FromSoftware’s latest title, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is finally almost upon us and with that, comes a new slew of reviews to read before the game launches tomorrow.
Thankfully, from early reviews, it looks like the master developer FromSoftware has managed to create another masterpiece while managing to add some new flare to the genre. Similar to Bloodborne and the Souls series, Sekiro has it’s signature hard gameplay combined with new gameplay mechanics.
Shadows Die Twice also seems to be more story emphasized, allowing players to care more about the story, gameplay, and everything between while dying over and over again.
Down below are some of the most respectable gaming sites in the industry, check out the highlights for their reviews on FromSoftware’s latest title — Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice down below:
IGN
95
Sekiro evolves From Software’s formula into a stylish stealth-action adventure that, naturally, emphasizes precision and skill in its combat. It walks the line between deliberate and patient stealth and breakneck melee combat against threats both earthly and otherworldly. Its imaginative and flexible tools support a more focused experience that shaves down some of From Software’s overly cryptic sensibilities without losing its air of mystery. Sekiro is an amazing new twist on a familiar set of ideas that can stand on its own alongside its predecessors.
GameSpot
[Provisional Score = 90]
Sekiro marries From Software’s unique brand of gameplay with stealth action to deliver an experience that is as challenging as it is gratifying. At the time of publish I haven’t completed Sekiro. While I have invested upwards of 30 hours into it, there are still a few more locations I need to explore and bosses I need to beat before the credits roll, and I’m excited to do it. This review will be finalized in the coming days.
Polygon
[Polygon Recommends]
Rarely do my insights or incremental improvements give me anything close to an easy win, but Sekiro isn’t difficult for difficult’s sake. It gives me hints, but no roadmap. It implies. It finds ways to reward me when I read between the lines. It hands me my ass when I try something a little too clever or panicked or cheap, but it gives me victories when I act with care and react with considered split-second decisions. This is the skill that Sekiro challenges me to accumulate, and it never lets me forget that.
Game Informer
90
It’s a challenging journey through a weird and wondrous world that forces you to learn and master its punishing combat to succeed. However, the sweet thrill of victory keeps you pushing forward despite myriad disheartening deaths. Sekiro is one of the most difficult games I have ever played, but for those seeking adventure, exploration, and a truly realized ninja fantasy, the trek is worth the high demands.
PlayStation LifeStyle
95
Untethered from the expectations that come with a Dark Souls or Bloodborne game, FromSoftware was able to create a game that maintains the studio’s unique identity while allowing them to explore interesting new mechanics and ways of telling the story. Sekiro is challenging, but fair—a game with the goal of allowing the player to grow, rather than the avatar. It blends mechanics and narrative in a way that is too rare in games today, allowing for a deep level of immersion that begs for just one more clash of blades no matter how difficult the encounters get. Seeing each one to its bloody finish is well worth the trials it takes to get there.
Kotaku
[30 Hour Impressions]
Sekiro has been difficult to master but has never felt unfair. I found myself actually, sincerely getting good, and the process felt great. No death to a boss felt wasted as I learned and processed a little more each time while formulating my strategies. The world itself is dynamic and fun to explore, and the characters in it are sparse but charming—I would say the same about the story, which is slowly unraveling in bits and pieces I’m gleaming from the world around me. I can’t wait to see what the endgame has in store.
