Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

- Gameplay: 10
- Story: 10
- Characters: 10
- Sounds: 9
- Graphics: 8
- Level Design: 10
- My Opinion: 10
- Device Played On: Playstation 4

I died so much, I got dragon rot in real life

Sekiro is the most rewarding game I've ever played. The rush and surge of dopamine after defeating a boss (especially the demon of hatred) after dying a million times is unlike anything else!! After beating the game, I feel like I've surpassed some kind of threshold in gaming. You truly evolve as a gamer as it makes you more patient, persistent and disciplined. Though, I've rage-quit it more times than I can count in the past after hitting a wall with Genichiro. I can't believe that at some point, he became nothing but a tutorial boss to help me build momentum at the start of a gaming session. This isn't a game where you can spam and mash buttons and get away with it, no. Each boss fight is a choreography you dance to. Once you learn its rythm and recognize the attack patterns, it clicks. And once it clicks you could breeze through that boss like it's nothing. Now, I wish for a Tenchu remake from the same developers. Playing Rikimaru or Ayame with the same combat mechanics as Sekiro would be a dream come true.

A masterpiece. Mixing stealthy Tenchu-like mechanics into a souls-like game was a marriage made in heaven. I came in thinking it would be dark souls with some very basic stealth mechanics that wouldn't matter much. However, I was completely wrong. Stealth is an intricate part of the game. The game differs so much from souls games ranging from combat, movement, and story that this is wholly its own thing with only slight ties to previous games. Meaning you shouldn't play it like a souls game or you will get pummeled. But once the game clicks there is no turning back, you will be hooked from start to finish.

The sword combat alone is the best sword combat I have ever played in a game. The clashing of katanas in a boss battle is something you have to experience. Timing is key, parries matter. Which makes this game the most engaging game I have ever played. Your into every encounter almost engaging it in a rhythmic trance.

Look, I could go on and on. From setting to world-building. This game is just special. Very deserving of the game of the year title it won in 2019. It might even be the best game that decade. Miyazaki is a man that should be cherished. No other man can make games like this. This man's games are in the Mario and Zelda tier of magic.



*rant alert*
I just wish more people could get over the "it's too hard" thing. That's the point, it's meant to keep you engaged and not just mindlessly stumbling through it. You can't just run up and smash right bumper brainless while listening to a podcast and get rewarded. If you want that, go play Skyrim. Just remember everything is tough when you first start it. This is not like other games you've played. So it takes time to adjust and learn. You just have to stick with it, trust me, it's beyond worth it.

AAAAAAA IM GONNA KILL MYSELF

I'm going to kill myself and its your fault

A hauntingly beautiful nightmare, a world as stunning as it is merciless.

The movement is Smooth as silk.
The combat is Fluid, and brutally precise.But don’t be fooled, this game doesn’t care about your comfort. It’ll break you, bury you, and demand you rise again, better and sharper each time. You’ll die more times than you can count.

My only beef? Progression can grind to a halt if you don’t know where to go or what to do next. There’s little handholding, and getting stuck feels like a cruel twist of the knife.

Still, if you’ve got the guts, it’s one hell of a ride