Nioh 3 – Prologue Walkthrough: Part 2

After you discover the betrayal of your own brother and the Yokai attack on your castle during the events of Nioh 3, you, Tokugawa Takechiyo, need to make your escape.

We left things there, but we are here to continue your part 2 of the prologue walkthrough.

Note

This is part of our Nioh 3 – Guides And Walkthrough Hub, so if you want more content, guides or walkthrough about the game be sure to check it out.

Escape From Hitokoto Slope

After the cutscene, head up to the hill and interact with the shrine here. If you have purchased the deluxe edition or preordered the game, you will be able to collect all your goodies from here.

Just head to the Preparation option, then select Boons. All additional items will be sent directly to your inventory and you will be able to use them.

Progress forward and defeat the enemies ahead of you. The path is pretty much straightforward from here and you will get a few more tutorials on certain mechanics like assassinate and bow and so on.

Eventually you will reach a second shrine, where you will find a path that takes you down and to the left you will see some men fighting Yokai, head there.

As these men fight the Yokai, their leader, Honda Tadakatsu, will come to help. As he defeats most of the Yokai here with your help, another general will come and try to stop both of you.

This is Yamagata Masakage and he is here to fight.

Defeat Yamagata Masakage

This fight is going to be the hardest early in the game since Yamagata Masakage is a samurai in heavy armor swinging a massive nodachi.

The fight changes depending on distance. Staying back makes it easier to read his charges, while being close puts you right in the middle of his rapid sword combos that hit hard.

Yamagata Masakage Strategy

One of the first attacks is a forward rush where he lunges to stab with the nodachi. The charge moves at a moderate speed, so you can dodge to the side or back if you see it coming.

Keeping some distance gives you space to avoid damage and counterattack once he recovers.

He also swings the sword in a wide horizontal arc from left to right. Step sideways or dodge back to avoid the hit, because jumping usually just gets you clipped.

After the swing, there is a brief pause that lets you move in and land a few attacks, so you need to stay alert.

Sometimes he spins the sword around, slashes upward, and ends with a heavy overhead slam into the ground. The wind-up takes a moment, so do not attack while he spins.

Waiting for the slam to finish gives you a chance to hit him before he recovers.

Odachi Combo

He has a fast 4-swing combo that finishes with a jumping overhead strike. The first three hits come quickly, so you need to dodge or move sideways to stay safe.

Be careful with the jump at the end, because he pauses before landing and can trick you if you dodge too early. The timing will feel odd at first, but you will get the hang of it.

The 5-swing combo adds a fourth fast slash and finishes with a thrust instead of the jump. The first four hits come fast, so dodge or block them.

The final thrust pauses for a moment, which is the right time to dodge sideways and punish him while he recovers.

The most dangerous attack comes when he ignites the nodachi with black flames and lunges for a powerful thrust. This move does massive damage and can set you on fire.

Keep your distance and time a sideways dodge at the last moment to avoid getting hit.

Living Artifact

If you managed to get his health down to his last third, you will get a new fighting mechanic called the Living Artifact and you will be prompted to activate it. This will infuse your body with the chosen Guardian Spirit you have.

In this form, you deal increased damage and add specific elemental damage depending on which spirit you have. You also do not lose your original HP when you get attacked, only the meter of the transformation.

Of course, this Living Artifact has a limited period of time and it finishes, but for this fight, you will be able to finish the boss off before it does. Simply go all-in on the boss and finish him off.

Meet With Honda

After you defeat Yamagata, he will be weak but he will call his horse and run away. Honda will speak to you and introduce himself.

He will then tell you the story about Takeda Shingen and how his forces joined with the Yokai and crushed the Tokugawa army, so he seeks your help in

The two of you will need to make your way to Lord Ieyasu’s Hamamatsu Castle, so you take the boat to the land. After you reach the land, head up the hill and you will be introduced to your very first open area in Nioh 3 called Warring States.

This will complete the prologue of the game and your main objective is to reach the castle, but you are free to explore and discover the land as you please.

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Thank you for reading another Into Indie Games article on Nioh 3.