Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Okay, I'm not going to sugar coat it, this game is astronomically hard. In fact, it should be illegal to make a game this hard and not include an "easy mode." However, this is also one of the reasons why this game so dang satisfying to beat. So many people think that giving players more freedom and power makes a great game, and in many cases, this is true, but not with this game. When I played through this game my first time, I couldn't believe how difficult it was. I'd consider myself a pretty cool-headed fellow, but there were countless times where this game made my blood boil. However, once I finally beat the game and started it over, I couldn't believe that I was playing the same game. I was beating enemies significantly faster, and I was dying significantly less. It was as if an "easy mode" had been turned on, but it wasn't because of the game, it was all because of me; because of MY skill, MY finesse. Now THAT'S power to the player; THAT'S freedom of play.

P.S. Pro-tip, if you're playing this game like dark souls and bloodborne, you're doing it wrong.

The combat system is the best of all time The fights especially the ones with the samurais (human enemies) are very hard but even dying isnt that bad cause youre always learning from youre mistakes and its very satisfying to win Fighting system: 11/10 Story: 7/10 its okay but not really special World Building: 8/10 its no dark souls but also very great Action: 10/10 Gameplay: 10/10 Graphics: also 10/10

Sekiro to me is one of the prime examples of a "git gud" game. Without a doubt it's harder than Dark Souls. In DS if you suck as a knight you can try a mage, here we don't have that. The game looks deep into your soul and says "my way or the highway" and I gotta respect that. In Sekiro you can't use summons or call other players for help. You just have to "git gud" in the game. The only time I managed to cheese a boss was the Demon of Hatred 40hrs into my first play-through. Learn the patterns of your enemy and learn to deflect and you shall be fine. By the end I was in love with Sekiro and the lessons that the game tried to teach me. I guess my main problem is the story it's not interesting enough.

And if you want a tip for the start of the game, just DON'T give Kuro's Charm to Kuro. That was my first mistake and it's something I learned when I started NG+ because I gave it to him the first time and then I finished the game without it.

"The Kuro's Charm item is given early in the game, when you collect the Ornamental Letter. After meeting Lord Kuro in the tower and gaining your primary sword, you'll have the option to give away the Kuro's Charm. Giving away the charm increases difficulty by adding chip damage to all blocks."

Then again I finished the game without it but it was hell... that final boss was a nightmare.

9/10.

When you think of action adventure look no further than Sekiro. From software have developed a game that combines the best gameplay mechanics with stunning visuals and a very original story line. Uncharted, metal gear solid, assassin's creed, tomb raider, dynasty warriors; imagine all these games mixed into one! And you get Sekiro! Yes it's somewhat challenging! BUT you will learn to progress by learning new combat skills, engaging with the enemy in a certain way, and timing your movements to perfection. This game is not for anyone who is impatient, but more tailored towards someone who seeks gaming perfection and appreciates there's more to a game then cut-scenes and mindless hack&slash attacks. I cannot stress enough how excellent and exciting this game is. How much detail has gone into the gameplay, and how much progressive gameplay there is. Brilliant a must have!

I can't believe I enjoy dying in this game. The combat is so engaging and entertaining, once the Death screen is on I am keen on going back and trying it again.

It isn't even about defeating your opponent, it's much more about learning to master the shinobi techniques and pulling them off with the required timing.

Another nice addition to From's formula here is stealth. Crowd control has apparently always been a good idea in games like these, so incorporating stealth gameplay makes perfect sense and since I'm all about stealth - I enjoy picking off enemies one by one. I'd sometimes go back to an area and clear it out, not to grind, but just cause I feel like doing it again, maybe even solve the puzzle once more, but with a better arsenal.

As for difficulty - I really can't tell if it's hard. I would struggle so hard on a fight and then when I win, I would completely forget that I was having a hard time.

The atmosphere is also amazing. FromSoftware fan or not, please check it out.