Nioh 2 Amrita guide: How to Yokai Shift and use or get more Amrita

Nioh 2 Amrita guide: How to Yokai Shift and use or get more Amrita
(Image credit: Team Ninja)

Nioh 2 Amrita is a type of currency introduced for the sequel, which is an ancient yellow substance that is used to trigger a Yokai Shift, allowing you to tap into your demon heritage and take on monster form for a short duration during the heat of battle. This adds another attack option to your arsenal in Nioh 2, so of course you'll want to know how to wield its power effectively. We've got the lowdown on Nioh 2 Amrita for you in this guide, explaining exactly what it does, how it's used to initiate a Yokai Shift, and which items are required to top up your Amrita supply when you start running low.

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What is Nioh 2 Amrita?

What is Amrita in Nioh 2?

(Image credit: Sony)

Nioh 2 Amrita is a lot like the souls you collect in Dark Souls - it’s dropped by enemies and can be used to level up your in-game character. You’ll see it when you kill everything from small Gaki’s to giant Enki’s. It is the yellow orbs that appear and fly towards your person after a tough fight. Amrita is tied to your Yokai heritage and can be used to initiate a Yokai Shift depending on your chosen Guardian Spirit that you must pick at the start of the game. 

How to collect Amrita and retrieve lost Amrita

Collecting Amrita is easy and you’ll pick it up naturally by killing Yokai, destroying crates and cracking open chests. The orbs should flood into your body and you can later use them when you find a shrine - simply advance to the Level Up menu and pick your preferred stats. Be warned that you will lose all of your Amrita if you die during combat or fall off a ledge. 

You can always pick it up after your first death by finding where you died and retrieving the Amrita alongside your Guardian Spirit. There’s also an option to pay to recall your Guardian Spirit from a shrine outside of battle if you think it would be too difficult to retrieve your Amrita without it.

How to use Amrita to Yokai Shift

How to use Amrita to Yokai Shift

(Image credit: Sony)

Now that we know what it is, let’s move on to the real reason you need Amrita. New to Nioh 2 is the concept of the Yokai Shift, where you can utilise your half-demon heritage to unleash tremendous power on your enemies. At the start of the game, you’ll choose between three guardian spirits and unlock many more throughout the narrative that will change the skills you can use during a Yokai Shift. 

Once you’ve picked your spirit you need to earn enough Amrita to utilise it. You’ll see in the top left corner a circular symbol which will have the icon of your chosen spirit. Depending on the amount of Amrita you have, it will fill until it glows. Once it’s glowing, tap Triangle and Circle together to unleash the Yokai Shift and take the upper hand in battle. Take care though - the Yokai Shift doesn’t last long and if you get hit by enemies your meter will drop even further, so use your time wisely! Whilst in Yokai Shift mode, tap Triangle and Circle again to use your ultimate Yokai power, but you may want to save it until the meter is running dry, as it takes a big chunk of your bar.

How to get more Amrita

How to replenish Amrita in battle

(Image credit: Sony)

If you’re suffering against a large Yokai and you need some extra Amrita to restore your power, the main way to replenish it is to kill more enemies and open chests. Where that’s impossible, the only way to do it is to crunch a Spirit Stone, an item found on corpses and in chests which you find throughout the world. There are Small Spirit Stones, Spirit Stones and Large Spirit Stones which restore certain amounts of Amrita depending on their capacity. Crunch them in battle when the enemy is otherwise engaged to restore your Amrita and open up the possibility for a Yokai Shift. 

Freelance writer


Jordan Oloman has hundreds of bylines across outlets like GamesRadar+, PC Gamer, USA Today, The Guardian, The Verge, The Washington Post, and more. Jordan is an experienced freelance writer who can not only dive deep into the biggest video games out there but explore the way they intersect with culture too. Jordan can also be found working behind-the-scenes here at Future Plc, contributing to the organization and execution of the Future Games Show.