User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5159 Ratings

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  1. Jan 10, 2020
    4
    Love Soulsbourne, but I did not enjoy this and gave up on it about 25-30hrs in. My main problem was the lack of variety in combat. I never really felt like I was battling an enemy - rather i was closing distance and then playing a rhythm game. I hate to say it, but I wouldn't bother with a From game again unless they return to the souls formula with greater variety in combat/weapons.
  2. Mar 22, 2019
    4
    I 100% understand the team is wanting to branch out and try something new. I 100% understand this is in no way a spiritual successor to DS. However, if you want to make a totally new game that isn't tied to ypur other series.....DON'T LITERALLY MAKE ANOTHER DS GAME WITH MISSING KEY FEATURES!!!

    This is litetally Nioh with all the RPG and loot elements ripped out. It feels EXACTLY like a
    I 100% understand the team is wanting to branch out and try something new. I 100% understand this is in no way a spiritual successor to DS. However, if you want to make a totally new game that isn't tied to ypur other series.....DON'T LITERALLY MAKE ANOTHER DS GAME WITH MISSING KEY FEATURES!!!

    This is litetally Nioh with all the RPG and loot elements ripped out. It feels EXACTLY like a Souls game while having none of the elements we expect. You can die in 3 hits...check, you have enemies that are "normal" and enemies that are "supernatural"...check, you have some massively disadvantageous cimbat system weighing against the player....check, you have the same graphics (albeit way prettier)...same weird camera angles for cutscenes...same weird voice acting, same movement system (not talking about the new jump and grappling mechanics), same "look, a long hallway, road, room, etc. with some generic adds to fight on my way to a miniboss/boss that will inevitably be massivly overpowered yet after dying 10+ times, i'll figure out his pattern and i'll be able to do it with a zweihander whist in my loincloth.....except that's impossible because you can't change his BLOODY BROWN BLAND COSTUME OR SWORD!"

    I dont care if it isn't a Souls game......I'm super happy with the whole "no stamina" thing, actually, But give me armor/fashion elements and something other than that generic sword. Nion, at least, gave you stance changes. He's supposed to be a shinobi and, other than the totally fictional mech arm, at no point does he feel like a shinobi.

    This "feels" like a Souls game but bland AF. If you want me to acknowledge your new game as not part of the Souls series and acknowledge you're doing something different.....dont give me a game that's half TenchuSouls, half Nioh and strip all the RPG and character customization from the game and say "totally new game...nothing like DS"

    I had no idea this wasn't another SoulsLike game until I found out it had no RPG/customization. It feels, in every way, EXACTLY liie a Souls game.....yet Reddit is booming with all these toolbags saying "it's not a Souls game, stop comparing it". HOW IS IT NOT??!! Simply because they said the words "this isn't a Souls game"? You can't put cloths on a dog and say "it wears cloths...must be human"....no....it's just a dog in cloths. This is 100% a Souls game with 75% of what makes a Souls game addictive ripped out of it and then "slight of hand....look over here" somehow magically not a Souls game. Combats the EXACT same with slight new features (DS has block/shields, Bloodborne has gun parry, Sekiro has timed counter parry and jump, all three have the exact same dodge system), all three have the EXACT same difficulty "feel", same formula (adds to miniboss to boss), same estus flask, same generic items that do just about the same things, same praying at the alter/statue/etc. which restores estus and all the enemies, same home base you keep returning to to "level up"

    It's a DS game they left out the RPG/custimization from, they changed less than 40% of the formula. If you say otherwise, you're wrong.....if you say it "feels different than a DS game" you're wrong (besides the glaring difference....no stamina and there's a grappling hook)

    IT'S
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  3. Jul 31, 2019
    4
    I have not finished the game and don't intend to. Having beaten all the Demons Souls, Dark Souls and Bloodborne, this is finally the From Software game that beats me to a point I don't want to even try anymore. The difficulty is just too much - for me.

    My main complaint is that if you're used to Dark Souls games, the level design is quite different here. With Dark Souls you could
    I have not finished the game and don't intend to. Having beaten all the Demons Souls, Dark Souls and Bloodborne, this is finally the From Software game that beats me to a point I don't want to even try anymore. The difficulty is just too much - for me.

    My main complaint is that if you're used to Dark Souls games, the level design is quite different here. With Dark Souls you could usually clear out the areas once to find all the loot and then - if you die - run to the boss in less than a minute. This made the experience tolerable, as you had to only engage repeatedly in what you failed at - the boss.

    But in Sekiro, you'll find many areas with mini bosses ("stronger enemies") embedded within a mob of normal enemies. To engage these mini bosses - who at least in the beginning are very strong compared to you (I haven't progressed very far) - you need to first clear out the entire area of normal enemies, or you'll soon find yourself against a mob and a mini boss. This means 5-10 minutes of meticulous sneaking and clearing out the area so you can try again. And die. And then do the same thing again. It's rather frustrating.

    In Souls games, you could level up to get stronger and try again. No such mechanism here. You can only level up through prayer beads that you get by killing mini bosses. You need four of them for an upgrade to vitality or posture. Too bad if you have hard time beating the first four...
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  4. Mar 28, 2019
    4
    the best thing about the souls games is leveling up and getting better gear, this made it really addictive for me.. but you won't get this with this game, not being able to level up and make your character stronger with better weapons leads to a lot of frustration and in the end it's just not fun to play..
  5. Apr 2, 2019
    4
    Not feeling it. It's nice that it is a fresh game from the Demons' Souls/Dark Souls creators, but I don't feel rewarded or satisfied playing this game at all. Most new games that do not offend players with poor performance get a review score bonus simply for being a mediocre, playable game with something marginally "fresh;" I think this is another one.

    My advice: wait for Ghost of
    Not feeling it. It's nice that it is a fresh game from the Demons' Souls/Dark Souls creators, but I don't feel rewarded or satisfied playing this game at all. Most new games that do not offend players with poor performance get a review score bonus simply for being a mediocre, playable game with something marginally "fresh;" I think this is another one.

    My advice: wait for Ghost of Tsushima, Nioh 2, and/or the next From Software title. Or, just find something else to play while we wait for Cyberpunk 2077.
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  6. Feb 22, 2020
    4
    **** **** game riding on the fame of the memes, from software is the Apple of videogames, we all know that the product is mediocre at very best but has that notoriety that is big due to all the memes and the git gud cirle jerk who have accomplished nothing special and feel like they have to like this game just because is hard.
    took me hours to beat it just like the rest of from software
    **** **** game riding on the fame of the memes, from software is the Apple of videogames, we all know that the product is mediocre at very best but has that notoriety that is big due to all the memes and the git gud cirle jerk who have accomplished nothing special and feel like they have to like this game just because is hard.
    took me hours to beat it just like the rest of from software games but **** me, at some point I realized that I (no joke) spent more time trying to fight the controls (mainly enemy lock) than fighting the actual enemies.
    Would not reccomend spend more than 10 of whatever currency you have on this.
    STOP FANBOYING is ruining games, doesn't matter if you a fan of the genre, stop being a **** and give the actual rating it deserves, no game is 0 or 10 so **** off
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  7. Mar 23, 2019
    4
    First of all, no game is ever a 10 or a 0. For those of you giving either of those ratings, its for some other reason unrelated to the game. You are either a fanatic of From Soft who cannot objectively rate their game, or you are currently raging or just hate the game for not being exactly like souls.

    So, Sekiro. If you took all the good parts out of Nioh ( The loot, outfits,
    First of all, no game is ever a 10 or a 0. For those of you giving either of those ratings, its for some other reason unrelated to the game. You are either a fanatic of From Soft who cannot objectively rate their game, or you are currently raging or just hate the game for not being exactly like souls.

    So, Sekiro. If you took all the good parts out of Nioh ( The loot, outfits, customization, build system and weapon variety ) and no, the combat in Nioh wasn't that great. It was just a bad clone of Dark Souls. Then, you took all the good parts out of Dark Souls ( Solid combat system, the lore, variety of weapons, variety of armor, and a good build system )

    Afterwards, you take whats left of both. For Dark Souls its the level designs(shortcuts etc) , the estus flasks, fire keepers, bonfires, and the feel of the cut scenes and art work. For Nioh its the forced item usage and similar art style. You take those aspects and shove them into one game with a garbage combat system that is not quite Dark Souls and not quite Nioh. A system that requires you to respond rather than be offensive. Combat is basically boiled down to a Press X for sweep attack, press L1 for parry, Press O to side step...and use prosthetic arm.

    You do not get to choose the style of combat or how you will fight. Follow their style, or die. Do not think for yourself and respond how they want you to, or die.

    Play how they want you to, or you are going to have a bad experience. If you are OK with that, then you will probably enjoy the game. I am not. it is not what I came to expect from From Soft.

    I am severely disappointed in this game. I had looked forward to it for a long time and I only do that for a very few developers. Literally 2.

    Oh well. I truly hope people find enjoyment in this game. It just is not fun for me, unfortunately.
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  8. May 7, 2019
    4
    All the rpg elements have been stripped out of the game leaving a action game which you can acquire new attacks in. The boss fights are overly difficult compared to bloodborne or souls because many of the battles rely on you have very good timing to parry attacks. And it just becomes annoying unlike previous games where if you died it felt like your fault, and you could go away and levelAll the rpg elements have been stripped out of the game leaving a action game which you can acquire new attacks in. The boss fights are overly difficult compared to bloodborne or souls because many of the battles rely on you have very good timing to parry attacks. And it just becomes annoying unlike previous games where if you died it felt like your fault, and you could go away and level up or get new weapons or shields and etc and come back. Here you just have to keep bashing your head against the wall and hope for the best. The parry and break stance mechanic you need to beat bosses just feels cheap and annoying because there is no way most bosses can ever be beaten on first try like in their other games and it takes so long to wear some of them down and then a lot of times that can one hit you and you have to start over from a spawn point that takes 5-10 minutes to reach the boss again.. I just could not be FD after about 10 hours in and moved on to other games that are actually fun to play. Its a shame as there was massive potential here if they just spent time balancing the boss fights and adding a character build system to give players options. Expand
  9. Apr 5, 2019
    4
    Yep, it's another DS try. I'm just frustrated how rewarding system works and there is no fun in this game. It's just constant learning of enemy attack patterns, and I kind a lost my will and satisfaction to play this game. Maybe the most annoying thing for me is the rules - you're suppose to do what game tell you to do, otherwise you'll be punished. To conclude, I never enjoyed playingYep, it's another DS try. I'm just frustrated how rewarding system works and there is no fun in this game. It's just constant learning of enemy attack patterns, and I kind a lost my will and satisfaction to play this game. Maybe the most annoying thing for me is the rules - you're suppose to do what game tell you to do, otherwise you'll be punished. To conclude, I never enjoyed playing this game, it's a constant learning of patterns with no satisfaction at all... Expand
  10. Mar 22, 2019
    4
    The real deal review. The atmosphere is nothing less than true From Software design, veterans of the souls series will see this right away. Here is where the typical From Software title differs from this one. This game is a mix of repetitive "quick time" attacks. Press LB to block, then press RB to attack. You will grow tired of seeing the same choreographed "death blows" over and overThe real deal review. The atmosphere is nothing less than true From Software design, veterans of the souls series will see this right away. Here is where the typical From Software title differs from this one. This game is a mix of repetitive "quick time" attacks. Press LB to block, then press RB to attack. You will grow tired of seeing the same choreographed "death blows" over and over and over. I feel no real attachment to the main protagonist he seems an empty vessel with no real personality. The Shinobi arm is very gimmicky as the shuriken attack does a less than a 1/10th damage and will be blocked 90 percent of the time. So it works like this, block and then continue to block some more.. then attack. Once you have blocked enough attacks they will stutter and you get a quick time kill move. That's it.. that's the whole premise. Keep your 60 bucks, this is nothing more than a "casual" cash grab. Those calling this game a "masterpiece" clearly don't know the difference between an intuitive rewarding control scheme and flashy auto attacks that make you feel like you are having fun. But in reality, you are only pressing two buttons. Expand
  11. Mar 24, 2019
    4
    This feels like the game FromSoft should've made BEFORE Demon's Souls. An average, rough-around-the-edges project with a sparkle of potential, but it's not, it's their newest game. It is severely lacking content and features compared to previous titles, and a narrative seems to have developed where comparing Sekiro to Dark Souls or Bloodborne is taboo. Thing is, it IS Dark Souls, all theThis feels like the game FromSoft should've made BEFORE Demon's Souls. An average, rough-around-the-edges project with a sparkle of potential, but it's not, it's their newest game. It is severely lacking content and features compared to previous titles, and a narrative seems to have developed where comparing Sekiro to Dark Souls or Bloodborne is taboo. Thing is, it IS Dark Souls, all the major hallmarks are there, but with a different coat of paint. You have shrines instead of bonfires, but they serve the same purpose. Enemies respawn if you die or rest, even the item descriptions and the wording of those descriptions is almost identical to items from Dark Souls or Bloodborne. Comparison is inevitable and it works to Sekiro's detriment as it simply does not measure up.

