"Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice" Review

Many (including the developers themselves) have stated that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is not a “Souls/Borne”-like game. From its dedicated “jump” button, to its edgy hook shot/Spiderman-grapple mechanic, to its streamlined build (which causes all of its players to have to deal with the same builds and mechanics, only differentiated by how far a player is in the game), Sekiro: Shadow Die Twice has enough to set itself apart from other From Software titles like Bloodborne. Yet, despite what these people tell you, this game is still very much like one of the “Souls/Borne” games. It may just be From Software stape at this point, but Sekiro does not shy from the difficulty or game design of their other titles. 

Now, is this a bad thing? 

To most gamers, not at all.

Right out of the gate, you will notice how beautiful and gritty the world of Sekiro is presented to you. From the realistic sword clashes between you and your enemies, to the gritty snowy mountains of Ashina. If you realized I mentioned "gritty" twice, then good for you, because this game is just that: super gritty. Taking a few cues from the “Souls/Borne” formula, the story of Sekiro is told through “pieces” of story put together scattered throughout its tough terrain and scattered gritty world. If one liked the story the way it was presented from previous From Software titles, then they will enjoy the story of Sekiro as well.

A few of Sekiro’s differences from past From Software titles is the use of the new prosthetic arm and a resurrection system. Even though it is not too far off from Bloodborne’s  offhand/transforming weapon mechanic, this prosthetic arm allows a player to use a wide array of weapons making you feel a little like a dark and broody Inspector Gadget. Even though this mechanic is cool in concept, its use of “spirit emblems” creates an ammo system that makes the arm unusable at times. Honestly, beyond turning wood shields into mere splinters with the hand axe, or sometimes using the firecrackers or umbrella to get a “cheap shot” or two in on a boss, you never really ever have to use the prosthetic arm gadgets. Instead, the game focuses more on a block/parry and dodge mechanic like previous From Software titles.

Upon looking at the trailers for Sekiro, one can imagine that the resurrection system would make the game one of the most forgiving in the lineup on From Software’s titles, yet this is not the case. Upon killing and slaying so many enemies, one may regain extra resurrections when your character Wolf performs a deathblow. But upon a 1v1 duel, do not expect to be able to resurrect more than once, and if so then one better uses it wisely because after using it, it will not happen again for quite a long time. I found out that the resurrection mechanic is mainly used as a story mechanic rather than an actual strategy on the battlefield like shown from time to time. 

I will say though; the story use of resurrection was quite a nice touch. Once Wolf resurrects too much, the player will recognize the people around him slowly start to cough and get sick from something called “dragonrot,”. This can lower the chance of what the game calls “unforeseen aid” which is the game’s random number generator of if you lose half of your gold or “sen” and XP upon death or if not. The more “dragonrot” that spreads within the world, the less the player sees this “unforeseen aid.” This forces the player to grind a little harder for their currency and experience.

Sekiro, unlike From Software’s previous titles, focuses on this thing called “posture.” All enemies have a vitality bar (health bar) and a posture meter. Once an enemy’s posture meter fills up to the max, you can do a “finisher” or “deathblow” on your adversary. You can fill your opponent’s posture meter by doing multiple things varying from lowering their vitality bar, blocking or clashing with your opponent’s weapon, or using special mechanics like counters or jump kicks. Filling up the meter is no easy task, yet if you leave your enemy alone for just a few seconds, their posture will recover fast. The only way to keep their posture meter full is either by being up in the face of your opponent and clashing, striking, blocking, and countering…or by playing a dodging and slow fight by slowly chipping away on your opponent’s vitality bar. This mechanic is very fine turned and comes with zero room for player error. Sometimes, there may be some rare cases where the player can’t really do anything.

Sekiro is yes, very fine tuned in its fighting and dueling mechanic, but sometimes hitboxes amazed me by some of its ridiculousness and what seemed a little “cheap.” Thankfully though, this “jank” is not common in the game and does not happen too often to the point where it hurts its presentation.

Sekiro, following its predecessors, focuses on telling its story and building its challenge around a lengthy list of mini-boss and boss fights stringed right after one another with very little room to breathe or take a break, which to some, can be a little exhausting.

Sekiro is not for anyone who is looking for a title unlike previous From Software titles. This game is for veterans of the “Souls/Borne” series or for people intrigued and drawn to the title’s difficulty. Do not let the fact that Sekiro’s continuous allowance to hit the block button to almost always block every blockable attack or the newfound freedom of movement make you think it’s any less difficult than any of From Software’s previous games. At times, Sekiro is even more difficult than the Souls series. You will be finding yourself dying way more than twice. Its difficulty forces its players to forget how they are used to playing games and makes them conform to a hard and fine-tuned system of fighting and stealth.

Sekiro may beat you to a pulp and leave you crying, but if you enjoy a challenge, YOU WILL come 

back again and again for another beating, which ultimately leads to one of the most difficult final fights of video game history.  The only thing holding this game back is its sometimes unfairness and “jank” presented in some situations, and the fact that a game this difficult cannot be recommended to most gamers. But regardless of these things, Sekiro is an amazing game with tight gameplay, fun and yet challenging boss designs, and an intriguing story. People attracted to its gritty difficulty will thoroughly enjoy it and will find themselves coming back over and over again for more.

93%

★★★★☆

4.5/5 

Highly Recommended

Written by Parker J. Hanson. 

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was reviewed on a standard PlayStation 4 with a digital copy purchased by the reviewer. 

All pictures taken from the official Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice 

Game Scoring rubric:

★ : 1 point  ☆ : 0.5 points

★★★★★: Essential. Excellent games. Close to flawless. Transcends any minor flaws it may have. 

   ★★★★: Great/Highly recommended. Great games. Some flaws worth mentioning, but nothing to worry about.

      ★★★: Okay/Recommended. Good games. Contains things worth playing & experiencing, but flaws can hinder the experience.

         ★★: Caution/Questionable. Mediocre games. The flaws start to significantly hinder anything good the game has.

             ★: Avoid. Bad games with terrible design decisions and flaws. No fun to be had. Don't waste your time.