Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Review - IGN

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a stylish, focused stealth-action take on the FromSoftware formula that's something amazing all its own.

[EddieNX]

Its been a while since I played through DS3 so I am ready to be hurt again.

Bring on the internal screaming !

[solideagle]

I played Demon souls and dark souls 1, I have also purchased bloodborne but I can safely say this is not my type of game. I like RPGs and hack & slash games (DMC, Bayonetta, Ninja Gaiden, GOW).

1. its very depressing genre.
2. when I come back from job I just want to relax...
3. This game does look fast paced but its still same thing die die and die. I may give it a shot because of new parry system, will see :)

[EddieNX]

I think the Soulsbourne games are exhilerating and challenging and as a result, very enjoyable not depressing!

This seems to have the charm and charisma that this genre is crying out for. I'm fully sold!

[UltraNova]

I respect your opinion but it sounds to me you never "got gud" enough to experience the adrenaline rush you feel when you overcome the insurmountable. From games are the most fun games I've experienced these past two gens, without a shadow of a doubt.

2hrs to go...

[jznrpg]

I love them but we are all different and it sounds like you won’t like this game either . I hear it’s even harder than Souls games which sound fun to me

[PlayableGamez-]

So you don't like challenging games.
Why are you telling us this?

[solideagle]

@EddieNX
I was referring to environment, always dark. That makes me depressed and I am pretty sure I am not alone. My friends who have played Souls games also said it make you depress.

@Ultra
The moment I posted my comment, I knew someone would say I am not good enough and maybe you are right. I have finished all the games I listed on hardest difficulties, so I know 1 or 2 things about "git gud". To be quite honest with you I played with mage which is the easiest class in demon's souls. I think its just not my type. Same thing happened with Ni-oh, liked it at the start because of fast paced game play but never finished it.

[Mroc13]

I feel the exact same way. Never bothered to finish Bloodborne. Just dont have the time or patience for these games anymore. DMC 5 is going great so far!

[CrimsonWing69]

Man, when I read things like this I am so thankful that I pushed through until this genre clicked for me. I used to rage so hard and got embarrassed at one point that I stopped playing these games. I just couldn't wrap my head around it till Bloodborne. Once that happened and I finished blood borne I went back and beat Dark Souls 2 HD, Demons' Souls, and Dark Souls 1.

I absolutely love these games now and they are probably some of my all time favorite titles. I feel bad that some people can't get into them like I couldn't in the beginning because they really are missing out.

[UltraNova]

solideagle,

Fair enough man not every game type is for everyone.

PS: Wasn't my intention to insult you or anything, its just I was speaking out if experience and just like CrimsonWing69 I too gave up after getting my ass handed to me in Demon Souls. Fortunately I tried it again a year later only to fall in love with it the moment it clicked (git gud). Now I can beat all soulsborne games blindfolded, I shit you not.

Anw, back to Sekiro (this game is seriously hard).

[JesusBuiltmyHotrod]

Depressing? I'd get that looked at bro...dark <> depressing, and very few games give a sense of relief and accomplishment as Froms last few masterpieces. Then there is the amazing art, sound and level design

[AirJohnston]

You got downvoted for no reason, you just don’t like these type of games and you said why without claiming they’re bad games or anything. You’re ok

[Cobra951]

You and me both. We're in the minority here, though. Our masochism stat is just not high enough for these games.

[starchild]

Miyazaki and team hit it out of the park again. These guys have an amazing track record. Just legendary. I can't wait to experience Sekiro later tonight.

[IamTylerDurden1]

I have my copy ready for pickup at 9pm tonight. Bloodborne is absolutely legendary, and regardless of the 90 Metacritic that Sekiro sports, i still have concerns.

Visuals are underwhelming - from trailers to 15 minute gameplay demos, Sekiro is not an impressive game graphically. I know the framerate is a bit higher, but it looks considerably worse than Bloodborne and even DS3. It honestly appears to be in the same class visually as Nioh, and even though Nioh was a quality game, it had last gen graphics.