    What I absolutely despise about this game is the extreme narrow approach to play style. You have one weapon, a few gadgets that serve VERY specific purposes and some special moves, none of which have been terribly effective so far. I'll admit I never really got "gud" at the Souls games, I enjoyed playing them with my friends, I enjoyed co-op, strength builds, miracles, playing my character my way. But not Sekiro, oh no. You must parry. It is the only way to play the game. I've never been a big fan of parrying, the PVP community from the Souls games absolutely soured me on the whole mechanic. I think it's cheap, dishonest and essentially shuts out any alternative styles.
    Sekiro suffers from it's lack of leveling up. In Dark Souls, if you were struggling, you could grind a bit, increase your health or your strength or pump your spells a little more. You could upgrade your weapon, or try a different one. Sekiro has no options. One build, one weapon, one technique, rinse and repeat. It's dull, it's not challenging it's just tedious, more about rote memorisation and pattern recognition than adapting.
    Plus, the game doesn't play by its own rules. Early on, I came across a...mini-boss maybe? A big samurai guy that needs TWO death blows to kill. I figured I could get the first one with a sneak attack, and after trying and failing a couple times to fight him face to face I thought I'd just grapple away, wait for him to stop aggroing and sneak attack him again for the second deathblow. But no. He regenerates completely. The game has just said "No, play it OUR way". Even though Wolf is a sneaky shinobi man who uses trickery and subterfuge, except don't use trickery or subterfuge, just parry you scrub.

    So that's why I'm giving Parry Souls: Shadows Parry Twice a 4/10. This might be a 5 or 6/10 if it was a different studio, but FromSoft can do and have done better. This is a step in the wrong direction for them. I refuse to praise this stripping away of content and options as "trying something new". New isn't always good.
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  12. Mar 29, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sekiro is a beautiful game with great soundtrack and sound effects. The story is scarce, the questlines boring, and the NPC forgettable (can't even kill them this time). There is little incentive to play this after the first run.

    It is ALSO let down by the combat
    With each iteration, From Software wants the player to stop doing what they are doing and "parry". That was the case in Dark Souls, where some enemies are easily taken out by properly learning this technique. Makes sense! Then in Bloodborne, they took out the player's shield and gave it a gun for parrying enemies (you can't parry most Bosses, but the safe distance of the gun was balanced).
    Then in Sekiro, they want you to do nothing but parry / deflect. Block-spamming, or block dancing, for most players, is the most boring combat engine I've seen in a recent game..

    Did you not deflect a flurry of attacks perfectly? Well, you are going to eat an attack! Where you not at full health? Well, you'll probably die. Oh, and while you are rolling on the floor after being punished for not playing perfectly, all that posture damage you managed to make will go away because you didn't deal any actual damage to the Boss. So, you either play perfectly and don't press any buttons so you can press block / deflect from the barrage of attacks the Bosses do (that take at least 1/2 your life, while you do 1/32 or even less).. or you run around waiting for that ONE hit you can make without being hit back, lowering the Boss's vitality making your posture damage worthwhile.

    I'm also very disappointed with the Controls and hit-boxes.. They should not be a problem for such a company. The lack of interesting items, weapons and the short duration of this game is also a negative.

    The Unseen Aid and Dragonrot mechanic is also nothing but an annoyance. Players, instead of risking moving forward when low in resources will now, due to fear of the unexplained mechanic (and the probability of NPCs dying), return to the closes Sculptor Idol. It's fabricated length.
    Also, I would have been fine with dying a lot, but losing SKILL points and money? Because seriously.. who is going to walk around with skill or money that they wouldn't rather FARM and SPEND as needed? It doesn't really tie-in the theme of the game..
    And speaking of that, this is a Shinobi or Ninja we are playing as.. but the little stealth / deathblow mechanic is relegated to common enemies.. There is NO Boss battle where anything akin to Ninja skills are required. Instead, you fight like an honorable Samurai each time (without mentioning the "Shinobi Execution" message, that makes no sense).

    Finally, Ninjas are known for strictly following the rules.. So when it comes to decide which ending you are going to pursue, not listening to your number 1 rule is out of character. Also, 2 immediate fights and a lazy twist where you become "Shura" is one of the worse things of the game. It seems like they ran out of time or creativity.

    ** And a personal issue : They had the Sculptor's Idol right in front of the optional Demon of Hatred Boss, but for Genichiro + Isshin, you have to wait for the LONG load times + go up the stairs + skip a cutscene every time. The fact that this is such a long battle, and Isshin's Phase 2 and 3 don't give you that much time to heal when you are learning the strategy doesn't help, and Dragonrot messages + Useless unseen aid makes repeating this process utterly annoying after a while. If you are going to make your Boss a minimum of 5 minutes (with basically 4 life-bars), you could at least make it easier on the casual player, if they are to repeat this for days.

    Played it, finished it, didn't really enjoy any aspect of it and will not return to it.
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  13. Mar 31, 2019
    4
    I have completed Dark Souls 1-3 including DLC for each one, I beat Bloodborn and loved getting my behind kicked by all of them, but I DO Not like Sekiro. Sekiro is in my book not a 9/10 game there is simply to much repetetion and those quicktime inspired ripostes are horrible. I would imagine that the pc version runs much better than the night ps4 and I even have the pro, it is aboutI have completed Dark Souls 1-3 including DLC for each one, I beat Bloodborn and loved getting my behind kicked by all of them, but I DO Not like Sekiro. Sekiro is in my book not a 9/10 game there is simply to much repetetion and those quicktime inspired ripostes are horrible. I would imagine that the pc version runs much better than the night ps4 and I even have the pro, it is about time the fromsoft puts out a game that runs smooth either in 30 or 60+ fps, but without frame pacing issues and highly variable refreshrate. I played through the first two bosses, and I was done with the game I do not like the timings, the mechanics or the riposte annimations. I am sorry that I will never expeirience the story of the game, but it simply does not appeal to me, and I have an assumption that many have given in to the fromsoft hype, and given the game 10/10 wich is generally higher than DS1. Give me Bloodborn 2 cheers. Expand
  14. Apr 5, 2019
    4
    Like a lot of reviewers I was a big fan of Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne, having played through both games multiple times. I thought From struck the right balance in terms of difficulty for both games. Not the same with Sekiro. Sekiro is hard - which I expect and accept - but its also often very unfair. For example, your hit box during Boss fights, particularly for their most powerLike a lot of reviewers I was a big fan of Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne, having played through both games multiple times. I thought From struck the right balance in terms of difficulty for both games. Not the same with Sekiro. Sekiro is hard - which I expect and accept - but its also often very unfair. For example, your hit box during Boss fights, particularly for their most power attacks, are often absurdly large. I put 60 hrs in and beat the game, but ultimately ended up regretting my time investment. Last From game I buy unless it comes from the bargain bin. Expand
  15. Apr 10, 2019
    4
    Ridiculous difficultly. Not as in " you need to practice to get better" difficulty, but the "you must memorize poorly constructed button inputs" difficult that makes the game less fun.
  16. Apr 13, 2019
    4
    Once you get past the fairly above-average art direction, this game is nothing more than Simon... with a flashier outfit. The combat system forces you into very restricted playstyles, and there's not much variety or replayability.
  17. Apr 15, 2019
    4
    There is a lot this game does great. World, exploration and progression is amazing. Shame the boss fights are so out of tune in terms of difficulty. They are relentless and unforgiving making it an enjoyable experience for selected few. I wanted so much to finish this game, but could not, despite the hours spent bosses with little to no progression. Not fun to be charged for a game only toThere is a lot this game does great. World, exploration and progression is amazing. Shame the boss fights are so out of tune in terms of difficulty. They are relentless and unforgiving making it an enjoyable experience for selected few. I wanted so much to finish this game, but could not, despite the hours spent bosses with little to no progression. Not fun to be charged for a game only to make it impossible to complete. I do not recommend a purchase until a system to reduce difficulty of bosses is implemented. Shame. :( Expand
  18. Apr 19, 2019
    4
    Sekiro is a lazy game compared to its predecessors. I played Demons Souls, all the Dark Souls and Bloodbourne. Loved all of them though Bloodbourne less than the Dark Souls games. Sekiro is a dumbed down version of Dark Souls and Bloodbourne. No levels, no builds and one weapon.

    The game is Bloodbourne's focus on aggression, only on steroids. If you prefer the aggression of
    Sekiro is a lazy game compared to its predecessors. I played Demons Souls, all the Dark Souls and Bloodbourne. Loved all of them though Bloodbourne less than the Dark Souls games. Sekiro is a dumbed down version of Dark Souls and Bloodbourne. No levels, no builds and one weapon.

    The game is Bloodbourne's focus on aggression, only on steroids. If you prefer the aggression of Bloodbourne to the more defensive and tactical nature of Dark Souls, then you'll probably love Sekiro. If you prefer Dark Souls to Bloodbourne, this game will likely prove disappointing and annoying.

    The Good:
    The music and sound are good. The sound effect of clanging swords is great. The voice acting is good. Some of the particle effects are good. Anytime something is on fire it looks great. Controls are mostly good with some exceptions. World design and connectivity are good, but not as good as past games. Framerate is good as are the animations.

    The Bad:
    Everything is very samey. There are not the variety of bosses that the previous games had - the ones here are generally very similar. Encounters mostly come down to L1 parry if the posture bar builds fast, or run around and attack during the times they are open to attack if the posture bar builds slow. The prosthetic tools feel like they were added because the dev team realized how one dimensional the gameplay is. Most of them are gimmicky for one specific use, while only a few are useful in many situations. The prosthetics do very little damage, so they aren't a separate play style by any means. The overall game design is very inflexible (particularly compared to other From games). They expect the player to play within very narrow parameters. Its a weird situation because you'll know you exactly what you are meant to do, but you won't always be able to execute successfully for a variety of reasons. The gameplay is very twitch based and reflex sensitive. Some will like this, but it makes the game harder for older players whose reflexes are slowing.

    The stealth feels clumsily implemented. It's as if the devs included stealth out of a sense of obligation due to this being a ninja game, but they didn't really want to take it very far. The only purpose stealth really serves is to make traversing the levels slightly less annoying and in knocking one life bar off of minibosses.

    The worst sin of the game is that minibosses and bosses are repeated all of the time. You will fight the same samurai and ninja minibosses god knows how many times. You will fight repeats of most of the bosses, not just once but many times. You fight one boss five times. You fight a variant of another boss 4 times. The majority of the bosses and virtually all of the minibosses are copy/pasted later in the game. It's a cynical, lazy way to add content to the game and I can't believe people aren't mad about this.

    Graphics, textures in particular, are poor to mediocre. This game has a lot of blurry textures to the point where it sometimes looks like a PS3 game. In general, the game lacks a sharpness in the graphics department. The camera in this game is atrocious, as is the lock-on system. Get near a wall and you'll lose lock and then have to relocate the enemy. This generally happens during minibosses and bosses. FromSoft seems to have designed a few encounters around these failures. One miniboss in particular is placed in a room so small that the camera and lock-on are constantly a problem. Very cynical game design.

    The game is an exercise in tedium. Almost everything about the game is tedious. Enemy placement in levels is designed to be as annoying as possible. Many of the minibosses are surrounded by 5-10 trash enemies that have to be cleared before each attempt on the miniboss. Many of the bosses are not very engaging due to the one dimensional emphasis on parrying. All of the bosses have multiple health bars. Then some have three, while other encounters have a 2 health bar boss and then a sidekick with a third health bar.

    All FromSoft games are difficult, but this one lacks the pressure release valves that the previous entries had in the form of coop and leveling. Increasing attributes occurs via beating bosses, so there is no way to powerlevel if a boss proves difficult. There is no coop to help with bosses you're stuck on. Some will view this as a positive, but it greatly restricts the accessibility of the game to the non-hardcore gamer.

