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. mrvertigo89
    Mar 24, 2019
    7
    FromSoft tends to be the only studio that I'll actually pre-order from, and I did with Sekiro. Long-time fan of the ridiculous difficulty, Demon Souls (closely followed by Bloodborne) is my favourite game of all time, and I love dark souls too.

    Sekiro is a bit of a different bag. It's a good game, the movement is fun, as are the ninja tools, and the stealth is well integrated into the    FromSoft tends to be the only studio that I'll actually pre-order from, and I did with Sekiro. Long-time fan of the ridiculous difficulty, Demon Souls (closely followed by Bloodborne) is my favourite game of all time, and I love dark souls too.

    Sekiro is a bit of a different bag. It's a good game, the movement is fun, as are the ninja tools, and the stealth is well integrated into the general gameplay - and particularly with minibosses. However, I think this will be the first FromSoft game I don't try to platinum. Mainly because I don't think I'll play through it more than once.

    The bosses are not so much difficult as long, everything has lots of health and the classic secret third phase is thrown into the mix too. Remember fighting those demons in DS3 expansion, when they morph into an even bigger demon when they die... well it's that. The frustration of Nameless King's second phase where it takes so long to get to it. None of this I'd mind on its own, except you don't get to build a character anymore.

    You can earn experience and unlock skills, but these don't really change your fighting prowess the way maxing a quality build would, or getting a new weapon. Upgrades (at least in terms of damage) are contingent on defeating bosses, so again sometimes you smash against a brick-wall of difficulty, but can't go off and build your character to come back stronger. You just hit it again and again. Obvs, with no co-op this also rules out that as a way to overcome a particularly **** boss (looking at you Fume Knight from DS2).

    The world is good, the story is much less subtle but I guess that's fine given there is an actual narrative, but with no new builds to try, and no desire to fight some of the bosses again, I think I'll be putting it down when I'm done and playing through one of the others again.

