Carve your own clever path to vengeance in an all-new adventure from developer FromSoftware, creators of Bloodborne and the Dark Souls series. In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice you are the one-armed wolf, a disgraced and disfigured warrior rescued from the brink of death. Bound to protect a young lord who is the descendant of an ancient bloodline, you become the target of many vicious enemies, including the dangerous Ashina clan. When the young lord is captured, nothing will stop you on a perilous quest to regain your honor, not even death itself. Explore late 1500s Sengoku Japan, a brutal period of constant life and death conflict, as you come face to face with larger than life foes in a dark and twisted world. Unleash an arsenal of deadly prosthetic tools and powerful ninja abilities while you blend stealth, vertical traversal, and visceral head to head combat in a bloody confrontation. Take Revenge. Restore your honor. Kill Ingeniously.
Carve your own clever path to vengeance in an all-new adventure from developer FromSoftware, creators of Bloodborne and the Dark Souls series. In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice you are the one-armed wolf, a disgraced and disfigured warrior rescued from the brink of death. Bound to protect a young lord who is the descendant of an ancient bloodline, you become the target of many vicious enemies, including the dangerous Ashina clan. When the young lord is captured, nothing will stop you on a perilous quest to regain your honor, not even death itself. Explore late 1500s Sengoku Japan, a brutal period of constant life and death conflict, as you come face to face with larger than life foes in a dark and twisted world. Unleash an arsenal of deadly prosthetic tools and powerful ninja abilities while you blend stealth, vertical traversal, and visceral head to head combat in a bloody confrontation. Take Revenge. Restore your honor. Kill Ingeniously.
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Prices last updated 11 May 2026.
Sekiro Shadows Die Twice PS4 Game
Carve your own clever path to vengeance in an all-new adventure from developer FromSoftware, creators of Bloodborne and the Dark Souls series. In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice you are the one-armed wolf, a disgraced and disfigured warrior rescued from the brink of death. Bound to protect a young lord who is the descendant of an ancient bloodline, you become the target of many vicious enemies, including the dangerous Ashina clan. When the young lord is captured, nothing will stop you on a perilous quest to regain your honor, not even death itself. Explore late 1500s Sengoku Japan, a brutal period of constant life and death conflict, as you come face to face with larger than life foes in a dark and twisted world. Unleash an arsenal of deadly prosthetic tools and powerful ninja abilities while you blend stealth, vertical traversal, and visceral head to head combat in a bloody confrontation. Take Revenge. Restore your honor. Kill Ingeniously.
Carve your own clever path to vengeance in an all-new adventure from developer FromSoftware, creators of Bloodborne and the Dark Souls series. In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice you are the one-armed wolf, a disgraced and disfigured warrior rescued from the brink of death. Bound to protect a young lord who is the descendant of an ancient bloodline, you become the target of many vicious enemies, including the dangerous Ashina clan. When the young lord is captured, nothing will stop you on a perilous quest to regain your honor, not even death itself. Explore late 1500s Sengoku Japan, a brutal period of constant life and death conflict, as you come face to face with larger than life foes in a dark and twisted world. Unleash an arsenal of deadly prosthetic tools and powerful ninja abilities while you blend stealth, vertical traversal, and visceral head to head combat in a bloody confrontation. Take Revenge. Restore your honor. Kill Ingeniously.