    Previous FromSoft games drove me crazy, but I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when I beat a boss. In this game, the bosses drove me crazy, but there was very little sense of accomplishment upon beating one. I mostly felt relief at moving on to something else, almost like I finished a chore. I am extremely disappointed with this offering. It is not up to From's lofty standard.
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  19. May 2, 2019
    4
    Honestamente no entiendo tanta nota de 10, ni de lejos es perfecto...repetitivo,con un sistema de combate que consiste en morir hasta memorizar los patrones de ataque de un boss tras otro, lo que alarga artficialmente la duración de un juego que si no fuera por eso sería corto.
    En cuanto a la dificultad en realidad yo diria que su dificultad es no perder la paciencia con Bosses que te
    Honestamente no entiendo tanta nota de 10, ni de lejos es perfecto...repetitivo,con un sistema de combate que consiste en morir hasta memorizar los patrones de ataque de un boss tras otro, lo que alarga artficialmente la duración de un juego que si no fuera por eso sería corto.
    En cuanto a la dificultad en realidad yo diria que su dificultad es no perder la paciencia con Bosses que te matan de un golpe, hitboxes imposibles y tracking descarado lo que convierte el combate en bloquear secuencias de golpes que memorizas a base de repetir y golpear cuando termina .Fin
    Los gráficos no son nada del otro mundo y la historia tampoco destaca.
    Si, es Fromsoftware y si,tiene su dificultad pero ni de lejos es un 10
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  20. Aug 12, 2019
    4
    First of all, I'd like to say that despite my rating of just 4/10 I do not think Sekiro is necessarily a bad game. My rating indicates my PERSONAL enjoyment of the game, which was poor. I'm a huge fan of the Souls series and perfectly comfortable with a "difficult" game, but Sekiro simply plays so fast that my reflexes could not keep up with it. FROM Software's head-scratching designFirst of all, I'd like to say that despite my rating of just 4/10 I do not think Sekiro is necessarily a bad game. My rating indicates my PERSONAL enjoyment of the game, which was poor. I'm a huge fan of the Souls series and perfectly comfortable with a "difficult" game, but Sekiro simply plays so fast that my reflexes could not keep up with it. FROM Software's head-scratching design decisions probably solidified my poor review, as you are also prevented from farming up more health or damage in order to ease the difficulty. As a result, an otherwise huge fan of their games did not enjoy Sekiro very much at all. If you liked the game, more power to you, but for many players (including myself) the game is simply more frustration than fun. Frankly, with my experience, a 4/10 is pretty generous. Expand
  21. Aug 24, 2022
    4
    This game was a huge disappointment for me at launch and it has only gotten worse after I played Elden Ring. Sekiro is japanese Dark Souls but most of the good stuff is gone.

    - Worst customization of the series, because there isnt any. - Worst gameplay of the series. Fromsoftware can make games with a hundred weapons that all feel great, so if they make a game with just one weapon it
    This game was a huge disappointment for me at launch and it has only gotten worse after I played Elden Ring. Sekiro is japanese Dark Souls but most of the good stuff is gone.

    - Worst customization of the series, because there isnt any.

    - Worst gameplay of the series. Fromsoftware can make games with a hundred weapons that all feel great, so if they make a game with just one weapon it would result in absolutely god tier gameplay, right? No. Its just one dimensional Katana bashing all the time and nothing else. Not really better than using a Katana in all their other games. Gets boring after the first few areas. Also it straight up doesnt work when fighting multiple enemies at once and all the other minor problems these games have (bad camera, weird hit boxes etc) are still there.

    - Worst online of the series because there isnt any as well. No coop, no pvp, nothing.

    - Worst overall content of the series, most bosses and all mini bosses and even some areas get reused multiple times. 3x Ashina castle, really? This is lazy. All the other Souls games have way more content and Elden Ring is probably ten times bigger than Sekiro.

    - Besides that its not better than the other games at anything. Bloodborne and DS3 still have the same or even better overall quality than Sekiro and ER and the Demon´s Souls Remake absolutely dunk on it.

    If Elden Ring is a $60 game Sekiro would be $5. Good that Fromsoftware got away from this misguided garbage.
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  22. Nov 24, 2019
    4
    I can force myself to get killed 50 times in order to kill a boss, but what's the point of a game, if it's not fun and enjoyable?
  23. Dec 23, 2019
    4
    very boring gameplay as u just use 1 sword spaming parries all the time and nothing more . Most trick weapons are useless and u pretty much keep using 2 of them for the entire game.Finally the story is nowhere near dark souls or bloodborne. It is a very bad mehhh compared to those other dark fantasy titles
  24. Jan 15, 2020
    4
    I finished the game 5 times now, four times on the ps4 pro and one time on the regular PS4. The reason it gets only 4 points is because technically, it’s a shame to even release a game like that. The frame pacing on the regular consoles, not the enchanced ones, is a disaster. It completely interrupts the flow, inputs are often not registered and in intense boss fights, this is nerveI finished the game 5 times now, four times on the ps4 pro and one time on the regular PS4. The reason it gets only 4 points is because technically, it’s a shame to even release a game like that. The frame pacing on the regular consoles, not the enchanced ones, is a disaster. It completely interrupts the flow, inputs are often not registered and in intense boss fights, this is nerve wrecking. On the PS4 Pro the experience was good, stable frame times, around 40 FPS and the combat system was smooth. It was a gorgeous experience, one of the reasons why I unlocked the platinum.

    But it just don’t understand how stubborn Developer have to be, to be releasing a game, that has 2013 visuals, and not even vaguely polish it for running smoothly on 30 FPS on the base consoles.
    I am saying all this because not everyone has an enchanced console like the One X or PS4 Pro.

    Overall great game on PC, PS4 Pro and one X. For the base consoles I can definitely not recommend.
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  25. Mar 19, 2022
    4
    Not a fan of the style of battle system, wont play any similar game anymore.
  26. Mar 22, 2020
    4
    Ok thi is not a souls like,so they said...
    Just take Dark Souls/Bloodborne/Nioh and take off all the cool staff like, level, personalization of the carachter, weapons, ecc....
    Copy and past Tenchu, and voilà.... Sekiro.... -_-
  27. Jul 6, 2020
    4
    Sekiro is a game that i tried my hardest to like. Im a huge dark souls and bloodborne fan and i loved the games for their challenge... I just cannot say the same for sekiro. To me, the game feels like assasins creed and dark souls mixed together with clunky and overreactive controlls. Sometimes when i try to grab a ledge thats clearly marked, my character falls down and wall hugs. JumpsSekiro is a game that i tried my hardest to like. Im a huge dark souls and bloodborne fan and i loved the games for their challenge... I just cannot say the same for sekiro. To me, the game feels like assasins creed and dark souls mixed together with clunky and overreactive controlls. Sometimes when i try to grab a ledge thats clearly marked, my character falls down and wall hugs. Jumps are hard to controll and i usually end up overshooting my enemy and getting spotted. The stealth kill mechanic sometimes dosent work and i strike my target instead, eventhough there is a red mark on them. The difficulty is more annoying than hard in my opinion and early game is a chore to play through the first time. If you dont play the way fromsoftware intended, you are not going to have fun, which in my opinion, kills all the fun and creativity in different playstyles. They could have done cool stuff with the setting. You could have been a stealthy ninja that could take out everything quickly or an awesome samurai that would dominate in combat. The lack of different weapons and attires just makes it feel boring imo. Fromsoftware has always let the player be who they wanted to be in their games, which is why i feel that sekiro is a step down from what i liked in their games. I know i have **** on the game for most og this review, now i want to state some positives.

    First off, beautiful game, love the setting aswell. Story is a bit more straitforward which is nice for newer players. 1v1 combat is awesome! And i truly feel like a badass destroying an inferior foe. Other than that, i really didn't like the game. And i think that fromsoftware should stick to their souls formular. (btw english is not my first language so please forgive any spelling errors)
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  28. Aug 11, 2020
    4
    Much worse than dark souls and bloodborne. Every 10 minutes boss or mini-boss. Unseen help doesn't have any sense, because in 10 min after boss, you will die at least 5 times on next boss or miniboss. No fun with this game, don't feel satisfaction after kill boss
  29. Aug 13, 2020
    4
    A lot of frame rate drops on my PS4 fat, the game have graphics that seems to be from ps3, but even that way have a lot of drops.
    The gameplay it's very difficult, the developers could put a easy mode.
    But it's a good game if you have a lot of time to play. Because you will die. Lol
  30. Feb 19, 2022
    4
    Probably my most controversial gaming take of all time is that I think this game is really really poor. I’m a huge fan of fromsoft games, in fact I’ve played every soulsborne game to completion at least once other than DS2. I really believe this game doesn't deserve to be in the same conversation as Dark souls and especially bloodborne. A lot of elements of this game feels like a step backProbably my most controversial gaming take of all time is that I think this game is really really poor. I’m a huge fan of fromsoft games, in fact I’ve played every soulsborne game to completion at least once other than DS2. I really believe this game doesn't deserve to be in the same conversation as Dark souls and especially bloodborne. A lot of elements of this game feels like a step back from its predecessors including those that came out over a decade ago. For example cutscenes that lead into boss fights play every SINGLE time you approach the boss. Not only does this not make narrative sense in the context of the game, but its needlessly frustrating. Fromsoft seemingly recognised this when creating Demon Souls in 2009 and this issue is resolved in that game, so why not here?

    Other than it’s verticality, the world is, in my opinion, less interesting in both its design and art direction than the games that came before it bar a small number of locations. The grappling hook which should be an absolute game changer picks and chooses when to work properly, and the option for meaningful customisation in the build of your character is gone completely. The combat, while extremely satisfying and rewarding during 1on1s, falls apart completely when facing more than 1 enemy which might be fine if there isn't a non optional boss encounter based on fighting two bosses at once. This is not an interesting way of scaling difficulty, this is creating a situation that the combat mechanics are not built to handle well in order to make it difficult for the player to progress.

    I think this game falls short in almost every aspect of its direction, and I’m adamant it’s Game of the Year win is some inside industry joke that I’m not in on.
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  31. Apr 25, 2019
    3
    Extremely disapointed. Its a repetitive boss grind game with a boring character and a boring lore in a boring world. How could From Software gone so wrong after all those lovely souls games? I wanted to love it but im shocked of this failure. Its a game for masochists not for people who love fun games.
  32. Mar 20, 2020
    3
    It's just not fun.

    It's just that simple. Everything I liked about Soulslike games has either been dumbed down or removed. Combat is an complete **** requiring mashing the **** triggers and is so absolutely narrow that playing it is unrewarding. Controls suck a fat one; dodging can't dodge **** parrying is again a crapshoot, and perilous attacks are the worst idea From has ever had
    It's just not fun.

    It's just that simple. Everything I liked about Soulslike games has either been dumbed down or removed. Combat is an complete **** requiring mashing the **** triggers and is so absolutely narrow that playing it is unrewarding. Controls suck a fat one; dodging can't dodge **** parrying is again a crapshoot, and perilous attacks are the worst idea From has ever had except for all the other ones in this very game. Dying is now punished (a cardinal sin in Soulslike) with afflictions to NPCs, locking you out of quests until they're healed with a rare item, and half your XP and money with no opportunity to regain or store them.

    Perhaps the worst part of this game is how awkward it is; it's a Soulslike game clumsily fused with a Tenchu game and forces a single playstyle that frankly isn't all that fun or rewarding. I hated it. I hated every second of it, and it made we want to play Metal Gear Rising and The Surge 1 and 2 again.
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  33. Jan 22, 2023
    3
    Just completed Elden Ring and Sekiro pales *drastically* in comparison. Stunning graphics and fluid gameplay, but the swordplay mechanics are just shallow.
  34. Aug 2, 2019
    3
    I was so ready to love this game and overlook all its flaws, but after forcing myself to finish it, I have to say that it's not very good. There is a disconnect in combat when it's more beneficial to deflect than to attack, and it's a shame because at first the feeling of crossing swords is thrilling. But fairly soon the lack of depth in swordplay is obvious, and all you do is deflectI was so ready to love this game and overlook all its flaws, but after forcing myself to finish it, I have to say that it's not very good. There is a disconnect in combat when it's more beneficial to deflect than to attack, and it's a shame because at first the feeling of crossing swords is thrilling. But fairly soon the lack of depth in swordplay is obvious, and all you do is deflect until you deplete a bar and occasionally dodge.

