New Game Plus Guide - Everything You Need to Know
Updated 2026-08-06 - 12 min read
Play Again, But Stronger
New Game+ (NG+) lets you replay the game with all your upgrades and items from your previous playthrough. Enemies are stronger, but you are too.
This guide covers everything you need to know about NG+.
What Carries Over
These things carry over to your New Game+ playthrough:
- All weapon upgrades and levels
- All items in your inventory
- All health and Oni gauge upgrades
- All learned abilities and skills
- Most key items (some story items reset)
- Your costumes and unlockables
What Resets
These things do not carry over:
- Story progress (obviously)
- Map exploration data
- Some story-specific key items
- Puzzle progress (you have to solve them again)
- Enemy kill counters (for challenges)
What Is Different in NG+
NG+ is not just the same game with better gear. Several things change:
Difficulty
- Enemies have more health and do more damage
- New enemy placements and combinations
- Some enemies have new attacks
- Bosses have more HP and new patterns
Rewards
- Enemies drop more souls
- Better item drops
- New NG+ exclusive items
- Ultimate weapon can be obtained
- New secret bosses
Difficulty Scaling
NG+ scales up the challenge. How much depends on which NG+ cycle you are on:
| Cycle | Enemy HP | Enemy Damage |
|---|---|---|
| NG (1st playthrough) | 100% | 100% |
| NG+ (2nd) | 150% | 125% |
| NG++ (3rd) | 200% | 150% |
| NG+++ (4th+) | 250%+ | 175%+ |
Each subsequent playthrough gets slightly harder, with diminishing returns after the 3rd or 4th cycle.
How to Prepare for NG+
Before starting New Game+, make sure you:
- Have your main weapon fully upgraded
- Have as many health upgrades as possible
- Stock up on healing items
- Collected all the important weapons
- Have a good stock of souls (you can spend them immediately)
You do not need to 100% the game before NG+, but the more upgrades you have going in, the easier your first NG+ run will be.
NG+ Exclusive Content
There are some things you can only get in New Game+:
Ultimate Weapon
The most powerful weapon in the game. Found in a secret area that only opens in NG+.
Secret Bosses
Optional super bosses that are way harder than the final boss. Great loot if you can beat them.
Special Costumes
Some costumes are only unlocked by completing NG+ or higher cycles.
Extra Difficulty Modes
Very Hard and Ultimate difficulty modes unlock after beating NG+.
Is New Game+ Worth It?
Absolutely, if you enjoyed the first playthrough. Here is why:
- Power fantasy: It is fun to steamroll early enemies with your maxed weapon
- New challenge: Harder enemies and secret bosses give more to do
- More story: Some lore and details only make sense on repeat playthroughs
- Better loot: Exclusive items and weapons
- Speedrunning: NG+ is its own speedrun category
If you did not enjoy the first playthrough, NG+ will not change your mind. But if you liked the game, NG+ is a great reason to keep playing.