SIFU

 PlayStation 5
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 545 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 431 out of 545
  2. Mixed: 49 out of 545
  3. Negative: 65 out of 545

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  1. Ganerumo
    Feb 12, 2022
    6
    Sifu is a very visually pleasant game, but falls short of being a stellar character action game due to subpar design decisions.

    Let's talk about the good bits first. The game has gorgeous presentation. Although the attention to detail is not spread evenly across the game in my experience, when it's there, it's really strong. Enemies react just enough to your performance that it feels    Sifu is a very visually pleasant game, but falls short of being a stellar character action game due to subpar design decisions.

    Let's talk about the good bits first. The game has gorgeous presentation. Although the attention to detail is not spread evenly across the game in my experience, when it's there, it's really strong. Enemies react just enough to your performance that it feels believable, losing and gaining confidence as the upper hand shifts. They can interact with each other just as much as they can with you which adds to the chaos. It's less Bruce Lee and more Jackie Chan: full of chaos and improv. Replay value is good and the five levels are densely packed enough with a fair bit of cross-level interaction. Even the simple things like your skill tree being a literal tree that grows as you unlock abilities add to a very visually appealing experience.

    Now for the bad parts.

    Sifu is all about fake depth. Initially, it's intimidating due to a steep learning curve, which comes from two things: the game has terrible controls, and the game has terrible tutorials. Among a slew of minor problems that render the combat not quite as good as it could have been, these constitute the core things that make Sifu a game that's frustrating in ways that feel accidental.

    The game's combat suffers from a significant problem with feedback and encounter design. Defensive moves have close to no visual or sound indicators for success. Parrying in particular only has a small and brief red flash on your hand when you succeed: enemies don't actually get staggered or slowed down until they've completed their entire move string. It's a far cry from the games it's obviously taking inspiration form, like Sekiro's parrying and Devil May Cry 5's Royal Guard, where successful parries are loud, flashy and impossible to miss. This might have been done to keep the visual style clean, but it really makes the gameplay suffer. This extends to enemy attacks, which are often very fast, hard to read due to their complexity, and lack good indicators for their states: they'll glow for a little while if they are strong attacks, have an extra little circle if they can't be blocked at all, and that's it. Enemies are difficult because they're hard to read in a way that could have been improved, not so much because they require tight timing or smart reactions.

    In terms of controls, Sifu suffers a similar problem as the same team's previous effort Absolver where it feels like controls were almost entirely arbitrary. Just downright strange decisions like putting most of your defensive moves in a single button but splitting weapon interaction on two separate keys, letting you rebind only some buttons and not others, having dodge and sprint on the triggers and wasting keys altogether (like the interact button, a thing you will barely, ever use and is irrelevant to the game's combat, occupies a face button for some inexplicable reason). It feels like the game is doing a different control scheme from what is intuitive just because it could, to fairly middling results.

    Encounter design is also middling. The game is extremely front loaded with good encounters and the later levels fall off hard in terms of them. It makes for an odd experience where the first two stages are full of great small moments and the later are just kind of boring lead-ups to an interesting boss.

    The tutorials make matters worse, not because they are too limited but because they are actively misleading. The game puts an emphasis on parrying: it's taught to you first, it's put front and center, it's the first thing your defense option does before it lets you do anything else. In reality, parrying is near useless: the real meat of the game, and the one that breaks it entirely, is evasion. Dodging attacks in place is so easy, so incredibly simple to spam, so brainless and yet is the answer to literally everything: not a single attack in the game cannot be evaded in some capacity, a handful requiring a slightly different form of evasion which is only made harder to achieve by way of bad controls. Once you are past this initial slump of realizing that the game is lying to you about what works, the levels become somewhat of a breeze.