Last updated at 11/05/2026 17:08:11
Sekiro Shadows Die Twice (PS4) PlayStation 4 Standard Edition (PS4)
Delivery $11.26
Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Game of the Year PlayStation 4
Delivery $15.03
originally posted on mightyape.com.au
Somehow this game succeeds in being at once both magisterial and absolutely soul-crushingly difficult. If you enjoyed the challenge of the Dark Souls series then pack a lunch and brace yourself, because Sekiro will f**k your hopes and dreams to the point where you will begin to identify with beat-down titular shinobi on a truly spiritual level. The combat is primarily focused upon timing and the breaking of your opponent's guard. The learning curve is near-vertical from the outset. Although the environments can at times feel somewhat unpolished, given the fact that it was built for a modern platform, you will tend not to notice this as every ounce of your concentration will be focused upon not being gutted by an obese alcoholic samurai for the eight time. The combat ... MoreSomehow this game succeeds in being at once both magisterial and absolutely soul-crushingly difficult. If you enjoyed the challenge of the Dark Souls series then pack a lunch and brace yourself, because Sekiro will f**k your hopes and dreams to the point where you will begin to identify with beat-down titular shinobi on a truly spiritual level. The combat is primarily focused upon timing and the breaking of your opponent's guard. The learning curve is near-vertical from the outset. Although the environments can at times feel somewhat unpolished, given the fact that it was built for a modern platform, you will tend not to notice this as every ounce of your concentration will be focused upon not being gutted by an obese alcoholic samurai for the eight time. The combat mechanics are difficult, but also brilliant - it's a nice change to find a combat-driven game that is not reliant upon hacking-and-slashing and brawling. The narrative and character development are excellent, and are strong enough to help you endure the constant beatings that you will be receiving from even the lowliest mini-bosses. If you don't mind persevering with the frustration of multiple deaths at every step of your journey through medieval Japan, then you'll find Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or to be more accurate: Shadows Die Repeatedly at Every Possible Opportunity) an incredibly rewarding experience. I highly recommend the game, but just be prepared for the inevitable frustration.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
Would give 3.5 stars if I could; I'm rounding up out of good faith. But, to put it simply, I'm torn on this game.Sekiro is a major step forward for FromSoftware, coming on the heels of Dark Souls 3. Swimming, jumping and climbing, the grapple hook, high speed movement and combat, and the lack of stamina limitations all combine to make this game a wonderfully different experience from Miyazaki's previous adventures while still feeling comfortably familiar.Thanks to all the mechanical improvements with character movement and kit, exploration is a blast. The world, though somewhat lacking in the visual variety we've come to expect of FromSoft, is nigh-labyrinthian and is the first to fold back in on itself the magical way Dark Souls 1's world did. There's danger ... MoreWould give 3.5 stars if I could; I'm rounding up out of good faith. But, to put it simply, I'm torn on this game.Sekiro is a major step forward for FromSoftware, coming on the heels of Dark Souls 3. Swimming, jumping and climbing, the grapple hook, high speed movement and combat, and the lack of stamina limitations all combine to make this game a wonderfully different experience from Miyazaki's previous adventures while still feeling comfortably familiar.Thanks to all the mechanical improvements with character movement and kit, exploration is a blast. The world, though somewhat lacking in the visual variety we've come to expect of FromSoft, is nigh-labyrinthian and is the first to fold back in on itself the magical way Dark Souls 1's world did. There's danger around almost every corner, all kinds of interesting little nooks to discover, and lots of items to grab. The prosthetic tools add another layer of reward, too. Exploration is always worth your time and always enjoyable and exciting.The problem is the boss fights. They're all terribly unintuitive while also having simple tricks for winning (such as constantly walking left, or simply dodging a particular attack and poking for some damage ad nauseum). The intended methods of approach to boss fights also run counter to how both the game and the marketing suggests you play.In the tutorial section, taking your own approach and scoring creative stealth and sneak kills is encouraged. The movement abilities and grapple hook reinforce this. The marketing taglines "kill ingeniously" and such also echo this mentality. But boss fights are a totally separate and alien affair where you're expected to face the enemy head on and apparently get your teeth kicked-in repeatedly until you either accidentally figure out the key to beating the baddie, or you break down to the point of looking up a guide online.My issue is how Sekiro differs from the Soulsborne games in this regard. I played those past games blind and made my way through the boss fights just fine, because those game's bosses gel with the rest of each respective game's gameplay. Sekiro's bosses being so different from the rest of its gameplay only makes for a frustrating and confusing experience.My last note will be about the visuals: even on base PS4, the game is graphically stunning. This is easily FromSoft's best visual work in terms of technical execution. I would say the art direction in Bloodborne is superior, but Sekiro is beautiful throughout, and the inclusion of actual daylight is a breath of fresh air we only got a slight taste of with the Dragon Shrine in Dark Souls 3.So all-in-all, Sekiro is pretty impressive despite also being irritating. I've found it a mostly enjoyable experience if you're willing to accept clues as to how to beat the bosses. The high points of exploration and visual fidelity mostly make up for my distaste for the unintuitive boss fights. It's a solid buy at $40 ~ $45 if you're patient and looking for another Miyazaki game to loose yourself in.Maybe it actually does deserve four stars after all . . .
