This stealth-action title is a stylish, focused take on the formula from FromSoftware that's really quite special. It is clear from the moment you start playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice how the developer of the Souls and Bloodborne franchises have woven their DNA into the DNA of this Shinobi-focused adventure. In spite of the fact that its predecessors' trademark difficulty is retained, this new strain is as much a stealth-action experience as its own; a stealth action that is more focused, cohesive, and even somewhat forgiving, in some ways. In the end, I found myself with a deep appreciation for this amazing journey and the skills it requires to master it after 50 hours of pressurized-blood-geyser executions, fantastical monster fights, and split-second sword handling.
Those of you who have played Souls in the past will feel familiar with Sekiro's timing-based locking-on combat, which is a combination of strikes and slashes, as well as the way you weave through its excellent level design that snakes, intersects, and repeats itself, again and again, revealing new shortcuts between little bastions of safety where resupplies can be found. In the same way that bonfires in Dark Souls serve as rest spots, healing draughts, healing slain enemies, and character progression trees do in Bloodborne, Sculptor's Idols serve as fast travel points as well.
It is true that I enjoy punishing games that test my skills and abilities (and I have beaten every FromSoftware game in that genre to date) but Sekiro's forgiving nature gives me a sense of empowerment. I never felt like I had to travel too far to find the next Idol and bank my progress since the paths were seemingly smaller and more linear compared to the sprawling hellscapes of other FromSoftware games. I once or twice just sprinted through an area, assuming an Idol was just around the corner, so that relieved a lot of the oppressive anxiety of wondering if all my work would be taken away before I got to the next checkpoint. I really appreciated Sekiro for its comforting sense of safety. If I wasn't scared to take any chances, I wouldn't have appreciated its mechanical complexities. Although I wouldn't expect every game in this genre to adopt it, it is refreshing and unique.
There are advantages and disadvantages to Sekiro being an entirely single-player experience, a first in a game of its kind from FromSoftware. Despite the absence of persistent multiplayer, one of the biggest pros is that you can pause mid-fight. It's like a second chance, in a way. Did you miss a dodge and eat poison in the end?
In tough battles, the ability to call timeout and purchase antidotes help make things easier. You can hit pause, grab an antidote, and return to the game without fumbling through inventory.
In spite of this, I sometimes miss the small notes left by others in the world that warn me of a threat or a hidden secret, or the vague feeling that a threat lurks behind me in the form of an invading player. Despite this, the loss of player-placed clues isn't as severe as I feared. Sekiro is a streamlined experience that is more direct, so I don't feel as much loss as I did.
In spite of this, I sometimes miss the small notes left by others in the world that warn me of a threat or a hidden secret, or the vague feeling that a threat lurks behind me in the form of an invading player. Despite this, the loss of player-placed clues isn't as severe as I feared. Sekiro is a streamlined experience that is more direct, so I don't feel as much loss as I did.
It's disappointing that there aren't any PvP (Player VS Player) battles because skill-based swordsmanship is now emphasized. Although it's not quite as deep as For Honor, I can see an evolving community centred around the rock-paper-scissors formula, where rival players fight swords for minutes.
JM11