Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the latest offering from FromSoftware, the developer for the Dark Souls Series and Bloodborne. It is such a much-awaited game for those craving for more of the unrelentless and unforgiving world of the Dark Souls franchise. As we received the code during launch, this will be a review in progress as I try to maneuver my way into this world full of despair and agony.
The obvious question that comes to mind for fans of the Dark Souls series would be would this game be similar to Dark Souls? Would it still be as punishing and unforgiving? The answer is, of course, a big yes. But just because it’s difficulty has been defaulted to hard doesn’t mean newbies can’t try it out. One thing that stood out which sets it apart from Dark Souls is the lack of multiplayer. Unlike their previous hardcore games, From Software made this game single player only. Gone are the days where you get invaded by an intruder whose sole purpose in life is to make your life a living hell as if the game is not already doing that to you. Gone are the days where you can go ask for help from your big brothers or big sisters in the gaming world. You will have to face this game alone from start to finish.
Do not fret though there is more to this game than meets the eye. There are functionalities that can aid the player to make the game try to be not as punishable. From the title of the game itself, the game allows you to basically die twice before you finally meet your untimely demise. It is a safety net that will help you feel a little at ease when trying to face the many horrors of this game, humans and beasts alike. As with Dark Souls though, you get penalized for dying and a more serious punishment if you die too many times. Way to make us feel pressured huh? It really does give you the feeling that you wouldn’t want to mess up your game as much as you want just so you can avoid the consequences of it.
The world of Sekiro is both beautiful and horrific. Beautiful landscapes, beautiful sceneries in the backdrop, blood and gore in the forefront. There is never a game more ironic than what this game presents. A world that gives you such beauty that you can just stare at it in awe and wonder but at the same time feel the terror of the many different kinds of enemies that you will face.
I am no expert of the game though and it will probably take me a million deaths before I can get anywhere with this game. But with each death, is an experience, with each experiment a lesson of what not to do and what to do. That’s what I have always loved about this game and the games like it because no matter how bad you are at it, practice really does make you better. I guess the saying “Try and try until you die” is definitely appropriate for this one. There is still so much more I need to learn and explore about this game but what I can say so far is that this is one heck of a ride. My full review will come out soon.
Disclosure: This review is based on a review code provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. A final score will be given in the final review. Read our review policy to know how we go with our game reviews.
Tested on: PS4