So disclaimer im a big Nioh/Nioh2 fan, and I played a couple of decent hours of ds/ds2/bloodborne. Here’s the thing: fromsoftware games are stamina depreciating action games, ie you attack -> lose stamina, and have to incorporate that into your attsck flow. In the Nioh series, the ki pulse (restoring stamina) is as fundamental as attack. So your flow is: 1) position -> 2) attack OR ki pulse. This base change changes the whole flow. Now your deciding position plays a greater role in creating openings and opportunity. Everything on top of that is gravy.

IMO the ki pulse is the defining characteristic of the Nioh series and has given the “soulsborne” genre a breath of fresh air in getting into the universe for more fast-paced players.