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. Minimal_jk
    Mar 23, 2019
    10
    If you love soulsborne series you’re going to love sekiro shadow die twice....with mor engaging combat than previous miyazaki games,satisfying stealth mechanics,spectacular bossesand easier story telling methods this game take the formula to another level !
  2. KingBags
    Mar 23, 2019
    10
    Sekiro is a fun challenge with fast paced combat and From Software's usual grittiness.
  3. king-flames
    Mar 26, 2019
    0
    yes the game hard even harder than the souls series .. but it is balanced and very rewarding and require skills and passion , i love it and i don;t want it to end but everything good has an end
  4. msomele
    Mar 23, 2019
    10
    Sekiro ha dado la vuelta a la tortilla , innovando algo que parecía imposible ya. Después de jugar a toda la saga souls y a bloodborn no esperaba algo grandioso. Aquí premian mucho más la habilidad del usuario en el juego (eliminando el chinofarmeo de xp para mejorar tus atributos de los souls) e incita al mismo a seguir intentando si muere, puesto que no podrá mejorar a su personaje y enSekiro ha dado la vuelta a la tortilla , innovando algo que parecía imposible ya. Después de jugar a toda la saga souls y a bloodborn no esperaba algo grandioso. Aquí premian mucho más la habilidad del usuario en el juego (eliminando el chinofarmeo de xp para mejorar tus atributos de los souls) e incita al mismo a seguir intentando si muere, puesto que no podrá mejorar a su personaje y en muchos casos avanzar.
    En definitiva, uno de mis juegos favoritos de 2019, superando incluso a los souls    … Expand
  5. Peter121
    Mar 23, 2019
    10
    This game gave me the most best time on the first 10 min. Never was a Game so easy to pick up. Not because its easy. The game is more challenging than the souls series. At lest for me. No. The game is easy to pick up is because its so much fun. 10/10 for the combat alone
  6. crimsonshuriken
    Mar 24, 2019
    10
    Playing this on PC. The controls are tight and responsive that leads to a difficult but fair and very satisfying gameplay experience. Its extremely atmospheric, it always has a surprise up its sleeve and it actually has a story and an antagonist. Its simply a terrific game, much less iterative than the previous efforts From Software has published before. I feel their work has finallyPlaying this on PC. The controls are tight and responsive that leads to a difficult but fair and very satisfying gameplay experience. Its extremely atmospheric, it always has a surprise up its sleeve and it actually has a story and an antagonist. Its simply a terrific game, much less iterative than the previous efforts From Software has published before. I feel their work has finally reached a point of polish that deserves wide spread appeal and recognition.… Expand
  7. LadSouls
    Mar 26, 2019
    10
    As a longtime souls fan, I was hyped for this game but did not expect to be so blown away. The combat is absolutely genius and fair. The music score is absolutely beautiful and tense. The level design is perfect and really might be best in the series. Can't recommend this enough.
  8. Banuner
    Mar 26, 2019
    9
    Sekiro is fantastic. It feels familiar to souls fans but it also manages to feel completely different. It has its own lore that is actually easier to understand than the souls games because there are many avenues to actually get some lore. The main bosses are all unique and offer many phases. The bosses will kill you a lot but like any good souls game from the past, conquering that bossSekiro is fantastic. It feels familiar to souls fans but it also manages to feel completely different. It has its own lore that is actually easier to understand than the souls games because there are many avenues to actually get some lore. The main bosses are all unique and offer many phases. The bosses will kill you a lot but like any good souls game from the past, conquering that boss that has killed you for hours will feel amazing and will give you a rush that simply cannot be felt from many other games. Where Sekiro falls a little short for me is with its prosthetic tools. A lot of them are far too situational and some are just not really worth using as it may get you hit if you try to use one and when you get hit you lose a lot of hp in this game. Overall the game is fantastic and worth picking up. There are 4 different endings and a new game plus to keep people playing even after the credits roll.… Expand
  9. laplace1969
    Mar 26, 2019
    9
    This is the worst game, not just by Fromsoft but in the history of games.
    There's no depth and skill involved in the combat, you just mash two buttons, unlike in Dark Souls where you mash one.
    Its just a **** rhythm game with no actual gameplay involved and you have to actually learn the bosses' patterns to defeat them. This is just a bad copy of Nioh and Soulsborne games. You can only    This is the worst game, not just by Fromsoft but in the history of games.
    There's no depth and skill involved in the combat, you just mash two buttons, unlike in Dark Souls where you mash one.
    Its just a **** rhythm game with no actual gameplay involved and you have to actually learn the bosses' patterns to defeat them.
    This is just a bad copy of Nioh and Soulsborne games.
    You can only use one main weapon to beat the game and that's bad because having lots of weapons and using five of them was much better.
    You have to play in the way that was intended by the developers, because breaking the game with unintended methods is clearly evidence of good game design.
    You're just fighting the same enemies and minibosses over and over again and of course them being placed in different environments changes nothing about the way you fight them.
    The only reason why this game is being praised is because its made by Fromsoft and if you disagree with me, your opinion is WRONG and you are a From fangay as well.    … Expand
  10. Ventrus
    Apr 1, 2019
    7
    In Sekiro, From Software boils down the combat of Dark Souls and Bloodborne to it’s most brutal and intimate – where constant engagement with the enemy is required to succeed. However, much of the variety and satisfaction that is typical of From’s other Souls- like games has also be been boiled away. Partly due to the setting and theme of the game, but I fear it is also because FromIn Sekiro, From Software boils down the combat of Dark Souls and Bloodborne to it’s most brutal and intimate – where constant engagement with the enemy is required to succeed. However, much of the variety and satisfaction that is typical of From’s other Souls- like games has also be been boiled away. Partly due to the setting and theme of the game, but I fear it is also because From Software are starting to believe their own hype.

