***Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice***

[Wilko_Dog]

It's

Spoiler: Slight dpoiler

a mechanic that makes the game harder by giving enemies more vit/posture resistance and increasing the damage to your vit/posture, you have to ring a certain bell to get a Sinister Burden. It increases the drops of items, I'm using it in NG+

You can also enable a different hardship but I didn't have the balls for that in NG+

Ahhh yeah I seen that you could do that actually, I might do it if I ever finish the game for the second play through haha where abouts do you go to ring it? what’s the other hardship then not heard of that one?

 

[Amatsubu]

Ahhh yeah I seen that you could do that actually, I might do it if I ever finish the game for the second play through haha where abouts do you go to ring it? what’s the other hardship then not heard of that one?

You can ring it just after the second General (after Ogre), you have to

Spoiler

go right from the broken bridge until you reach a note about the Kubinashi, grapple down and go into the cave, jump down to the Kubinashi and ignore it, there's a path to the right with a small tunnel at the end of which is a secret door to the Demon Bell. There's an idol there so you can go back. You can dispell the Burden with an item you get after ringing the bell.

Worth trying but NG+ itself nerfs your posture regen and ups damage taken/buffs enemies etc. you have more resources and health, though.

The second hardship is

Spoiler

only available in NG+, you can give Kuro's Charm back to him which effectively makes blocking useless as you take 50% chip damage and the only way to avoid that is perfect deflecting everything

 

[Wilko_Dog]

Hahaha Jesus Christ don’t think I’ll try that 2nd hardship

Also I thought that 1st one was just an optional boss down there that I can’t do until later on anyway (so I read)

 

[Amatsubu]

They are completely optional and I wouldn't get near them unless you have quite a lot of Divine Confetti, which at this point of the game you probably don't.

They're annoying but totally worth doing later on, though, as they drop unique items that are pretty great after the recent patch. Might come in handy in NG+, I'll certainly try them.

 

[jasonsony735]

I want to like this game but after dying on the first boss about 15 times haha! I kinda had to give up! What am I doing wrong ? I'm blocking but he gets past some of them and I die , Any tips and tricks , I've come to the conclusion you can't just bash the buttons like on Assassins Creed.

 

[ColdAsIce]

I want to like this game but after dying on the first boss about 15 times haha! I kinda had to give up! What am I doing wrong ? I'm blocking but he gets past some of them and I die , Any tips and tricks , I've come to the conclusion you can't just bash the buttons like on Assassins Creed.

If your timing is off you might still block but you won't get a full parry. So you won't be damaging their posture but they will be breaking yours down. Eventually your posture will be broken and you won't be able to block the hits anymore. If you parry correctly you have a chance to counter them or do more damage to their posture. If you find your own posture is going to break, you need to back off, hold block and don't run. This will quickly reset your posture bar.

Someone can correct me if i'm wrong Applying your own pressure a long with parrying at the correct time is the quickest way to counter bosses.

 

[Amatsubu]

ColdAsIce is right. This is a rhythm game at heart. You have to pressure and respond to their own counters with deflects. Blocking isn't really the best way to go as it doesn't damage posture, except your own Look for sparks and a loud clang to get ready for the opponent's move. You also have to learn the enemies' patterns for that. Gyoubu, the horse guy, if that's what you mean by "first boss" can still be defeated by hit and run but he also follows this rule. You can use firecrackers to startle the horse and get some hits in. Also use grapple attacks on him when the game shows a prompt, you can buy this skill at an idol.

TL;DR: Controlled aggression and pattern recognition is key, if the enemy doesn't do anything whack him and wait for their deflect and respond correctly. Their posture will often break before their health is depleted. There's a certain rhythm to it all that you'll get to know with each boss, when to Mikiri, when to jump over etc. The deflect window is wuite generous (tap L1 when an attack is about to land). Good luck

 

[esoteric]

I don't think I have that sort of resolve I'll most certainly do some of them but not all, I think. I just don't find it as fresh as the first time obviously but I'll do Ashina Spears etc.

NG+ is still fun especially after the patch, I get loads of money and emblems so I actually have fun with prosthetics but I'm not sure I'll endure getting all endings without scumming.

So far I've done Butterfly with Bell Demon on, will try Gyoubu and Geni next.

EDIT: Gyoubu done, Demon Bell does make a difference, not so much on those initial bosses like Butterfly and Gyoubu that you'll just do first try but it's there. I'll keep it on for now.

