[Gamescom 2018] Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Tried, the two faces of Japan by FromSoftware

Presented at this year's E3, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice immediately attracted the attention of most gamers. A little for the setting, a little for the gameplay and, certainly, for the name of the developer company, this title has conquered everyone. During the Gamescom 2018 Two of our editors from Cologne had the opportunity to try this work firsthand and today we want to present their two impressions. You just have to get comfortable and be transported to feudal Japan.

The point of view of Tiziano “Tizio” Sbrozzi

It has been talked about for some time, for many Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice it will be the new Souls, let me say that it is not correct: the game is very similar to a Souls and at the same time completely different. In my opinion, the similarities between the two brands stop at the position of the camera and the mechanics of the check points, in the first case relegated to bonfires, in the current case dedicated to small Japanese-style shrines.

On a graphic level Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a real show, during my test I was even cold given the mountain landscape in which I was with the Lone wolf (from Japanese Seki half of a couple, Ro Wolf. NDR), blades of grass everywhere, wind whipping the clothes of the protagonist and the opponents, in short, there was a lot to see and a lot of movement even while standing still on the screen. From a technical point of view, the game is fluid, thanks to the grappling hook we can exploit the level vertically and carry out kills from above with absolute precision, obviously it is possible to carry out the classic "backstab" or critical hit that instantly kills the enemy if hit from behind or if you throw yourself at him without having seen us.

During my rehearsal I started playing as you do in any Souls, throwing myself into fights that prefer one-on-one combat and mixing dodges and parries to get to victory; Well if the clashes against the simple samurai were successful, as soon as I met a General in full armor I had many problems: first of all this enemy seems to be the only one with a health bar, even if I guessed it was not health character as well as the status of his armor. The General attacked me with tenacity and strength, often breaking my defense and killing me more often than I would have liked. Despite myself I discovered that the first time you die it is possible to come back to life immediately, but the enemy seems aware of this intrinsic ability and in fact awaits my awakening next to the corpse. Otherwise, if you decide not to resurrect, you restart the level from the last sanctuary visited.

After several attempts I discover the true meaning of the game: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a Tenchu (and here the developer reveals to me that he has never played a Tenchu); for anyone who doesn't know him, let's talk about one of the first productions of FromSoftware related to the world of the old Sony PlayStation, whose first two chapters were quite successful. I discover precisely that if I tend to play the title in stealth mode, walking slowly, lowering myself and taking full advantage of the landscape, I can move much more easily, inflicting critical hits on all of my opponents and going far ahead. Unfortunately I found out too late what the exact approach to the game was, and my time with the Wolf is over. But not all evils come to harm: in fact I was able to pass the information to my colleague Patrizio Coccia who, thanks to this tip, managed to go further than me. So don't think that having platinized all FromSoftware titles before this one will allow you to tackle the game easily.

Of course there is also something I didn't like about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. I found the game overly punishing: in fact, two hits from the enemies are really enough to find himself face down and during my trial the frustration started to take over after forty minutes of continuous death; Another thing I did not appreciate is the action approach: in fact I would have liked to be able to enhance the character through the sanctuaries, but at the moment these only perform the function of check points for their own sake. I also didn't like the decision to limit the grapple to specific situations and specific holds: if I own a robbery I want to be able to launch it where I prefer and not just on branches or predetermined roofs! On the other hand, there are many points that have satisfied me with this work: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is fast, fresh and beautiful to look at, interesting the function of the "missing" arm which allows Sekiro to have a secondary weapon for any occasion, such as a heavy ax, shuriken or a scroll that releases fire. The game is good and I hope that the feedback collected on this occasion will allow FormSoftware to correct the shot and improve the balance.

The point of view of Patrizio “Peter” Coccia

Talking about FromSoftware it would be superficial, to spend a few words for Miyazaki instead it never is. The Game Director father of the Souls series and the genre called Souls Like has changed direction, remaining however faithful to his principles and proposing an experience that as usual will set a new standard and which, as happened in the past with Bloodborne, it will surely be a huge success. Why am I talking like this? Because during our stay in Cologne, where we garrisoned the Gamescom 2018, we got to try Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a new FromSoftware title released in March 2019. Our test was complex from many points of view, a real punitive experience that has as the sole purpose to demolish the certainties of the old players, taking them on an adventure that has nothing to do with the old productions of the team. Sekiro is preparing to be a very important change of direction for the software house, not only for the new genre of reference (we are talking about an action / stealth and no more than a pure RPG), but also to demonstrate that the company, as long as it is captained by Miyazaki, will be able to establish new trends at any time, proposing always new, fresh and original products.