    Fingers crossed for Blooborne 2!    … Expand
  2. 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
  3. volkermuller55
    Mar 30, 2019
    6
    Say goodbye to armor, primary weapons, varied and complex builds, emotes and any other roleplaying elements, coop, and pvp. This is not a soulsborne game and fans of the soulsborne franchises should not be misled into believing that the gameplay is similar. Virtually every system has been overhauled, for better or worse.
    In some ways this title is more friendly to new players than    Say goodbye to armor, primary weapons, varied and complex builds, emotes and any other roleplaying elements, coop, and pvp. This is not a soulsborne game and fans of the soulsborne franchises should not be misled into believing that the gameplay is similar. Virtually every system has been overhauled, for better or worse.
    In some ways this title is more friendly to new players than previous ones because you'll never have to look at wall of stats that you'd have to dig around online to make sense of and you won't have the training scars from playing earlier titles. But in another way, it's much more hostile to new players because the difficulty scaling is unprecedented even for a From Software game.
    Grinding is mostly ineffectual as the only reward you get for grinding is Sen (the primary currency, which can be used to purchase consumables and in some cases prosthetic attachments) and Skill Points, which are used to purchase new acrobatic abilities for your character (only one of which can be slotted at a time). You cannot increase your HP pool or Posture by grinding and you cannot summon friendly NPCs to assist you in boss fights, meaning that when you get stuck on a boss your only option is to continue slamming your head against that wall until you win or quit the game.
    Many returning FromSoft fans that are hostile to new players, casuals, and the notion of accessibility in game design will see these changes as improvements, however I generally see them as a step backwards. I don't think it's good game design for the basic narrative elements to be inaccessible to many players (even some who are willing to spend countless hours trying to 'git gud').
    My single biggest complaint with the game is the reductive nature of the new combat system. Many players seem to feel that the combat system is more complex than ever, but I disagree and I will enumerate my reasons why: Poise has been all but removed from the game, weapon arts have been replaced by acrobatic skills, stamina management was replaced by posture, spirit emblems effectively replaced FP, the prosthetic replaced spell attunement, and the jump mechanic replaced the kick. The vast array of sorceries, miracles, and pyromancies (96 total in dark souls 3) have been replaced by 11 prosthetic attachments. In Dark Souls or Bloodborne there are a wide variety of different play styles and approaches that are equally viable for completing the PVE content. You can be a strong dude with heavy armor, a giant, slow weapon, and tons of poise that just knocks bosses on their asses and manages damage trades. You can use spellcasting as your primary strategy for virtually every boss in the game. You can use a dex character with high mobility and fast weapons that inflict status effects like bleed on enemies. They all do the job, and this fantastic variety makes for excellent replay value (even for the players that aren't interested in challenge runs).
    That's just not the case in Sekiro. You have one weapon, one basic play style, and bosses only have one or sometimes two different basic strategies that are viable to beat them. To make things worse, many of the acrobatic skills that can be acquired that are supposed to make the player feel like they're making progress and getting deeper gameplay are completely nullified by certain bosses. For example, unblockable thrust weapon attacks and some kicks can be countered with a skill called the mikiri counter and unblockable sweep attacks can be jumped over, followed by a swift kick to the face that deals a lot of posture damage. Certain bosses, like Genichiro Ashina (a required boss for story progression), for example, can completely nullify these abilities and punish the player for trying to take advantage of them. This removes depth from the combat and this tactic the developers use to increase the difficulty of the game is equally artificial as tactics like making a boss' attacks deal so much damage they're all one-shot kills or tripling the HP pool of the boss to make it harder.
    It certainly feels like the central principal of this game's design was to make it extremely difficult without regard for making the gameplay feel fair, varied, or balanced.
    These drawbacks are such an intrusive impediment to enjoying the game that they overshadow many pleasant qualities in the game. I like that they tried to challenge returning hardcore players by removing I-frames from dodges. I like the new grappling mechanic and how this frees up the artists who designed the maps to add an entirely new dimension to the areas you play in. The visuals and voice acting are superb, and there appears to be just as much effort put into developing the lore of this game universe as previous titles. There are tons of different boss fights to be had in this game with 15 bosses and 29 Mini-bosses, although some of them are effectively just re-skins. I love FromSoft and their games, but I think this one was simply a step in the wrong direction. 6/10    … Expand
  4. Przemun1304
    Mar 22, 2019
    10
    I was definitely sure it would be a great game. From Software never fails. I took a few hours to play and that's what I expected. I am in heaven ! Everything is amazing.
    Great atmosphere, graphics and story. You can fell the soul of previous games. I was really missing this world a lot. Finally got it.
    Thank you FromSoftware once again ! You're the best in the world
  5. AnRui
    Mar 22, 2019
    10
    This game is a masterpiece...graphics are ok but gameplay wise this is a great experience... The whole posture mechanic set the difficulty bar over the top. A must have.
  6. Mooltissm
    Mar 22, 2019
    10
    Im amazed how much different this game is compared to other Fromsoftware games but it still has that nice and satisfying essence of souls game in it. Just buy and enjoy this masterpiece.
  7. rocco30
    Mar 22, 2019
    10
    Game of the year!!
    A perfect accompaniment to the SoulsBorne series, with plenty of unique ideas of its own and some of the best combat of the generation.
  8. Dead-Style
    Mar 22, 2019
    10
    Another masterpiece from From Software. Epic gameplay and new revolution from dark souls.

