All about Shrines

When you arrive on the Isle of Demons, you’ll find your first shrine. Shrines are Nioh’s version of Dark Souls’ bonfires. They let you prepare for fights to come and restore your health, but they also reset all of the enemies.

You’ll start with six options at a shrine. Later in the "Isle of Demons" mission, you can find a kodama and unlock a seventh. Here’s what you can do with each of them.

Change guardian spirit

Before the "Isle of Demons" level, you answer two questions that serve as Nioh’s character and class creation system. In it, you chose a guardian spirit. At a shrine, you have the option to change which of the game’s three guardian spirits you’re currently imbued with.

Level up

This is where you go to spend all that hard-won amrita and level up your character. You get to boost one stat per level at ever-increasing cost. (See our section on Nioh's stats for more.)

Make offering

As we mentioned, you’re going to find a lot of items. Some of them will be indispensable. Others, not so much. So what do you do with all that junk? Later in the game, you can take it to the blacksmith shop and sell it for cash or break it down into its components. But you have another option. Each item also has a amrita value. If you make an offering of the item at a shrine, the item will be lost, but you’ll get amrita in exchange. (For more on this, see weapon familiarity.)

Ready jutsu

William’s abilities extend beyond just swinging a sword (or an axe or a spear). He also has some ninja knowledge and the ability to make magical talismans. When you unlock these skills with ninja and onmyo points, this option at the shrine lets you prepare them — you can pick which ninja or magic things you bring with you. Ninjutso includes things like shiruken and poisons. The stat and defense buffing talismans are part of your onmyo magic.

Boons

Boons appears to be where DLC will be located. There’s nothing here yet — check back after the game launches for more.

Summon visitor

Somewhere in the avalanche of items you find will be an item called an ochoko cup. Use these here to summon another player into your game for co-op play.

Receive kodama blessing

Kodama are those little green guys wearing pottery on their heads that hang out at the shrine. You’ll find kodama scattered throughout Nioh’s levels. When you give them directions back to the shrine, they’ll allow you to purchase additional bonuses with gold — things like increased rates of armor, health elixir or gold drops.

Enhance guardian

The final tile will be blank until you beat Nioh. After that, it lets you spend amrita to level up your guardians.