Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Released 22/03/2019

Halfway through NG++ with Demon Bell on PC for the Return ending, still think this is From's best combat. Smooth and rewarding.

Maybe it's not as gripping in terms of setting as Bloodborne was but it certainly beats it in some aspects. Then again, I never really felt any incentive to replay BB even though I loved it but here I'm doing NG++. Dark Souls III bored me, not for me at all. Of course having played through Sekiro two times, I'm also ready to shelve it as I rarely replay games and I had my share of fun with it already so last playthrough for me.

I'd love Bloodborne 2 with a more involving combat like this but not sure how it'd work with bigger bosses. I don't think From are going to abandon the deflect mechanic completely.
 
Without giving too much away some of the endings lend themselves towards further content. Nothing has officially been confirmed but I'd imagine it's cert, especially judging by Fromsoftware's past games.

First time I played it Boss fights were manic, chaotics things and before I knew It I was dead.Spent ages on Genichiro, neary through in the towel.Then I watched a few youtube vids and those really good at the game just took the fights in their stride,each NPC having predictable attacks. So through repitition and learning the patterns, knowing how many hits to get in before they counter, when to dodge to evade hits etc the game becomes a lot simpler .

It also rewards you for being aggressive too, work on breaking their posture bar. Once you understand that game mechanic it's can mean the difference between a 5 minutes boss fight or a 30 minute one,game ends up playing like a classic Chanbara ( Samurai flick ) with loads of sword clashes rather than your pad flying across the room.
 
Yeah, it might seem at first the best tactic is like dark souls ie block and circle. But in this game you need to keep the pressure on most of the time. Parry/counter everything, the moves you can't parry just jump. The game is really easy once you learn all the move sets for NG+. The first playthrough is a challenge though while you die over and over just learning the enemies moves.
 
Think this is where I’ve gonr wrong then. Trying to play it like Bloodborne; slowly and steadily chipping away at the health
 
BGGLP said:
Think this is where I’ve gonr wrong then. Trying to play it like Bloodborne; slowly and steadily chipping away at the health
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Yup, this is a big mistake because not only makes it the fights unnecessarily long but also completely unfun. When played properly, it requires a bit more reflex and execution than BB but nothing crazy and it's really satisfying, especially if you tie in Mikiri and occasional prosthetic use (which I explored properly only during NG+).

There are fight which are more about whittling the opponent's health bar but they're far and in between. Controlled aggression is key.
 
Seeing this game is a few years old now, I want to pick up a physical copy.

No signs of an current gen version coming and this game is still holding its value. Some for over the RRP :eek:
 
malachi said:
Seeing this game is a few years old now, I want to pick up a physical copy.

No signs of an current gen version coming and this game is still holding its value. Some for over the RRP :eek:
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It goes on sale every couple of months on the store at around £29 though never lower. Just checked cex yeah strange it’s still £40 there maybe Elden Rings success has pushed it back up.
 
I'd pay full price for this just for the combat experience alone, Ghost of Tsushima feels like a joke after this.

The rest is pretty damn great as well, still my only 100% game on Steam and I'm thinking about picking it up on PS5 and getting all trophies again since it's been a few years.
 
Picked this up in the sale on PlayStation. Literally played the first 15mins or so of the game. Getting my ass kicked by the first leader dude with a mossive sword! Well, that is to say he’s killed me 4 times so far.

Just getting the hang of the combat mechanics though. He’ll be deader than a dead thing soon enough! :p

Deflecting seems like the timing window is more generous than the parry window on souls games.

Already has that From feel. Looking forward to seeing how the game pans out.
 
BuffetSlayer said:
Picked this up in the sale on PlayStation. Literally played the first 15mins or so of the game. Getting my ass kicked by the first leader dude with a mossive sword! Well, that is to say he’s killed me 4 times so far.

Just getting the hang of the combat mechanics though. He’ll be deader than a dead thing soon enough! :p

Deflecting seems like the timing window is more generous than the parry window on souls games.

Already has that From feel. Looking forward to seeing how the game pans out.
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He’s basically a tutorial to help you understand the parry. I got wrecked a few times there as well!
 
BuffetSlayer said:
Picked this up in the sale on PlayStation. Literally played the first 15mins or so of the game. Getting my ass kicked by the first leader dude with a mossive sword! Well, that is to say he’s killed me 4 times so far.

