Emotes in Nioh 3 aren’t just for showing off in co-op or messing around with poses. Instead, they also double as a gameplay mechanic, allowing you to open trick walls and charm certain enemies for loot without a fight. Called gestures, emotes in Nioh 3 work much like they do in other games, letting your character perform simple actions like bowing, pointing, or praying. However, in a few specific encounters, using the right gesture can charm an enemy and reward you with loot instead of forcing a fight. While the game explains how to emote during the tutorial, it’s easy to forget once you’re deeper into the game and juggling a lot of different controls. So, here’s how to emote in Nioh 3.
Nioh 3: How to Emote
To emote in Nioh 3, hold down R1 and press the Options button on a DualSense controller, or press G if you’re playing on PC. This will open the gesture menu, where you’ll see a small grid showing all the emotes you’ve unlocked so far. You can scroll through the list and select the one you want to use. As you progress and put in more hours, you can unlock additional gestures by visiting the Hidden Teahouse at the Eternal Rift hub.
As we mentioned before, emotes in Nioh 3 aren’t just for showing off and can actually be useful against two tricky yokai, Nurikabe and Mujina. Nurikabe are trick walls disguised as part of the in-game environment, usually blocking off shortcuts, treasure, or hot springs.
When you approach a Nurikabe, its eyes will open, and rather than immediately attacking it, you can use a gesture. If the wall’s eyes turn red, it means you chose the wrong emote, but you can give it another shot before it turns hostile. You can also check the nearby bloody graves for hints on the right emote.
Mujina, on the other hand, likes to disguise itself as treasure chests. If you open one, the yokai will jump out, copy your appearance, and perform an emote. All you have to do is mimic the gesture back. If you mirror the gesture correctly, it’ll reward you with loot instead of starting a fight. If you pick the wrong emote or don’t have it unlocked, you’ll have to fight it.
That does it for our how to emote in Nioh 3 guide. For more gaming news and guides, be sure to check out our gaming page!