    Ingore the casual players rating this masterpiece whit 0-6....
  9. karlfranz85
    Mar 22, 2019
    10
    Top notch From Software release! Easily entitled for Game of the Year 2019! Sekiro is Rich it's Exciting and it's New. You can feel the soulsborne in the backbone, but everything else is stripped away and made new. Especially new movement, environmental exploration and freedom is so much fun to do and in combat it really works and gives you choices! Combat is fluid, challenging and itTop notch From Software release! Easily entitled for Game of the Year 2019! Sekiro is Rich it's Exciting and it's New. You can feel the soulsborne in the backbone, but everything else is stripped away and made new. Especially new movement, environmental exploration and freedom is so much fun to do and in combat it really works and gives you choices! Combat is fluid, challenging and it forces you to learn all the tricks of trade and implement your new skills in various different ways. Difficulty of the game feels similar to all soulsborne games, it's hard and sometimes feels impossible, but after trying and learning your enemies you will overcome and it's rewarding as always! Anyone looking for good action game and especially if you love soulsborne games Sekiro is your choice! 10/10… Expand
  10. Kunray
    Mar 22, 2019
    10
    Where have I been? I was sad they had no plans for another Dark Souls, but this is pretty much another spiritual sequel that look pretty cool
    The way i see it. This game can go far and the way you play... ok 
  11. kunakov
    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.    … Expand
  12. Flypaper
    Mar 25, 2019
    6
    Beware the overrating from Critics. Try before you buy is my advice. I'm a long time lover of the souls and bloodborne series. I beat them all (except demonsouls - but I will if they ever remaster it) so I'm not bad at them. Unfortunately it was like Fromsoft decided to stick it to us long time players and reverse everything you learned from dying over the years. This game takes fastBeware the overrating from Critics. Try before you buy is my advice. I'm a long time lover of the souls and bloodborne series. I beat them all (except demonsouls - but I will if they ever remaster it) so I'm not bad at them. Unfortunately it was like Fromsoft decided to stick it to us long time players and reverse everything you learned from dying over the years. This game takes fast reflexes and a lot of motivation to push through the many, many deaths before you unlearn and relearn what you need to survive. It is punishingly difficult with lightning reflexes and perfect timing required (no mistakes or your dead). The world and story are not really doing anything for me, which is what I always loved about the past games. They always had you guessing what the next level/world would be. This one is all Feudal Japan all the time and I do not care about Japanese history. I didn't in college and I still don't. So the verticality of the game that everyone is praising is overrated. The grappling hook mechanics work okay, but only in the spots the game lets you use it. The jump and grab ledge mechanic is so slow and terribly inconsistent (needs fixing badly). While hanging from a ledge my natural instinct is to hit the jump to jump up, but no you have to push grab button again (why?). If you are new to Fromsoft games, you actually might be better equipped than longtime players, but you will likely lose interest after the 50th death to the same early bosses. If you are determined you will persevere or have a lucky run (even the blind hog finds an acorn except with a lot of skill needed even to get lucky). This game is super frustrating without the fun and mystery of previous Fromsoft games to keep me going. Not sure why everyone is going on about this game. Gluttons for punishment apparently.… Expand
  13. emorcen
    Mar 26, 2019
    0
    Sekiro was very much the game I looked forward most to in 2019 but also my greatest disappointment so far. I'm almost 40 hours in and at the end stretch of the game. Every time I played, I hoped for it to click, thinking that it may be something wrong with me. The glowing critic reviews left and right didn't help either. To summarize what I think is wrong with the game, it's the overallSekiro was very much the game I looked forward most to in 2019 but also my greatest disappointment so far. I'm almost 40 hours in and at the end stretch of the game. Every time I played, I hoped for it to click, thinking that it may be something wrong with me. The glowing critic reviews left and right didn't help either. To summarize what I think is wrong with the game, it's the overall interaction of it's (stealth / combat) mechanics that encourages you to play in a very specific way.

    For example, a large percentage of the minibosses have entourages that are designed such that the safest / most rewarding way to go about those engagements is to:

    1) Stealth kill a minion
    2) Run out of aggro range
    3) Wait a minute for remaining enemies to disengage
    4) Repeat 1 to 3 until you can fight the miniboss individually

    immersion issues aside, doing the above can take up to 15 minutes per "run"
    and if you die - which always will happen because you have no idea what the new boss' moveset is, you have to repeat the process all over again. The major bosses are also designed to be impossible to defeat the first time through because you have no idea what the exact timing is for all their strikes and combos and this meant you can never reliably parry their attacks which is also the singular way to win.

    The whole game is akin to doing tiresome dance rehearsals repeatedly until you get a waltz down the way your instructor wants it to be, except he doesn't tell you what he wants in the first place and you have to be beaten into knowing. This wasn't a problem with Dark Souls because caution could always bring you far and there were plenty of alternative solutions to the same puzzle.

    By the end, Sekiro felt easier and more manageable when I could play by it's set of rules but that's because it forced me to play the only way it wanted to be played and the lack of player agency left a bad taste in my mouth.

