Nioh is "not the kind of game that lives or dies on things like atmosphere or graphics," producer says – and we can thank fan feedback for bringing the brutal action RPG series "so far"

The Nioh duology (soon to be trilogy, with Nioh 3 coming early next year) is widely regarded as one of the best amid others of the action RPG genre – and according to Koei Tecmo, its good reputation may be due in part to playable demos.

Speaking in a recent interview with Denfaminicogamer (translated by Automaton), producer Fumihiko Yasuda states as much. "For the Nioh series, we've always released demos so that we could incorporate player feedback, but the reaction was particularly strong in the recent alpha," he explains, recalling the alpha Nioh 3 demo from earlier this summer. According to Yasuda, Koei Tecmo opted for a similar approach while developing the original Nioh, too.

This was partially because it was the team's first time producing a challenging "shinige" title – a Japanese term used to describe games in which you, well, die a lot (think Soulslike, sort of) – so the devs wanted to get things right. "Since it's not the kind of game that lives or dies on things like atmosphere or graphics," as Yasuda describes, "it was very important for us to hear opinions based on hands-on experience."

There are various reasons why Team Ninja, the division of Koei Tecmo responsible for Nioh, finds hands-on demos to be valuable, however. "Player feedback sometimes reinforces our confidence in what's good in the game, and other times it makes us rethink things entirely," says Yasuda. "I also believe this process has helped fuel the passion of the playerbase and grow a community around the Nioh series."

The producer jests that this is what he publicly states when answering why demos are core to the Nioh series' development, though – the so-called "hidden" response is that sometimes, the studio simply lacks confidence. "Of course, we do have confidence and conviction in what we're making as creators," admits Yasuda, "but the longer you work on something, the more subjective you become." It's an understandable admission, if I do say so myself.

When you're creating something, you might be a lot less sure of your ability and receptive to any "inside" feedback, so to speak. That's where the value of an outsider's opinion comes into play. "When you say, 'This is what the players are saying,' the staff's reaction is completely different," details Yasuda – different from what it is when a producer or other team leader offers an assessment of progress on the game so far.

He concludes: "The Nioh series has been refined through multiple demo releases, and as a team, we feel it was the feedback from our players that allowed us to bring it so far." Here's hoping Nioh 3 proves the process works yet again.

Searching for something else to play while you wait for Nioh 3 to release? Here are some of the most exciting new games coming this year and beyond to wishlist.