Over 3 years after the first game, Nioh 2 has finally been released by Team Ninja after the success of the 2017 title, Nioh. Set as a prequel to the original game, Nioh 2 takes place during the 1500s and retains action-RPG gameplay of its predecessor. Creating a customized yokai spirit, players must master unique combat mechanics to vanquish evil spirits throughout the game.
One of the essential Nioh 2 techniques to practice is the Ki Pulse. Timing a Ki Pulse just right will restore a massive amount of stamina (Ki) and enable players to keep on fighting. Besides its energy-restoring use, Ki Pulse also has other applications in nullifying some environmental hazards created by enemies.
Performing a Ki Pulse
To use a Ki Pulse, players must press their PS4 controller's R1 button. But successfully triggering the pulse involves doing so at the end of an attack or combo with one of the in-game weapons. When their attack finishes, a blue light will be circling the player's character. The R1 button should be pressed as the blue light directly touches the character. Perfect execution will cause a shadowy afterimage to appear and refill a large part of the Ki bar. Miss-timing the pulse will still restore some stamina, but not as much as normal and players will have to plan their next move carefully.
Yokai and Dark Realms
While the Ki Pulse's restorative factor is its main selling point, the technique can also deal with the negative effects of yokai-created realms encountered throughout Nioh 2's story. In-game, enemy yokai can create two types of realms which further cripple Ki regeneration: Yokai and Dark. A Yokai Realm is a dark puddle on the ground which can be spawned by all foes and slows the player's stamina if they step inside. However, it will vanish if a Ki Pulse is performed while near or inside the Yokai Realm.
Alternatively, Dark Realms are created by different boss yokai or spread throughout an area over several missions. When the player stands inside a Dark Realm, their HUD will go black and white while their stamina takes much longer to naturally regenerate. Unfortunately, even a perfect Ki Pulse will not cleanse the Dark Realm, but the stamina regained will help the player keep fighting despite slower regeneration. Beware that Yokai Realms can overlap with Dark Realms to further cripple the player's Ki if they aren't careful.
To get rid of a Dark Realm, the player needs to break through the boss' own Ki bar after avoiding their attacks or get rid of important yokai in the vicinity. Once the Dark Realm is gone, natural Ki regeneration will kick in and players won't have to rely solely on their Ki Pulse mastery for the time being.
Nioh 2Â is out now for PC and PlayStation 4.
