***Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice***
- Thread starter agnes
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I love the Souls games, but could not get on with this. I guess I prefer the slower combat of the Souls games.
Soldato
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Yes, I have the nagging feeling I will be the same.
i think it's more rhythm-based and reliant on pattern recognition than actual split-second decision making.
Of course, you do need some reaction time for this but I found the parry window pretty forgoving.
I platinumed the game and didn't think it was too hard, it was the right level of challenging. You are going to die but it all feels fair.
I do have some fighting games background so there's that but I also don't think it matters much, you don't need superb reflexes to complete this.
The combat is amazing and the game is well-worth playing.
Regarding Souls games, I'm in the opposite camp. Loved Bloodborne and this, couldn't get into DS for the life of me
Do it man
It's one of the greatest games of all time, and I don't say these words lightly. I came into this blind, but did complete DS3 after (a great-great game too, but not as good imo). Parrying in DS3 is much harder than in Sekiro. Although Sekiro's fights are more toe-to-toe, the game mechanics' reaction speed is the same. There will be a samurai mini boss who will shock you with his sword speed, but he has a trick (and a cheese method). And he is the only one stand out speed wise (and his fight lasts 30 seconds. 30 seconds of pure adrenaline, either you die or he dies).
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Soldato
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Okay... I think I'm sold!
This in particular reassures me I might be able to manange the game without pulling all my (remaining) hair out:
Cheers!
This in particular reassures me I might be able to manange the game without pulling all my (remaining) hair out:
Cheers!
Enjoy the journey and don't rush, it's a game to savor! One advice for a souls player is to forget the usual DS boss approach that goes like "poke, roll away, run around waiting for another opportunity to poke, repeat". In Sekiro, bosses quickly regain posture when you stop attacking or deflecting, and depleting their health bars DS style takes forever. So don't give them a moment to breathe, toe-to-toe combat is what Sekiro is about.
Many people say that you should forget about DS-style rolls (sidesteps in Sekiro), but with that i disagree strongly. Sidestepping into counterattacks is very effective and satisfying, although the timing is tight, probably like "fat-rolling" in DS3. Some attacks will seem like homing on you, but that is usually because you sidestep too early.
One advice for a souls player is to forget the usual DS boss approach that goes like "poke, roll away, run around waiting for another opportunity to poke, repeat". In Sekiro, bosses quickly regain posture when you stop attacking or deflecting, and depleting their health bars DS style takes forever. So don't give them a moment to breathe, toe-to-toe combat is what Sekiro is about.Many people say that you should forget about DS-style rolls (sidesteps in Sekiro), but with that i disagree strongly. Sidestepping into counterattacks is very effective and satisfying, although the timing is tight, probably like "fat-rolling" in DS3. Some attacks will seem like homing on you, but that is usually because you sidestep too early.
Soldato
I think it's more just more of practice and learning how the fight evolves.
There are some faster bosses but again you know when the attacks are coming as you've done it 20 times before so it becomes just a matter of learning the fight and timing.
Soldato
Its just practice. I gave up on this game too also first time round within 2hrs of playing. Far too hard and the controls where rubbish.
But I went back to it, practised and eventually spent 165hrs in this great game.
Soldato
Cheaper than CDKeys?
I just checked. Yup cheaper than CDKeys.
Why has this game held its value anyway?
Most games after just a few months go down to around £24, but Sekiro after at least 18 months is holding its value.
I think its a FromSoftware thing. Dark Souls, even the oldest 2012 DS1 are still at near launch price. Psychologically its a good thing as people would try harder and be more likely to stay with the game and enjoy it closer to its full potential after having spent good money on it. Real art should be expensive and all that
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Soldato
I played it mouse and keyboard. Its not set up for it but eventually you learn your self what you need to do.
If anyone's looking for a reason to do another playthrough, I suggest playing without mikiri counter. Sidesteps are more satisfying, only slightly harder to time, and work against all perilous thrust attacks. I've been off Sekiro for about 6 months, came back into it for the sheath-unsheath mod on the pervious page, but the sans-mikiri playstyle is making the game feel even more fresh.
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Soldato
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I just got past
Really liking this so far. I have been struggling with the mini-bosses a bit - well, one of them.
I died like seven times and even when I won it was only with a sliver of health remaining and only because an accidental jump at the last minute landed me on the guy's head and finished off his poster. Totally didn't mean that!
Finished playing this morning when the next boss cut me down in short order.
I think moving around the levels is a lot easier than Dark Souls so far, but the bosses and mini-bosses seem a lot harder (for me anyway). Finding the balance between staying aggressive to keep the posture metre filling up whilst also leaving time to react to the opponent is so far feeling very difficult and I haven't got into the rhythm of it at all yet.
the giant white snake.
