Koei Tecmo’s Nioh announced for PS4 in the west

Over the weekend at PlayStation Experience, Sony Computer Entertainment America and Koei Tecmo announced that Nioh will be released in the west for PlayStation 4.

Likened to Bandai Namco's Dark Souls franchise, Nioh is a dark, samurai-centric action RPG in development under the direction of Kou Shibusawa, Hisashi Koinuma, and Team Ninja. For those unfamiliar, here's a brief description:

"In Nioh, players will traverse war-torn Japan as William, a blonde-haired swordsman whose background as a fierce warrior and seasoned knowledge of the blade allows him to survive in the demon-plagued land of the samurai. Known as Yokai, these demons inhabit a number of dangerous locations and lie in wait in the shadows to ambush unsuspecting victims. Players will also face off with other samurai in supernatural sword battles and intense, multi-target engagements offering a level of difficulty that will truly test even the most hardened samurai’s skills, patience, and strategy."

A trailer for the game, as well as a fresh batch of screenshots, were released at PlayStation Experience, revealing combat that appears similar to Dark Souls, but perhaps a bit more quicker (almost closer to Bloodborne's speed).

Speed aside, what makes a game a "Dark Souls" game is its difficulty. To that end, Koei Tecmo does promise "strategic sword-fighting action" that will "challenge players in a way that makes every mission and accomplishment feel earned and worthwhile."

Check out the trailer for Nioh above, and a fresh batch of screenshots below.