After a small change to how the Co-Op mechanics work in the retail version of Nioh, fans take to social media to demand the developer change the mechanic back.

Nioh, a game clearly inspired by difficult third-person action games like Dark Souls III and Bloodborne, just may be the surprise hit of 2017 so far. After a number of disappointing titles, developer Team Ninja as seemingly managed to create a game that not only lives up to its storied history, but taken things to another level thanks to the amount of positivity coming not only from critical reviews but the community as well. Unfortunately, a recent change to how a particular mechanic works in the retail version of the game has started to rile up the fan base who have begun to make a lot of noise demanding changes be made.

Like Dark Souls, Nioh enables players to summon other gamers for help in battling the many difficult encounters within the game. The process for summoning a player has always been fairly straightforward where the first player simply offer an ochoko at one of the many shrines in the game. Alternatively, a password system lets players get matched up with a specific friend without any restrictions, adding another great social element to the title.

After a slew of demos established this as a selling point and fan-favorite feature, the retail version featured a small tweak that essentially alters how this feature now functions. Now, players are only able to match up with others who have already beaten the level they're being summoned to. This restriction essentially prevents starting the game off in Co-Op with a friend impossible and has ignited the community over this unexpected change.

While this news won't affect those players who don't plan on play through the experience with a friend, the interesting thing to note here is that the Last Chance Beta, which launched only a couple weeks prior, did not feature this new limitation. Ultimately, this led many to believe Co-Op would function differently than it actually does now. The firestorm over this change has also caused fans to take to social media to campaign for change. Koei Tecmo, Team Ninja, and even companies not affiliated with the game like Sony have all started to receive comments from angered fans.

At this time, neither Team Ninja nor Koei Tecmo have responded to the fan outcry. Considering how the Co-Op functioned in the demos however, it seems plausible that the feature could be altered and restored back to its original mechanics. For now, friends looking to play with one another will need to ensure that the player being summoned is further ahead in the story.

How do you feel about this Co-Op mechanic being changed right before release? Feel free to voice your opinions in the comment section below.

Nioh is available now exclusively for the PlayStation 4.