Bland art and character design - both Bloodborne and D Souls feature breathtaking monsters and spectacular, dark, art direction. Bloodborne has possibly the best art direction i've seen in a game to date. The world oozes atmosphere and style, and the monsters are inspired. In fact, everything in Bloodborne was given great thought and personal detail. You could take any piece of art from Bloodborne and it would be immediately recognizable as a character/weapon/boss/asset from Bloodborne. I just don't see that with Sekiro. You could take a screenshot of Sekiro and post Nioh 2 above it and people would believe it was Team Ninja's game. The protagonist is generic other than the prosthesis, the enemy design is average, and the boss design doesn't appear to hold the From Soft standard. It just looks very uninspired from this perspective, though, the combat appears spectacular.

Enemy variety - from all the gameplay i've seen there dooes not appear to be a huge amount of enemy variety, less so than even Bloodborne. The enemies i do see don't hold a candle to previous From Soft games. The chained ogre is pretty cool, but far and few..

Not Souls - i like developers moving forward and evolving, but selfishly would prefer this game to be of the Soulsborne ilk. There isn't really a stamina bar and the rpg elements are scaled back. Leveling is simplified and it appears to be a more action oriented title. I wonder if the level design will be as intricate considering how fast you move and how much larger areas must be. In a sense level design must be compromised to a degree, however, the newfound verticallity will add another layer to exploration. Bloodborne had reasonably small areas, but they were masterfully crafted and packed with depth. Hopefully it has the secrets and intricate depth that previous From Soft games had.

Technical deficiency - From Soft has never been technically adept, but their art direction and level design are second to none. However, now that these games sell millions of copies a piece i'd expect a minimum level of AAA production value. DS3 ran 900/30 on XB1 with framerate issues/clipping.

[Enturax]

IamTylerDurden1 I agree with everything except for the boss battle mechanics - they seem pretty innovative, like the dude walking on the steel strings above you.

[frostypants]

No more "this is too hard, time to call in some ringers" either. This is gonna hurt. Can't wait.

[chrisx]

can't wait to get my copy

[UnSelf]

I have your copy. Follow these instructions if you wish to receive it.

[BigBosss]

I'm picking up my copy tomorrow! Huge fan of the souls series and platinumed Bloodborne :D

[Thundercat77]

"platinumed Bloodborne"

You have my respects sir.

[DaGR8JIBRALTAR]

👏🏾

[Snookies12]

I was so close to a platinum on Bloodborne... I just couldn't bring myself to finish all the Chalice Dungeon stuff, lol.

[The Wood]

Trooper

[Parasidious]

Same. Well I got the platinum trophies for all of Souls/borne series.

[GameStallion]

I too platinumed Bloodborne to show love & repect to From... and because it was fun.

[Thundercat77]

Let's pray the sun ☀ for this.

[BlaqMagiq1]

Same here. Bloodborne was my second platinum on PS4. My love for that game DEMANDED I platinum it.

[Thundercat77]

Our love for this game DEMANDS Bloodborne 2.

[notachance]

Bloodborne was actually the first Soulsborne I played.. even stopped twice playing it, once on the Father Gascoigne and the other on Logarius Martyr.
It was years before I attempted to play it again... now I have platinumed all DS, Bloodborne, Nioh, and am ready to play the sh*t out of Sekiro.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Is it as difficult as the platinum for Life is Strange? I got the platinum for Life is Strange on PS3 and PS4. Wowser!

[VerminSC]

Yes!! I was nervous, even though it looked amazing. Sometimes it’s hard for a developer to shift gears but they did it!

[robtion]

I can relate. This has been my 2nd most anticipated game(after cyberpunk 2077) since it was announced. I am dying (only once though) to get home and play it.

[VerminSC]

My second most as well, except for the last of us part 2

[Frodosmugins]

Haven't been this excited for a game for ages!!

This reminds me of Tenchu so much!