    There's definitely more that could have been done with the game. Fine-tuning was direly needed and it's nowhere near as hard as people claim, it's just obtuse in what works and what doesn't and the difficulty that's actually there comes down to badly designed enemies and visual elements more than anything deliberate. The lack of additional features like a proper ranking system, a survival mode and/or arena mode, etc are all a bit disappointing; the game offers plenty enough in terms of content, but small extras would have been welcome. It's clear where the effort went with this game and it's undeniably a better product than Absolver, but it still falls short of being a genuinely good game to me.    … Expand
  2. burnitdown
    Feb 12, 2022
    6
    The visuals and music are pretty good but it's the gameplay that sucks!! I don't mind the difficulty I've played almost all souls & souls likes but here the combat is just frustrating. Bosses mostly don't stagger and they hit hard while you hit like a baby! Let's not even get started on the camera issues, there's no locking mechanics so if the camera is messed up your parries won'tThe visuals and music are pretty good but it's the gameplay that sucks!! I don't mind the difficulty I've played almost all souls & souls likes but here the combat is just frustrating. Bosses mostly don't stagger and they hit hard while you hit like a baby! Let's not even get started on the camera issues, there's no locking mechanics so if the camera is messed up your parries won't register while the enemies still keep hitting you.
    I wouldn't waste my money on this mess tbh!    … Expand
  3. GamingAddict
    Feb 14, 2022
    5
    Thanks playstation for not allowing refunds. This game is not for me but Im not allowed to get a refund after only an hour of playtime. This game has horribly binded controls and no accessibility options to make it easier than the ball busting difficulty that it has. This isnt a bad game, but my god it is too hard. I will never be able to beat this game due to the devs not including anThanks playstation for not allowing refunds. This game is not for me but Im not allowed to get a refund after only an hour of playtime. This game has horribly binded controls and no accessibility options to make it easier than the ball busting difficulty that it has. This isnt a bad game, but my god it is too hard. I will never be able to beat this game due to the devs not including an easier mode or some kind of difficulty slider.… Expand
  4. Juanita1
    Feb 12, 2022
    7
    Macht kurzeitig Spaß, sieht gut aus und der Dualsense kommt gut bei dem Spiel, aber es ist für meinen Geschmack viel zu schwer und nicht für Gelegenheitsspieler, einen Schwierigkeitsgrad kann man auch nicht auswählen...
  5. Yuno0101
    Feb 20, 2022
    6
    Making player repeat previous fights that he already won to the point of taking no damage at all, just to have another chance at the fight you stuck on is not hard it's tedious. Good art, good music, satisfying combat system, basic story, awful tutorial and a lot of grind of the things you've already beaten numerous times. If you like games where challenge is basically wasting your timeMaking player repeat previous fights that he already won to the point of taking no damage at all, just to have another chance at the fight you stuck on is not hard it's tedious. Good art, good music, satisfying combat system, basic story, awful tutorial and a lot of grind of the things you've already beaten numerous times. If you like games where challenge is basically wasting your time for 2-5 minutes before having another try - this game is for you.… Expand
  6. BradMorgan
    Jun 26, 2022
    7
    An unforgivable game that sometimes gets in the way of the fun. SIFU is a game where fast and smooth hand-to-hand combat has never been portrayed so tightly. It feels satisfying and is addictive. Still, it is not a game that you can recommend to everyone. The gameplay is so fast that there is almost no room to make or practice more difficult moves. The result is the well-known buttonAn unforgivable game that sometimes gets in the way of the fun. SIFU is a game where fast and smooth hand-to-hand combat has never been portrayed so tightly. It feels satisfying and is addictive. Still, it is not a game that you can recommend to everyone. The gameplay is so fast that there is almost no room to make or practice more difficult moves. The result is the well-known button smashing that actually is not the way you want to play it. There is an option to play SIFU at an easier level. However, you will be through the game within a few hours, which is not worth your money either. Altough it feels like a souls game, it is not in it’s core gameplay. For example, after a few runs there are quick ways to maneuver through the levels and there is the option to soften your runs via shrines. The conclusion is that SIFU is one of the better beat 'em up games that you can play right now. However, you need to know what you're getting yourself into to avoid disappointment.