originally posted on harveynorman.com.au
This is a story driven action adventure souls game! English Voice acting is spot on, each area is semi open world. Hodden areas to see and find. Combat is refreshing, it feels like real sword fighting! It's the most fun I have had with ANY sword fighting game! This is a must buy! You'll love it, it will take a little bit to get the hang of the combat. It requires you to be able to apply pressure to the enemy to keep the posture bar high and Deflects to increase the posture faster. Hitting them also will, but deflects are much faster. Dodges aren't like dark souls, they're there for some attacks to dodge. It's not a dodge hit dodge hit game. You actually sword fight, block, Deflect, attack on openings, dodge a few attacks to take health away. But breaking posture is ... MoreThis is a story driven action adventure souls game! English Voice acting is spot on, each area is semi open world. Hodden areas to see and find. Combat is refreshing, it feels like real sword fighting! It's the most fun I have had with ANY sword fighting game! This is a must buy! You'll love it, it will take a little bit to get the hang of the combat. It requires you to be able to apply pressure to the enemy to keep the posture bar high and Deflects to increase the posture faster. Hitting them also will, but deflects are much faster. Dodges aren't like dark souls, they're there for some attacks to dodge. It's not a dodge hit dodge hit game. You actually sword fight, block, Deflect, attack on openings, dodge a few attacks to take health away. But breaking posture is the main goal to win.Story telling is great and the world looks amazing too. Must buy, very much under rated game. Probably Fromsoftwares best game if you give it a chance
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Product Dimensions | 1.5 x 13.6 x 17.2 cm; 16 Grams |
| Release date | 22 March 2019 |
Sekiro Shadows Die Twice (PS4) PlayStation 4 Standard Edition (PS4)
Delivery $11.26
Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Game of the Year PlayStation 4
Delivery $15.03
Somehow this game succeeds in being at once both magisterial and absolutely soul-crushingly difficult. If you enjoyed the challenge of the Dark Souls series then pack a lunch and brace yourself, because Sekiro will f**k your hopes and dreams to the point where you will begin to identify with beat-down titular shinobi on a truly spiritual level. The combat is primarily focused upon timing and the breaking of your opponent's guard. The learning curve is near-vertical from the outset. Although the environments can at times feel somewhat unpolished, given the fact that it was built for a modern platform, you will tend not to notice this as every ounce of your concentration will be focused upon not being gutted by an obese alcoholic samurai for the eight time. The combat ... MoreSomehow this game succeeds in being at once both magisterial and absolutely soul-crushingly difficult. If you enjoyed the challenge of the Dark Souls series then pack a lunch and brace yourself, because Sekiro will f**k your hopes and dreams to the point where you will begin to identify with beat-down titular shinobi on a truly spiritual level. The combat is primarily focused upon timing and the breaking of your opponent's guard. The learning curve is near-vertical from the outset. Although the environments can at times feel somewhat unpolished, given the fact that it was built for a modern platform, you will tend not to notice this as every ounce of your concentration will be focused upon not being gutted by an obese alcoholic samurai for the eight time. The combat mechanics are difficult, but also brilliant - it's a nice change to find a combat-driven game that is not reliant upon hacking-and-slashing and brawling. The narrative and character development are excellent, and are strong enough to help you endure the constant beatings that you will be receiving from even the lowliest mini-bosses. If you don't mind persevering with the frustration of multiple deaths at every step of your journey through medieval Japan, then you'll find Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or to be more accurate: Shadows Die Repeatedly at Every Possible Opportunity) an incredibly rewarding experience. I highly recommend the game, but just be prepared for the inevitable frustration.
