Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

 PC
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3214 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,674 out of 3214
  2. Mixed: 202 out of 3214
  3. Negative: 338 out of 3214
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  1. Ardiffaz22
    May 14, 2021
    10
    Clashing of swords at its finest.
    It was a bit overwhelming in the very beginning for me (and I've never played a Souls game before) but after some time I got used to the flow. And when you get the rhythm, it becomes the dance.
    Fast-pacing engaging combat which requires your concentration and punishes you for your every mistake. It plays fair and teaches you to fight perfectly and if    Clashing of swords at its finest.
    It was a bit overwhelming in the very beginning for me (and I've never played a Souls game before) but after some time I got used to the flow. And when you get the rhythm, it becomes the dance.

    Fast-pacing engaging combat which requires your concentration and punishes you for your every mistake. It plays fair and teaches you to fight perfectly and if you learn your lesson it will be the most satisfying combat ever. Very fluid animations and clashing sounds which become the music. But katana is not your only weapon, you can use tons of tools fit into the prosthetic arm, both offensive and defensive. Or you can ignore them completely and only use your sword. It doesn't have the variety of customization like in an RPG, but what it has, it is made perfect.

    Yes, it's hard, it requires you to 'git gud', and you will die a lot and suffer. I had so much rage during some of the fights, yet I have never even considered a rage quit. The learning curve of the difficulty is quite balanced: once you start to feel comfy, it gives you another challenge. So you'll never get bored, even after beating the game: you can go for additional NG+ playthroughs and make the game harder (yes, harder). Just give up Kuro's charm and ring the demon bell ;D

    But besides the combat, this game has some more to offer. The stunning visuals of mountainous Japan, filled with gorgeous castles and temples, detailed armor of human warriors and fascinating creatures, which, as I suspect, are inspired by Japanese mythology. The game on the whole feels very Japanese, but it doesn't require you to know almost anything about their culture beforehand. The story is clear and quite linear, yet you can have 4 different endings. There are not so many characters, but each one of them has a story to tell. Plus some pieces of lore can be found in item descriptions and environment. If you pay attention the lore becomes more deep and complex.

    Easily one of the best (or even the best) game I've ever played. Well done, FromSoftware.    … Expand
  2. Berzerk50
    May 14, 2021
    10
    It's one of those games that can get frustrating to the point where you just wanna quit and play something else. But when your adrenaline kicks in and you finally defeat the boss, It gives you very satisfying feeling executing that feels like crack.
  3. Zombiecat47
    May 14, 2021
    10
    In an era where full-priced games are filled to the brim with microtransactions, locked out content, or boring open worlds with equally boring cut-and-paste content, occasionally a gem like SEKIRO™: SHADOWS DIE TWICE comes along and reminds us why we play games in the first place.
  4. 24Kamspy
    May 14, 2021
    10
    I'd like to get this out there for people like me.

    I LOVE the Dark Souls series, but I was never any good with the parry. Straight sword and shield tank. Never even tried a parry outside of the Undead Burg I was so bad. Bloodborne wasn't even an option for me (could have been the 22fps). So I finally picked up Sekiro expecting to get demolished, but figured I'd finally try it out. I    I'd like to get this out there for people like me.

    I LOVE the Dark Souls series, but I was never any good with the parry. Straight sword and shield tank. Never even tried a parry outside of the Undead Burg I was so bad. Bloodborne wasn't even an option for me (could have been the 22fps).

    So I finally picked up Sekiro expecting to get demolished, but figured I'd finally try it out. I put it off for so long because I was told it's all about the parry, and I was terrible at Dark Souls parry.

    But guess what? It's waaay easier. Just the game as a whole. Not in a "too easy" way. It's still Dark Souls hard, but the parry system is much more forgiving and I'm actually pretty good at it.