    Pros:
    - Satisfying gameplay - Level design
    - Art direction

    Cons:
    - Very, very difficult on regular mode, Short in easier mode    … Expand
  7. KillMeOnceMore
    Jun 9, 2022
    7
    A potentially great game tainted by terrible tutorials, or lack of. By far the most important mechanic is the standing evade of which there’s barely any mention and no skill check for, other the game persistently kicking your ass for not grasping something it refuses to teach you. Also, some of the combos are infuriatingly inconsistent, and while I’m all for unforgiving combat, to make theA potentially great game tainted by terrible tutorials, or lack of. By far the most important mechanic is the standing evade of which there’s barely any mention and no skill check for, other the game persistently kicking your ass for not grasping something it refuses to teach you. Also, some of the combos are infuriatingly inconsistent, and while I’m all for unforgiving combat, to make the controls likewise often turns exhilaration into frustration. Not quite a swing and a miss, but more of a glancing blow that could have been a knockout with less of a smug attitude towards its own difficulty… Expand
  8. Deadblue
    May 12, 2022
    7
    7 because i would have prefer a better free flow like in Batman Arkham series it would give a better feeling of success like flawless combo, also a better ending it miss something and the game is a bit short i did the platinum in 6 days like 15 hours.
    A lot of peoples are complaining about the difficulty, i did it on default like before the update and it was not that difficult you just    7 because i would have prefer a better free flow like in Batman Arkham series it would give a better feeling of success like flawless combo, also a better ending it miss something and the game is a bit short i did the platinum in 6 days like 15 hours.
    A lot of peoples are complaining about the difficulty, i did it on default like before the update and it was not that difficult you just have to time the block and counter it is easier than getting the sweet spot for deflecting in Sekiro. I had medium fun playing Sifu, if there is a more refined follow up i would buy it.    … Expand
  9. Zski
    Aug 16, 2022
    6
    A game that is great for a small segment of the gamer population. I think this game would most appeal to fans of fighting games and fans of Souls games. Unfortunately I am neither, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the game for what it is. It’s a very unique concept that blends old school beat ‘em ups, complex fighting game mechanics, rogue likes, all wrapped in artistic packageA game that is great for a small segment of the gamer population. I think this game would most appeal to fans of fighting games and fans of Souls games. Unfortunately I am neither, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the game for what it is. It’s a very unique concept that blends old school beat ‘em ups, complex fighting game mechanics, rogue likes, all wrapped in artistic package with huge nods to martial arts movies. The graphics are a bit weak, I know they tried to go for the simplistic appearance, but they just honestly don’t look that good. Luckily, the presentation and artistic design make up for it and make them less noticeable. The sound design is fair, but nothing to write home about. The core appeal to the game is the unique gameplay that a small sector of the gaming population will enjoy.

    It really is extremely we executed, and if you’re part of the niche market that this game caters to, you will absolutely love it. Unfortunately, I am not from that market segment. I couldn’t get into it, I am just not a fan of fighting games.    … Expand
  10. Crashbdx
    Feb 21, 2022
    7
    Excellent game but sadly, the camera is really a problem too often, unforgiving game like this really need to figure this better.
  11. ihearthawthats
    Aug 2, 2022
    7
    Hours Played: 9 Hours
    Trophy Completion: 43/43 PLATINUM
    Worth My Time: Yes, it's short. Worth My Money: Wait for sale. What I Like: Animation is great, sound is great. Almost feels like a kung fu flick, even if the graphics are a bit cartoony. Combat is pretty solid, but definitely fun. What I Dislike: For a game that you'll probably want to restart a lot from dying, it sure has    Hours Played: 9 Hours
    Trophy Completion: 43/43 PLATINUM

    Worth My Time: Yes, it's short.
    Worth My Money: Wait for sale.

    What I Like: Animation is great, sound is great. Almost feels like a kung fu flick, even if the graphics are a bit cartoony. Combat is pretty solid, but definitely fun.