Would give 3.5 stars if I could; I'm rounding up out of good faith. But, to put it simply, I'm torn on this game.Sekiro is a major step forward for FromSoftware, coming on the heels of Dark Souls 3. Swimming, jumping and climbing, the grapple hook, high speed movement and combat, and the lack of stamina limitations all combine to make this game a wonderfully different experience from Miyazaki's previous adventures while still feeling comfortably familiar.Thanks to all the mechanical improvements with character movement and kit, exploration is a blast. The world, though somewhat lacking in the visual variety we've come to expect of FromSoft, is nigh-labyrinthian and is the first to fold back in on itself the magical way Dark Souls 1's world did. There's danger ... MoreWould give 3.5 stars if I could; I'm rounding up out of good faith. But, to put it simply, I'm torn on this game.Sekiro is a major step forward for FromSoftware, coming on the heels of Dark Souls 3. Swimming, jumping and climbing, the grapple hook, high speed movement and combat, and the lack of stamina limitations all combine to make this game a wonderfully different experience from Miyazaki's previous adventures while still feeling comfortably familiar.Thanks to all the mechanical improvements with character movement and kit, exploration is a blast. The world, though somewhat lacking in the visual variety we've come to expect of FromSoft, is nigh-labyrinthian and is the first to fold back in on itself the magical way Dark Souls 1's world did. There's danger around almost every corner, all kinds of interesting little nooks to discover, and lots of items to grab. The prosthetic tools add another layer of reward, too. Exploration is always worth your time and always enjoyable and exciting.The problem is the boss fights. They're all terribly unintuitive while also having simple tricks for winning (such as constantly walking left, or simply dodging a particular attack and poking for some damage ad nauseum). The intended methods of approach to boss fights also run counter to how both the game and the marketing suggests you play.In the tutorial section, taking your own approach and scoring creative stealth and sneak kills is encouraged. The movement abilities and grapple hook reinforce this. The marketing taglines "kill ingeniously" and such also echo this mentality. But boss fights are a totally separate and alien affair where you're expected to face the enemy head on and apparently get your teeth kicked-in repeatedly until you either accidentally figure out the key to beating the baddie, or you break down to the point of looking up a guide online.My issue is how Sekiro differs from the Soulsborne games in this regard. I played those past games blind and made my way through the boss fights just fine, because those game's bosses gel with the rest of each respective game's gameplay. Sekiro's bosses being so different from the rest of its gameplay only makes for a frustrating and confusing experience.My last note will be about the visuals: even on base PS4, the game is graphically stunning. This is easily FromSoft's best visual work in terms of technical execution. I would say the art direction in Bloodborne is superior, but Sekiro is beautiful throughout, and the inclusion of actual daylight is a breath of fresh air we only got a slight taste of with the Dragon Shrine in Dark Souls 3.So all-in-all, Sekiro is pretty impressive despite also being irritating. I've found it a mostly enjoyable experience if you're willing to accept clues as to how to beat the bosses. The high points of exploration and visual fidelity mostly make up for my distaste for the unintuitive boss fights. It's a solid buy at $40 ~ $45 if you're patient and looking for another Miyazaki game to loose yourself in.Maybe it actually does deserve four stars after all . . .
This is a story driven action adventure souls game! English Voice acting is spot on, each area is semi open world. Hodden areas to see and find. Combat is refreshing, it feels like real sword fighting! It's the most fun I have had with ANY sword fighting game! This is a must buy! You'll love it, it will take a little bit to get the hang of the combat. It requires you to be able to apply pressure to the enemy to keep the posture bar high and Deflects to increase the posture faster. Hitting them also will, but deflects are much faster. Dodges aren't like dark souls, they're there for some attacks to dodge. It's not a dodge hit dodge hit game. You actually sword fight, block, Deflect, attack on openings, dodge a few attacks to take health away. But breaking posture is ... MoreThis is a story driven action adventure souls game! English Voice acting is spot on, each area is semi open world. Hodden areas to see and find. Combat is refreshing, it feels like real sword fighting! It's the most fun I have had with ANY sword fighting game! This is a must buy! You'll love it, it will take a little bit to get the hang of the combat. It requires you to be able to apply pressure to the enemy to keep the posture bar high and Deflects to increase the posture faster. Hitting them also will, but deflects are much faster. Dodges aren't like dark souls, they're there for some attacks to dodge. It's not a dodge hit dodge hit game. You actually sword fight, block, Deflect, attack on openings, dodge a few attacks to take health away. But breaking posture is the main goal to win.Story telling is great and the world looks amazing too. Must buy, very much under rated game. Probably Fromsoftwares best game if you give it a chance
Sekiro is FromSoftwares latest action RPG game and it does not dissapoint! The action and gameplay is the best its ever been. The story is amazing and without any spoilers will make you shed a tear. The game is very diffucult and for new players may feel impossible. But trust me the game is balanced and is fair. You will die mutiple times but thats the fun! Learning from your mistakes and getting better at the game. If you put in the time and dedication to learn and practice the mechanics, you will make it to the end credits with a smirk on your face. One of the best games ever made by the best developers in the field that will leave a lasting impact on you and how you view games and art. 10/10 Pick this up!!!!