[salmonade]

Man I've got such fond memories of all the Tenchu games. Throwing rice dumplings down to distract a would-be victim lol

[Bathyj]

Poison rice.

Best.... Weapon...EVER

[william_cade]

Agree. This is an event for sure.

[SuperSonic91]

Even if its not "Tenchu" per se its a spiritual successor of the the game that popularized stealth in gaming in the 90s.
Fromsoftware made a Tenchu game before and Activision published the first Tenchu for PS1.

[AizenSosuke]

Quality what do you expect

[Thundercat77]

That is exactly why God of War has won and keep winning game of the year awards. Premium quality = success.

[Tototot]

God of war made by from software now?

[AspiringProGenji]

^ Not his point 🤦🏽‍♂️

[Thundercat77]

@ Tototot

You are totototally lost.

[Vegamyster]

Excited to jump into it, the new combat system looks so good.

[Imalwaysright]

I knew that this game would get stellar reviews.

[timotim]

My X is ready!

[Ricegum]

Lol

[EddieNX]

Here here! *Raises champagne flute*

[jznrpg]

Of course it is , not much else to get besides old 360 games and wait for good multiplats

[Traecy]

Yep.

[timotim]

Damn guys, why are you getting bent outta shape just because i said my X is ready. I didn't say anything bad about PS. And just for the record, I have more than enough games to play across Xbox One and Windows 10. Been playing a lot of Play Anywhere games lately. Ghost of a Tale, Wargroove, Crackdown, Guacamalee 2, and Shadow of the Tomb raider and JC4 recently hit GamePass...im good.

When did multiplates stop being games??? If it's a good game, I'm going to want to play it...

[No Way]

Are you really that sad with your life? Lol.

[gangsta_red]

Mine too, will be picking this up this weekend.

[sssb]

I Fully trust Fromsoftware, not surprise here.

[Relientk77]

I'll probably be picking this up, I loved the Tenchu games.

[theshredded]

From software has never dissapointed me, this is most likely going to be my GOTY.

[I_am_Batman]

Considering that Bloodborne is still my favorite game of this gen I'm inclined to agree.

[--bienio--]

👍 time to pick up the copy on Friday.

[Thundercat77]

I pre ordered this game on PSN a few weeks back without the need of any reviews. From Software is a developer I trust.

Tomorrow is the day. And after this one, Ghost of Tsushima and then Nioh 2. I love feudal Japanese based games.

[DaReapa]

"And after this one, Ghost of Tsushima and then Nioh 2. I love feudal Japanese based games."

You are not alone, my friend. I even went back to revisit Total War: Shogun 2 the other day.

[Thundercat77]

And I went back to revisit Nioh my friend. Amazing games indeed.

[DemoIishor]

THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY

[-Ghost]

It's great to see all the reviews coming in on a positive note (no surprise). Hoping I can obtain the Collector's Edition tomorrow

[thornh]

First game since God of War that I genuinely hyped to play!

[Ninver]

Welp looks like another fromsoftware buy. My respect for these devs grows with every release

[annoyedgamer]

Wow. Didn't expect such a high score. Looks I will have to play it.

[PlayableGamez-]

Miyazaki will go down as one of the greatest Japanese Game Developer of all time.

[TheColbertinator]

From Software simply knows how to deliver. Amazing.

[MadLad]

This one was flying under the radar for me. Was expecting it to be good; not great.

[Traecy]

Nice score! Once I finish a few games I've already bought I'll be buying this.

[Silly gameAr]

Can't wait for this game.

[Father__Merrin]

Dunno bloodborne without lots and lots of weapons wasn't as good as souks games. Much of the lore and story was in the items.

I believe this is the same you don't really look forward to loot

[SpinalRemains138]

Gems. That is all.

[ziggurcat]

can't wait to play this.

[william_cade]

Miyazaki and crew make solid games. They are one of the few groups that are still making complete games in an age of unfinished games built around turning players into payers (Mr. sterling). I really enjoy playing Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3, so much style and solid game-play. Now we have a jump button and a Shinobi theme, I'm all in.