    All the technical flaws from previous From Soft games are present here, but after 10 years it's just not cute anymore. Bad framerates but more importantly bad frame pacing do not gel with this game's fast combat. And although From Soft did a good job of applying its typical Souls aggro range into a neat stealth system, if you fool around you can make the A.I. do some truly stupid things.
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  35. Apr 6, 2020
    3
    The game has a good story, interesting characters and locations. Game mechanics are great. However, this all is destroyed by the games difficulty. I was not physically able to finish this game and it gave me a RSI while attempting it. Even only thinking about picking the game up again stresses me out.

    No difficulty settings in 2019 is just a no-go. Devs should take a hard look at Doom
    The game has a good story, interesting characters and locations. Game mechanics are great. However, this all is destroyed by the games difficulty. I was not physically able to finish this game and it gave me a RSI while attempting it. Even only thinking about picking the game up again stresses me out.

    No difficulty settings in 2019 is just a no-go. Devs should take a hard look at Doom Eternal when planning their next game. It is enjoyable on lower diffulty settings for everyone but only a few are capable of finishing it a the highest level.
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  36. Aug 3, 2020
    3
    A game made by a team of sadistic programmers.
    If you have no patience, just stay away. Dark Souls got two hours of my life before i eradicated it from my hard drive, and Bloodborne was just awful.
    I am too old for these kind of games.
  37. Mar 23, 2019
    3
    Honest review here, if you are a fan of 'finish and forget' streamlined action games with short life span ( less than 50 hours of gameplay) dont read.

    1 ) Combat system is barebone, one attack button, one block button. That's it.. No depth which leads to very repetitive gameplay. No varied movesets, dumbed down and minimal skill tree for an action/rpg, can only have one skill at a time,
    Honest review here, if you are a fan of 'finish and forget' streamlined action games with short life span ( less than 50 hours of gameplay) dont read.

    1 ) Combat system is barebone, one attack button, one block button. That's it.. No depth which leads to very repetitive gameplay. No varied movesets, dumbed down and minimal skill tree for an action/rpg, can only have one skill at a time, very few combos, uninteresting bosses and enemies that feel copy pasted with different skins.

    2) No weapons, no armours, no customization, no variety, ultra simple game mechanics for anyone to grasp within 5 minutes

    3) No coop, no PVP, nothing that can sustain the game's interest beyond the first playthrough unless you are truly a die hard fan who wants to see the different endings in a game where the story is totally optional and there because it has to be there.

    4) Bad optimization on many PCs

    Conclusion : a good Ubisoft like "Finish and Forget" action game with good atmosphere and level design. But a terrible game from FromSoft point of view, a dev that that set a standard with previous Souls games in terms of gameplay quality and depth as well as game replayability and lifespan.
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  38. Mar 26, 2019
    3
    very disappointed.
    stupid artificial intelligence, auto closer strikes enemies, too much damage and life. At the same time, the protagonist, master of shinobi, falls from one or two missed punches. Dodges are useless, the enemies get you through them. Same locations. It is not clear what to explore. The game is about nothing at all.
  39. Jun 7, 2019
    3
    Tedious. Plodding. Punishing. Arbitrary. If any of these descriptors get you excited to drop $60, go for it. If not, I'd advise a rental first.

    Bear in mind - particularly you knee-jerk "git gud" apologists - I am a HUGE From Software fanatic. I've played everything since Demon's Souls (including DLCs) to completion. I *like* difficult games. But let's put a little more thought into
    Tedious. Plodding. Punishing. Arbitrary. If any of these descriptors get you excited to drop $60, go for it. If not, I'd advise a rental first.

    Bear in mind - particularly you knee-jerk "git gud" apologists - I am a HUGE From Software fanatic. I've played everything since Demon's Souls (including DLCs) to completion. I *like* difficult games. But let's put a little more thought into this - difficulty is not the only measure of a game's quality.

    To be fair, we were all aware that this wouldn't be a Soulsborne sequel. But its being a From game, I remained optimistic. What's been delivered falls short of expectations. First criticism: it's extremely one-note. It's a parry/riposte game at its core, and that's about all it is. If you don't dig that one mechanic... well, you do now, because it's what you WILL be doing for the next 60 hours or however long it takes. Oh by the way, frame rate is a little dodgy on PS4, so this timing-intensive mechanic will be routinely undermined by... um, timing. There's also a stealth component for those of you who like crouching in grass and moving very slowly.

    From's siren song of "hard but FAIR" cannot be sung for this game. Fans may tell you otherwise, but the game is frequently arbitrary, and never in your favor. E.g. In the middle of a boss battle, if you stray a few feet too far, the boss might lose interest in you for a moment, and magically regain all of his health and "deathblow" points. (I'm not talking about posture, which enemies regain as a matter of course when you're not engaged.) Your own health and resurrection points? Yeah, not so much. tl;dr - the game cheats. It's already hard as nails; it really needn't cheat.

    Finally, there just isn't enough variety here to make it worthwhile. I happily endured all of From's previous games because, in between the steep challenges, there was such a thrill in unfolding the world and all the RPG systems. Well, this isn't an RPG, and in absence of RPG incentives, the world feels kind of empty. You flit about with your grappling hook - novel at first, but eventually this undermines any sense of structure or mystery. Skill trees offer some interesting upgrades, but also a lot of obvious filler. ("Ooh instead of carrying 15 of these items, I can now carry *16*." I am not making this up. Minimum amount of flair.) The boss to non-boss ratio is much, much higher than in Soulsborne, or in fact any game I've ever played (excepting Shadow of the Colossus, which was famously all-bosses.) If you enjoyed the exploration and slow burn of Soulsborne as much as (or like me, more than) the boss battles, then Sekiro is going to bore you to tears. Graphics are a mixed bag. The writing and voice acting are quite dull.

    In summary: not feeling it. Except for the tendinitis, arthritis, etc.
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  40. Apr 14, 2019
    3
    From Software seems to be using their name to sell games now. This game has such little thought and detail that I'm surprised people like it. I'm glad people like it, although those that do obviously didn't pay much attention. The concept is amazing and some of the mechanics make sense on paper but are executed very poorly. You can see how well some people can manipulate and take advantageFrom Software seems to be using their name to sell games now. This game has such little thought and detail that I'm surprised people like it. I'm glad people like it, although those that do obviously didn't pay much attention. The concept is amazing and some of the mechanics make sense on paper but are executed very poorly. You can see how well some people can manipulate and take advantage of the system and do 30 minute speed runs. While others are completely unable to progress. When you look at the beginning and middle, it's all pretty easy, and once you're experienced, there is zero challenge. The end bosses seem to be the greatest challenge which makes sense but their fights are done extraordinarily poorly. Certain things that make sense to the player do not work in the game. (I'll take one instance of jumping over grabs. Some you can, some you can't. When Isshin grabs you, he kneels down. It is obvious that you SHOULD be able to jump over, but he grabs you even if you're 4 feet above him. Terrible. But once you know, you know.) The game is about memorization, zero skill involved. Not to mention zero replayability. From Software really disappointed me this time around. I guess I won't be preordering their games on announcement anymore - lesson learned. Expand
  41. Apr 15, 2019
    3
    As most are saying, big fan of FromSoft's former games. The challenge of their games has always been offset by a community approach, and is the ONLY reason I played through DS3 through NG+5. If DS had been a solo mission only I'd have stopped playing probably after the first go through. This is where I'm at with Sekiro. It's not a reward that's worth the effort. The grappling hook andAs most are saying, big fan of FromSoft's former games. The challenge of their games has always been offset by a community approach, and is the ONLY reason I played through DS3 through NG+5. If DS had been a solo mission only I'd have stopped playing probably after the first go through. This is where I'm at with Sekiro. It's not a reward that's worth the effort. The grappling hook and stealth are fun, but compared to Batman and Spiderman type games they fall short of being new or exciting. They did a lot of things right with the game tho. The speed at which you traverse the environment is nice compared to their former titles, much more fluid and fast feeling. The area's are beautiful, and the buildings and clothing are really cool looking. In fact, because of the amount of detail, there has been a lot of people not on 4k or super great computers having issues with framerate. Easy fix on PC, not so much on console. The fight mechanics are so close to being really fun. The deflect mechanic in particular, it's easy to do and hard to master. The action on screen versus the button press was made just a little off. And trying with 3 controllers, block just doesn't come up sometimes. If they didn't do this, everyone would be deflect masters and the game would not be so punishing. It feels like a cheap way of upping the difficulty. As does a lot of the bosses dropping target and Sekiro suddenly facing the wrong way and having a boss that can 1-2 hit kill landing directly behind you. Some of them are frantic. One of my absolute largest beefs with this game is the divergence of game play versus boss fights. Traversing through an area using stealth is all well and good, feels very 'shinobi', which seems to be the point of the game, but all that is useless against the bosses. In several of the fights you're in a tiny area locked behind magic fog once again and none of the game play has prepared you for the fight. There were no minions along the way that mimicked the uber moves of the bosses, no tactics really that make you feel like, ok, I've been learning this and now it's test time. The game is hard, we all knew it would be. But there's difficult with reward and without reward. This is without reward. With only 2 exceptions every boss I've finally managed to beat made me turn off the game and go do something else because I'd had enough. Sometimes in DS3 I would go back a little ways after a challenging boss/area, throw down a soap stone, help someone else out or party up with a friend just to mess around in the world and try new things out. Which was also a nice way to replay bosses that were fun. There's none of that here. It's you, alone, in a room playing a single player game that is coded cheaply to make it more challenging than it actually is through timing and engorged hit boxes. I was super excited for this title, preordered months ago, and now after beating Shinobi Owl I'm not going to bother finishing the game. I simply don't care to put any more time into it as it is unrewarding. The allure of 'seeing all the endings' is also an outdated method of getting people to play more. I would say to anyone interested prepare to play alone, be challenged, and if you can't connect with the deflect timing quickly you're in for a rough ride, as you'll likely sneak around areas feeling like you're getting better and then end up face to face with things you can't hide from. If you can find reward from it, great. I envy you! Expand
  42. Apr 15, 2019
    3
    Signed up just to review this and do my part. Please people, heed my warning. This game is NOT what you are expecting if you are a fan of FromSoftware's previous famous titles. I cannot believe the sheer volume of perfect 10s this game is recieving. Over-zealous fanboys/girls are really doing a disservice to this company by blindly praising this game. Yes the gameplay is quite different toSigned up just to review this and do my part. Please people, heed my warning. This game is NOT what you are expecting if you are a fan of FromSoftware's previous famous titles. I cannot believe the sheer volume of perfect 10s this game is recieving. Over-zealous fanboys/girls are really doing a disservice to this company by blindly praising this game. Yes the gameplay is quite different to souls, but in a really bad, unfair, not fun way (unless you belong to the small population of super-elite gamers who have no other life and spend all waking hours playing this and poo pooing everyone else)

    I gave this a three only because I really did like the beautiful environments, sound effects and music. The option to have the dialogue in Japanese with subtitles also adds to the experience. Unfortunately for me and many others, this is where the positives end.

    Having soloed all the other souls/borne games and many other souls-like games from other developers and loving them, I was excited to say the least when this was announced. The way it was advertised made it look like a souls game set in medieval Japan with added gameplay mechanics (grappling hook, jumping, limited on-the-spot death revival, etc.) and sped up combat. This couldn't be any further from the truth. In reality this game is far closer to Ninja Gaiden or fighting games due to the reflex-based combat but far harder and not fun. Let me explain.

    The combat is so unbelievably fast and twitch-reflex based that is it just obnoxious. Playing this like a souls game will get you killed in seconds and that's fine, it's not Dark Souls, BUT, even playing this game as it was intended requires either unaturally high level of reflex or literally life-consuming levels of practice to build up super fine tuned muscle memory. Strategising, carefulness and character building have been thrown out the window. Most people who have an actual life do not want to spend their free time playing a game that requires weeks or months of slogging to grasp the basics. The previous FromSoftware games did require learning and implemented a steep learning curve but even still, were more forgiving than this. They also offered large amounts of variety and reward for overcoming that curve which leads me to my next point.

