Everything You Need to Know About Sekiro Shadows Die Twice (Topic)

Already this week, Shadows Die Twice and one of the main games of the year will be released, which means now is the time to draw a line under all the information known about the game and tell what to expect from the new creation from From Software. We will try to answer the most important questions, including the main differences between Sekiro Shadows Die Twice and the Souls games, combat features and the main character's progression system, the presence (or absence) of multiplayer, and much more.

Plot and setting

Let's start with positive news for those players who accused the Dark Souls series of almost complete lack of a plot and were indignant at the developers' decision to reveal details of the plot outline through item descriptions and rare NPC phrases. The main plot in Sekiro Shadows Die Twice is presented in a more familiar manner through an abundance of cutscenes and has an uncomplicated plot. We are playing in the Sengoku era - a period in the history of Japan that lasted from the end of the XIV to the beginning of the XVII century and was marked by a series of bloody battles between the warring provinces of the Land of the Rising Sun. The main character, nicknamed Sekiro (Wolf), is trained by a mentor as a shinobi, or in other words - a ninja and Sekiro's main task is to protect the young descendant of a famous family from external forces.

According to journalists who have already played Sekiro Shadows Die Twice, the first half hour of the game acts as a prologue, clearly explaining the basics of the game's mechanics and introducing the plotline, where Sekiro loses his hand from the sword of a stranger. And immediately we get additional motivation and another plot engine - to find the traveler who has deprived the main character of his left hand and knowing the tradition of the series - to kill him, restoring the honor of shinibo. In the future, we receive a prosthesis for all occasions and set off on an adventure spiced with rivers of blood, Japanese folklore and enchanting landscapes.

Also note that the creator of the Souls-series and game director of Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Hidetaki Miyazaki, in his own words, did not give up the desire to reveal the details of the plot through the lore and lengthy phrases of the characters, collecting the script like a puzzle. In "Sekiro" we will see many ways of presenting the plot, not obvious details and innuendos that leave room for our own interpretation of the history of the game world. The Sekiro Shadows Die Twice game is a kind of experiment that should make the project more accessible for understanding by a larger number of gamers, but not to the detriment of the main components of From Software games.

Combat, respawn mechanics and world structure

The game's combat is less like Dark Souls than PS4-exclusive Bloodborne, thanks to its emphasis on offensive tactics and extremely high combat speed. The system of parrying an attack has also returned, offering to seize an opportune moment to strike and deliver an aimed dash with a sword to anticipate the enemy's attack. But to call Sekiro Shadows Die Twice the same "cabbage soup", but a different color is impossible with all the desire. First of all, due to the above, but significantly updated parry system, which allows you to reflect a series of enemy attacks. From now on, when meeting a new enemy, you will have to adjust to the dynamics of his blows, turning the battle into a rhythmic dance, in order to then lower the enemy's concentration scale and inflict critical damage on him.

Also, do not forget about the prostheses, which, like Nero in Devil May Cry 5, can take various forms and bring significant variety to the tactics of battles. In numerous gameplay trailers of Sekiro Shadows Die Twice, it was possible to notice that the prosthesis was allowed to be used as a spear, an improvised flamethrower, a shield, an ax and, of course, a grappling hook. The additional mechanic that allows you to be reborn on the battlefield, according to journalists, does not show itself in battle as an example of a brilliant innovation. But as an opportunity to get an additional chance and inflict a sly stab in the back on the enemy who has just defeated the player - the system does an excellent job.

Just keep in mind that after 2 deaths, the player irrevocably loses half of the accumulated experience and gold coins, at the same time acquiring the dragonrot disease, which affects the passage of additional tasks.

Bosses in Sekiro Shadows Die Twice are a separate song that should be given an extra paragraph. As befits the creations of From Software, each unique opponent is designed to humiliate the player and test his patience. In the sprawling bosses bestiary, a glimpse of a giant white gorilla is especially noted. Even if the design of the enemy is not impressive, but according to Hidetaka Miyazaki himself, this boss is one of the best among those that the maestro worked on in the entire history of From Software. Therefore, without a drop of doubt, we advance the meeting with the Japanese version of Bigfoot in a number of the brightest moments that we will encounter during the passage of Sekiro Shadows Die Twice.

An additional variety in battles should be introduced by primitive stealth and an extended range of movements of the protagonist: jumping, grappling hook and even swimming can and should be used to effectively eliminate opponents. Or vice versa, for almost bloodless passage of levels and tactical retreat. The mobility of the hero, as expected, had an impact on the structure of the levels, making the intricate locations already familiar from the Souls series into a real labyrinth. At the same time, there is no need to waste time returning along the already familiar paths, because the player is allowed to use idols (local analogues of fires from Dark Souls) and move to familiar locations.

Main character progression system

In the first month after the announcement of Sekiro Shadows Die Twice, the developers somewhat disappointed some of their fans with the departure of the game from the RPG roots. The fixed hero was already fearsome, but what about the leveling system, which increases replayability and gives motivation for scrupulous level research? In general, fans of From Software games can breathe out calmly: pumping and the economic system will return to Sekiro, but with cardinal changes. From now on, experience points are not invested in character characteristics, but in certain skills on a vast skill tree, bringing the game closer to slashers like God of War.

Skills in the game Sekiro Shadows Die Twice are divided into passive and active. Thus, the player gets the opportunity to create separate builds of characters, sharpened for stealth or open encounters, and no one bothers to build an interclass hybrid either. Additionally, you will have to return to the first location over and over again in order to improve the prosthesis of the character nicknamed "The Sculptor" and increase the number of first-aid kits, which, again, evokes further associations with Dark Souls and Bloodborne.

Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Multiplayer

It will not be, at all. It's even strange how From Software abandoned the largely unique online mode, which has become one of the main distinguishing features of all developer games, starting with Demon's Souls. The decision to release a fully singleplayer game in this challenging time is no doubt commendable, but are such sacrifices really necessary?

As it turned out, yes. From Software's head of marketing, Yasuhiro Kitao, said that the desire to abandon multiplayer arose early in the development of Sekiro Shadows Die Twice. In the game, despite the presence of the protagonist's progression system and the skill tree, there is no usual division into classes as such. In any case, the player must play out the shinobi and the lack of multiplayer allowed the developers to concentrate in detail on the character's abilities and make the game mechanics deeper.

Should you buy Sekiro Shadows Die Twice? If you are a fan of From Software games, then you probably already answered this question for yourself and from time to time glance at the timer that counts down to release. For the rest, the release of Sekiro Shadows Die Twice on March 22 is a great opportunity to get acquainted with the unofficial continuation of the cult series, which spawned dozens of clones and launched the trend for hardcore projects. In addition, cooperation with Activision, a clear tutorial and a more familiar plot structure will be an excellent excuse for new players to dive into Hidetaka Miyazaki's dark universe.

Just don't expect mercy, as the creator of the Sekiro series admits it will turn out to be even more difficult than all previous projects from From Software.

The Topic of Article: Everything You Need to Know About Sekiro Shadows Die Twice.
Author: Jake Pinkman