    My conclusion at the end is this - Sekiro was overdesigned and has an identity issue. It wants to be a little bit of Tenchu, but doesn't do it well. It also wants to somewhat be Dark Souls, but doesn't do that well either. It definitely wants to be Onimusha / Bushido Blade but is also halfhearted about that. I have little doubt that Sekiro will not be looked upon favorably years after the hype has gone. But still, plenty of love to players who had a good time with it.    … Expand
  14. TheVJ
    Mar 22, 2019
    6
    It's a good game, but not as good as the proper Souls games. Just lacks the atmosphere and its combat is a bit too mashy as well.
  15. 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
  16. Oldsk00lObs
    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.    … Expand
  17. 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
  18. shiftyman
    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
  19. BadMad
    Mar 25, 2019
    0
    Step back of souls-like genre. There are no epic and beautiful bosses, you can't change weapon and choose your characteristics, you can't avoid attacks as in DS. That is not fun game. It's boring and tiring. Worst game of From Software.
  20. Gette
    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.    … Expand
  21. 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
  22. honghs91
    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.    … Expand
  23. Mystouille
    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.    … Expand
  24. 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
  25. mikepatyaev
    Apr 30, 2019
    6
    Worse Dark Souls, not interesting to explore the location, in fact there is no loot and pumping. DMC at maximum speed
  26. ale12
    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
  27. MuchGames
    Mar 22, 2019
    0
    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
  28. Lekestue
    Oct 14, 2020
    9
    Amazing game. Sharpest and cleanest combat o habe encountered. Takes some time getting used to and its well worth it
  29. zxd56nhd
    Oct 16, 2020
    9
    Truly an amazing experience that challenges you from the very beginning to the very end. One complaint that I have is the guardian ape part 2 fight with this bride but other than that it is a wonderful game.
  30. doodlerman
    Apr 20, 2019
    10
    When I first played Dark Souls, it took me a while to figure it out - to 'git gud,' if you will. I was immediately enamored by its atmosphere and by the cathartic joy of overcoming its brutal yet fair (mostly) difficulty. Playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is much like how I felt playing Dark Souls for the first time. This isn't something I can say for the sequels, Bloodborne, Demon's SoulsWhen I first played Dark Souls, it took me a while to figure it out - to 'git gud,' if you will. I was immediately enamored by its atmosphere and by the cathartic joy of overcoming its brutal yet fair (mostly) difficulty. Playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is much like how I felt playing Dark Souls for the first time. This isn't something I can say for the sequels, Bloodborne, Demon's Souls (which I played after Dark Souls), or any other 'Soulslike' game out there. All of those games play, in some way or another, like how Dark Souls plays. Sekiro, with a few exceptions, does not play like a 'Soulslike.' While this was somewhat daunting, it was just as rewarding as it was to discover how to survive in Dark Souls when I played it for the first time about 8 years ago.

    Even with the incorporation of super direct tutorial prompts, getting into the rhythm and maneuverability of Sekiro's control scheme is a challenge in it's own right - especially if you're accustomed to the Soulsborne games. Also, if you're like me, you sort of glaze over wordy instructions and just go with the gist of it. I probably missed some key details that I later learned on my own through trial and error, but, even so, this process was very rewarding. Having certain mechanics click in my head, developing strategies on how to approach enemies or bosses, making split second decisions that could mean life or death -- incredible.

    I like the skill tree system they have - it's pretty concise and to the point. Kills give you experience points that increase a blue bar in the upper right of the HUD. Each time that blue bar is filled, you get a Skill Point which can be applied to any number of skills - including special attacks, counters, abilities, and item effectiveness/quantity. Getting every skill takes a long time - as some skills cost multiple Skill Points and - as you progress the trees - Skill Points cost more experience to earn. Deviating from From Soft's Soulsborne titles, dying only takes away half of your experience currently in the Skill Point bar (but you don't lose Skill Points themselves).

    Dying also makes you lose half your sen, which is the game's currency. I was iffy with the idea of having both experience and currency separate (since in the Soulsborne franchise Souls/Blood Echoes were both experience and currency) but they do a good job balancing it out.

    My first playthrough was incredible. Subsequent playthroughs, while still a blast, suffer in a similar light to how most of From Soft’s games do - in that you sort of just rush past a good deal of the world to get to checkpoints or bosses. Having played through Sekiro a few times, I can confidently say it’s the shortest From Software game I’ve played. This could be due to the huge amount of freedom you have in controlling your character; there’s no stamina bar, so you can dash, dodge, attack, jump, and grapple everywhere to your heart’s content. There are also significant skips that are really easy to pull off, but even without those it’s a game that a moderately skilled player could beat in about an hour. In its own way, this is still a good deal of fun, but I’m a From addict and I want more.

    I can’t wait for DLC… God, I hope there’s DLC.

    Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is damn near perfect, and even with what flaws there are, its greatness is so damn great, it supersedes the bad.    … 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

All reviews »
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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