Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5159 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4,327 out of 5159
  2. Mixed: 286 out of 5159
  3. Negative: 546 out of 5159
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  1. StrangeAeons
    Mar 25, 2019
    5
    I wanted to like Sekiro, I REALLY did. I love the Souls-Borne series of games, and I think that was my first mistake when jumping headfirst into Sekiro. First and foremost, Sekiro is not a souls game.

    Sekiro shares many similarities with the Souls games, but Sekiro is a whole new beast. Gone are the days of leaving messages for other players. Gone are the days of other players for    I wanted to like Sekiro, I REALLY did. I love the Souls-Borne series of games, and I think that was my first mistake when jumping headfirst into Sekiro. First and foremost, Sekiro is not a souls game.

    Sekiro shares many similarities with the Souls games, but Sekiro is a whole new beast. Gone are the days of leaving messages for other players. Gone are the days of other players for that matter, as Sekiro is only a solo experience. That aspect does not bother me so much as I prefer single player experiences anyways.

    In the Souls-Borne series if I ran into a frustrating situation there was always an option of going back and doing some grinding to help level up in an effort to conquer the roadblock in my way. After finally getting past those roadblocks there was an immense feeling of accomplishment. I find the bosses in Sekiro are so frustrating that I leave feeling defeated and have no drive to continue. And with no leveling up of your character, and no gear to swap out and try, there is no motivation to continue bashing my head against the wall.

    Sekiro is a beautiful game aesthetically speaking, but the frustration outweighs the beauty. It feels like FromSoft took the difficulty aspect of the Souls-Borne series and cranked it to 11 just for the sake of making it difficult. Sneaking around like a ninja and picking off the "trash" mobs feels like that is what the game was supposed to be. Realizing that the bosses needed to be challenging it feels like FromSoft overcompensated and crossed that line which separates difficult-fun and difficult-frustrating.

    There is good to be found here, do not get me wrong. Sekiro is a beautiful game with tight controls. The frustration found in the game overshadow everything Sekiro does well. The one thing a game should always be is fun. For me, this is where Sekiro fails, it becomes so frustrating that it is no longer fun.

    There are going to be plenty who do not agree with me. And that is ok. This is just my honest opinion, my honest review. I really, REALLY, wanted to like Sekiro. The only other game I am looking forward to as much as Sekiro is Cyberpunk 2077, and it saddens me to think how disappointed I am with Sekiro.

    If you go into Sekiro expecting a souls-like experience, you will be sorely disappointed.    … Expand
  2. Lonit
    Sep 16, 2019
    5
    this game would obviously not benefit from a difficulty slider but that makes it unnacessible to a lot of people. Didnt care for the story or the setting though, if you want to play a challenging game I would recommend the souls series.
  3. Grandmaster7
    Mar 29, 2019
    5
    this is not the kind of game from FS that we would like to see, it's a curve slasher that you get tired of, removed the old mechanics by adding slasher elements...
  4. Hobobo
    Mar 25, 2019
    5
    Not as good as I was expecting. I've played all the Souls games and Bloodborne is my second favorite game of all time. Sekiro though... it doesn't hold up as well as those other titles. Some of my main gripes are as follows;

    - No Armor? Wow, I can't believe I'm actually typing that, but Sekiro has no armor/loot system. That's one of the most fun aspects of Souls games in my opinion. I    Not as good as I was expecting. I've played all the Souls games and Bloodborne is my second favorite game of all time. Sekiro though... it doesn't hold up as well as those other titles. Some of my main gripes are as follows;

    - No Armor? Wow, I can't believe I'm actually typing that, but Sekiro has no armor/loot system. That's one of the most fun aspects of Souls games in my opinion. I loved grinding enemies for different loot/weapons. Not sure why they scrapped such a cool aspect of their games.

