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 story of the game tells about an ancient cult that sacrificed local residents and conducted experiments on them. The main character of the game is a ninja with a special hook attached to his prosthetic arm. The character can use the hook for jumping as well as in battles with enemies.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a single-player action-adventure game with a third-person perspective and stealth elements. It is built on a strong narrative, and nonlinear elements and four different endings encourage replaying the game. Unlike the Souls series, in Sekiro we immediately play as a well-developed main character, rather than creating a nobody 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 authority weakened and a massacre began between the provinces of the country, is mixed with demons, spirits, and strange creatures, like a bony Baba Yaga, a giant serpent, or a huge white monkey.

Players will encounter accurately recreated architecture of Japan, traditions and rules, and climatic features of that time. There will also be a lot of strange things — eerie battlefields, pierced with spears and filled with bodies, frightening swamps with unusual creatures, and structures in the Souls style. Locations will often be ablaze.

The action begins in one of the central regions of Japan and unfolds over several acts in various places across the country. In Sekiro, there is no open world; instead, there are quite wide linear locations filled with vertical platforms and tough enemies. At the end of each level, a very powerful boss awaits.

The Shinobi — also known as Wolf — is a ninja warrior and the main character of Shadows Die Twice. He was trained from youth by a mentor named Owl to wield all kinds of cold weapons, move stealthily, and employ 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 comes to his aid in the form of his master, who helps him survive and grants him 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, thus washing it away from himself. In addition to the main plot, Shadows Die Twice will feature mysteries that only an inquisitive player can unravel.

At first, the enemies will be ordinary people. But later, there will be foes suffering from various deformities, which will make 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, the studio FromSoftware 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 successfully landed hits and correct blocks, and when filled, allows for a special move to a vulnerable point of the enemy. Such a strike, if it doesn't kill them, will knock off "life" — some bosses and simply tough enemies may have two or even three "lives," and until you take them down, the enemy won't 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 mashing buttons or using the "hit-and-run" tactic from Dark Souls will no longer work. In Shadows Die Twice, the player needs to know each ordinary enemy and boss — how they move, act, attack, and defend. Some moves cannot be blocked, and then you have to parry at the risk of your 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 beneficial 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 schools of martial arts, 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, ones that allow teleportation or sliding under enemy arrows. To enhance them, materials will need to be collected. The prosthetic toolkit can also be upgraded, just like health, the concentration gauge, and the number of potions.

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, and it's interesting to interact with NPCs.

Death does not mean defeat. The Wolf received a special resurrection ability from his master — he can rise only once, but it should be enough for a disarming strike against 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" 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 ordinary heroes become infected with the "Dragon's Heritage" — a disease that can kill them. And this will affect the gameplay and the ending.