Really liking this so far. I have been struggling with the mini-bosses a bit - well, one of them.
(The General after the Chained Ogre)
I died like seven times and even when I won it was only with a sliver of health remaining and only because an accidental jump at the last minute landed me on the guy's head and finished off his poster. Totally didn't mean that!
Finished playing this morning when the next boss cut me down in short order.
I think moving around the levels is a lot easier than Dark Souls so far, but the bosses and mini-bosses seem a lot harder (for me anyway). Finding the balance between staying aggressive to keep the posture metre filling up whilst also leaving time to react to the opponent is so far feeling very difficult and I haven't got into the rhythm of it at all yet.
There's an optional area you can do before the giant snake path whose enemies and boss will teach you quite a lot about the rhythm of the game and controlled aggression. It's harder than what you're going up against currently but totally worth doing earlier as it's great and will ensure you'll have an easier time later on.
Soldato
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Ah right, that would be the place I got mysteriously transported to, didn't know what to do and so fast-traveled back from.
I will have to investigate.
I just beat the first proper boss after the snake. It was tough first of all because I seem to really struggle with the idea that successful parries (maybe that's why they're called deflects and not parries in game) don't stop the enemy combo. I died to that twice and still struggled to force myself to learn the lesson. Then I was getting very close for a couple of tries but he has one attack that seems to come from nowhere and that I can't read, so that was giving me trouble. I got him after I think five deaths, which isn't that different to my first experience with the Asylum Demon or Iudex Gundyr so that's encouraging.
It felt like a good battle and I have to say I am throroughly enjoying this so far.
Great to hear! make sure you're playing with Japanese audio and English subtitles, the voiceover and acting are so much better than the bland and mawkish dub.
Slow combos can be interrupted, but fast flurries need to be deflected/blocked to the end. Experiment with pressing attack immediately after a successful deflect to do so, the timing is tight though. You almost have to know that your deflect will work and press attack without waiting to see if it worked. This makes a big difference with sword enemies, including bosses.
Soldato
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Oh yeah, I always switch Japanese media to Japanese audio where there's the option. It is really good in this case.
Yeah, still getting this wrong over and over again. I'm having to completely retrain my gaming muscle memory and those 400-odd hours across the DS games are not helping at all despite certain elements of the games looking similar.
Soldato
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So after a bit more time in game I had started to feel like things clicked for me a bit. Blazed through four more mini-bosses with just one death (the first meeting with the bull... very much a wtf moment!). Had a few Python-esque "run awaaay" moments with the rooftop ninjas when all of sudden there were like five of the ******** on me, but in general I was starting to feel pretty confident.
Haha, I haven't died in ages, I was thinking. I got this, I was thinking.
Then I met those blue-robed gets in the upper castle. And died. And died. And died.
I know I am supposed to mikiri counter their thrust attack, but it seems to come out so quickly and I can't get the timing down. And it one-shots me.
In the end I ran past them and all their accopanying mooks, so I had a Benny Hill train of mobs trailing me until I found somewhere to hide and found the next idol.
I went back to practice on the one near the upper castle idol, and I can successfully mikiri maybe one time in four. Which leaves me eating a katana an unhealthy number of times.
Now I am sure I am not ready for the next boss after all
Haha, I haven't died in ages, I was thinking. I got this, I was thinking.
Then I met those blue-robed gets in the upper castle. And died. And died. And died.
I know I am supposed to mikiri counter their thrust attack, but it seems to come out so quickly and I can't get the timing down. And it one-shots me.
In the end I ran past them and all their accopanying mooks, so I had a Benny Hill train of mobs trailing me until I found somewhere to hide and found the next idol.
I went back to practice on the one near the upper castle idol, and I can successfully mikiri maybe one time in four. Which leaves me eating a katana an unhealthy number of times.
Now I am sure I am not ready for the next boss after all
The castle boss will teach you the proper ways of Sekiro combat
I loved it, a well-designed skillcheck.
I feel like the game wanted to make sure if you understood the combat at that point. It's like people going from DS to Bloodborne and getting roflstomped because they initially don't understand the controlled aggression approach that game requires. Sekiro is pretty similar in a sense.
If you can beat the castle boss, it's safe to say you can beat the game.
I'd go back and wrap up that area we were talking about before you tackle the castle boss. There are also branching paths from the castle you can take, you don't have to do this boss first.
I loved it, a well-designed skillcheck.I feel like the game wanted to make sure if you understood the combat at that point. It's like people going from DS to Bloodborne and getting roflstomped because they initially don't understand the controlled aggression approach that game requires. Sekiro is pretty similar in a sense.
If you can beat the castle boss, it's safe to say you can beat the game.
I'd go back and wrap up that area we were talking about before you tackle the castle boss. There are also branching paths from the castle you can take, you don't have to do this boss first.
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