I just finished the Shura ending, starting play through 4 for Homecoming 1 Achievement to go and I am true Sekiro!

 

[Amatsubu]

I just finished the Shura ending, starting play through 4 for Homecoming 1 Achievement to go and I am true Sekiro!

Nice going! I only played like 30 mins today but did a streak of Bull, all castle samurai, Saze and Genichiro with Bell Demon on without dying, then realised I hadn't used the memories from Gyoubu and Butterfly so my attack is now at 17

So far no deaths on the bosses but that'll surely change and I'll have to dispell the Burden Probably on Owl

 

[jasonsony735]

I've come to the conclusion this game is only good if you put in the time and effort to learn all the combo moves! I much prefer the Bash and slash games where it does not really matter what you press lol ! This game is technically a hardcore fighting game, to me that is stressful.... I just want a story a game that easy where I don't even have to think about the buttons I'm pressing , I guess I'm to much of a Assassins creed fan boy.

 

[Amatsubu]

Wish I had a bit more time to play this, something like a 1,5h session or so would be great, but making small progress in NG+. Bell Demon still on and have run through Lone Swordsman, O'Rin and Fake Monk today with no deaths which means I somehow haven't died to any of the bosses yet I went straight to Mibu after Geni this time round so I have Orangutan-san, monkeys and Shura boss left since this is the path I'm taking this playthrough. Will be pretty hard, I reckon.

Don't think I'll bother with all the skills as the grind seems utterly insane and there's basically no point doing minibosses as the xp gain is pitiful

 

[esoteric]

Wish I had a bit more time to play this, something like a 1,5h session or so would be great, but making small progress in NG+. Bell Demon still on and have run through Lone Swordsman, O'Rin and Fake Monk today with no deaths which means I somehow haven't died to any of the bosses yet I went straight to Mibu after Geni this time round so I have Orangutan-san, monkeys and Shura boss left since this is the path I'm taking this playthrough. Will be pretty hard, I reckon.

Don't think I'll bother with all the skills as the grind seems utterly insane and there's basically no point doing minibosses as the xp gain is pitiful

There are 4 great grind spots in the game depending on your progression.

I've finished my 4th run and am true Sekiro!

 

[Amatsubu]

There are 4 great grind spots in the game depending on your progression.

I've finished my 4th run and am true Sekiro!

Congrats! I think I know which places you have in mind.

Is NG++ much harder than NG+? I'm not sure whether to do Shura now or later.

 

[esoteric]

Congrats! I think I know which places you have in mind.

Is NG++ much harder than NG+? I'm not sure whether to do Shura now or later.

I didn't feel any increase if difficulty, I actually found it easier since I was getting stronger from more battle memories.

 

[Wilko_Dog]

I’ve just got to Juzou the Drunkard but he’s battering me! I even managed to wipe out all the other guys before getting that NPC to help me but still struggled ! Any extra tips ?

 

[Amatsubu]

I didn't feel any increase if difficulty, I actually found it easier since I was getting stronger from more battle memories.

Hope it'll be the same for me Guardian Ape actually got me once and broke my no-death boss run, one boss before the final one, damn.

Demon Bell still on, don't even know how much of a difference it makes TBH.

I’ve just got to Juzou the Drunkard but he’s battering me! I even managed to wipe out all the other guys before getting that NPC to help me but still struggled ! Any extra tips ?

Did you de-aggro after taking out his guys? You can get a stealth blow on him then and then run to the samurai to help you distract him. That's the easiest strategy there is if you don't want to face him straight on. The guy should let you smack him really good befire he dies. Try to learn his attacks and deflect, it'll make him much easier.

 

[Wilko_Dog]

How do you manage a stealth blow on him ? Will have to try this !

 

[Amatsubu]

How do you manage a stealth blow on him ? Will have to try this !

After you take out all the guys, run far enough that Juzou's health bar disappears. That means he de-aggroed, you just have to wait till he gets back and sneak up on him. Then run to the guy and quickly skip the dialogue.

 

[Earth[Tera].bin]

Don't speak to the elite samurai, take out the guards starting at the left hand entrance and then the rest, avoiding the mini boss.

Once they've all gone, hide from the boss until he starts walking back towards the main entrance, follow him and get a stealth kill. Then quickly get the Samurai into the mix, 2 on 1 for a quick kill.

As above lol

 

[Wilko_Dog]

Cheers will give this a go later on