    The commitment to sword fighting certainly gives Sekiro it’s own flavour and soul. You defeat enemies through strict attacks, parries and deflection usually when the enemy telegraphs a specific move. ‘Hanging Back’ or Shield/Tanking will get you murdered fast. Some encounters have large arenas but ‘giving yourself room’ will only just prolong your very certain death. Most fights require you to waltz in uncomfortably close proximity to very intimidating people – a waltz you instinctually fight against.

    Your agency as a player becomes limited once you are close enough to fight, as responses need to be very specific. This translates to reduced satisfaction – I didn’t ‘beat’ bosses so much as I responded in the required way to their actions – never really feeling like I had overcome the enemy – but was only allowed pass the area after following the enemies orders.

    At times it seems that the game is trying to be frustrating for the sake of its own rep (as opposed to increased satisfaction of victory).

    Specifically with bosses whose attack telegraphing is so subtle that it’s incredibly difficult to figure out what attack is coming in the 1 second you have to react. You need to be very active and get toe to toe with the boss, but you absolutely cannot trade blows either because your health bar is some sort of prank for those gullible enough to think it makes any difference to your survivability.

    Most boss hits will either knock off 90 percent of your entire bar, our just outright kill you. Any hit you survive will require 2 seconds to heal, an action which some bosses are programmed to leap across the arena in that very moment and immediately remove that health you just got back.

    Sekiro bloody knows this too. There is a resurrection mechanic whereby you resurrect where you died (sometimes resurrecting twice is possible depending on progress) to continue the fight. Which tells me that the developers knew how cheap death could be and added the respawn mechanic after developing the main combat to help balance things.

    I can already hear the response that this was due to the plot thread of immortality and resurrection – but that would work anyway from the fact that you can revive at a bonfire (called buddha ‘Idols’’) like other Souls-like games. The resurrection mechanic feels like a development patch.

    Sekiro seems to be heading towards another critical point of Souls-like in the form of ‘shared knowledge’ – where much of the content is discovered through communities/wikis. I found this to be much less appropriate in Sekiro because it is definitely a single player game – there’s no co-op or invasions. I’m also pretty sure I would still be stuck on some of the bosses now if I hadn’t looked up solutions.

    I thought about a time when I was playing games before I had the internet, and if I was playing Sekiro then there would be no way I’d have figured this out. And it’s not optional stuff either – its critical path main story progress.

    This is not a bad game, in fact it has many of the good quality for Froms other souls like. Great areas to explore, will designed characters and and interesting story - But it's pushing too far in the name of its own rep. The builds, magic, dodge rolling of other games is gone but not replaced with anything as substantial. The prosthetic tools are surprizingly useless as you ultimately need to play guitar hero with each encounter. There is no creativeness in success. Just tap in line with how the developers demand, to be allowed continue.

    I have not enough space to flash out specifics, but a more in dept and more or less spoiler-free review can be found on my site:

    theboilingpot dot net

    I was able to play to the end but I took so little away when comparing to Froms other games. Each encounter victory did not leave me with a quickened heart rate but with a feeling of jumping through hoops at the whim of developers who felt they needed to reach a saltiness quota.