    The moral of this long post is; if you sucked at the parry in Dark Souls and are staying away from Sekiro because of it. Don't. It's awesome, and is completely different.    … Expand
  5. DrStrangelove1
    May 14, 2021
    10
    Don't buy it. It's so good that it has ruined other games for me. Now, any other game feels like garbage in comparison.
  6. Evisicrator13
    May 14, 2021
    10
    After finally beating Sekiro I only feel one emotion, satisfaction. Satisfaction that I pushed through the odds and got "gud." This game isn't like a Souls game, in fact its nothing like it. If people say Dark Souls is hard, then Sekiro is unbeatable. After beating Sekiro it really put into perspective how "easy" the souls games are. People take for granted how many tools and assist's youAfter finally beating Sekiro I only feel one emotion, satisfaction. Satisfaction that I pushed through the odds and got "gud." This game isn't like a Souls game, in fact its nothing like it. If people say Dark Souls is hard, then Sekiro is unbeatable. After beating Sekiro it really put into perspective how "easy" the souls games are. People take for granted how many tools and assist's you get throughout the souls games, magic for being able to cheese bosses, buffs to speed up kills, leveling stats to close the gap, summoning help from other players. All of these tools to help you beat any obstacle thrown at you and people still call those games hard, I was one of them, but after beating Sekiro that has all changed.

    Sekiro rips away all of those tools to help you succeed and leaves you with only one thing, raw skill. The only way to beat Sekiro is to familiarize yourself with the mechanics and master them. No summons to help you fight the boss, no magic to cheese from far away, just your raw skill and determination. This game will push you to the limit, it will break you over and over again until you either push past your limits, or crumble from defeat. This game will make you relearn all over again how to play, in all honesty you'd be better off playing this game before any other souls games.

    If you're like me and so many others that have put hundreds of hours into the souls series then you will have an especially hard time with this game. All of those hours perfecting the mechanics and getting in the play-style of playing defensively, staying back and waiting will completely and utterly ruin you with this game. This game will force you to forget all of your previous knowledge and relearn everything. If you don't master the art of deflecting, counterattacking, and taking advantage of enemies you will not be able to finish this game. But once you do master those arts, oh my lord is it satisfying. Finally hitting that moment where you perfectly deflect a bosses entire chain and get the deathblow is one of the most satisfying things I have ever done in a video game. Getting to that point where you completely and utterly destroy a boss with perfect deflects and counterattacks will never cease to make me feel like a badass. This game is a master of making you feel like you are truly good at it, as well as making you feel like you are truly god awful at it. It will test your will, and if you pass, will make you feel like you can take on anything.

    It's hard, but try to not go into this game thinking its going to be another Dark Souls experience, because you will be sorely mistaken and frustrated. This is not Dark Souls, this is Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and if you don't come to terms with that then you will not enjoy this game. Great game over all though, and the combat is really satisfying, performance is good but not great, try it if you like being actually challenged and tested with all of your skill.    … Expand
  7. Despresso9
    May 14, 2021
    10
    Sekiro is the type of game that pushes you to your limits, you hate it, but then you realize you've been falling in love with it. It's one of the greatest experiences gaming has to offer, overcoming the impossible, not because of an XP system or leveling up, but because you grew up as a shinobi, your skills got better, you started getting the hang of the game, you became the shinobi.

    +    Sekiro is the type of game that pushes you to your limits, you hate it, but then you realize you've been falling in love with it. It's one of the greatest experiences gaming has to offer, overcoming the impossible, not because of an XP system or leveling up, but because you grew up as a shinobi, your skills got better, you started getting the hang of the game, you became the shinobi.

    + Awesome OST
    + Top tier gameplay
    + Shinobi boy
    + Difficult
    + Japanese lore, and setting, LOVE IT!
    + Long, but not long enough to fill the void that IT will create :(

    - The monk is using hax I swear
    - You won't find a game quite like it, so the hollow feeling will last. Forever.
    - not long enough to fill the void of finishing it :(

