Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Reviews
Its boss fights highlight the contrived lengths that FromSoftware has gone to in order to satisfy players' thirst for difficulty.
Having said all that, there are some wonderful boss fights here, with the Great Serpent and Lady Butterfly my personal favourites. I loved the way these developed and throughout the game there are glimmers of excellence sprinkled throughout. With a lack of customisation and replayability, Sekiro pales by comparison to what’s come before though. It’s a good game, no doubt about it, but it’s a game that can’t quite decide who it wants to appeal to. It’s likely to be far too challenging for the average gamer while Souls fans will likely lament the lacklustre combat compared to what’s come before. What we’re left with then is a beautiful game, one that’s stuck with a real identity crisis that some will love and others will loathe.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a gorgeous game with some striking combat, it's also brutally difficult and it isn't very accessible.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice succeeds in its incredibly visceral combat and stealth all while being set in an engaging game world.
Sekiro is a must play title for the fans of Miyazaki, in order to experience the true evolution of the mechanisms which created a whole genre that has managed to maintain the experience, without anyone being able to even copy it.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the hardest game this year, and among one of the most challenging games ever put on a system. But for those that embrace the discipline needed to conquer the games numerous challenges, it is rewarding and thrilling to survive deadly encounters at the skin of your teeth. It's gameplay and focus on stealth distinguish itself from other action experiences, and the satisfaction of finishing some of the hardest bosses in gaming today is immeasurable. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an immersive action experience, for those who pick it up.
Miyazaki’s work is interesting for reasons that go well beyond personal taste, individual linkings or specific sales figure, and they guarantee him a place in video game history.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
FromSoftware is owed immense praise for creating a beautiful world brimming with life that still oppresses in every conceivable way without falling under the Dark Souls umbrella. Challenge, character, and the primal need to keep moving forward are still key features in FromSoftware’s design arsenal that has inspired for 10 years. Creators could learn from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice’s uncompromising focus and freshness for years to come, even if its roots are planted in familiarity.
The final verdict on my Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice review is that it’s an excellent test of reflexes and gaming prowess, but it also proves to be an often too severe test of patience too. I would thoroughly recommend it if you are intrigued, but would also definitely advise you to exercise caution that it might not be for you – no matter how much you desperately want to love it.
Death is one of many constants players have come to expect from a From Software title alongside a well-designed world, a gameplay loop that rewards risk and experimentation, and a fair challenge.
Sekiro is an excellent action game that combines stealth, intense melee combat, and well-designed defensive options into an entertaining package. There are a few hiccups, but Sekiro is a title worth picking up if you're hungry for a challenge.
"I just want you to know: I hate-respect you." I think about Alec Baldwin saying these words to a dramatically lit Will Arnett on an early episode of 30 Rock approximately 82,000 times a day. It's a little Zen Buddhist koan I use to rein in my critical brain when I experience revulsion. Two things...
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a fiercely challenging, yet highly compelling action adventure. The posture-based combat is tricky to learn but wonderfully rewarding to master, and all the nips and tucks to From Software's usual tropes make for a game that's surprisingly accessible for new players. Despite some slightly ropey traversal and occasionally dodgy performance, this game will keep you hooked from start to finish with its built-in "one more go" death mechanic and a bleak yet gorgeous world to explore. This is a fresh new spin on From's formula that fans and newcomers alike should definitely give a stab.
Whether you're a Dark Souls veteran or not, this is a game that will truly test your patience as well as the tensile strength of your joypad. It's like what I imagine running a marathon would be like. For all of the joyous, cathartic highs that come from making even the smallest amount of progress, Sekiro's difficulty means it's tough to recommend to everyone, narrowing its appeal to those with the tenacity to devote to it. But like Mr Miyagi's onerous training regime in The Karate Kid, Sekiro will put you through the ringer, if only because deep down it knows you can succeed if you put your mind to it.
Because under Sekiro's hard surface there is one of the most refined and rewarding combat systems of recent years. A combat system that after each completed battle gives a great, complete feeling where few games even come close.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
This often breathtaking game of serial assassination in 16th-century Japan is a treasure chest for players able to commit to learning its secrets
The introduction of new traversal ideas, proper stealth and a more focused narrative mark this out as different enough to warrant true merit, and prove that From Software still have a trick or two up their sleeves.
It’s Bloodborne but faster, with fewer crutches yet somehow more fair. It’s also one of the best games released so far in what’s already looking like a strong 2019.
Sekiro is a great game. Despite my complaints with its boss fights and the elimination of the equipment system Dark Souls was known for, it was a challenging and exciting adventure through Feudal Japan. If you’re a From Software fan, it’s a must-buy game, even with the changes, and it’s a decent place to start even if you’ve never played a From game before.