    Sekiro is a game with alot of quality yet is never reached the impact as it otherwise may have.    … Expand
  11. 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
  12. cnix
    Mar 24, 2019
    10
    absolute frikin masterpiece what a game wow. mechanics are solid and the atmosphere is unlike any game i've played in a long time.
  13. Kamamura
    Mar 24, 2019
    10
    Fantastic, spectacular, amazing, difficult, crisp, fresh, electrifying, superb!

    The game is everything I hoped it will be, but above all, it bring a fresh, demanding combat system for anyone who wants to push their limits and be challenged! No longer you can fall back to always safe methods like spamming rolls, or cower behind the shield. In the spirit of samurai classics like Go Rin No    Fantastic, spectacular, amazing, difficult, crisp, fresh, electrifying, superb!

    The game is everything I hoped it will be, but above all, it bring a fresh, demanding combat system for anyone who wants to push their limits and be challenged! No longer you can fall back to always safe methods like spamming rolls, or cower behind the shield. In the spirit of samurai classics like Go Rin No Sho or Hagakure, Sekiro wants you to face the danger head on - unflinching, with straight body and alert mind, depending on your well honed defensive reflexes to push on attack until you break the enemy's posture and score a deathblow, brushing aside attacks and tricks of your foes as you go. The feeling of accomplishment after defeating a boss in this game is unrivaled.

    Compared to tired, formulaic "triple A" games-as-service like Anthem or Assassin's Creed that offer only ego pampering and boring routine sprinkled with a few trinkets from lootboxes, Sekiro does not want to scam you for extra money with lootbox lottery, does not want to hook you up for boredom shifts that resemble work, no, Sekiro is a honest, purely single player game cooked with raw difficulty, solid, well thought design and thick, immersive atmosphere we know from the Souls games.

    Congrats, From Software, you have conquered the gaming world again!    … Expand
  14. 2slavuta
    Dec 25, 2019
    5
    Weak, very weak in comparison to number of mechanics and game play styles in Dark Souls. Few sword attacks, few tools that can be used rarely and a LOT of useless skills that make you feel stupid because of your decision and amount of time you spent to get them. All the time I felt that my time is not respected, hours of game play to become stronger, but no... you are not so strong andWeak, very weak in comparison to number of mechanics and game play styles in Dark Souls. Few sword attacks, few tools that can be used rarely and a LOT of useless skills that make you feel stupid because of your decision and amount of time you spent to get them. All the time I felt that my time is not respected, hours of game play to become stronger, but no... you are not so strong and never will be.
    Weak, very weak art in comparison to BloodBorne. There was a few nice, but not breath-taking places, there were only several memorable but painful bosses.
    I didn't feel the presence of magic like in other Miyazaki games, nothing except concentration and feeling tired from the game already on the third hour. I've finished the game because I've waited for something that has never arrived.
    Bosses, oh these bosses. Too often, too alike, some are unreasonably strong - you rarely will be able to play the game, all the time you will just run for another attempt to defeat a boss. Some times even the same re-skinned boss, and here I mean many these "some times". It is obvious for me that the development time spent on game was not enough, so it was artificially enlarged.
    There are few things that I liked: Ashina Castle, Senpou temple, and few bosses, first fight and secret of win. But this game did not bring me the joy, this game did not become center of my relaxation time as it was before with Dark Souls.    … Expand
  15. faull
    Mar 24, 2019
    10
    Jogo do ano! Ação e combates excelentes com uma jogabilidade fluida. Ninja Gaiden, Tenchu e Soulsborne, combinação perfeita!
  16. Swisha64
    Mar 24, 2019
    10
    Didn't know that i would enjoy this game, boy was i wrong I'm having a blast playing this masterpiece definitely 10/10
  17. PhknLeon
    Mar 25, 2019
    10
    When you first start the game you might be thinking "oh wow this combat is excellent what a unique and excellent experience.....however eventually the game fights back it introduces nearly one hit kill enemies and attacks from groups. I would honestly rather jerk off with some barbed wire then torture myself anymore with this experience. But can't let the game.....can't let it win...... IWhen you first start the game you might be thinking "oh wow this combat is excellent what a unique and excellent experience.....however eventually the game fights back it introduces nearly one hit kill enemies and attacks from groups. I would honestly rather jerk off with some barbed wire then torture myself anymore with this experience. But can't let the game.....can't let it win...... I haven't seen my family since this game released *sobbing* 10/10 would suffer again… Expand
  18. Rabit3A
    Mar 26, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. At first glance the gameplay may seem extremely basic, just one attack button and one guard button after all. But the amount of timing, prediction, and skill needed to succeed in battles is so much more in depth. You can't just learn boss patterns like in Dark Souls, because timing is so much more necessary.