    10/10 a Masterpiece    … Expand
  8. Dolinks
    Nov 23, 2021
    10
    The BOSSES are so delicious! Game its self is soooo good, so basic but so hard, im dying bro, this game is so good! My favorite fromsoft game
  9. Equalizenear98
    May 17, 2021
    10
    10/10. if you are a hardcore dark souls fan you are going to love it. Amazing combat.
  10. Fixil_CZ
    Sep 18, 2021
    9
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  11. The4headgenius
    May 31, 2021
    10
    Amazing game. very challenging and rewarding when you overcome the challenge.
  12. BioShip0706
    Aug 11, 2023
    8
    I honestly prefer the old formula, it doesn't mean that sekiro isn't a really good game. I'm giving less than DS3 and Elden Ring cause it didn't click with me, but kudos to From for this game 8.6
  13. Ferall
    Jun 4, 2021
    10
    Great mechanics,great graphics,nice gameplay,I would definitely recommend,the game is a bit difficult but I think the beauty of the game comes from this difficulty.
  14. dikii_hohol
    Jun 6, 2021
    6
    дота 2 крекер дота 2 крекер дота 2 крекер дота 2 крекер дота 2 крекер дота 2 крекер
  15. Manz_kingz6
    Jun 7, 2021
    10
    Best FROM game in terms of pure gameplay. Doesn't have a lot of replayability but its pure action throughout.
  16. MKYounis
    Sep 4, 2023
    6
    the graphic is good the story is nice the place kinda not that big and its extremally difficult
  17. Loiii2
    Jun 13, 2021
    10
    The best and most difficult game I ever played. Amazingly difficult which is what i like.
  18. Razee1
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    Sekiro is not a Souls game. This can't be stressed enough. Attempt to i-frame dodge through the game and you will get your ass slapped all the way back to Lordran. While it borrows certain elements from Souls, like the checkpoint system or cryptic NPC questlines, it's pretty much its own beast. And what a beast it is.

    It's one of those good news, bad news situations. Good news: the days    Sekiro is not a Souls game. This can't be stressed enough. Attempt to i-frame dodge through the game and you will get your ass slapped all the way back to Lordran. While it borrows certain elements from Souls, like the checkpoint system or cryptic NPC questlines, it's pretty much its own beast. And what a beast it is.

    It's one of those good news, bad news situations. Good news: the days when you needed to keep an eye on your stamina for every attack, block or dodge are over. Bad news: that doesn't mean the game is any less challenging. Quite the opposite, actually. Wolfie goes down in two hits tops, and at all times he's either heavily outnumbered or he gets crushed in the health bar measuring contest. And the absence of stats, gear and online co-op means there are no shortcuts. You won't be able to overlevel, no Solaire will come to your aid. It's either nut up or shut up.

    Luckily, there are ways to put you at a lesser disadvantage. Sekiro features a rudimentary stealth system and enough freedom to thin out your enemies' ranks one by one. Most of the times you can clear entire areas just by being sneaky. Apparently, Sekiro started out as a Tenchu game and I totally believe it, considering how far stealth will get you. But eventually a direct confrontation will be unavoidable. And where Souls games required you to only land that one parry, Sekiro demands that you time your blocks near perfectly several times per exchange. Combat is fast, fluid and demanding enough to make you break a sweat.

    While the areas are open and generally well-designed, they are not exactly eyecandy. Souls games are known for their sinister beauty, but that is largely absent in Sekiro. Some areas look flat-out rough. Only rarely will you get the urge to stop and soak in the atmosphere. A missed opportunity, really. And while the environments leave room for exploration, the absence of cool gear makes it feel strangely unrewarding. Also, due to the nature of combat you will see the same instakill moves and finishers quite often. A bit of variety would have been nice.

    Like the player, Sekiro faces its own set of challenges. Developer From Software has been around for over three decades, but only since the release of Demon's Souls the studio has gained a larger recognition in the West. Ever since, most of their games have been Souls games either directly or in spirit. Being widely known as the developer of Souls games came with the issue that they were expected to make nothing but Souls games - a curse, if you will. Sekiro marks the first time in a while that a major From Software title branches out far enough to be called its own thing - and be accepted by a large audience. With that leap of faith out of the way, it'll be exciting to see what they will come up with next.    … Expand
  19. Mathew453
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    I was bored, and saw that this game won game of the year, so I bought it.