Just getting the hang of the combat mechanics though. He’ll be deader than a dead thing soon enough! :p

Deflecting seems like the timing window is more generous than the parry window on souls games.

Already has that From feel. Looking forward to seeing how the game pans out.
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Without spoiling much, one quote from the game will tell you exactly how it should be played - "Hesitation is defeat":P Depending on how you do at that moment, you might hear it quite a few times:D

The deflect timing is more lenient than in From's other games because it's key to mastering the combat and the whole system hinges on it.

The game's very good, the best combat by From easily. There's still a lot of lore and stuff to discover but not as cryptic and captivating as BB, I feel.

Absolutely worth platinuming though and one of the best games I've played in a long time.
 
I have managed to play a bit more today. Currently trying to take down a big drunken sumo dude. Almost got him on my third attempt but got cocky, so I totally deserved his sword in my gob! Lol :p

Might see if there’s a way I can pick off/lure his mates first next time.

Generally I’m finding it easier than BB/Souls (so far!) simply due to the ability to literally run circles around enemies and then grapple to high ground if in a tight spot. Still early days but I’m really enjoying it. Not locking on is totally a life saver and the deflect/counter is so forgiving compared to souls. Also there doesn’t seem to be any stamina mechanic? I’m finding hit and run tactics really effective and working around enemies for sneak attacks. Or just run through them and grapple to a high place and wait for them to reset!

Plenty of little places to find and different routes. Seems I’ve skipped right past a fog wall with a Shinobi Hunter to get to the area to fight drunken sumo dude. Went up high at the Shinobi Hunter and through some bamboo and jumped in a ravine full of water, grappled out and found a “back way” into the burning buildings area. Had to tackle 4-5 guys but got me to a new statue. Happy days!

Fall damage doesn’t seem to be a thing either?

Like I said, really early days but I’ve always avoid Sekiro because I’d read many times it is crushingly difficult compared to other FS titles. I’m just not seeing that yet though? Or am I just being lulled into a false sense of security?? :p
 
The game relies a lot more on parry/deflect than rolling around in the other souls games, you'll find some bosses you'll want to parry a lot because it wears their stamina bar out quicker.

I had a lot of fun with the combat, and some of the bosses are pretty brutal with a bit of a learning curve! :)
 
I wouldn't say it's that much harder than Souls or BB, just different and can take a while to get used to.

It's not really an rpg but an acting adventure game by From, so no stamina and way faster movement but you'll see why it's like that when facing bosses, including why deflect is more lenient here.

There aren't really any effective ways to grind if you're stuck at a boss either, something that players struggling with soulsborne could fall back on so that's probably why many people think it's the hardest.

Hit and run absolutely works here on normal enemies but you really have to start facing them head on and pay attention to the combat rhythm and posture damage in order not to have a rude awakening later on:p

Also, there are ways to make the game harder on your subsequent runs, should you fancy a bit more challenge:D
 
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Oh yeah posture damage, that's the key one I meant when I said stamina, been a while since I played it :)

I did get stuck at one boss for a bit and managed to go elsewhere and get some upgrades before I came back for it, but you do have limited route options open I think at any one time.
 
Amatsubu said:
I wouldn't say it's that much harder than Souls or BB, just different and can take a while to get used to.

It's not really an rpg but an acting adventure game by From, so no stamina and way faster movement but you'll see why it's like that when facing bosses, including why deflect is more lenient here.

There aren't really any effective ways to grind if you're stuck at a boss either, something that players struggling with soulsborne could fall back on so that's probably why many people think it's the hardest.

Hit and run absolutely works here on normal enemies but you really have to start facing them head on and pay attention to the combat rhythm and posture damage in order not to have a rude awakening later on:p

Also, there are ways to make the game harder on your subsequent runs, should you fancy a bit more challenge:D
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I’m only just scratching the surface so no doubt there will be a lot more to learn about the combat, but it does feel refreshing. I’ve unlocked a different kind of deflect for thrusts that seems pretty cool too.

One piece of advice from the carver has properly stuck in my mind though: “for each person that needs to be killed, there is a way to kill them”. Or words to that effect. Feels prophetic somehow! :)
 
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