    Those that continue to try and think of this game as Dark Souls are guaranteed to fail, because this is nothing like dark souls and there is no reason why it should be. Whats the harm in FromSoftware branching out and succeeding so wonderfully after all?

    If there is any issue I ever have with the game, it stems from momentary frustration due to my own ineptitude, and is easily remedied by me thinking back on my mistakes. Once I realize what I did wrong it is easy to remedy and try something different. Bosses like Genichiro or Lady Butterfly can't be fought defensively, meanwhile bosses like Guardian Ape or Corrupted Monk can't be completely offensively. Yes, both need offense and defense in specific balance, but it becomes easy to tell simply by how the enemy moves and attacks.

    Simply put, I fail to find much fault in this game overall, it simply accommodates with so much of my preferences in games. It's skill based and fair, but punishing if you get even slightly too cocky. The bosses all have simple ways to win, but it takes a while to figure it out if you aren't paying attention. And the story, oh god the story and characters are just fantastic-.

    Now, I'm very nearly finished with the game (At the Isshin fight going for the Severing of Immortality ending.) So it isn't like i'm completely talking hot air.    … Expand
  19. Fumei
    Mar 26, 2019
    10
    From Software can’t cease to impress! Thank you very much team From Software for this gem, clearly a lot of work and passion went to it. And the business model is exemplary, great job on this amazing entry and definitely looking forward to your continuation!
    Pros:
    - Amazing artwork, lore and graphics. - The combat is really innovative and challenging, perfecting it requires skill,    From Software can’t cease to impress! Thank you very much team From Software for this gem, clearly a lot of work and passion went to it. And the business model is exemplary, great job on this amazing entry and definitely looking forward to your continuation!
    Pros:
    - Amazing artwork, lore and graphics.
    - The combat is really innovative and challenging, perfecting it requires skill, practice and patience.
    - Top notch world and character design accompanied with a compelling story.
    - Amazing voice acting in both Japanese and English and a top soundtrack to compliment this amazingly executed game.
    Cons:
    None.

    I put a score of 10 and it is a deserved 10 for me, not to counter the pathetic 0.. I fully recommend this masterpiece to anyone up for the difficulty.    … Expand
  20. disturbed1264
    Apr 21, 2019
    7
    Sekiro is a good game, certainly not a great game. A huge step back from dark souls and bloodborne. The lack of effort in this creation is very evident, disgraceful when you start replaying areas on the first
    playthrough.
  21. Allthat
    Mar 23, 2019
    10
    FromSoftware have grown into one of those studios whose game releases are big events. And I'm really glad as they are one of the few companies out there devoted to strong singleplayer games and the Soulsbourne games are one of the reasons I got into gaming.

    That being said, Sekiro is a masterpiece. Its a natural evolution on the soulsbourne games and is different in all the right ways.    FromSoftware have grown into one of those studios whose game releases are big events. And I'm really glad as they are one of the few companies out there devoted to strong singleplayer games and the Soulsbourne games are one of the reasons I got into gaming.

    That being said, Sekiro is a masterpiece. Its a natural evolution on the soulsbourne games and is different in all the right ways. I bestow my highest praises on FromSoftware, they are true masters of the art of making videogames, and while I play Sekiro, I eagerly await their next game no matter how long it takes.    … Expand
  22. plinqster
    Apr 4, 2019
    10
    Utterly amazing. At some point the combat clicks in your head, and the joy of deflection and careful negotiation of space provides an unparalleled feeling of satisfaction. I learned to watch the screen in a whole new way from playing this game.
  23. DaggasPlays
    Mar 22, 2019
    10
    I'm absolutely amazed by how different this is compared to other FromSoftware games!
    Fantastic combat with a great design and thrilling boss fights
    Hands down, worth a shot ;)
  24. wollathet
    Mar 31, 2019
    6
    As a long time fan of FromSoftware games I was really looking forward to this, especially given everything that Bloodborne brought to the series which was a welcome change, Sekiro has disappointed me. The game is hard, yes, but it’s made harder through the new levelling system where you collect prayer beads for vitality increase and memories for attack from bosses and mini-bosses. ThatAs a long time fan of FromSoftware games I was really looking forward to this, especially given everything that Bloodborne brought to the series which was a welcome change, Sekiro has disappointed me. The game is hard, yes, but it’s made harder through the new levelling system where you collect prayer beads for vitality increase and memories for attack from bosses and mini-bosses. That means there’s no longer the ability to farm xp and develop a build to suit the players style and work to have a balance to deal with everything the game throws at you. Instead there is a skill tree, which is pretty decent, but without getting to invest into attack, healthy, stamina, or defence, you still have the same attack power and health until the bosses are dealt with. Rather than take chances, there is a tendency to play with caution and not use the abilities in the same manner you would in other games. Unfortunately the enemy design is pretty bland, meaning you will encounter the same enemies time and time again and use the same technique of block, parry, counter with a deathblow, instead of relying on the skills learned.