Do you know everything you have learned from the Souls? Well, delete it now. Despite the undoubted FromSoftware mold, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a completely different kind of experience, as punitive as i Demon's Souls, but at the same time with a much more action approach. Having said that, despite the extreme difficulty, we were able to complete our trial version, thoroughly exploring what, at least apparently, will be the first game area. It was interesting to see how the software house also in this work has given particular emphasis to the level design of the maps. In fact, now, with the introduction of the grapple, the vertical structure of the zones is even more highlighted. Obviously, however, there will be limitations: the grapple will be usable only on certain holds, and this makes some areas non-viable anyway. Despite this, however, its use is varied, allowing us to escape from uncomfortable situations, climb high to stealthily kill an enemy and much more.

Having said that, we can say with certainty that stealth is the most fascinating introduction into From Software's works. The excessive level of difficulty could make the experience inaccessible to most players and this feature will allow you to avoid the most dangerous enemies and concentrate on traveling the area quickly. There will be hidden areas with scary monsters, in this case it was a cave with an opponent who was able to slow down all our movements, so as to prevent us from running and escaping. Continuing the test we saw a rich differentiation of enemies, each with different abilities and skills that required a different approach. If you have seen the trailer for Sekiro of past E3, you may have noticed the snake at the end of the movie. Needless to say, we made his close acquaintance in a phase to be faced only in stealth mode whose purpose was to enter a cave without being eaten.

After this goal we got to fight against the real boss. Despite being a very cognitive monster, that is the one that has the purpose of accustoming the player to different changes of pace and situations, we assure you that he was not placed there to do the sparring partner, on the contrary, he made things clear right away. The battle was basically divided into phases where, once an abundant portion of life was taken away, the enemy threw all his fury against us with an attack as spectacular as it was cryptic in trying to avoid it. In this battle we were able to use the grapple to climb some branches, so as to avoid a clash in some cases or perform offensives, in a fast, adrenaline-fueled and no holds barred fight. After a few runs the opponent's move set was quite readable, so much so that he was eventually successfully defeated.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice brings with it numerous introductions, just to turn the tables on the table for all regular players. First it is fair to tell you about the jump, not the one seen in the Souls, a real leap that will give you several possibilities: you can jump on an enemy (if this allows you to) to disorient and hit him, or you can perform the classic double jump against a wall, so as to be able to cling to a ledge higher than normal. Some walls will also be scalable, even opening alternative routes. The crouch button replaces the run button, but opens up a new possibility: be able to avoid face-to-face fights and eliminate all enemies silently and safely. You can hide behind walls, assassinate from below by holding onto a ledge, or walk on the roof quietly to kill an enemy from above. The game must be approached mainly in stealth mode, but alternatively you can easily complete the various areas in the old way, defeating all the monsters one by one.

The clashes are both very tactical and fast, a rhythmic series of linked combos in which the sound of the clash of swords makes everything more poetic. The lack of the stamina bar will allow you to attack, dodge and jump without ever getting tired. This allows the fights to be quite chaotic and full of pathos, having to stay focused every moment. In case of defeat, however, do not worry, in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice death is seen as an opportunity rather than a punishment. In fact, excluding the boss fights, if you wait a few seconds the monster that defeated you will forget about you believing you are finished, you can resurrect them to hit him from behind and finish him off with a parry. To activate the latter, you just need to present yourself close to an enemy in a stealthy way: at that moment your viewfinder will be surrounded by a red aura and you just need to press the attack button to automatically activate the finish. Another way to parry your opponent will be to destabilize him during clashes, hitting him repeatedly even in the event of a parry. Once his balance bar is full, the enemy will be in your hands.

The Japanese settings, the perfect style of the Souls and some old recycled elements, such as the bonfire replaced by the statues, mean that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the classic FromSoftware product, a software house able to change its works by transforming them into something completely different, but remaining well anchored to their soul of belonging. In conclusion, the game convinced us in all respects, proving to be the worthy opening of something different, completely disconnected from the previous productions of the team. The usual name of Miyazaki as head of the project does nothing but increase certainties and expectations, we just have to wait for the full version of the title and draw the official conclusions in the future review.