REVIEW | Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Written by Michael Richardson

Published 8 July 2019

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All trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Opinions expressed in this review are of the reviewer alone.

Game Copyright 2019 FromSoftware, Inc. 

Available on PC, PS4, X1

Reviewed on PS4

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Fun Everlasting  

 

What comes to mind when you think of the word redemption? For many gamers out there, Rockstar Games’ western epic Red Dead Redemption will likely ring a bell, which followed outlaw John Marston’s quest for morality in a landscape wrought with decay. For many history enthusiasts, the decline of the axis powers at the end of World War Two, the impact of the American Civil Rights movement, and the collapse of the Soviet Union are but a few twentieth century examples. And for my fellow New England Patriots football fanatics, the amount of times the team has conquered a fourth quarter comeback. Reminiscing about Super Bowl LI still gives me shivers! 

 

Although the greatest saviors are the brave soldiers who fight global evil, I nevertheless view my experience with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice as a story of redemption. Coming off of an underwhelming experience with FromSoftware’s Bloodborne, I yearned for an improvement to their action role-playing style that has brought smiles to numerous players. To say Sekiro brought a smile to my face would be a critical understatement. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice consistently impressed me with its incredible combat, level design, atmosphere, and accessibility that, despite a struggling performance, had me immersed in the world of Ashina for hours on end. 

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Crawling With Souls

 

The Japanese Sengoku period is most well known for inexorable conflict between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, which is when the story of Sekiro takes place. The land of Ashina faced such struggles while being undertaken by a coup, resulting in the injury of a young boy who is taken as an orphan by a shinobi, or a feudal Japanese soldier, named Owl. Years pass, and the child is named Sekiro, or ‘Wolf’, and is entrusted with guarding Lord Kuro, whose ancestry poses danger to the land. Trying to escape the kingdom, Kuro and Wolf make it to a flower field where the latter loses his arm, and Kuro is taken hostage. Upon regaining consciousness, Wolf awakes with an amplified arm called the shinobi prosthetic and sets out across the land to save his master. The narrative gradually gets more complex, and like many FromSoftware titles, branches in many directions. Whichever way you go, the story touches on many evocative themes that conclude in a memorable experience. While I wish some moments had greater exposition, since some bosses in particular had me scratching my head as to why I had to fight them, I was consistently impressed by the narrative and how it effectively uses a narrow cast to deliver captivating arcs and shocking plot twists. I especially adored the use of foreshadowing, which grants a much deeper meaning to earlier interactions. 

 

Unlike recent FromSoftware titles, Wolf can communicate with characters which frequently leads to interesting lore, and while not the most likable protagonist, Wolf has intriguing dialogue and his intentions are made clear throughout the narrative, making his grim demeanor all the more understandable. The narrative similarly succeeds with a wonderful attentiveness to Japanese history, demonstrated through gorgeous Buddhist temples or authentic warrior attire. Moreover, Sekiro’s story frequently impressed with its insightful messages that helped motivate me all the way to the end. 

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Prosthetic Prowls

 

While the narrative is enjoyable throughout, Sekiro’s gameplay takes center stage for its satisfaction and accessibility. Wolf’s swordplay with his Kusabimaru stands out as the most recognizable and fun feature, which mandates constant parries and attacks to reduce an opponent’s posture, leaving them open to a deathblow. Although the only main weapon Wolf can wield, the sword seldom gets repetitive with constant upgrades and new combat arts that ensure slashing through enemies never gets stale, while adding further nuance as the game goes on. And having a mastery of those sword techniques is essential for surviving the world of Ashina, since like prior FromSoftware titles, Sekiro prides itself on its difficulty. While challenging to the bone, Sekiro eases players extremely well into the experience to the point where it never feels overwhelming, even going as far as to include an actual tutorial that can be reviewed. The punishment for death is reasonable as well, since lost currency and experience can easily be reclaimed and sculptor’s idols, or checkpoints, are close in proximity to each other. Even more forgiving, there is always a chance that Wolf will not lose anything upon death - a system called unseen aid. Moreover, very rarely is death not your fault, making it so success relies on pattern recognition and perseverance. 

 

And oh boy does memorization play a central role in Sekiro’s myriad of challenging boss encounters, which are incredibly entertaining and satisfying to conquer. My favorite fights consisted of constant sword to sword combat, necessitating agility and patience while clawing away at an opponent. By the time the endlessly rewarding ‘Shinobi Execution’ screen popped up, I felt like I was just waking from a state of zen, where enemy patterns had engrained themselves into my mind and I was in complete control of the battlefield (Except, that state of zen quickly concluded with a loud scream of joy). Additionally, most bosses iterate on previous combat mechanics, making their battles even more chaotic and rewarding. 

