Nioh 2 is the best "soulslike" not made by FromSoftware. It even surpasses From's titles in some aspects -- especially in regards to its multiplayer and deep combat.
I say it's a soulslike because that's the closest genre I can put it under that isn't something generic like "action." I feel like comparing Nioh 2 to only From's games isn't giving the full idea of what Nioh 2 really is. So many studios have been chasing From's formula and making games with a very large variety in quality, but nobody are making Team Ninja games other than Team Ninja. They have a formula here that is excellent. When comparing this to FromSoftware titles the only real similarity is the high level of difficulty. Everything else --mission structure, how bosses are created, storytelling, RPG systems, etc. -- is very different.
Nioh 2 has many things going for it. The combat and flexibility you have to make your character unique is unparalleled. You can make practically anything work here. Do you like magic? Do you want to be a badass ninja? Do you want to use a giant scythe? How about no weapon at all? All builds are valid here -- even unconventional ones. I think this is Nioh 2's biggest strength. The fact that each weapon class has a skill tree is daunting at first, but I got used to it around the halfway point. There are so many ways you can spec out your character. The stance system from Nioh also returns along with Ki Pulses. All of these things put together make one of the most satisfying combat systems in any game.
The gear collecting is something I actually really like. Grinding for gear can get tedious quickly, but I really enjoyed killing bosses and enemies and seeing what new loot I got. The final boss drops a lot of loot and I was just mesmerized at how colorful it was.
Another thing that is incredible about Nioh 2 is its approach to multiplayer. Multiplayer progression is seamless, and it scales nicely when there are multiple players. I played Nioh 2 almost exclusively in multiplayer, and it was the most fun I have had in a soulslike. There are also these bonfire things while in levels that you can interact with. The red ones summon an NPC invader, and, upon killing it, you'll receive some of their equipment. If you see a blue one, you can interact with it to summon an NPC helper.
Nioh 2's main drawback is level design. The missions in Nioh 2 aren't part of this larger interconnected world, but instead it is mission-based and you select which ones you want to do in a menu. The menu is perfectly fine, but some levels are laid out terribly. It's very easy to get lost or have no idea where you're going because of some parts of the level looking nearly identical to other parts. Level design has never been Team Ninja's strong point -- at least from the games I have played from them. Out of their "soulslike" outings (Nioh 1&2, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin), Nioh 2 has the best level design, but that isn't really saying much when all of the other ones are so poor. I really hope they are able to improve upon it in Rise of the Ronin.
Overall, Nioh 2 is an exceptional "soulslike," and it has one of the best combat systems of any game full stop.
I say it's a soulslike because that's the closest genre I can put it under that isn't something generic like "action." I feel like comparing Nioh 2 to only From's games isn't giving the full idea of what Nioh 2 really is. So many studios have been chasing From's formula and making games with a very large variety in quality, but nobody are making Team Ninja games other than Team Ninja. They have a formula here that is excellent. When comparing this to FromSoftware titles the only real similarity is the high level of difficulty. Everything else --mission structure, how bosses are created, storytelling, RPG systems, etc. -- is very different.
Nioh 2 has many things going for it. The combat and flexibility you have to make your character unique is unparalleled. You can make practically anything work here. Do you like magic? Do you want to be a badass ninja? Do you want to use a giant scythe? How about no weapon at all? All builds are valid here -- even unconventional ones. I think this is Nioh 2's biggest strength. The fact that each weapon class has a skill tree is daunting at first, but I got used to it around the halfway point. There are so many ways you can spec out your character. The stance system from Nioh also returns along with Ki Pulses. All of these things put together make one of the most satisfying combat systems in any game.
The gear collecting is something I actually really like. Grinding for gear can get tedious quickly, but I really enjoyed killing bosses and enemies and seeing what new loot I got. The final boss drops a lot of loot and I was just mesmerized at how colorful it was.
Another thing that is incredible about Nioh 2 is its approach to multiplayer. Multiplayer progression is seamless, and it scales nicely when there are multiple players. I played Nioh 2 almost exclusively in multiplayer, and it was the most fun I have had in a soulslike. There are also these bonfire things while in levels that you can interact with. The red ones summon an NPC invader, and, upon killing it, you'll receive some of their equipment. If you see a blue one, you can interact with it to summon an NPC helper.
Nioh 2's main drawback is level design. The missions in Nioh 2 aren't part of this larger interconnected world, but instead it is mission-based and you select which ones you want to do in a menu. The menu is perfectly fine, but some levels are laid out terribly. It's very easy to get lost or have no idea where you're going because of some parts of the level looking nearly identical to other parts. Level design has never been Team Ninja's strong point -- at least from the games I have played from them. Out of their "soulslike" outings (Nioh 1&2, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin), Nioh 2 has the best level design, but that isn't really saying much when all of the other ones are so poor. I really hope they are able to improve upon it in Rise of the Ronin.
Overall, Nioh 2 is an exceptional "soulslike," and it has one of the best combat systems of any game full stop.