Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: Overview & Critic Reception

Combat: The Deflect System

Sekiro's combat is built around Posture. Guarding at the moment an attack lands deflects it and damages the enemy's Posture; filling the gauge opens a Deathblow. Thrust attacks cannot be guarded, so the game gives you the Mikiri Counter, a dodge straight into the thrust after the warning sound, which deals a large amount of Posture damage. Sweep attacks are low attacks that the Loaded Umbrella does not block, and the usual answer is to jump over them.

Bosses are central to the game. Genichiro Ashina is fought twice, first at the Ashina Reservoir and again atop Ashina Castle, where his second form adds lightning attacks that you can return by jumping and attacking just before you land. Lady Butterfly in the Hirata Estate summons illusions in her second phase. Some bosses and mini-bosses, such as Tenzen Yamauchi in the Ashina Outskirts, are optional.

Gameplay and Progression

Wolf's grappling hook arm and the prosthetic tool system give him vertical movement and situational options. Progression is limited compared with a Souls game: Skill Points unlock arts and passive skills, Gourd Seeds and Prayer Beads are upgrade items, and Attack Power rises only when you offer boss Memories at a Sculptor's Idol (it caps at 98, or 99 with one more Memory). The Sculptor upgrades prosthetic tools with Sen and upgrade materials. Resurrection lets you revive where you died, with charges restored by resting at an Idol and by killing enemies.

Story and Endings

You play Wolf, the shinobi guardian of Kuro, the Divine Heir. The game has four endings: Shura, Immortal Severance, Purification and Return. Shura is reached by following the Iron Code; the other three require staying loyal to Kuro, and Purification and Return need additional optional steps (roughly ten and fifteen, according to Fextralife), with Return having the longest optional questline.

Platforms and Reception

Sekiro launched on PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One on 22 March 2019, with a Stadia version in October 2020. It sold over 10 million copies by September 2023 according to Wikipedia. Beyond its Game of the Year win at The Game Awards 2019, it also won Best Action/Adventure there and the Japan Game Awards 2019 Award for Excellence.

Summary

Sekiro offers no character builds and no multiplayer, and its difficulty comes from learning enemy and boss patterns. Players who prefer build variety or co-op will find less to work with than in other FromSoftware games.

Pros & Cons