    - Guard system is pointless and broken. I just run around and poke bosses to death or find other means to cheese them because the combat is so broken. There's no poise or shields in this game. Instead FromSoft wants players to block with a little sword? What??? Most enemies will destroy your guard and instakill you if you try to block.

    - Dodge frames have been nerfed. The dodging in this game is terrible and has almost no invincible frames like past games. It's practically impossible to dodge boss ultimate attacks, you'll have to pop some food buffs and just pray your vitality can tank the hit because dodging is very unsafe. This mixed in with the bad guard system makes things an all around mess.

    - Weak boss line up. Most bosses/ mini bosses are just dudes with swords/lances/guns. It gets pretty uninteresting half way through the game. Granted there are like 4 boss fights that are cool, but you gotta grit through all the boring stuff to get to them.

    I could keep going, but I really don't want to waste much more time on this game. Sekiro is pretty mediocre and that's unfortunate for Souls fans because now we're left waiting for the next installment to those good games. Luckily, if you're looking for a good samurai souls game to play in the meantime, I highly recommend checking out Nioh. It's a much better attempt at this genre than Sekiro is in my opinion and the DLC is some of the hardest/funnest stuff I've played. It also has an amazing loot system to boot.    … Expand
  5. dontjimmymejulz
    May 23, 2019
    5
    Oh dear From Software, you made a bit of a boring and repetitive game didn't you? What a shame you didn't double down and actually make a different style of game altogether - whereas in reality, it's pretty much a watered down Dark Souls experience.
    Sure, you stripped out the online fun and the character-creator and the in depth RPG mechanics and various upgrade systems and numerous ways    Oh dear From Software, you made a bit of a boring and repetitive game didn't you? What a shame you didn't double down and actually make a different style of game altogether - whereas in reality, it's pretty much a watered down Dark Souls experience.
    Sure, you stripped out the online fun and the character-creator and the in depth RPG mechanics and various upgrade systems and numerous ways to fight and explore the world.
    And sadly replaced it with a dull protagonist, and even duller story and lots and lots of interchangeable bosses that you can parry and counter to death.
    Well done From Software, well the f@*k done.    … Expand
  6. St_Jimmy
    Jul 5, 2020
    5
    Сеттинг феодальной Японии вообще не моё, а криво реализованное отражение атак, на чем основан весь геймплей, ужасно раздражает.
  7. Den2099
    Apr 26, 2019
    5
    Sekiro shadows die twice it's very bad game.Because it's very hard and yes I kasual.
  8. Neotis
    Mar 31, 2019
    5
    Hitboxes in this masterpiece pathetic. I expected a little more From the Software, everything is in accordance with the classics of dark souls, I'm just tired of running with one sword, of course, there is an additional weapon, but it is still a small variety.
  9. albertoBG
    Mar 24, 2019
    5
    es una mierda no me lo puedo pasar, podria haber sido un buen juego si hubieran puesto la opcion de elegir la dificultad porque no todo el mundo es buenisimo jugando videojuegos y este juego es muy dificil, una pena porque me gusta la jugabilidad, pero la dificultad no me gusta nada y eso le quita muchos puntos - it's crap I can not pass it, it could have been a good game if they had putes una mierda no me lo puedo pasar, podria haber sido un buen juego si hubieran puesto la opcion de elegir la dificultad porque no todo el mundo es buenisimo jugando videojuegos y este juego es muy dificil, una pena porque me gusta la jugabilidad, pero la dificultad no me gusta nada y eso le quita muchos puntos - it's crap I can not pass it, it could have been a good game if they had put the option to choose the difficulty because not everyone is great playing video games and this game is very difficult, a pity because I like the gameplay, but the difficulty I do not like anything and that takes away many points… Expand
  10. GameplayShinobi
    Dec 29, 2020
    5
    It's not Tenchu, it's not Dark Souls.... it's Sekiro but sadly Sekiro did not resonate with me. From linear combat approach to cryptic and uninteresting characters and worst of all horrible stealth mechanics ( which are easily abused ) the game is at best average.

