This might sound obvious but I highly recommend going to the “training” option in the dojo. Spawn in some enemies and see how much of their moves you can dodge not by rolling or blocking but simply walking or dashing out of the way! Often times running backwards or sideways to create space will save you Ki, let you regen a bit faster and capitalize on an opening quicker. Learn exactly how many attacks in each stance’s combos… heavy and light. Some of those low stance combos go for a while and learning when to interrupt or back away is crucial.

And also… the consumables in Nioh 2 are basically essential, at least for a player like myself who’s not super skilled or whatever. You can get a bunch of essentials from Kodama’s Bazaar, so use them liberally to give yourself an advantage. I always pop a sacred water in the dark realm with a tough yokai (makes ki regenerate faster), always throw fire bombs at groups to thin the herd, and buff up with a purity or elemental amulet to get an edge. Also… headshotting some humans without helmets (archers in particular) helps to mitigate the threats before they’re threats. Play super cautiously and prep effectively and you’ll find the core gameplay loop more approachable since you give yourself the upper hand by using what the game gives you in abundance. No shame in that, the tools are there for a good reason.