    Sekiro introduces a new stealth mechanic but it’s underwhelming. Facing multiple enemies head on is sure to get you killed, so instead you’re to watch, wait and take enemies out silently. The problem is in the takedowns; they aren’t very stealthy and will alert nearby enemies in a second. Leaping from above will yield the same results, and the is no option to drop down silently. Instead, you have to pick a direction and leap forward. It’s clunky, and feels thrown on at the end as it doesn’t differ from the DSBB drop attacks and backstabs. Obviously it’s a problem on the ground too with not being able to silently move from cover to cover of traverse objects. It’s only truly effective when moving in tall grass. Cheesing enemies is possibly but it means that you stealth one, run and hide and repeat.

    I wish I could like this a lot more, but sadly I’m not enjoying my time with it and I rarely play for more than 90 minutes and I start getting tired of it. The boss fights are different and you have to pay attention. It’s required to take some time and defend to learn the attacks and each is refreshing but the key is always parry and counter. Unfortunately after dealing with much of the enemies in the same was there is a loss of excitement when makes moments fall a bit flat; the ending fight (I think I got worst ending) is really anti-climactic

    I cant see myself coming back to it again. It’s a shame, as I really wanted to like this, but at times it felt like an effort to preserve when the same type of enemies are ahead. Yes, people will say that if you don’t like it you’re a causal and don’t deserve the game, but that’s not a tight argument, and I don’t believe the game should have an easy mode. The problems with Sekiro are towards the mechanics and the game design which relies too heavily on repetition. If you enjoy this, and like your games to be Sisyphean then you will probably get something here, but if not, you may find it to be an uneventful slog    … Expand
  25. stewpid52
    Mar 22, 2019
    10
    Great combat system, intriguing characters, and beautiful level design. MASTAPEECE
  26. nostalgiatune
    Mar 23, 2019
    10
    Just couple of hours in and I'm already sold. So far the game has been fun and challenging, and it invites me to play more. Being a true Souls-series fan (started with Demon's Souls at 2010, now completed all of them multiple times), here are my first impressions of this game so far:

    The combat: ------------------ You play as shinobi augmented with an arm prosthesis. Katana is your    Just couple of hours in and I'm already sold. So far the game has been fun and challenging, and it invites me to play more. Being a true Souls-series fan (started with Demon's Souls at 2010, now completed all of them multiple times), here are my first impressions of this game so far:

    The combat:
    ------------------
    You play as shinobi augmented with an arm prosthesis. Katana is your primary weapon and your main defense. The core mechanics are simple: Attack or deflect enemies attacks to degrade your opponent's posture. Once the opponent's posture is broken you may execute an deathblow attack to deal plenty of damage. You may block or deflect enemies attacks with your katana. Beware of your timing and posture though... You also need to master techniques such as jumping, mid-air kicking, dodging and counter attacking to become skilled shinobi. Certain enemies needs specific strategies and skill. Arm prosthesis can be augmented with different tools to aid you in the fight. There is no stamina, but swinging blind means dead. Despite being faster-paced and utilizing more mobility, the combat feels natural for Souls-fans with it's familiar control scheme, lock-on system and tight response.

    The stealth:
    ------------------
    There is an enjoyable stealth aspect to this game. You can crouch beneath the vegetation, hug walls and hang on edges to sneak past enemies and eavesdrop their conversations. You fling around the roofs and cliffs with your prosthesis. The game doesn't force this but gives you freedom instead. Utilizing the stealth and mobility feels natural and rewarding.