    Sekiro's offers absolutely no gameplay variety, particularly for bosses. You are stuck with one main, unalterable weapon and NO armor options for the whole game. Sure there are prosthetics, but they are few and far between and largely not necessary. More importantly there is no variation in play style. You have to rely almost solely on deflecting (parrying) and countering. For bosses you have to learn when exactly to hit the deflect button, the dodge button, the jump button, or the attack button. Failure to do so EXACTLY as the devs intended results in death. In this way I felt like I was playing guitar hero but where one wrong button-push resulted in a complete start over. I was locked into a precise pattern of unfairly fast reflex button pushing. These decisions have to be made in
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  43. Apr 27, 2019
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After having had this game for a few days I think it is vastly overrated. It's certainly not bad, but the way it's been talked up is ridiculous. I've gotten part of the way through it and decided to sell it without finishing. I'm all for difficult games that present a challenge and are rewarding, but the difficulty of Sekiro is just wasted. The bosses have too much health, take too little damage, and can wipe the player with a chained attack. If the combat and game mechanics were better then grinding through overpowered bosses wouldn't be so annoying. But the player goes straight from mounted samurai at Ashina Outskirts to Brazen Bull to Seven Spear guy guarding an empty temple to other samurai guarding Ashina Gate with riflemen. There's no breathing room between them and little satisfaction in beating them because the combat is unfulfilling. The story to the point which I progressed was fairly empty and the characters totally flat. That would be fine if the rest of the game were good. But I do no want to grand through a clunky frustratingly difficult game with a poor layout, no payoffs for overcoming bosses, and no story or characters to drive me forward. It really doesn't have much of anything going for it. Expand
  44. May 9, 2019
    3
    A very disappointing game. The game started very good but the further I progressed the game just became a kill boss after other boss game. They could have created just a arena and fight 53 bosses in a row and you would hardly know the difference. I seems that they have rushed through the game development and just threw in some bosses (and several times the bosses are exactly the same). IA very disappointing game. The game started very good but the further I progressed the game just became a kill boss after other boss game. They could have created just a arena and fight 53 bosses in a row and you would hardly know the difference. I seems that they have rushed through the game development and just threw in some bosses (and several times the bosses are exactly the same). I hope their next game will be from the same quality as Bloodborne again. Expand
  45. May 28, 2019
    3
    I can't believe this was made by the same people that made dark souls and bloodborne.

    DS + Bloodborne: customizeable gear, useable consumeables, different builds, different armor, different weapons, decently rich and cool story. Sekiro: No customizable armor, no customizable weapon, no costume changes for the entire game, cool environment, boring story, no builds, worthless
    I can't believe this was made by the same people that made dark souls and bloodborne.

    DS + Bloodborne: customizeable gear, useable consumeables, different builds, different armor, different weapons, decently rich and cool story.

    Sekiro: No customizable armor, no customizable weapon, no costume changes for the entire game, cool environment, boring story, no builds, worthless prosthetics that deal almost no damage and you get maybe 10-20 of them (aka almost none per life).

    Sekiro is a boring block/parry fest. You don't really even need to move because the enemies lock on so well (and never miss) you just stand there and either: A) jump over perilous attack, requires no movement B) roll into jabs to block jabs, requires little movement. C) Parry everything else by mashing L1. SUPER boring game once I realized this.

    Most bosses can insta-kill you and take barley any damage making the game quite boring and frustrating. Healing is terrible and the consumables are not worth using compared to bloodborne or dark souls.

    I killed every single boss by doing the two following boring things, the list you saw above: Parry/jump/block and strike OR run around enemies in circles waiting for openings to chip away at health.

    Very boring game. Please never do this again fromsoft.

    Replays: (times I started a new game or new game plus)
    Dark souls 3: 50
    Bloodborne: 50+
    Sekiro: 0...

    Can you tell which one was fun and repayable?
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  46. Nov 11, 2019
    3
    Well done production, controls, and overall gameplay. The difficulty design however creates needless 'grind' through repeating boss battles again and again and again until you finally get through it. Yes, your skills improve as you play, but the *way* in which the game is difficult is pointless. Specifically, overcoming most fights involve getting the timing of *that specific boss* down -Well done production, controls, and overall gameplay. The difficulty design however creates needless 'grind' through repeating boss battles again and again and again until you finally get through it. Yes, your skills improve as you play, but the *way* in which the game is difficult is pointless. Specifically, overcoming most fights involve getting the timing of *that specific boss* down - memorizing their moves and the reaction timings for each, through repeating the fight again and again. That is not skill, and it is not fun, and it does not mimic, for example, the learning of a martial art. Difficult for the sake of difficulty is not good design, it is lazy design. Expand
  47. Dec 23, 2019
    3
    From Dark Souls to Mario Kart, the main and only measure of any game is whether it’s fun. Sekiro is not fun. Its simpleton bashing is too easy, and it’s bosses are too hard. But instead of being hard in a DS way, where joy comes from finding and exploiting a weakness of it, it’s hard in a blunt way: you need to train yourself to click appropriate buttons in a split second. Unlike DS, thisFrom Dark Souls to Mario Kart, the main and only measure of any game is whether it’s fun. Sekiro is not fun. Its simpleton bashing is too easy, and it’s bosses are too hard. But instead of being hard in a DS way, where joy comes from finding and exploiting a weakness of it, it’s hard in a blunt way: you need to train yourself to click appropriate buttons in a split second. Unlike DS, this game offers no alternative weapons, no alternative damage buffs (apart from confetti, which only comes in handy against 2 (!) apparition bossed). Sekiro offers prosthetic tools as an alternative, but they require a scarce resource to use, and you can only carry so many, making them unsustainable choice. All in all, the only way you can defeat later game bosses is by training yourself like a dog to press every button with perfect timing, chipping their health tiny bit by tiny bit. One wrong move and the boss will wipe the floor with your 10 health bar upgrades in a split second. From across the room. But all the above could be forgiven and ignored. DS had ridiculous bosses and broken fights (DS2 marauders trio from a DLC, anyone?), but you could always get over them by bringing your mates with you. A hard game with no multiplayer requires some next level design prowess, and From Software falls short of this plank. This game is fun at the beginning, but it soon goes to simply frustrating. Frustration is no fun. Expand
  48. Jun 14, 2022
    3
    I thought about going on for line after line but in short, its a shadow of previous titles. They modified the game style that existed in the previous games, and that they went back to in Elden Ring which should tell you something. They gave you a ton of options while roaming the general map but all your boss fights are the same.
    You are locked into a parry combat style which make boss
    I thought about going on for line after line but in short, its a shadow of previous titles. They modified the game style that existed in the previous games, and that they went back to in Elden Ring which should tell you something. They gave you a ton of options while roaming the general map but all your boss fights are the same.
    You are locked into a parry combat style which make boss fights maddeningly long compared to any other souls title because you arent really able to innovate, which is where my disappointment lies. Almost all the boss fights feel the same and are unnecessary long.
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  49. Apr 17, 2020
    3
    I thought Nioh was a bad dark souls clone. Well, here we are - Sekiro: controls die thrice. This game was supposed to be based on sharp reflexes, instead you have to either dodge or hide instead of dodging and countering the sword attacks. Also, your character is terribly slow compared to enemies and can be basically killed with 2 attacks.

    I don't know who thought that using dark souls
    I thought Nioh was a bad dark souls clone. Well, here we are - Sekiro: controls die thrice. This game was supposed to be based on sharp reflexes, instead you have to either dodge or hide instead of dodging and countering the sword attacks. Also, your character is terribly slow compared to enemies and can be basically killed with 2 attacks.

    I don't know who thought that using dark souls mechanic in this game would be a good idea. It's not working correctly, so you either mash buttons or attack using some weird techniques. And your shurikens do little or no damage at all - I guess every enemy in the game's world knows how to dodge them.

    I am really disappointed, considering the fact that the game was heavily advertised. BTW, on ps4 slim, the game has issues with performance from time to time.

    If you want to play something like dark souls, then this game is not a good recommendation. I suggest spending your money somewhere else.
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  50. Nov 14, 2020
    3
    Just doesn't have the same Souls feeling, that I was hoping for. The minimal ways of building your character, makes the game boring to me. One of the few FromSoft games, that I will not be getting a platinum.
  51. Sep 17, 2020
    3
    This game has certainly one of the best graphics. However control wise its really bad, much of the difficulty is made out of bad control and cameras and rigging to kill you in 2 hits. Most of the so called master skills are as well like retard, a lot are completely useless, like having a execution time of 1 sec that you already got hit, think of it in a battle when you execute a skillThis game has certainly one of the best graphics. However control wise its really bad, much of the difficulty is made out of bad control and cameras and rigging to kill you in 2 hits. Most of the so called master skills are as well like retard, a lot are completely useless, like having a execution time of 1 sec that you already got hit, think of it in a battle when you execute a skill would anyone wait you for a whole second for you to execute a master skill on them? the best skill in the game is actually basic normal attack that attacks instantly, which is completely stupid, and i dunno why spending a ton of time getting the skill sets for. I know its a tradition from the games of this company, but its just hilarious when the character is shinobi but its actually like a controlling a retard with stamina of a baby. he has to stick his ass as close to an enemy for an execution, otherwise it performs a normal hit and fail, and easily get killed by some pawn. Much of the time dying is from bad controls this game forces on players, losing focus, bad walled cameras, got cornered by multi enemy, or evasions blocked by wall, this is not fun, as much as a lot of players enjoying it, its actually quite a mess. Boss fighting again requires you to remember all his patterns its more of a memory game than action, and they are rigged to kill you in 2 hits most of the time, and mostly the battles are like chicken run fleeing from hits more than real battle. As a seasoned gamer certainly I dont enjoy a game when the control of the character is like a retard, with the stamina of a baby that dies in 2 hits, although its better doing it in game pad but in pc its just lame. the company should learn from action games like metal gear rising or zoe2, where it has much better speed and balance and the battles are certainly a lot more enjoyable than sekiros suffering. Expand
  52. Sep 26, 2020
    3
    It was my game of 2019. But now I realise that this game is mostly pure RNG. If the game does not want you to win, you will not win. You are suddenly much slower, your enemy is suddenly out of your reach or you slash through him without making damage, or you are not able to move. The final boss and the last optional boss are the best examples. The game is not hard enough, let us make itIt was my game of 2019. But now I realise that this game is mostly pure RNG. If the game does not want you to win, you will not win. You are suddenly much slower, your enemy is suddenly out of your reach or you slash through him without making damage, or you are not able to move. The final boss and the last optional boss are the best examples. The game is not hard enough, let us make it harder with pure RNG! Good idea, From Software. Let us show the gamers that we don't give a damn on them. With the words of many Youtubers: this game is garbage!
    Definetely my last From Software game.
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  53. Oct 20, 2020
    3
    I tried again and again and again but i couldnt play it ... really difficult game and i hated the fact that there was no clear story you got lost in the game and you encountered boss after boss without clear info .. i played about 30 hours and couldnt figure out the story the graphics where really good but all in all i didnt like it at all ...
  54. Nov 1, 2020
    3
    Disclamer: I have plat in DS3 and BB and I know what I'm talking about. 1. Most important part of the game - fighting system was totally ruined. Not because it's not like SoulsBorne games, but because is bad:
    1.1. The game forces you to respond in a way IT wants YOU to respond to utilise the mechanics that we supposed to be fun: 3 unblockable attacks and 3 ways to avoid them: jump, dash
    Disclamer: I have plat in DS3 and BB and I know what I'm talking about. 1. Most important part of the game - fighting system was totally ruined. Not because it's not like SoulsBorne games, but because is bad:
    1.1. The game forces you to respond in a way IT wants YOU to respond to utilise the mechanics that we supposed to be fun: 3 unblockable attacks and 3 ways to avoid them: jump, dash and "front-dash repost/parry". If you don't follow the rules - an attack will get you any way. 1.2. Bad indication- all 3 unblockables indicated the same way. For the "immediate player reaction" gameplay it's the worst way to do it. 1.3. Character is slow and not responsive. WTF?! How is that? The animations of taking damage are insanely long comparing to NPCs and bosses. Block animation as well: if you'll try to play the game "honestly" - parry just at the exact time once, without spamming the block button- you will fail because of the animations. Don't give me wrong, I love the idea of cool old style samurai 1v1 sword battle with all that sounds of clanking steel, but the way it is done in Sekiro - just ruining all that fantasy due to controls. 2. Plot, lore and setting - flat, no imagination, no mystery, no Japanese fantasy ((( Only the last location was "special", you know - something to remember. 3. Useless prosthesis. You just can't use all the gadgets you want all the time you want, because the game forces you to save it - because you have very little amount of amulets that consumes for every usage of every gadget. No build diversity. Hope, that Elden Ring won't have rubbish mechanics and the character will respond to PLAYER'S COMMANDS and not just only to game's rules.
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  55. Jun 22, 2021
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is ridiculously hard. Only low self esteem people scoring high the autism spectrum could give this a high rating. Seriously? Spending hours figuring out how to beat a single boss? I’m done. My patience has come to an end. My money wasted. Lesson learned. Expand
  56. Mar 22, 2019
    2
    I really want to like this game, because i been buying the other from games for years now, i really really want it... but i cant. I will say that this game is not horrible, and if you like parries and quicktime events this is your game, but for the same reasons is not my game.
    I think that in trying to create a game that emulate a sword fight from didn't see the lack of variation, because
    I really want to like this game, because i been buying the other from games for years now, i really really want it... but i cant. I will say that this game is not horrible, and if you like parries and quicktime events this is your game, but for the same reasons is not my game.
    I think that in trying to create a game that emulate a sword fight from didn't see the lack of variation, because in every death you deal you will be seing the same quicktime animation (over and over and over) and even if the graphics are great and it seems an interesting tale, if the main character is not appealling you lose a lot, in this last point i cant identify why the character is so dull to me, maybe is a mix of reasons but is my personal opinion.
    The last point is that sekiro has very beautiful graphics, good sound effects and music, the movement in the map is very creative, but the way the game deals with combat, character personalities and AI of enemies doesn´t convince me, i hope they change this game for better in the next patches, as they did with DS2.
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  57. Mar 2, 2020
    2
    Let's start by saying I love the Souls games. While this game has some okay features. Its not Souls, BB or even Nioh in my eyes. I enjoyed all of those titles and while they are all beatable... This game locks the player in non-stop boss battles of ridiculous length and difficulty (some bosses take the average player 50+ battles to learn how to kill them). I understand that some playersLet's start by saying I love the Souls games. While this game has some okay features. Its not Souls, BB or even Nioh in my eyes. I enjoyed all of those titles and while they are all beatable... This game locks the player in non-stop boss battles of ridiculous length and difficulty (some bosses take the average player 50+ battles to learn how to kill them). I understand that some players ego (Youtubers) rely upon it and that is fine. But making a game that is nearly unbeatable for a HUGE percentage of players (Look at the % of players with any ending trophies and remember 8% have all). A game that 10-15% of the players have any end game trophy while the company charges a premium for it does not make it suitable for financial support. From this day forward I will do my research on Fromsoft games and not jump in feet first. Its unfortunate because I love Souls. Expand
  58. May 25, 2019
    2
    It's ok if you want to make a hard game, but when you do make sure you give players the best tools so we can do the job fairly. This is not the case with sekiro. This is the game where the developer still want your money and do whatever they want to players without consent. I know you can deflect, parry and dodge the attacts, but pretty much most of times it's about rock paper scissors.It's ok if you want to make a hard game, but when you do make sure you give players the best tools so we can do the job fairly. This is not the case with sekiro. This is the game where the developer still want your money and do whatever they want to players without consent. I know you can deflect, parry and dodge the attacts, but pretty much most of times it's about rock paper scissors. Most tools and moves are pretty much useless too, only some of them are useful, and i don't understand why a badass shinobi like wolf/sekiro needs 3-5 second pause to drink his potion while the enemy in front of him is going haywire. Also some technical issues like camera and unresponsive control {PS4 version played), especially when you fight a boss in a confined space the camera just going haywire and i don't even know the position of the boss is, next thing i know i got slashed from behind and walah...DEAD. I clocked this game for 70 hours and i spent most of those hours on bosses. Yeah yeah i know you the badass gamer will say "You suck man", But you probably don't have family or a job, but i do. The reason i played this game is because of the hype and i don't want to waste money on the game i already bought. Lastly this is gonna be the first time and the last time i play fromsoftware game. Thanks fromsoftware for wasting 70 hours of my time. Expand
  59. May 18, 2019
    2
    Shameful clone of Nioh.