    What I Dislike: For a game that you'll probably want to restart a lot from dying, it sure has long load times and unskippable cutscenes. This is pretty annoying considering its a PS5 game with a fast SSD. The camera is very bad and you won't be able to see anything at all, which really hampers combat.

    How It Stacks Up: I liked Sloclap's previous martial arts entry in Absolver better. It was more unique and had more variety. Even though I 100%'d Sifu, I didn't even use half of the skills. The core combat itself is good, but is no match for Sekiro, which does the deflection/parry mechanics better. Still, it is one of the best martial arts games by default from lack of competition. So if you need your kung fu fix, a fun time will be had.    … Expand
  12. ProCome
    Feb 14, 2022
    7
    SIfu is a good game with nice combat system and great music, but the game lacks alot of things.
    for example:
    1. Parry system that the game "teaches" you, is pretty useless for the most of the game and especially for all the bosses fights. the game is not teaching how to "Evade" attacks almost at all, the evade's are probably the only way to defeat the game, if you master this early that    SIfu is a good game with nice combat system and great music, but the game lacks alot of things.
    for example:
    1. Parry system that the game "teaches" you, is pretty useless for the most of the game and especially for all the bosses fights.
    the game is not teaching how to "Evade" attacks almost at all, the evade's are probably the only way to defeat the game, if you master this early that will make the game much easier and less frustrating.
    2. Camera - you can't lock on specific enemy
    3. Area's - the first 2 are really good, but i can't say that to the other 3    … Expand
  13. ExtraSpicy
    Feb 20, 2022
    7
    Sifu is a extremely fun game. It’s the most fun in a game I’ve had in a year but my one complaint is it’s to short. You’ve probably heard that 1000 times but I finished the game in 5 hours I can’t justify paying $60 for 5 hours. I will definitely play it again later in 2022 but it’s still hard to recommend. Other then that the combat is just so smooth.
  14. xMASTERBOOMx
    Feb 22, 2022
    5
    Good mechanics but other than that just another average game. Camera angles are god awful
  15. Madbert
    Jul 13, 2022
    7
    Jul 14, 2022 ( Feb 8, 2022)

    Me ha molado el concepto de la edad, los gráficos son muy bonitos y la historia es amena. Aunque hay varias cosas que no me están gustando. No hay doblaje al español, aunque sí está en inglés. Se vuelve algo monótono estar constantemente luchando por mucho que consigas nuevas habilidades, y por último precisamente las habilidades se vuelven complejas, tienen    Jul 14, 2022 ( Feb 8, 2022)

    Me ha molado el concepto de la edad, los gráficos son muy bonitos y la historia es amena. Aunque hay varias cosas que no me están gustando. No hay doblaje al español, aunque sí está en inglés. Se vuelve algo monótono estar constantemente luchando por mucho que consigas nuevas habilidades, y por último precisamente las habilidades se vuelven complejas, tienen que provocar un drift en los joysticks que da gusto, menudos meneos al mando.    … Expand
  16. SuperMK
    Apr 18, 2023
    7
    For what it sets out to be, its an amazing game but for me, the learning curve was quite steep and frustrating at times which took away from my enjoyment.

Awards & Rankings

29
#29 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2022
18
#18 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 79 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 79
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 79
  3. Negative: 2 out of 79
  1. Movies Games and Tech
    Mar 30, 2023
    100
    Sifu is boundlessly entertaining, immensely satisfying, and unrelentingly fresh. Even over a year after its initial release, I was still excited to jump back in, and I'm still excited to go back.
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  2. PlayStation Country
    Dec 5, 2022
    90
    It seems coming at this game late has given me a more positive perspective on Sifu. Whilst the Student difficulty wasn't available at launch, it does help wash away some of the repetition that can potentially grind a player down. Honestly, I felt the combat more than pulled its weight and controlling an encounter can feel incredibly rewarding. There's a challenge to be had but it's one that can be overcome with patient observation and persistence.
    Read full review
  3. Impulsegamer
    May 31, 2022
    100
    A wonderfully difficult beat-'em-up that puts the player at the forefront of their very own martial arts epic.
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