    Exploration:
    -------------
    So far I have discovered some cleverly hidden or well guarded items familiar to Souls-series. The fling ability adds a completely new dimension to typical Souls-esque exploration. You can loot sen (money) and items from fallen enemies. So far the areas haven't felt dull (I'm still at first area), but I'm hoping to see mighty pagodas and unique architectures during the journey.

    The world & lore
    ------------------------
    Where as Soulsborne games are medieval- and Victorian-era fantasies borrowing elements from the European culture, Sekiro is Sengoku-era fantasy borrowing elements from the Japanese culture. The characteristic "Souls feel" is still very present in the mystical lore, symbolism, hidden events and the general look and feel of the game. I'm still at the very beginning of the journey waiting to see how they managed to balance the diversity and coherence of the world.

    Summary
    --------
    For Souls-series fan the first impressions of this game (after reaching Sculptor) was like returning home. On the other hand, it feels like playing Demon's Souls for the first time back then, thanks to fresh new elements. I will update this review once I have completed the game.    … Expand
  27. 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
  28. GenXY
    Mar 24, 2019
    10
    This game is fantastic, taking the genre up a notch! If you do not like difficult single player games, do NOT play this. And please do NOT give it a rating, wouldn't be very fair to this gem. This game is absolutely kicking my butt right now, but I'm loving ever second of it. It's like Ninja Gaiden/Shinobi and the Soulsborne series studied real sword fighting and then had a baby and taughtThis game is fantastic, taking the genre up a notch! If you do not like difficult single player games, do NOT play this. And please do NOT give it a rating, wouldn't be very fair to this gem. This game is absolutely kicking my butt right now, but I'm loving ever second of it. It's like Ninja Gaiden/Shinobi and the Soulsborne series studied real sword fighting and then had a baby and taught it everything! Great and rewarding experience. This will test your gaming mettle, so be prepared and know what you are in for!… Expand
  29. AloyOfNora
    Mar 25, 2019
    7
    To provide some background, I have completely soloed every Dark Souls game and Bloodborne multiple times and have well over 500 hours combined in them.

    The artwork of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is absolutely incredible. Beautiful colors and designs are a treat. The vertical traversal with your arm prosthetic is also a delight, acting as a Hookshot from the Zelda series but with a    To provide some background, I have completely soloed every Dark Souls game and Bloodborne multiple times and have well over 500 hours combined in them.

    The artwork of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is absolutely incredible. Beautiful colors and designs are a treat. The vertical traversal with your arm prosthetic is also a delight, acting as a Hookshot from the Zelda series but with a delightful elegance and animation. Vertical exploration and traversal is great. Where this game falters is primarily with the poorly designed combat, which is built from the ground up around a Posture system...and the boss design.

    The Posture system is a mess, giving the combat a SPAM feel. It's essentially a glorified and fancy QTE system, with much less emphasis on precise dodging and more on mashing appropriate buttons at appropriate times (colored symbols are also flashed). The entire combat system feels like big regression from FromSoftware masterpieces in the past. Also gone are stat values and variety in weapons and armor, leading to shallow, linear and limited character progression.

    Boss design is also very disappointing and a tremendous step backwards from previous games. Bosses are nowhere near as fun to fight and feel less rewarding to defeat, despite all bosses being easier than the hardest Soulsborne bosses.

    Overall, Sekiro is a solid game with fun to be had, but it is easily the worst FromSoftware game in over a decade. Hopefully, FromSoftware will deliver a sequel to their masterpiece Bloodborne and learn from missteps made in Sekiro.    … Expand
  30. Stixc
    Mar 28, 2019
    10
    Потрясающая боевка, отличный геймдизайн, проработанный мир игры, невероятный хардкор-все это про sekiro:shadows die twice. Игра настолько хардкорная, что я после прохождения бб и 3 дс-ов, страдаю от анальной порки от каждого бомжа, а про боссов я вообще молчу, на первого встречного мне босса (леди бабочка), я потратил 4 часа, я восторге, секира-божественна !Потрясающая боевка, отличный геймдизайн, проработанный мир игры, невероятный хардкор-все это про sekiro:shadows die twice. Игра настолько хардкорная, что я после прохождения бб и 3 дс-ов, страдаю от анальной порки от каждого бомжа, а про боссов я вообще молчу, на первого встречного мне босса (леди бабочка), я потратил 4 часа, я восторге, секира-божественна !
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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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