Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

While more difficult initially, it becomes more approachable and easier the further in you get and the more you adapt to the combat. Since you are not leveling in the same way as the other games, scaling does not work the same way. Once you master the basics, you can master the game. Sekiro is an absolute must buy for From Software fans and anyone willing to put in the work to really get a grasp of the flow of combat.

The joyous sense of freedom in being able to engage and disengage a situation as I effortlessly transitioned between stealth and combat- the feeling of excitement as the awe-inspiring bosses and set pieces set the bar to new heights both in spectacle and design, Sekiro is a masterpiece that will influence future games to come for generations.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a magical journey and an experience like no other for every fan of Japanese culture and intense video games. Master Miyazaki did it again.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice manages to live up to its monstrously high expectations in nearly every way. Its high-risk combat system is as satisfying as it is punishing, and its level design begs you to explore every inch of the world. While its locations and enemies aren’t as varied as in previous From Software games, you’ll hardly notice when you’re locking swords with opponents across several beautiful settings. Sekiro tells an intriguing tale about loyalty and mortality packed with surprises and easy-to-miss side stories.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a stylish, focused stealth-action take on the FromSoftware formula that evolves in a different and refreshing direction. It may be a bit easier than a Souls game, but it’s something amazing all its own.

It is a game that will be more to the taste of Bloodborne players than Dark Souls players, but if you enjoy tough yet rewarding gameplay, and an interesting world exploration, filled with scenery and intermittent boss fights, Sekiro will be for you.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is not a soulsborne, and it’s not another Tenchu. However, the breathtaking landscapes of a war-torn Japan and a mysterious but compelling story make a perfect outline for a rhythmic, stimulating and particularly challenging gameplay.

A brutal, uncompromising action game with sensational sword combat. From Software has done it again.

Dozens of hours later, we're still not sure how we feel about it. It's a game of contradictions, open and flexible in its level design, yet resolutely strict in its combat... It is a brilliant game, that is certain. but it is often a difficult one to truly love. Naturally, we can't put it down. [Issue#332, p.104]

Sekiro is an extremely challenging, beautiful game that's very much worth the time to learn. Just prepare to die even more than you probably thought.

Sekiro is a tremendously fun and difficult game -- everything from the combat to the world itself is crafted in a masterful way. Even after spending around 40 hours to beat it, I still want to come back for more in the coming weeks.

Boasting the best swordfighting in the business, Sekiro is a game of rare but deserved self-assurance. You’ll despair as it breaks you down, but then you’ll exult as it builds you up. It’s a journey like little else in gaming, and if you’re up for the challenge, you absolutely have to play it.

Sekrio: Shadows Die Twice continues FromSoftware’s dominance, showcasing that it’s on another level when it comes creating action games in fantastical worlds. You’re going to die, and you’re go die a lot. But these brilliant gameplay systems that come together to form experiences that we don’t see in other triple-A games is why people get excited for what Hidetaka Miyazaki is doing at FromSoftware. Between Bloodborne, Demon’s Souls, the three Dark Souls games and now with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Miyazkai has all but solidified himself as one of the greatest game directors of this decade.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an incredible blend of story, gameplay and world design. I don't think it trumps Bloodborne, personally, but it may well be the next best game that FromSoftware has created. It definitely has the most experimental aspects and rises above so many of its peers because it dares to punish you for not paying attention. As ever, the elation you find when overcoming a challenge is unparalleled. This is one for the masochists and the hard-headed, but it will welcome any who have the patience to learn it. Sekiro is bloody brilliant.

A new gift from the Software company to the game world.

Sekiro Shadows Die Twice is a milestone in the genre. It offers complex, stunning and precise sword fights and duels that its predecessors lacked, and from which its successors will have to keep up with. You no longer simply learn by repeatedly and unfairly dying, but you refine your talents as a player. You seek unique methods to overcome each boss, rather than just rolling at the right time before spamming a few hits.

You should know exactly what kind of player you are. If you're like me, Sekiro could be your match of the year for 2019. But you have to be ready to hit your head against the wall in a dead end until the brick wall breaks. Not everyone has such a thick skull. I understand. In that case, you might want to consume Dark Souls as a lighter starter snack. Never thought that I would ever write that.

Doubt no more: From Sekiro is a true From Software game, demanding and technical. Despite its not-so-inspired stealth sequences, Sekiro rewards the player each step he/she takes, with visceral sword-fighting and gorgeous landscapes.

There’s no leveling (in Soulsborne sense of the word), no covenants, no multiplayer, no variety in armor and weapons. It could be written off a stylistic choice, if the rest of the game didn’t feel very similar to the previous FromSoftware games. But it does, so Sekrio comes across as rather shallow. [Issue#237, p.28]

FromSoftware comes through once more to show they aren’t just a one-trick pony: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an all-around great, engaging stealth-action game.

For those who lack the time or the inclination or the dexterity or the capabilities, Miyazaki’s insistence on perching his finely-wrought combat systems on a sheer cliff-face of difficulty seems more and more indefensible with every masterpiece he cranks out. Even as we admire his handiwork, it’s hard to shake the feeling that if he traded in some of his stubborn design cruelty for just a touch of empathy, it would be all the greater.

FromSoftware scores again! Sekiro is a challenging, gorgeous, mysterious, and fortunately, a highly entertaining game that has few flaws. [Issue#294]

FromSoftware draws inspiration from its best games to create something wholly new, with a refined and polished combat system, some spectacular boss fights and an interesting approach to character development. The game has some issues with replayability, but is perhaps the developer’s strongest title in terms of a single playthrough.