    After playing this game for two and a half hours, dying repeatedly to the game's first mini-boss, I contacted steam and demanded a refund for a game I simply couldn't play. ...but I couldn't get it out of my head. I got the game again for Christmas, and after finally killing that first mini-boss, I couldn't    I was bored, and saw that this game won game of the year, so I bought it.

    After playing this game for two and a half hours, dying repeatedly to the game's first mini-boss, I contacted steam and demanded a refund for a game I simply couldn't play.

    ...but I couldn't get it out of my head.

    I got the game again for Christmas, and after finally killing that first mini-boss, I couldn't get over how I felt. I kept going, perfecting the fighting style until I reached the game's first real boss. It knocked me down again. I fought that boss over and over again until the swordplay became a lethal kind of dance. I felt invincible. After the first boss, I went onto the next one, and the next, until I completed the game's first ending. Then I played it all again, exploring the abilities, fighting styles, and story arcs that I hadn't tried before. I reached the game's truly final boss and killed it in one try because the game had trained me to fight so well. It was by far the most rewarding experience any video game has ever given me. After over 150 hours, I earned every single achievement.

    From someone who refunded this game the first day they played it, from someone who would have never been remotely interested in Japanese culture otherwise, let me tell you that Sekiro is one of a kind. Not only is the combat an art-form in and of itself, but the story is moving and the characters compelling.