    They even copy the overall musical theme (yeah saying that they're japanese tune is not an excuse). They clone the design, locations, literally everything. You would not be able to distinguish the two games if they were not set in two slightly different japanese periods, so the overall architecture is just slightly different. The only difference is that combat
    Shameful clone of Nioh.

    They even copy the overall musical theme (yeah saying that they're japanese tune is not an excuse). They clone the design, locations, literally everything. You would not be able to distinguish the two games if they were not set in two slightly different japanese periods, so the overall architecture is just slightly different.
    The only difference is that combat in Nioh is thousands of times better than this mess.

    However, given the big name of From Software, they're able to get away with it just fine. Very, very shameful to do something like that in my opinion.

    The game itself has literally nothing. It's just a bad version of Bloodborne, with even less weapons (i.e. no weapons at all), armors (no armors at all), and items (no items at all).

    Most likely this took like 2 weeks for From Software to develop, they just stripped Bloodborne to the bare minimum to call it a game, reskinned it after the success of Nioh (deserved success, it's a masterpiece) and put it on the market.

    I really don't understand the high scores...don't waste your money like I did. It's a very bad game, filled with the usual From Software bugs, which here are even more extreme. There are countless instances of enemies standing in front of a wall doing nothing.

    The game is to be played stealthy, in theory. In practice most enemies can see you through walls, breaking your stealth.

    The combat, as pointed out by many many users, feels random at best. Forget the strategy and rewarding gameplay of Dark Souls. This is something inbetween Lord Of The Fallen and The Surge. Sometimes something happens, you have no idea why. You acquire new skills, they're completely useless against enemies.

    Nothing does any damage at all. Shuriken? No damage (in Nioh you could do a ninja build killing a boss only with shurikens). Axe? No damage (I hit a boss in the face with the axe, no damage at all). The fire crap? No damage.
    Basically the shinobi arm is just a gimmick that you will soon forget about, because it's completely useless against bosses and mini-bosses, no item you can ever mount there will do any sort of damage.
    Of course there's no healing and each and every boss and miniboss will always oneshoot you, no matter what.

    Deflecting simply does not work, it requires timings so precise that it's impossible to achieve with the absurd amount of input lag the game suffers from. You have L1 pressed, you release it, you press R1, the game acts as you pressed R1+L1. This is the first time ever I see this in a game.

    The only strategy that works for bosses and mini-bosses is to look up online what is the trick to cheese them, because most of them are vulnerable to some sort of buggy AI behavior. You need to execute exactly the outlined movements, always the same, always in the same exact way. Just hitting the boss with your sword won't do any damage.

    Where's the fun in that? It's not even a matter of difficulty (I can go over Dark Souls 1/2/3 and Bloodborne easily), it's just too much repetitive. If you played Lords Of The Fallen, you know what I mean.

    What a wasted opportunity.
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  60. Dec 30, 2019
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The majority of the game is fun and challenging but it doesn't seem like From Software think players should learn things progressively and definitely not all customers deserves to finish their product. I can understand hard games. But usually hard games gives you a learning window for specific skills required to not get one shot'd by bosses before you actually face them. Genichiro for example. There is no enemy before him that launches the same lightning attack for his last form so you can practice return lightning skill before the boss fight. Instead you have to die repeatedly trying to figure out how since it pretty much kills you in one hit if you mess up the execution. Sure you can look up videos and guides. But that should not be a part of the gameplay experience. I would not recommend this game to anyone other than the most hardcore masochist. Expand
  61. Apr 9, 2019
    2
    Версия для PS4 крайне ужасная. Множество игроков данной консоли по окончанию моего отзыва могут сказать: "Не знаю о чем ты говоришь, у нас такого не было". А все просто, они не видели и не играли в версию на PC. Игра строится полностью на таймингах, даже если ты увернулся по анимации, но не попал в тайминг, то противник тебе все-равно нанесет урон. И я не говорю об автонаводке, об огре иВерсия для PS4 крайне ужасная. Множество игроков данной консоли по окончанию моего отзыва могут сказать: "Не знаю о чем ты говоришь, у нас такого не было". А все просто, они не видели и не играли в версию на PC. Игра строится полностью на таймингах, даже если ты увернулся по анимации, но не попал в тайминг, то противник тебе все-равно нанесет урон. И я не говорю об автонаводке, об огре и сломанных хитбоксах. Я говорю о таймингах. Не успел нажать нужную кнопку в отведенные пол секунды, значит ты проиграл. Так вот, представьте. В вас летит катана, вы нажимаете на парирование и тут фпс дропается. На немного, но этого достаточно, чтобы игра не засчитала нажатия. Я два дня пытался вынести финального босса на PS4 и не выходило. И после десятков попыток полных ненависти к импут лагу в этой игре, я решил поставить на PC. И в итоге я вынес финального босса на компе с пятой попытки
    А теперь кратко о минусах и плюсах данной игры, и да оценка 2/10 - это только на PS4, игре в целом я бы дал 7/10.
    Плюсы:
    1. Атмосфера. Играть только с японской озвучкой. Иначе атмосфера будет слабее.
    2. Боевка, да она однообразная и сложная пока ее не освоишь, но от нее получаешь удовольствие.
    3. Последняя открываемая локация при не казуальных концовках великолепна.
    4. Геометрия уровней, их хочется изучать, но..
    Минусы.
    1. Изучать их смысла нет, игра не дает интересных предметов, элементов одежды, которые бы раскрывали игру, как это было в других играх мастера. Ты будешь получать лишь бусты и камешки...
    2. Музыкальное сопровождение однообразное и не запоминается.
    3. Нет эпичности, лишь один босс удивил.
    4. Крайне мало боссов
    5. Минимальная грань между боссами и минибоссами. Вначале игры минибосы намного сложнее боссов
    6. Фарм, я не понимаю почему в этой игре нет микротранзакций с ресурсами для улучшений и деньгами. Ибо баланс идеально построен под фарм. Если хочешь открыть все навыки и протезы, добро пожаловать в часы зачистки тех же самых локаций.
    7. Протез, его применение - это дело вкуса. Но его минус в другом. Эмблемы духа могут закончиться на финальных боссах и тогда нужно возвращаться к 6 пункту.
    8. Навыки, из них полезные для перового прохождения лишь 1/3 остальные дают минимальный прирост к полезности, либо его можно вообще не заметить.
    9. Лор - он минимальный. Эту игру точно фромсофтвере делали?
    10. Сюжет. Лютая банальщина.
    11. Камера. Шел 2019 год, товарищи японцы не знают, что при приближении к стене персонажа, ее надо делать прозрачной, а не переводить игру с третьего лица в "первое".
    И знаете, при том сколько я перечислил минусов, данной игре на PC я бы поставил 7/10. Так как от игры можно получить удовольствие и насладиться ею.
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  62. Jun 1, 2019
    2
    Terrible. They took out all customisation of weapons and outfits, no magic, no multiplayer. So you get 25% of the content for the same bargain full price.

    Just parry, more parry and when you are sick of parrying? Well suck it up buttercup you play how we tell you. The bosses are dull in comparison to anything in DS, DS3 and BB. The difficulty is what it is, we all buy these for the
    Terrible. They took out all customisation of weapons and outfits, no magic, no multiplayer. So you get 25% of the content for the same bargain full price.

    Just parry, more parry and when you are sick of parrying? Well suck it up buttercup you play how we tell you. The bosses are dull in comparison to anything in DS, DS3 and BB.

    The difficulty is what it is, we all buy these for the difficulty.

    There's 4 different endings but who cares, this is a one and done game. Never to be played again, even streamers have abandoned it after a month or two which is incredible considering how popular DS3 and BB still were 3 and 4 years later.

    Looks beautiful though so have 2/10 for the graphics.
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  63. Jan 19, 2020
    2
    another massively overrated game by fromsoftware, sekiro looks and feels much better than dark souls games and bloodborne but the story is still uninteresting and it's gameplay and combat system is unforgivingly and horribly difficult and frustrating to the point it's unplayble for me. and I refunded it. there is a narrow line between challenge and intentional difficulty and sekiro isanother massively overrated game by fromsoftware, sekiro looks and feels much better than dark souls games and bloodborne but the story is still uninteresting and it's gameplay and combat system is unforgivingly and horribly difficult and frustrating to the point it's unplayble for me. and I refunded it. there is a narrow line between challenge and intentional difficulty and sekiro is just hard without being even a little fun.
    miyazaki games make me question my self do we play games to have some fun and relax after a hard day or die 999 times trying to defeat one boss. I definitely choose the first one, critics should stop giving high scores to from software games for no reason.

    + nice artistic design
    + a protagonist who talks!

