Sifu Reviews
For every beatdown you take and every run lost to the ether, Sifu always maintains there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Sloclap has crafted an astounding, rewarding experience, one that serves up engrossing combat and intricate visual / music direction to accompany each fist of fury. Even with only five levels to beat, this doesn’t mean there isn’t any nuance or sense of scope to them. Every level is filled with vibrant atmospheres that sell the notion of a kung-fu adventure. Sifu’s narrative shortcomings are unfortunate, but overall this is a tapestry of martial arts excellence. Is Sifu the best kung-fu game ever made? It wouldn’t be a stretch to think so.
As a straight action game the core combat is elegant and original but the roguelite structure makes the already mountainous difficulty just too much to bear.
Sifu does two things extremely well. The first of those is its callback to the old school era of Kung Fu movies I grew up on, with the second being delivering a brilliantly crafted and breakneck-paced combat system that manages to be enjoyed long after other elements of the game wear thin.
Sifu is a rare gem that deserves to be discovered, tried out and evaluated subjectively by the widest possible pool of users. Just like our experience with Returnal, we find ourselves in front of a product that, besides marking the maturity of its development team, departs from all those clichés indispensable to grab the largest number of users and stands only on its originality and on the skill of its creators in packaging a title that does not give discounts and does not compromise. Sifu is a collection of genres that come together in a satisfying game, punishing in some ways but never unfair. It's a celebration of beat 'em ups, and martial arts cinema, adorned with a distinctive and inspired artwork that exudes style from every pixel. We're sure it won't appeal to everyone who tries it, but it's only right that it should, to avoid a general flattening of the experience that titles like Sifu want to keep varied and, above all, original. For all these reasons we have decided to give Sifu our Award.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There are issues with the game’s foundation which cannot, nor should not, be ignored, and the constant cycle of death with no easy resolution can be massively demoralising and off-putting. However Sifu remains one of the most entertaining brawlers in recent memory. This is a game that rewards just as quickly as it upsets and it definitely won’t go easy on you and, in turn, you’ll probably go even less easy on your poor control pad.
Still, mileage will vary and fans of roguelikes will certainly find much to enjoy in Sifu. Hopefully further balancing and updates will help as well. The combat really is slick and fun and gives you lots of options to kick ass and take names, and the graphics and art-style are terrific. I just wish it wasn’t a roguelike.
An incredible showcase of combat mechanics, at the same time an homage to martial arts cinema and beat 'em up games and a truly unique and fresh take on the roguelike formula.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Fans of beat-'em-ups or kung fu movies will instantly fall in love with Sifu. If you can handle replaying levels multiple times, it's a must buy.
If you're looking for a real beat'-em-up challenge, Sifu's got it, but it's not as fair as it is tough.
Spectacular gain is preceded by drawn-out pain in this martial arts adventure where fighting prowess is the carrot and ageing is the stick
A challenging brawler that punishes recklessness and demands perfection, Sifu’s genre-leading combat and roguelike mechanics blend together to create an early Game of the Year contender.
Sifu will test your patience, but learning how to coolly dismantle a room full of goons with virtual kung fu is worth the pain.
An elegant martial arts meditation on temporality and self-possession, set in a loving but touristy idea of China.
This is the best beat-’em-up game I’ve played since Streets of Rage 4, and I cheesed through that too.
Sifu is a sheer delight to play with its immaculate gameplay and breathtaking graphics. Be prepared to get your butt kicked though, but if that appeals to you as much as it does for me, then this game should be at the top of your must-play list.
While the story itself will never be enough to compel you forward, there is a sense of connection in watching your character get older while figuring out the intricacies of how Sifu plays. That's ultimately what makes its punchy and punishing gameplay all the more satisfying.
In a world of fighting games where most of them are either online or have a massive storey around them that you can enjoy for hours, Sifu takes a different approach. It does end up being a roguelike but the game catches your attention with the way you fight. It’s always fun to go through these locations and take all of the enemies down one by one. Smash a few bottles on their face, take them down with a finisher and test your skills with a boss who apparently starts following social distancing. Anyone who has watched martial arts movies or Kung fu movies would really enjoy this game.
Even though it may present an immensely overwhelming difficulty curve, Sifu constantly keeps its ground and gets players to rise again no matter how many times they are beaten down.
Another awsome indie that takes ideias from other games to combine with some of its own to give you somenting that needs attention and time.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Sifu is a punishing and addicting roguelite that will challenge players to constantly improve as they beat up tons of enemies.