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is not a SoulsBorne game in terms of mechanics.It is unforgiving which is the commonality between the FromSoftware games. And your patience will be pushed to the edge with Sekiro but it is so WORTH it. Upon defeating a boss, you will sit back and relish their defeat. And then soon after you will anxiously move forward to see what awaits in the new area that has opened up as a result of the defeat of said boss.What I really liked about Sekiro is that it allows the player room to breathe compared to past games like Bloodborne or a Dark Souls game. If you're feeling pressed by an enemy, you can flip backward, dodge sideways or sometimes grapple to temporary safety. That said, Sekiro rewards you for being aggressive and having quick ... MoreSekiro: Shadows Die Twice is not a SoulsBorne game in terms of mechanics.It is unforgiving which is the commonality between the FromSoftware games. And your patience will be pushed to the edge with Sekiro but it is so WORTH it. Upon defeating a boss, you will sit back and relish their defeat. And then soon after you will anxiously move forward to see what awaits in the new area that has opened up as a result of the defeat of said boss.What I really liked about Sekiro is that it allows the player room to breathe compared to past games like Bloodborne or a Dark Souls game. If you're feeling pressed by an enemy, you can flip backward, dodge sideways or sometimes grapple to temporary safety. That said, Sekiro rewards you for being aggressive and having quick reflexes. Basically, you have to unlearn what you were taught from Dark Souls and Bloodborne. Your muscle memory will adjust and in no time, you will be aggressively slaying enemies that had destroyed you an hour before.The visuals of Sekiro are breathtaking. Not since Bloodborne have I been this impressed with the landscape in a FromSoftware game. If you're like me, you're going to explore every nook and cliffside that lead to secret areas. And there are PLENTY of secrets.And yes, Sekiro isn't an RPG like other FromSoftware games but you are encouraged to upgrade your side abilities which there are a lot to choose from.So, sharpen your blade, take a deep breath and prepare for an emotionally taxing adventure that will be worth the rage.
My sister and I decided to pick up this game because we watched a youtube playthrough of it and the setting and overall aesthetic of the game really piqued our interest. Also what the HECK the main character CAN ACTUALLY TALK now AND the STORY is STRAIGHTFORWARD--- Me and my sister dug that, we really, really did. (Also the english VA is superb as Sekiro I love him, is he single). We appreciate not having to scrounge YouTube for lore videos and video essays about hidden back tragedies for once (as one tends to do with These^TM Kinds of games). We also appreciate the combat system: facing off enemies in one on one duels, parrying and deflecting until they get too tired, opening that precious window enough to land that sweet, sweet deathblow of justice and ... MoreMy sister and I decided to pick up this game because we watched a youtube playthrough of it and the setting and overall aesthetic of the game really piqued our interest. Also what the HECK the main character CAN ACTUALLY TALK now AND the STORY is STRAIGHTFORWARD--- Me and my sister dug that, we really, really did. (Also the english VA is superb as Sekiro I love him, is he single). We appreciate not having to scrounge YouTube for lore videos and video essays about hidden back tragedies for once (as one tends to do with These^TM Kinds of games). We also appreciate the combat system: facing off enemies in one on one duels, parrying and deflecting until they get too tired, opening that precious window enough to land that sweet, sweet deathblow of justice and revenge...man. This game really had us living our *best* faux feudal honorable shinobi past lives on our humble 42 inch screen. Just. Glorious. Every single victory mattered, even against the rank and file. THAT'SThe immersion we paid for. My god we had so much fun with this game, it turned into an awesome decompression ritual after work and uni, just laughing together through the silly deaths from our careless mistakes and high-fiving each other every time a boss bit it. That's going to be a valuable memory someday, as us kids get older. So thank you, sadistic game developers and also, respectfully go screw yourselves, we're 2 trophies away from platinum, just you watch.