    If you buy Sekiro, don't get frustrated when you hit a wall. Don't look up cheese strategies or try to savescum the game. Get back up, watch a walkthrough or two if you really need to, and vault over that wall like a f***ing shinobi. You won't regret it.    … Expand
  20. Beeps3
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    Sekiro has an extremely brutal design philosophy that defies conventional wisdom. When I heard people complaining about the difficulty of the game and how you apparently needed to "flawless" bosses/memorize movesets in order to beat them, I instinctively shrugged such complaints off. Similar statements were made about all of the previous games, and they were never true.
  21. Tominator10
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    I fought Genichiro and boom baby, there's that feeling I had back in the day playing DS1 for the first time, learning a boss, improving with every death, finally breezing through phase 1 only to repeat the process for phase 2 and so on. What an epic fight that was. Finally beat him and decided to put my excitement into a review. Love this game.
  22. Sergantsl1piner
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    I normally don't write reviews about games especially critically acclaimed games such as this one. Sekiro, however really deserved something to be said about it. I have never been a fan of the souls series but i respect what they done for gaming and the difficulty they presented so i expected to be frustrated while figuring out the initial learning curve. The first playthrough of this gameI normally don't write reviews about games especially critically acclaimed games such as this one. Sekiro, however really deserved something to be said about it. I have never been a fan of the souls series but i respect what they done for gaming and the difficulty they presented so i expected to be frustrated while figuring out the initial learning curve. The first playthrough of this game was one of the most challenging experiences I have ever had in gaming, but when I finally understood the game mechanics and practiced them i truly understood what a work of art it actually is. It reminded of actual fighting and how a split second opening can make or break a battle.… Expand
  23. Immunium720
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    Every other action game seems kinda bad after playing this. Masterpiece of a game.
  24. Afrodizactz2
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    I've never played Dark Souls so I have nothing to compare Sekiro to, It was hard to understand the mechanics at first but once I got the rhythm and patterns of bosses, it was actually really REALLY fun. It was quite the challenge for me, I'm not gonna lie but it felt amazing beating the game for the first time; I achieved nothing in life, but I'm proud of myself xD.
  25. Coldrolnal7
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    As someone that has poured many, many hours into the previous FromSoft titles, dying repeatedly until I was able to either get lucky or I was able to "git gud", I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this is the only real thing Sekiro has in common with those games. You will die. A lot. Way more than twice. Just..a lot. This is not a Soulsborne game. You are not some powerful knightAs someone that has poured many, many hours into the previous FromSoft titles, dying repeatedly until I was able to either get lucky or I was able to "git gud", I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this is the only real thing Sekiro has in common with those games. You will die. A lot. Way more than twice. Just..a lot. This is not a Soulsborne game. You are not some powerful knight capable of face-tanking every entity you come across. You are a ninja. The game will remind you constantly of this fact. You are free to play as dirty as you know the enemies will. Poison them, set them on fire, stab them in the butt when they are not looking and then Spider-Man away. Who cares! Just kill them before they kill you. If there is anything to take away from my rambling, it is simply this. You are shinobi. You are not a samurai or knight. So don't expect to play as one and you and this game will get along well! But you are gonna die way more than twice. The game is a gat dang liar.… Expand
  26. Bukikha9
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    This is a game about fighting through a supernaturally tinged recreation of 16th-century Japan as a deathless assassin with a sharp blade and a weaponized prosthetic arm, but there are plenty of moments when the sword is sheathed and the game shows a quiet cinematic discipline.
    + The visuals. Really immersive and well detailed, the artistic direction is gorgeous
    + The combat is extremely    This is a game about fighting through a supernaturally tinged recreation of 16th-century Japan as a deathless assassin with a sharp blade and a weaponized prosthetic arm, but there are plenty of moments when the sword is sheathed and the game shows a quiet cinematic discipline.
    + The visuals. Really immersive and well detailed, the artistic direction is gorgeous
    + The combat is extremely satisfying and fair
    + Graphics are really beautiful.
    + Customizable controls
    + Good character personalization with skills and prosthesis tree
    + Soundtrack is delicious
    + High learning curve
    + Good environment    … Expand
  27. Lexnextdex21
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    One of the best games i've played so far. As a fan of soulsborne series i must say i love this game! It's without a doubt both easier and harder in different aspects than the previous souls games. The general enemies are easier than they have ever been because you can stealth kill everybody in the level if you choose to but then the mini bosses and actual bosses come along... They aren'tOne of the best games i've played so far. As a fan of soulsborne series i must say i love this game! It's without a doubt both easier and harder in different aspects than the previous souls games. The general enemies are easier than they have ever been because you can stealth kill everybody in the level if you choose to but then the mini bosses and actual bosses come along... They aren't the most difficult bosses but they are very challenging and there are very few options to power up and brute force your way through a boss. You can farm xp and money to buy new skills and other things but you can't raise your base stats. If you aren't sure of yourself or willing to improve you could hit a brick wall after a few hours and give up. Combat is very responsive and nearly all the problems like phantom hits, delayed actions after button presses, and unresponsive controls from the souls series have been fixed. On my 1650 at 1080p I get a solid 60fps on a mixture of max and high settings so the game runs well also much better than previous Fromsoft games.The soundtrack beautifully complimented each area and encounter. It's one of the most impactful and memorable scores from their library I have played. I'm an explorer and love finding secrets. Trust me, there are tons of those as you progress and you're rewarded for going off the beaten path. So the game will most likely satisfy you about that. I also don't recommend using any guides on your first playthrough and experiencing everything first hand. Try not to get too angry when you sit back and enjoy ancient castles, bamboo forests, acid swamps, mountain side temples, forsaken villages, and more in this journey you're about to take. Also keep in mind that you will die a lot more than twice.… Expand
  28. Cezar_Augusto3
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    The closest to an actual sword fight a game can feel. Epic samurai game 10/10
  29. Deadpirate66
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    Fromsoft's loveletter to Dex builds. "Fall seven times and stand up eight."
    -Japanese proverb.
  30. Ametyoo811
    Jun 14, 2021
    10
    When I was a child. One day I went to the video game store to buy Metroid 2.
    And then the sales lady told me "It may be too difficult for you."
    But I said "It's ok! I want this!" Some months later. After having finished the game, I went to the video game store to tell that to the lady. But I found the store gone. Sekiro reminded me of the story and the days I wasn't afraid of challenges.
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Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best PC Game of 2019
6
#6 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019
69
#69 Most Shared PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Game World Navigator Magazine
    May 15, 2019
    80
    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]
  2. MGG
    Apr 27, 2019
    88
    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.
    Read full review
  3. Edge Magazine
    Apr 25, 2019
    90
    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]
See all critic reviews »