 

I similarly adored how well Sekiro cohesively blends its gameplay systems. The many tools that can be applied to the shinobi prosthetic especially stand out, injecting more variety into combat, and some even combat enemy weaknesses. Whether it be the trauma-inducing flame vent, amazingly utile umbrella, or my personal favorite, the opponent-stunning firecracker, the tools prove extremely useful in battle alongside regular swordplay and were fun to experiment with. Otherwise, the complex skill trees, tool crafting, and effective stealth mechanics were among the standout mechanics that made it so Sekiro’s combat had me constantly at the edge of my seat. 

 

Sekiro’s level design also impresses throughout. While not as interconnected as Lordran in the original Dark Souls, most areas include optional paths that link in unexpected ways, despite the largely linear design. Most landscapes are given an added breath of verticality thanks to the grappling hook, which can be used for aerial executions and exploration. More often than not, Sekiro rewards venturing off the beaten path with useful items, currency, and optional boss fights that regularly gift player beads, which increase maximum health upon amassing four, similar to heart pieces in Nintendo’s Zelda franchise. While I loved uncovering every piece of Ashina, the reliance on the grappling hook hurts exploration since its targeting feels imprecise, leading to many instances of health loss that I felt was not my fault. The overuse of several minibosses leads to additional tedium, which becomes especially prominent when aiming for completion. In the grand scheme, however, blemishes with exploration prove little annoyance with how much satisfaction came with discovering a new area.

 

Although swordplay had me the most blown away, I enjoyed Sekiro’s intuitive resurrection mechanic. To elaborate, defeating enemies helps fill up a gauge that, once completed, allows Wolf to come back from the shadows, which proves incredibly beneficial in battle and must be used strategically to gain an upper hand. However, one gauge automatically gets refilled upon death, which makes using gauges feel less punishing. But actual death comes at a cost, and if Wolf repeatedly dies and must spawn back at the last sculptors idol, he will inflict the dragonrot disease onto certain characters, making their side quests unavailable and decreasing the rate of unseen aid. While this might seem obtrusive, the dragonrot system adds a weight to death and increases immersion while being simple to remove later on, with visible effects on characters that made me feel like I was making an impact. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the resurrection system and hope it receives iteration in a sequel to give it an increased momentary impact. 

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Two Sides to Immortality

 

Besides a well integrated gameplay and plot, Sekiro succeeds with a remarkable art direction. The Japanese aesthetic shines throughout the experience while not mitigating the current struggles of the populace. One moment you will be traversing a serene pond bursting with color, and the next a forest of black and brown will descend upon the landscape. While the world might not feel interconnected in the moment, gazing from tall structures yields gorgeous views of Ashina, making me reminisce about the journey. The audio direction deserves special recognition, because the feedback from swordplay is absolutely incredible, with successful parries triggering a bombastic flare across the screen, and slicing through skin making a blood-splattering noise. Enemies also have recognizable chants, making them all the more memorable. Sekiro’s many set pieces also impressed and surprised with how unexpected they were. The soundtrack is similarly Japanese inspired, using a variety of instruments to evoke Japanese culture. While exploring, the music is atmospheric, but during boss fights, the compositions crescendo into adrenaline-inducing melodies that expertly fit the setting. While I do not see myself listening to the soundtrack too much, it was nevertheless enjoyable in-game. 

 

However, where Sekiro struggles the most is its performance. While it targets a smooth sixty frames per second, it never even approaches the target, instead visibly fluctuating between the high-20s and high-40fps on Playstation 4. While I got used to the generally mid-40fps mark, I never shook the feeling that combat speed felt wrong, and got frustrated when the frame rate chugged during heated encounters. Therefore, Sekiro would have massively benefitted from further console optimization to ensure a smoother experience. Currently, Sekiro proves that FromSoftware are masters of immersion, but performance needs improvement and hampered the otherwise terrific setting. 

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Verdict

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My experience with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was an unforgettable redemption story. From its somber beginning to its cinematic conclusion, Sekiro affirmed to me that FromSoftware’s unique genre of action role-playing is among the most satisfying and rewarding experiences in the modern gaming industry. With an incredibly versatile yet accessible combat system, wonderful art direction, inspiring story, well-balanced challenge, and intuitive resurrection system, I was addicted to the Wolf’s tale for all of my dozens of hours in the world of Ashina. Even with a struggling frame rate, the sheer adrenaline rush that came with executing just one successful parry is something few other experiences rival, and I hope Sekiro’s world gets expanded on just so I can resurrect that feeling once more. Its gems like Sekiro that remind me of why I love the gaming industry, and for anybody remotely interested or turned off by FromSoftware’s previous offerings, I highly encourage you to give it a go. As I now understand, some experiences out there are simply yearning for redemption.