NOTE: Soulsborne vet here - 100% all prior installments - 60+ hours with this game.An excellent experience, but in my opinion cutting past the hype of a new release --- it's a very clear step back from Bloodborne and Dark Souls III. Fans are going to buy this regardless of what I say, and I encourage them to, so rather than focusing on the game's obvious strengths - let's look at it's weaknesses to temper some expectations.Sekiro breaks every rule of Soulsborne mechanically. It's control scheme and necessary play style force the gamer to lose their prior muscle memory of any of those games or they will be punished. This provides as close to a fresh experience as possible for even Souls veterans, and while the new mechanics have some definite advantages over ... MoreNOTE: Soulsborne vet here - 100% all prior installments - 60+ hours with this game.An excellent experience, but in my opinion cutting past the hype of a new release --- it's a very clear step back from Bloodborne and Dark Souls III. Fans are going to buy this regardless of what I say, and I encourage them to, so rather than focusing on the game's obvious strengths - let's look at it's weaknesses to temper some expectations.Sekiro breaks every rule of Soulsborne mechanically. It's control scheme and necessary play style force the gamer to lose their prior muscle memory of any of those games or they will be punished. This provides as close to a fresh experience as possible for even Souls veterans, and while the new mechanics have some definite advantages over prior ones, whether you like it better or not will come down to your own subjective judgment.For me, these new mechanics encourage too much button-spamming (get ready to break your L1s and R1s people) - something that Dark Souls and Bloodborne (I thought) were right to punish. The special attacks in this game (stabs, sweeps, grabs) are also terribly annoying because you need to react to them in specific ways, but a kanji (identical in all three cases) often obscures them, making it much harder than necessary to react. Some mini-bosses also require specific consumable items to damage, which is genuine artificial difficulty - for real this time.Much of the design philosophy in this game aligns with the black sheep of FromSoft's recent work --- Dark Souls II. There are multiple "lifegem"-like items and a lack of truly interconnected world (fast travel is once again open from the start and most paths terminate in dead ends rather than the intricate world design of loops and shortcuts in Dark Souls 1 or Bloodborne). One "shortcut" in this game is legitimately more insulting that the Iron Keep volcano on top of Earthen Peak's windmill (the revolving wall from the top of Ashina Castle to Dilapidated Temple). Where at least DSII could pull some impossible space lore to justify this, there is no such argument to be made in defense of Sekiro.The music is an unfortunately same-sounding disappointment after previous installments. The addition of area music is a frustrating mistake as most will likely come to find it repetitive every time the standard "combat theme" goes off the thousandth time for a three second fight. Boss themes are made less memorable occasions by the addition of area music, and are often more chaotic this go around than actually having any thematic grace. Lastly, the main hub area has no unique theme unlike Majula or Firelink Shrine - a major departure that cheapens its significance.Lastly, the central new feature of this game - the resurrection mechanic - rarely feels like you can employ it to any sort of tactical advantage, as enemy AI often stays around your body even after you die and is still often alerted to you getting back up at ridiculous ranges. It boils down to an extra half a health bar, nothing more. The stealth mechanics and new focus on platforming are incredible add-ons in their own rights, but unfortunately provide a multitude of ways to now cheese most of the game, taking much of the skill out of actual combat and replacing it with something that, while interesting, is ultimately just less satisfying because of how easier it is to earn this way.Also, it goes without saying that the lack of character customization, multiplayer, and genuinely different stat "builds" greatly reduces replayability. In fact, after the first playthrough, almost every pickup in the game becomes practically worthless as without more than one weapon to upgrade, all upgrade materials have literally no purpose after you max it out, which is shockingly easy this time - no Pure Bladestones here!DISCLAIMER: Despite only mentioning my issues above, I still highly recommend this game. It's by far a GOTY contender and a worthy experience for any FromSoft fan. I simply have to say that for a project with Miyazaki's direct involvement, I expected more. It definitely feels like Activision got their hands on this one.
As a huge fan of Souls games Sekiro is awesome. It's hard. Really freaking hard. It's also very rewarding when you finally get passed a difficult opponent or area. The visuals and gameplay are great. A nice bonus is, unlike Souls games, it has a decent story that unravels. Wolf is a good character with cool upgrades. The enemies all have unique characteristics and you'll need different strategies to take them on. My only complaint is sometimes the main bosses crank it up all the way to 11 in terms of difficulty. It actually gets my blood pumping and feels so good when I finally beat them! I don't like COD or those kinds of games I'll take a great action-adventure like this.