    Sure the world is pretty and its big, music is ok but it is the gameplay that will either pull or push the player away. This    It's not Tenchu, it's not Dark Souls.... it's Sekiro but sadly Sekiro did not resonate with me. From linear combat approach to cryptic and uninteresting characters and worst of all horrible stealth mechanics ( which are easily abused ) the game is at best average.

    Sure the world is pretty and its big, music is ok but it is the gameplay that will either pull or push the player away. This is probably the only game where I can safely say I am being biased and didn't enjoy the combat and the last boss was a test of my patience. In most other games you have at least a choice on how to deal with enemies, whether it will be different choice of weapons, range combat, different skills, stealth or just simply character / armor builds.... but not in Sekiro.

    Because of that the game really closes itself to a lot of players and you either like it or not.    … Expand
  11. Pisces021
    Jan 10, 2020
    5
    the one who designed the headless fight knows the hardships of life how u r enemy knocks u down everytime u try to get up that fight was inspired by that but it's so frustrating !
  12. Arpg-man
    Mar 21, 2020
    5
    I beat the game. I cheesed a lot of bosses. So did you. Don't lie to yourself. I didn't like this game but still beat it because I'm a fanboy. This game is no Bloodborne not even close. Stay away from activision and make Bloodborne 2 and finish Elden Ring. The controls were not as perfect as Bloodborne the graphics are a complete joke compared to Bloodborne. This game is not Bloodborne. NoI beat the game. I cheesed a lot of bosses. So did you. Don't lie to yourself. I didn't like this game but still beat it because I'm a fanboy. This game is no Bloodborne not even close. Stay away from activision and make Bloodborne 2 and finish Elden Ring. The controls were not as perfect as Bloodborne the graphics are a complete joke compared to Bloodborne. This game is not Bloodborne. No comparison. People are rating this cheeseburger like its a porterhouse steak. The game is a C- guys .....go play Lords of the fallen or immortal unchained if you are in the mood for a hotdog… Expand
  13. GoldValentinev
    Nov 4, 2020
    5
    I kind really liked the game until final boss fck you software i will never buy a game from you the final boss is a **** if you wanted so bad a bad ass boss make it sub boss not final. I spent so many hours in a **** fight well for me nothing work 3 days for hours fight the day you are a criminals of joy f*** you software
  14. SAJILI1212
    Sep 25, 2020
    5
    When you are happy that you hit the boss twice completely, it comes alive again and you have to hit it two more times while you have no means to fill the blood
  15. Agurzil
    Oct 13, 2020
    5
    You will enjoy the game fully till the last boss fight, it ruined the game, it's not a hard fight it is just broken, 4 phases will make you look for a way to cheat/cheese, Fromsoft will only react if they find out that someone managed to glitch the boss or discovered a way to turn off his AI to make your life a bit harder and not the opposite.
  16. Prosto_alex
    Aug 5, 2020
    5
    Hidetaka, himself **** pass its game,me very likes a series of souls borne,but such ****ed up with zadrachivaniem bosses I see first time,I dropnul game after bull ,more me nothing to say,simply my opinion
  17. dannygards
    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.
  18. dchoover1987
    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    … Expand
  19. mnylen
    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...    … Expand
  20. geistreiches
    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..
  21. crawft
    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.    … Expand
  22. floppyjabjab
    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    … Expand
  23. Hikage
    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.    … Expand
  24. denni5m
    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
  25. deepnav
    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
  26. ZeroPr0xy
    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
  27. WYKYDTRON
    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.    … Expand
  28. Daisukereds
    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.    … Expand
  29. TheSchwartz
    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
  30. Vorlog
    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
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best PS4 Game of 2019
5
#5 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2019
5
#5 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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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. RPGamer
    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.
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  2. Gamers' Temple
    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.
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  3. Daily Star
    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.
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