Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice — a hardcore action-adventure game with a third-person perspective from the creators of Dark Souls Remastered and Bloodborne. The game's story tells of an ancient cult that sacrificed local residents and conducted experiments on them. The main character of the game is a ninja equipped with a special hook attached to his prosthetic arm. The character can use the hook for jumps as well as in battles against enemies.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a single-player action-adventure game with a third-person perspective and stealth elements. Built on a strong narrative, the game encourages replayability with non-linear elements and four different endings. Unlike the Souls series, in Sekiro we immediately play as a well-developed main character, rather than creating a nameless character from scratch.

The events of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice unfold in an alternate reality, in Japan at the end of the 16th century. The developers take the Sengoku period and add elements of dark fantasy.

A well-known historical period, when central power weakened and slaughter began between the provinces of the country, is mixed with demons, spirits, and strange creatures, such as a bony Baba Yaga, a giant serpent, or a massive white monkey.

Players can expect accurately recreated Japanese architecture, traditions and rules, and the climatic features of that time. There will also be much that is strange – eerie battlefields, pierced with spears and adorned with bodies, frightening swamps with unusual creatures, and structures in the Souls style. Locations will often be ablaze.

The action starts in one of the central regions of Japan and unfolds over several acts in various places across the country. Sekiro does not feature an open world; instead, it offers quite broad linear locations filled with vertical platforms and hard-to-kill enemies. At the end of each level, players will face a very powerful boss.

The Shinobi – also known as Wolf – is a ninja warrior and the main character of Shadows Die Twice. He was trained from a young age by a mentor named Owl in the use of all kinds of cold weapons, stealth movement, and combat tactics.

The game begins with the introduction of Wolf and his master – a young divine heir of an ancient lineage, who is targeted for kidnapping. In the very first battle after becoming a bodyguard, Wolf is defeated by a mysterious stranger, loses his left arm, and (almost) his life.

However, fate itself comes to his aid in the form of his master, which allows him to survive and gain what is practically immortality. From his mentor, the Shinobi receives a powerful prosthetic.

Now he must save the kidnapped child from death and take revenge on his enemies for his disgrace, thereby washing it away from himself. In addition to the main plot, Shadows Die Twice will feature mysteries that only an inquisitive player can unravel.

For the first while, the enemies will be ordinary people. But soon, foes suffering from various deformities will appear, making it easier to avoid feeling pity for them. All bosses are larger than the main character, but the number of huge enemies is significantly lower than in Dark Souls.

In Sekiro, FromSoftware has moved away from the concept of Souls-like games. The hero moves faster and more sharply, jumps high (!), and performs unusual flips in the air. The stamina bar has been removed.

Instead, there is now a "concentration" bar – it fills up from successful hits and correct blocks, and when filled, a special attack can be performed on the enemy's vulnerable point. Such a strike, if it doesn't kill the enemy, will knock down their "life" – some bosses and just fat enemies may have two or even three "lives," and until you take them out, the enemy will not die.

The main highlight of the gameplay is the Shinobi prosthetic, which can be equipped with various gadgets that change the style and tactics of combat. For example, the grappling hook allows climbing onto roofs and ledges, making the character a silent killer. The axe breaks shields and blocks, turning the Shinobi into a tank. The spear is useful for finishing off enemies, as it pulls them towards the ninja. The flamethrower – the most expensive upgrade – ignites enemies and deals them continuous damage.

Defeating enemies by simply smashing buttons or using the "hit-and-run" tactic from Dark Souls is no longer possible. In Shadows Die Twice, the player needs to know every regular enemy and boss – how they move, act, attack, and defend. Some attacks cannot be blocked, and then one must parry at the risk of life or retreat. The gameplay of Sekiro somewhat resembles Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Stealth plays an important role in the gameplay. In some cases, it is more advantageous to climb higher and eavesdrop on enemy conversations or sneak past guards at night than to fight through a crowd. Fortunately, the hero can crouch behind obstacles, move silently, and even hide in the grass.

Parkour elements have diversified the gameplay, allowing the hero to climb buildings and landscape ledges; he has learned to grip edges with his fingertips and even move along vertical walls or cliffs.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice features an RPG system; by killing enemies, the character gains experience points that accumulate into levels. The higher the level, the more skills the main character acquires, and the stronger he can upgrade them.

Skills are divided into active and passive; they can be improved and belong to different martial arts schools, covering various aspects of gameplay – stealth movement, combat, counterattacks, dodging, and prosthetics. All this will allow for stronger attacks and easier defense.

A careful player will discover new gadgets for the prosthetic, for example, allowing teleportation or sliding under enemy arrows. To enhance them, materials will need to be collected. The prosthetic toolkit can also be upgraded, as well as health, concentration bar capacity, and potion quantity.

There is no option to upgrade swords, armor, and equipment – as the game progresses, the character automatically dons better items. There is a developed dialogue system, making interactions with NPCs interesting.

Death does not mean defeat. From his master, the Wolf received a special ability to resurrect — he can rise only once, but it should be enough for a disarming blow to the enemy. If the enemy is executed, the Shinobi gets another chance to rise from the dead in the next battle. Or he can "charge up" at a special idol.

In the case of dying again in the same battle, the game will not end, but the Wolf will lose half of his resources, experience, and lower the morale of local NPCs. This means that the more often the character dies, the more common heroes become infected with the "Dragon's Heritage" — a disease that can kill them. This will affect the gameplay and the ending.