    - too hard, unplayable and no option to reduce difficulty
    - clunky and terrible controls
    - bad physics
    - story is not interesting
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  64. Apr 19, 2020
    2
    It's really sad to see From forget its principle mantra that a challenge should be fair. I've never seen a game hate its player more than this game. Previous games in the series were hard but at least felt like they wanted to be beaten, and they encouraged you to try different ways to defeat a tough challenge. This game does not want to be beaten. It absolutely despises the player and willIt's really sad to see From forget its principle mantra that a challenge should be fair. I've never seen a game hate its player more than this game. Previous games in the series were hard but at least felt like they wanted to be beaten, and they encouraged you to try different ways to defeat a tough challenge. This game does not want to be beaten. It absolutely despises the player and will kill you over and over and over again without a single chance because it just hates you that much. It's unreasonable how absolutely crushing this game is. It's a game that demands you to play it only the way that it wants you to and to be absolutely 100% perfect, and after a while it just stops being fun. This game is not fun. It's a chore, and playing it was probably the most depressing experience I've ever had in 20 years of playing video games. It's handily the worst game From has ever made and it's not even close. As someone who's defeated the entire Dark Souls series and Bloodborne, the only thing I can feel with this game is disappointment. Expand
  65. Mar 25, 2019
    2
    Remember people love Witcher 3 and trash talk about Witcher 1 especially the combat?

    Now here, Sekiro has revived that rhyme pattern combat and suddenly it's not only acceptable but well received? If this were a game made by other company, bet it'd get something like 7 from reviewers. The game also has a short invincible frame like Nioh rather than souls. So you're looking for
    Remember people love Witcher 3 and trash talk about Witcher 1 especially the combat?

    Now here, Sekiro has revived that rhyme pattern combat and suddenly it's not only acceptable but well received? If this were a game made by other company, bet it'd get something like 7 from reviewers.

    The game also has a short invincible frame like Nioh rather than souls. So you're looking for Witcher 1 x Nioh hybrid with much less varieties, this game might be for you. Otherwises, it plain sucks.
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  66. Mar 28, 2019
    2
    Если коротко, ждал DS3 про Японию, вышел Hitman's Creed may Cry с примитивным стелсом от ребят, которые полжизни делали souls-игры (отсюда и "костры", и кастрированные "души", и немножко интерфейса, и разбросанные по миру подсвеченные предметы). На убийство боссов максимально пофигу (в souls-like игре-то!). Переоцененная поделка, совершенно не ясно, за что получившая такие высокие баллы.Если коротко, ждал DS3 про Японию, вышел Hitman's Creed may Cry с примитивным стелсом от ребят, которые полжизни делали souls-игры (отсюда и "костры", и кастрированные "души", и немножко интерфейса, и разбросанные по миру подсвеченные предметы). На убийство боссов максимально пофигу (в souls-like игре-то!). Переоцененная поделка, совершенно не ясно, за что получившая такие высокие баллы. Хотя, если людям от Sekiro нужен был рескин костров из DS, наличие боссов и Миядзаки-сюжет, то конечно это для них 10/10. Для меня же это как если бы взяли DS3 и вырезали из него половину того, за что я его полюбил. Expand
  67. Apr 15, 2019
    2
    Everything around bosses is cool, the learning, the environment exploration the artistic direction.

    But bosses are way to hard and not much people will see half the game. I like dark souls 3 and bloodborne but here there's no way to pass some bosses, no multiplayer, no tricky things. just paring and hitting again and again because, bosses' bars of stun is drained by time. They forgot
    Everything around bosses is cool, the learning, the environment exploration the artistic direction.

    But bosses are way to hard and not much people will see half the game. I like dark souls 3 and bloodborne but here there's no way to pass some bosses, no multiplayer, no tricky things. just paring and hitting again and again because, bosses' bars of stun is drained by time.

    They forgot that it's a game and not sure AAA will remain with that kind of standard.
    Most people (probably not the kind who could read this) will never make a third of the game, so they will dislike it.

    Give-me a "pass that boss" button and I may finaly enjoy it. but for now it goes on sale.

    Remind : most people speaking about games and coming here are hardcore gamers or geeks so notes are mostly biased.
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  68. Aug 24, 2019
    2
    Poor game, but as a dark soul or bloodborne challenge it is ok, nothing else, I do not recommend ....
  69. Mar 29, 2019
    2
    another soul more obviously driven by the hide of a genre that together with the sambox or the battleroyale is very fashionable in the last decade the stamina bar has been changed for the defense, in addition to being imitated in a bad way to tenchu stealth because it had much more variety of deaths for enemies and we are talking about an old game and if it is difficult any soul is theanother soul more obviously driven by the hide of a genre that together with the sambox or the battleroyale is very fashionable in the last decade the stamina bar has been changed for the defense, in addition to being imitated in a bad way to tenchu stealth because it had much more variety of deaths for enemies and we are talking about an old game and if it is difficult any soul is the graphics are normal for the generation its animations are sharp and orthopedic the story is interesting but nothing memorable in these games the important thing is the challenge there is no variety of weapons or armor things that made more dynamic the previous games I see the scores of the specialized press and I see that they give an 8 or more in serious innovation hahahaha good joke if it looks like a nioh half without his character customization and without weapons variety only the katana and a pair of ninja magics that do not finish me combencer play bloodborne and I loved playing io nioh and I really liked this sekiro not so much Expand
  70. Mar 26, 2019
    2
    Bad physics. Sub par graphics. Gameplay that's way too niche with an equally niche difficulty to boot. A big nope from me.
  71. Mar 26, 2019
    2
    I cannot begin to describe how disappointing this game is. Sekiro is a game that gets worse the longer you play and goes for quantity over quality and it shows. the bosses are either forgettable in terms of ease or design, or so frustratingly RNG that it not even worth fighting them. Despite the emphasize on the prosthetic tool the need to grind out items in order to use it makes usingI cannot begin to describe how disappointing this game is. Sekiro is a game that gets worse the longer you play and goes for quantity over quality and it shows. the bosses are either forgettable in terms of ease or design, or so frustratingly RNG that it not even worth fighting them. Despite the emphasize on the prosthetic tool the need to grind out items in order to use it makes using any tools on anything other then a mini boss a complete waste of time and resources. The stealth however is phenomenal, as is the level design, unfortunately with nothing to look forward to this game is a waste of time at best, and a complete ripoff at worst. honestly just buy dark souls 2 if you want 101 bosses , at least some were good in that game. Expand
  72. Mar 27, 2019
    2
    If I wanted to spend hours of my time suffering without results, I would get a second job in retail, at least I'd get paid. This game is crap compared to other Fromsoftware titles. Very disappointed in the lack of balance in this game. First off, you can only possess one main weapon in the game, so you cannot play the way you want to like in Dark souls or Bloodborne. Secondly, boss fightsIf I wanted to spend hours of my time suffering without results, I would get a second job in retail, at least I'd get paid. This game is crap compared to other Fromsoftware titles. Very disappointed in the lack of balance in this game. First off, you can only possess one main weapon in the game, so you cannot play the way you want to like in Dark souls or Bloodborne. Secondly, boss fights are extremely difficult, long, and unforgiving. They demand perfection during the entire match -you slowly chip away at their health, while one slip up from your character often results in a one-hit-kill. Expand
  73. Mar 31, 2019
    2
    How to....
    Sekiro.
    1. Take Dark Souls. 2. Tell everybody that its absolutely not a Dark Souls. Attention: dont explain why, because it is still Dark Souls. 3. Rip off: - character customization. - tons of equipment. - no, all equipment!! - fashionsouls. - 4!!! different magic schools. - possibility to play in different styles. - replayability. - cooperative. - pvp. -
    How to....
    Sekiro.
    1. Take Dark Souls.
    2. Tell everybody that its absolutely not a Dark Souls. Attention: dont explain why, because it is still Dark Souls.
    3. Rip off:
    - character customization.
    - tons of equipment.
    - no, all equipment!!
    - fashionsouls.
    - 4!!! different magic schools.
    - possibility to play in different styles.
    - replayability.
    - cooperative.
    - pvp.
    - exploration rewards.

    4. Add:
    - jumps
    - true character with personalty (who is unnamed shinobi without a past and 95% of his answers is "hmmmm...." and "silent starring")
    - hook?.. Oh, dont forget to rip off all ladders!
    5. Repeat again that Sekiro is not a Dark Souls!
    6. Sure that you ripped all variety. Better - do it twice.
    7. Publish.
    Hooray, Sekiro is done!

    And now - seriously. Souls games was beaten by me atleast three times each. In DS3 was spent about 200 hours, even now you can see tons of videos about this game, interestin mechanics and tactics, different ways to play, mods. Sekiro was frustrated after 25 hours of gameplay... They are ripped off too many things to vary gameplay in different ways and game became too bland, i dont wait anything new after first half of game. This is first From's game which i dropped unfinished.
    Anyway, Sekiro still a good game. It was an interesting experience (atleast until all tools was collected). Yes, at this moment i'll vote for it as GOTY and give 7 of 10, but... Why only 2? For me, Sekiro is not way forward, its a step back - we are lost too many great things...
    So, as looking at many overhiped reviews, i still should hope that their next game wont be a 10 hours dash through the straight gray corridor, filled with 5 phased one shoting enemies. Or, something like a Sinner........
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  74. Apr 27, 2019
    2
    I wanted to like this game. I like the idea of it, a stealth-action game more focused on swordplay than the dodge and roll mechanics of its predecessors. But the execution, for me, was a failure. I understand why some people like this game, and normally, I enjoy a challenge. But I found this game so demanding that it was no longer fun for me. While I was able to progress, I never felt likeI wanted to like this game. I like the idea of it, a stealth-action game more focused on swordplay than the dodge and roll mechanics of its predecessors. But the execution, for me, was a failure. I understand why some people like this game, and normally, I enjoy a challenge. But I found this game so demanding that it was no longer fun for me. While I was able to progress, I never felt like I was getting good at the game, I never felt like I was improving. The game was so difficult that when I did manage to beat a boss it felt more like getting lucky than anything else. This sucked the joy right out of the experience for me, and it became more frustrating than rewarding to play. This may be the right game for some people, but if you're not a masochist, be warned. Expand
  75. Jul 30, 2019
    2
    Leider haben die Entwickler es mit dem Schwierigkeitsgrad übertrieben...Ich habe alle Souls-Spiele und auch Bloodborne gesuchtet und mehrmals durchgespielt. Aber dieses Spiel ist Mist.
    Seid Wochen versuche ich einen Boss zu legen und trotz verschiedener Herangehensweisen bin und bleibe ich Chancenlos. An dieser Stelle muss ich jetzt aufgeben und spiele lieber andere Games.
  76. Sep 6, 2019
    2
    Es un genero de acción de aventura, pero la historia aburre esta muy enfocada a japon, no es para todos los jugadores tienes que amar a japon para aguantar su historia, lastima porque el gameplay estaba bien pero las historia es aburrida.
  77. Feb 26, 2022
    2
    Really, I tried to like it. I failed. 20 hours, couldn't beat genichiro later on, tried so many times.. Design is cool, I guess from software really stays hyped by the fanbase. Not for me.. Sadly.
  78. Jun 30, 2021
    2
    Already Get Platinum trophy
    This kind of forcibly increasing difficulty should not be an example worthy of the game industry to follow. A lot of time is just for remember enemy action. Why not use high difficulty as an achievement trophy. Simple difficulty can also be experienced. I think this soul series design puts the core goal in Become the capital of the pass players to show off
    Already Get Platinum trophy
    This kind of forcibly increasing difficulty should not be an example worthy of the game industry to follow. A lot of time is just for remember enemy action. Why not use high difficulty as an achievement trophy. Simple difficulty can also be experienced. I think this soul series design puts the core goal in Become the capital of the pass players to show off their complacency.
    However, this game bases on certain rules, practiced continuously according to some summed up styles of play, formed muscle memory, and finally defeated powerful enemies. The idea is actually the same as sports. The key is the satisfaction of winning. But the repetitiveness of the process is what I hate.
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  79. Jan 11, 2022
    2
    This games starts off well with its introductory sequence. However the story ends there and becomes an endless sequence of boss fights. Once you defeat one boss you have to navigate through one small section just to fight another. This formula repeats itself through out the whole game. With little to no story and just rinse and repeat gamplay this game is almost unplayable.The game looksThis games starts off well with its introductory sequence. However the story ends there and becomes an endless sequence of boss fights. Once you defeat one boss you have to navigate through one small section just to fight another. This formula repeats itself through out the whole game. With little to no story and just rinse and repeat gamplay this game is almost unplayable.The game looks amazing but it is just like putting lipstick on a pig. This game tries to mask its flaws with its difficulty. It's very challenging until you determine the attacks of the bosses then it's just a matter of time before you defeat them. It's a poor excuse for a game. Expand
  80. Dec 19, 2022
    2
    I liked other From Software games but this is just pure junk

    Camera is horrible it can not hold up with the fast paced combat Gameplay is also terrible, when i press the block button it should block but it does not do it 50% of the time 5 minute explore on the map then stuck on a boss for 3 hours. Until then constant repeat the same thing is incredibly boring. Big difference to other
    I liked other From Software games but this is just pure junk

    Camera is horrible it can not hold up with the fast paced combat
    Gameplay is also terrible, when i press the block button it should block but it does not do it 50% of the time
    5 minute explore on the map then stuck on a boss for 3 hours. Until then constant repeat the same thing is incredibly boring.

