Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

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.

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!

Let's just start by saying I've played all soulborne games and tried this one time at my friend's ps4 and couldn't beat anyone , and found out the game is extremely hard but I thought I would give it a try and frankly found it easier than what I expected :(1) you have a lot of idol/bonefires unlike souls game I never found my self running 2 minutes all the way to a boss or out of health items before I reach the next bonefire (2) stealth is the main element of the game as you play as a ninja you don't go into a fight against 4 people no you take them one by one even the bosses you can take half of their health with stealth (3) escape way ...each time I found myself overwhelmed by enemies I just ran ,jumped and grabbed any tree I could find so I don't die and even when I die I resurrect after they walk away and I just run back to the bonefire (4) firecracker .. I can't say how easy the game has become with this item I mean you can stun bosses every time you use it you can stun any enemy in the game with it (5) gameplay ...most people depend on dodge as soul born but this is the exact opposite as dodging is optional while deflecting is the main thing as you can parry and deflect almost any attack in the game except specific moves so don't run ....attack!

But of course its fromsoftware game and it is expected to be hard and I admit its pretty hard but not as I expected If you played the game as they intended you would find it really fun ,challenging and satisfying My problem with the game is that it has many repeated bosses , useless items which made discovery and exploration not that fun and of course annoying death dragon root mechanic as the NPCs get sick and you can't complete their quests or buy from them when you die alot which is just annoying and useless other than that the game is really good and fun to beat 8.5/10.

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.

I would start by saying that this game changed my perspective about gaming altogether. I was always a shooter and RPG fan. Some would call Sekiro an RPG game, but I would beg to disagree. I would put this game more in the category of a rhythm game, something which I was not aware about before playing Metal Hellsinger and now Sekiro. But wait there is more to it - both Good and Bad!

Yes, I beat the game, yesterday night and felt compelled to write a few words about this INSANELY difficult sword, rhythm game. Believe me when I say the word INSANE (I have bet Elden Ring twice). I could not beat the Sekiro Final Boss on my first playthrough. Spent hours on learning skills (waste of time). Gave up and uninstalled Sekiro. Came back and tried to device a winning strategy and finally succeeded in my 2nd playthrough (NG) after acquiring all items needed to implement the strategy. Yes, so building a 'strategy' against each boss (even mini bosses) helps, even if your parrying skills suck as mine!! And that's why I don't hate the game so much any more compared to when I started and saw that it's all about parrying, no matter how many confetti, sugars you consume and skills you acquire through endless grinding. Get your 'strategy' right and you will be able to beat Sekiro.

Some parting thoughts on the general build of the game, apart from the brilliant combat style, which is a basically the major cause of a love hate relationship with the game.

• Great graphics, sound track.

• Mediocre storyline. Did not make any sense/difference to me, really.

• Most explorable items are useless (except a few really good ones). And From Software is notorious for not helping/guiding the gamer on that front. The same applies to Skill Trees.

• Too much emphasis on just ONE fighting style - parrying.

• No levelling up of payer in terms of weapon or armor choices.

Love or Hate the game, but definitely worth buying and giving it a try!