death and revenge is central to the Nioh experience. The game embraces failure not as a setback, but as a learning opportunity. Seeing the graves of others scattered across the map serves as a constant reminder that even the most skilled players will fall, and that perseverance is key. It’s a system that fosters a strange sense of camaraderie, even in competition.
- Nioh 3 features a unique asynchronous multiplayer system centered around “bloody graves.”
- These graves represent the deaths of other players and allow you to fight their revenants for loot.
- “Benevolent graves” offer assistance from friendly NPCs.
- The system encourages a cycle of failure, learning, and revenge.