    Big difference to other souls games is that in those you upgrade and then you can progress.
    Here you can not upgrade and progress is only a factor of mere luck.

    In favour of unreasonable difficulty it sacrifices what a game should do in the first place. Give the user a fun experience.

    This is not fun. Its pure frustration
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  81. Mar 11, 2020
    1
    Poor storytelling, Bad map Design, Unjust gameplay mechanics and graphics that belong to the beginning of PS3-Xbox360 Era...
  82. Mar 28, 2019
    1
    Has some pretty sweet game play, but the difficulty coupled with the penalty of losing money and xp when you die has made it almost completely unenjoyable. This is the only FromSoft game I won't be finishing. It's exhaustingly difficult.
  83. Mar 23, 2019
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Making a game hard does not make it good.
    Some games are good DESPITE being hard.

    Sekiro is a good game overall but it's finished with piss.

    The ambience is great and the difficulty is high, and the fights are somehow rewarding, like in DS.
    However, if you're not good enough the first levels, the game puts you in a deadlock.

    I died multiple time trying to hone my skills, because I was willing to get this game better.
    By fighting one of the first bosses with clever use of fire tools, I realized these consumables slowly got depleted after each of my rebirth, with got me at 0 charge and made the already tough bass impossible for me to beat.
    The only way to by these are with money, and dying removes your cash.

    So when your only option to progress is to start another game, that's when you realize this game is just broken.

    I know I'm not the best at these kind of games, but I'm not a dimwit either, and after spending 70€, feeling the game spit at my face just makes me want to puke.
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  84. Mar 24, 2019
    1
    If this was a EA/BioWare game it’d be getting 3/4 out 10. Sekiro has no customisations, it’s basically 2 click attack, which is mostly just spamming the attack button, a broken parry system, that only works sometimes, which is typical for from software games, a grapple that just plain annoying at times, maybe the worst ai in gaming history, still trying figure how you can land multipleIf this was a EA/BioWare game it’d be getting 3/4 out 10. Sekiro has no customisations, it’s basically 2 click attack, which is mostly just spamming the attack button, a broken parry system, that only works sometimes, which is typical for from software games, a grapple that just plain annoying at times, maybe the worst ai in gaming history, still trying figure how you can land multiple “deathblows” when you think it’d only take one, horrible clunky combat, with slow unresponsive character movement, but the souls, bloodborne fan boy brigade would give anything released by from software a 10/10, this will easily be 2019 most overrated piece of pure trash. It’s basically a poor mans version of dark souls. Expand
  85. Mar 27, 2019
    1
    Я бы хотел поставить хорошую оценку, хотел бы посоветовать в нее поиграть, но только не на пс4, особенно если у вас не пс4 про.
    Это просто ужасно, речь идет даже не о 30 фпс, а скорее о 20, а если говорить о битвах с боссами, то это просто не играбельно. Вы просто не можете нормально играть, потому что игра не отзывается на управление так, как нужно, инпут лаг доходит до половины секунды,
    Я бы хотел поставить хорошую оценку, хотел бы посоветовать в нее поиграть, но только не на пс4, особенно если у вас не пс4 про.
    Это просто ужасно, речь идет даже не о 30 фпс, а скорее о 20, а если говорить о битвах с боссами, то это просто не играбельно. Вы просто не можете нормально играть, потому что игра не отзывается на управление так, как нужно, инпут лаг доходит до половины секунды, не смотря на то, что вы видите атаку противника, вы знаете что с ней делать, но вы просто ничего не можете предпринять, потому что игра лагает. Если вы раздумываете брать игру или нет, и у вас есть выбор пс4 или ПК, то не задумывайтесь, берите на ПК, ведь требования для нее очень низкие.
    Очень жаль, не так часто выходит игра, которая так затягивает, надеюсь в будущем хоть как то починят патчами, а пока что только 4/10, только за ужасную оптимизацию под пс4.

    UPD: Прошла неделя, и в игре где довольно много багов и ужасная оптимизация ноль патчей, НОЛЬ, я повторю, ноль. По этому меняю оценку на 1/10. Я разочаровался в from software. Не думаю, что буду покупать их продукты в будущем.
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  86. Mar 28, 2019
    1
    Another over hyped game from From Software. Boring world with tedious game mechanics. Give me Wither 3 anyday to this.
  87. Mar 22, 2019
    1
    Game is still not skill based combat but really finding and learning the pattern to simply piece together the puzzle type of game. It is much like World of Tanks where 'studying' is vital than one's skills.

    Game it self has no improvement. If you really liked souls series, you'll probably like this one since there aren't any alternatives. With souls series fans' unconditional continuous
    Game is still not skill based combat but really finding and learning the pattern to simply piece together the puzzle type of game. It is much like World of Tanks where 'studying' is vital than one's skills.

    Game it self has no improvement. If you really liked souls series, you'll probably like this one since there aren't any alternatives. With souls series fans' unconditional continuous support, From will make no improvement.
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  88. Mar 22, 2019
    1
    Juego sobrevalorado, con mucho marketing, hay gente que ni siquiera lo jugará y lo pone como la octava maravilla solo por el marketing. La verdad que este juego no me ha gustado, su parkour es horrible, la animación de salto equive es malisima. La verdad que esta muy sobrevalorado
  89. Apr 16, 2019
    1
    This game is very hard and has been very annoying and also the ending was not that good.
  90. Dec 30, 2019
    1
    Theo game has poor motifs tô be dificult, and the aprentice corner is injustified.
  91. Jul 31, 2020
    1
    Metacritic says “must play”, but I can’t play that **** and there is no way I can get my money back :(
  92. Nov 23, 2019
    1
    Fome, repetitivo no es difícil es solo pillarle el truco común de comunes xd que gane resident evil 2
  93. Dec 28, 2019
    1
    Boring repetitive garbage. So mad I spent money on this trash can fire. Playstation needs to change their return policy.
  94. Feb 16, 2020
    1
    This game is not friendly towards players new to the genre. There will be a lot of dying before you realize that the game is all about dying and memorizing different moves, you really have to play exactly the way developers want you to in order to progress.
  95. Feb 26, 2020
    1
    Got this game because the guys at the store know I love the dark souls trilogy, and while the mechanics are similar, the game is just too hard. And I say that having played and beaten all the dark souls games (except 3 expansion). Suckyro just brings the cheese to a new level, you will constantly be doing the same exact thing over and over about 50 times per section. And there’s noGot this game because the guys at the store know I love the dark souls trilogy, and while the mechanics are similar, the game is just too hard. And I say that having played and beaten all the dark souls games (except 3 expansion). Suckyro just brings the cheese to a new level, you will constantly be doing the same exact thing over and over about 50 times per section. And there’s no redeeming point where you can actually make progress for a bit, the ENTIRE game is impossibly hard and just corny. I play games for a few hours a day, and this one I’m happy if I can reach a New checkpoint before I gotta leave for work. I give this game 0 buttholes Expand
  96. Apr 18, 2020
    1
    The most frustrating video game I ever played since the 80's....It is too difficult and not enjoyable
  97. May 6, 2020
    1
    Clunky controls, odd hit box and a repetitive mechanic.

    The hype and controversy made this game famous besides that, this game does not offers anything, its not even a terrible game, something that make you laugh. Don't buy this, its overpriced, his cost should be something about 4 USD, as the unfinished product that it is. Even if you beat a boss, it feels like lucky event, not
    Clunky controls, odd hit box and a repetitive mechanic.

    The hype and controversy made this game famous besides that, this game does not offers anything, its not even a terrible game, something that make you laugh.

    Don't buy this, its overpriced, his cost should be something about 4 USD, as the unfinished product that it is.

    Even if you beat a boss, it feels like lucky event, not that you have learn somethingor o geting good on it, its even unffair with the IA, it randomly loses.

    Those who praise this, its my thinking, feel like they are cool, because its tough, but integral calculus its tougher and that don't make it cool.

    The fun part its that From Software has left his best work in the past, from here, its like the Tony Hawk series, just going down.

    If your curious about the product, buy it used and on physical to re-sell it.

    Another interest thing its that in the case of PS4, the percentage of trophies obtained its really low, 30% its the average of obtantion of many of the trophies, my reasoning its that its not the difficulty, its more that people get bored and prefer to use his time on something else.

    Considerer that at the end of the day, a game, besides fun, don't give you more than fun for you time invested on it, and this game cant comply with this task
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  98. Feb 27, 2021
    1
    to be honest, i never was a pro gamer, and as tiime passes i get slower and somehow worse, i saw the beginning of those games, was good with ninja gaiden even at hardcore mode, played all dark souls titles and also bloodborne and i saw how they made it harder and harder... to be honest, this one was too hard, to the point that you could not pass a boss because the things that made youto be honest, i never was a pro gamer, and as tiime passes i get slower and somehow worse, i saw the beginning of those games, was good with ninja gaiden even at hardcore mode, played all dark souls titles and also bloodborne and i saw how they made it harder and harder... to be honest, this one was too hard, to the point that you could not pass a boss because the things that made you stronger were not your grindable ressources but more like the boss drops , which were hindering me to progress further.. after trying for hours i gave up. i also googled it up and it seems like i am not the only one who wasnt able to beat the game. i was curious about the game, it was nice and i wanted to see more but fromsoft stays hard and cares only for hardcore gamers, this was the absolute last souls like game for me. they should at least put some easy mode or god mode for those who want to enjoy the story. paid 70 bucks for nothing Expand
  99. Jul 17, 2020
    1
    Great value of souls-like genre. This is not fun game. It's boring and tiring. Worst game of From Software.
  100. Jul 10, 2020
    1
    The game may be the worst from software game I've played most bosses have the same gimic of coming back for a second phase or third and most of the game makes no sense for your character. You are a shinobi not a samurai yet in almost every boss or mini boss you can't use your shinobi element as a shinobi you should be able to do things to the enemy that are not honorable yet you play asThe game may be the worst from software game I've played most bosses have the same gimic of coming back for a second phase or third and most of the game makes no sense for your character. You are a shinobi not a samurai yet in almost every boss or mini boss you can't use your shinobi element as a shinobi you should be able to do things to the enemy that are not honorable yet you play as though you are just a guy with a sword and a arm with tools if you could just do more with the stealth it would make the game so much better but it feels like I'm just some guy with a sword with no concept of sneak attacks if it's any sort of major boss Expand
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 77 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 76 out of 77
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 77
  3. Negative: 1 out of 77
  1. Dec 17, 2024
    90
    Overall, Sekiro is defined by its riveting, challenging, and ultimately highly rewarding gameplay. Stemming from simplicity but giving a wide variety of different combat options, few games come close to matching the exhilarating rush that Sekiro’s best moments provide. Exploring its atmospherically engrossing levels is a treat, from a visual, musical, and atmospheric standpoint. Even if exploration and character storylines are sometimes hampered by Dragonrot, repeatedly severing the immortality of bosses with brutal “Shinobi Executions” and discovering the ritual secrets of eternal life offers a captivating experience that stands out as one of FromSoftware’s best and most distinctive titles.
  2. May 15, 2019
    90
    Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an enjoyable, yet deeply challenging game. It's not really a Dark Souls with samurais game, but whether or not you enjoyed the difficulty level of the battles in Dark Souls will be a good benchmark in gauging how much you'll like Sekiro. If you're persistent, up for a challenge, and don't become frustrated easily, then Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an easy game to recommend.
  3. Apr 28, 2019
    100
    Though Sekiro feels impossibly hard at times, the level of euphoria you experience when delivering a death blow to a tricky boss or when you finally clear a castle grounds of all enemies is almost unparalleled.