As a fan of the Souls series of games I was very excited for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. You can tell from the very first trailers that it had that Souls kind of style to it, but the fact you played as a badass ninja in ancient Japan also let you know that this was a game which had its own personality.
How to Download Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
You can download Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice from Steam for PC, PlayStation Store for PS4 and from Microsoft Store for Xbox One. To begin, click on the Download button below the review. You might be also interested in other titles by FromSoftware: Dark Souls III and Bloodborne.
The Game Review
When you hear that a game is from the same place that gave the world Dark Souls the first thing you wonder is, is it hard? Well, I can tell you right off the bat that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a very challenging game. However, I will also say that it is way more forgiving than any of the Dark Souls games and as a result, I feel it is more fun and exciting to play.
Playing as a Shinobi who was left for dead and his arm severed is pretty cool stuff. Even cooler than that is the fact that you were giving a prosthetic arm (which can get all kinds of useful upgrades) by someone who was willing to help you. Your ninja skills, your prosthetic arm, and your katana are all you need as you head out on your quest for revenge and to save your lord who was kidnapped.
I am really at a loss of where to start as there is so much that is good in this game. First thing I think that needs to be addressed is the level design. I love how moody and also how epic ancient Japan looks. However, it is the way the levels are made that is really amazing. Like the Souls games, there is a lot of backtracking here but there are all kinds of shortcuts and paths that you can make use of. The level design really is quite clever and impressive.
Remember how much it sucked in the Souls games when you would get killed before you made it to a campfire, losing a ton of progress? Well, that is not the case here, you rest at these places called, Sculptors Idols and there are a ton of them. The chances of you dying after doing something really hard are slim to none which makes exploration and combat much more fun.
You may think this would make the game easy, but it does not. You see, it makes you more willing to take risks as you know that there is a much greater chance of there being somewhere you can rest just up ahead.
Do not get me wrong, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a very difficult game, but I feel that it is fairer than any of the Souls games that came before it. The main reason I feel this way is the combat. You are very nimble and it is so much fun slashing away to get them off balance so you can nail them with the killing blow. Even when you die…. Which you will a lot! You will learn something, this to me is just great game design.
Speaking of dying as you know the game has Die Twice in the name and this is because death does not always mean game over. You can sometimes come back, but it is always at a price. I do not want to go into too much here as it is a really awesome mechanic and one that is best experienced for yourself, but let me tell you sometimes you are better off taking the death than coming back!
One of the things that I really liked was how you could get all of these cool upgrades for your prosthetic arm. It has a grappling hook which is a lot of fun to use and saved my butt on more occasions than I can count. But it is the upgrades like firecrackers which can be used to startle enemies and a spear that can be used kind of like what Scorpion has in Mortal Kombat.
The enemy design is fantastic and features a ton of different things for you to fight. These range from wolves to other ninjas to giant monsters that are lacking a head! The gore is great and when you can finish off an enemy it really is quite spectacular. Finishing off an enemy takes some skill though as you cannot just hack and slash your way through the game.
While Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has stripped away most of the RPG style mechanics that the Souls games are known for. I do feel that it has upped the fun. The combat is great, it looks like a million bucks and while I have not really mentioned it, the story is fantastic also. I have only just touched the top of the iceberg about what makes this so great. Without a doubt, this is a game you have to add to your collection.
