Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

So you know Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Bloodborne but do you know of FromSoftware’s (arguably) most challenging masterpiece of them all? After almost a year playing on and off, I do.

Sekiro tells the story of Wolf, a shinobi in ancient Japan tasked with protecting his lord, Kumo, a young boy plagued with a great and terrible curse. Dragon’s Blood- immortality. They’re are forces that want eternal life and will go to any length for it. After losing his arm and his lord to a rival, Wolf is resurrected and granted a special prosthetic from a mysterious sculptor that can be fitted with deadly and useful attachments. With his new arm, Wolf must embark on a epic quest to save his lord and stop this curse…

Is Sekiro a Soulsborne game- one of gaming’s hottest debates. Honestly, I’m torn but ultimately believe it qualifies. Sekiro is easily the hardest of the group I’ve played. It requires intense focus, creativity, patience, and Jedi fast reflexes. I’ve gotten my ass kicked and pulverized harder in my 60+ hours in Sekiro than I did my 100+ hours in dark souls 2 and multiple playthroughs of bloodborne but after it was all done, I felt true accomplishment I’ve rarely gotten in gaming. The game flows incredibly well and can be extremely challenging without ever really feeling like bullshit (I’m looking at you Souls 1 and 2). Swordplay is fast, responsive and thrilling. Stealth is smooth and easy. The platforming has a few rocky moments but mostly is solid overall and adds alot of depth to combat and exploration. Visually, the game is utterly breathtaking with stunning color and environments. The bosses are memorable, especially Genichiro, The Guardian Ape, and Ishinn the Sword Saint; Ishinn is hands down one of my favorite final bosses.

In the end, I think Sekiro beats Bloodborne as my favorite Fromsoftware game and like Bloodborne, I consider it a masterpiece. Like all the games in the category, it won’t be for all. Especially, and I cannot stress this enough, if you aren’t good at parrying- I don’t recommend this game if you aren’t a parry god or able to learn. If you are, then you’re in for a divine treat. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

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Author: torstenvblog

Writer of the strange and everything; lover of horror, literature, comics, and the alien is my spirit animal

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