In my view Sekiro is a decent but not great game. While far from being awful, this game does not deserve the high scores that it has received as result of the unexpected zeitgeist From Software has enjoyed for the past decade. While some aspects are fun and well presented, its shortcomings ultimately stem from From Software's attempt to combine two types of games into one, while doing neither of them very well, or at least not nearly as well as those that are top of class in each category.Sekiro is a ninja/samurai action game and it's a stealth game. While the combat is okay, it is, in my view, completely outclassed by Nioh which not only has the parrying mechanic of Sekiro, but multiple weapon types, 3 stances per weapon and dozens of moves per weapon. Sekiro ... MoreIn my view Sekiro is a decent but not great game. While far from being awful, this game does not deserve the high scores that it has received as result of the unexpected zeitgeist From Software has enjoyed for the past decade. While some aspects are fun and well presented, its shortcomings ultimately stem from From Software's attempt to combine two types of games into one, while doing neither of them very well, or at least not nearly as well as those that are top of class in each category.Sekiro is a ninja/samurai action game and it's a stealth game. While the combat is okay, it is, in my view, completely outclassed by Nioh which not only has the parrying mechanic of Sekiro, but multiple weapon types, 3 stances per weapon and dozens of moves per weapon. Sekiro tries to nail the dance of sword fighting, but Nioh executes that dance much more effectively with greater variety and a much smoother frame rate. The limited attack options in Sekiro basically come down to a game of blocking, parrying, jumping and attacking with a simple fixed combo. The challenge of the game is in learning each enemy's attack patterns and selecting the correct sequence of parries, jumps and attacks to break their posture and deliver a deathblow. When first presented this feels very challenging, but as soon as it is memorized it goes from challenging to trivialized as you learn to fight in the game's intended metronomic fashion, simply keeping the beat until you can deliver a "shinobi deathblow" (fancy name for quicktime event) rather than engaging in dynamic combat. Because the AI is very simple, enemies rarely mix up attacks like they do in Nioh. This combat system is further marginalized by the inconsistency of quicktime shinobi deathblow. Sometimes a red dot appears when you sneak up on an enemy without them noticing, other times you can repeat the exact same scenario with no dot. The jankiness of this mechanic is demonstrated most often in the context of dropping onto an unsuspecting enemy and baiting enemies around corners-- situations in which triggering the quicktime shinobi deathblow seems at times truly random. I'm not sure if this is because the game wants you positioned in a very specific way and fails to account for what is displayed onscreen, or if the variable framerate is to blame. In an event, it creates a sort of randomizing effect to the game where sometimes I found myself missing kills I felt I had earned, and at others getting kills I felt I did not. This aspect significantly erodes notion that one can "get gud" (or not be good) at the game.As a stealth game, Sekiro does much worse compared to the best in class, namely, Metal Gear Solid. The stealth options and AI in Sekiro are behind the original Metal Gear from 1998, and the game is so far behind the stealth mechanics of MGSV that it's not even comparable. At times enemies will spot you when you are completely out of sight and at others they will fail to notice you when you are right in front of them. Unlike Metal Gear, enemies make no changes in their behavior based on your actions. A quick assault and retreat does not result in reinforcements being called in, nor do enemies change their combat tactics or armor choices to defend against over-used attacks. This is a shame because stealth is such a vital component of any ninja/shinobi based game. It seems like a missed opportunity since From Software jettisoned the RPG elements of its previous games in order to focus on the shinobi archetype, which was them hamstrung by lackluster stealth mechanics.From Software has made a fair game, but in order to be great you can't just make a new IP that is decent or perhaps better in some regards than your previous games, you must make a game that competes with what others have done in the space you are trying to occupy. Sekiro falls short of this, but it's still a decently enjoyable game to play for a short stint. I will say that some aspects are well done and more enjoyable than From Software's previous titles. The speed of the game makes it more engaging and as always, the art direction is excellent. From Software's games are always presented with a certain serious mood and artistic design that makes them beautiful to look at and the color palette of feudal Japan is their best yet. The music and voice acting, particularly the work of Noshir Dalal, are spot on. Unfortunately, actually playing the game is not nearly as captivating as looking at it.
You will die. Your mettle will be tested. You'll want to stop playing and never revisit this game...I tend to stay away from Souls types of games since they tend to require so much time, patience and unwavering attention (I tried playing Bloodborne and Demons souls remake) but Sekiro hits different. Almost instantly it lured me into it's beautiful world and I can't stop playing it. The feeling of overcoming these challenges, cannot be explained. This is what gaming is all about.
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Product Dimensions | 1.5 x 13.6 x 17.2 cm; 16 Grams |
| Release date | 22 March 2019 |