[ShockUltraslash]

Ayy its the same as DMC5 score!

We are getting 2 awesome action games in a month!

[Thundercat77]

From Japan 🇯🇵 with love.

[Blu3_Berry]

I always enjoyed Fromsoftware's games so I already knew this was going to be a fantastic game from the get-go. It's one of the few developers I have complete faith in where I can pre-order without being worried.

[NarutoFox]

From software games always get great scores. My PC is ready for 60fps

[MasterCornholio]

My PC is ready as well.

[Bnet343]

I am so freaking happy for FromSoftware. I wanted this game to be so good. Man I CANT WAIT!!! BOW DOWN TO FROMSOFTWARE!!!!!

[Miss_Vixen]

I've completed Demon Souls, all the Dark Souls games, Ninja Gaiden, Nioh, and Bloodborne. Looking forward to tackling this now.

[Petebloodyonion]

What's missing from this game to score a 10 on various web site?
The word " Exclusive to "
If the game was exclusive to Nintendo ( "Bayonetta 2") or Sony (BloodBorne) we would already have our game of the year with multiples perfect 10, but hey! since it's multiplatform and not made from a Legendary producer like Kojima 9.5 is the best it can score.

[TheHateTheyGive]

Thats why exclusives matter. Exclusive games for ps4 look better than any 3rd party games because the developer only has to make it for one platform and can take every advantage of said consoles custom hardware. 3rd party games have to scale down and up to many consoles and pc's so it dilutes the game as a whole.

Ill wait for ghost of tsushima to get my Samari open world fix.

[Petebloodyonion]

And how did " the carbon copy of the 1st" Bayonetta 2 took advantage of the WII U to score a 10?
How did the "no Story port of the Wii U" Zelda Breath of the wild took advantage of the Switch to score a 10?
How did Journey took advantage of the PS3 back then?

Again just pointing out that 3rd parties game are almost never award even when there's no faults mentions but exclusives seems to get them even when there's flaws that would score others game a notch down.

[Platformgamer]

i sincerely found it less enjoyable than nioh or bloodborne, from what i see from the gameplay videos all over youtube :/

[Gatsu]

Play it yourself to get the feel the best <(-_-)>.

[SprigganN4G]

Contenders for 2019 GOTY by now is all about JAPAN:

1- Resident Evil 2 (Capcom, Japan)
2- Sekiro (From Software, Japan)
3- Devil May Cry 5 (Capcom, Japan)
4- Kingdom Hearts 3 (Square-Enix, Japan)
5- The Division 2 (Ubisoft, France)

Meanwhile EA fails with Anthem, with it's $20 skins and Activision fires 800 workers and loses Bungie. And dont forget last year with Bethesda's Fallout 76 ripoff.

Way to go US! Trying to destroy gaming again as you did in the 80s?

[Thundercat77]

I was thinking the same 😂.

Thank God we can exclude some good legendary developers from US like Naughty Dog, Santa Monica and others.

[JesusBuiltmyHotrod]

From Software are one of the very best devs on the planet, can't wait

[Psychotica]

This sounds good. But I am still hoping for another Dark Souls game some day.

[BlaqMagiq1]

Another winner from From Software

[galmi]

Expected nothing less

[jwillj2k4]

For some reason I feel this will shadow sucker punches efforts no matter how good it is.

[JesusBuiltmyHotrod]

lol no.

[xRacer74x]

Ill check it out on PC

[Thundercat77]

Single player games teaching GaaS games how things are done.

[Manubiggs]

I've got a 3 month old daughter now so it will be a while before I attempt this.

[Hardiman]

The Soulsborne games are such roller coaster rides for me. I'm filled with anxiety of the unknown (especially Bloodborne) and the challenges that await but as you go through and learn and find ways to accomplish the seemingly impossible you get an almost euphoric feeling. I love the risk vs reward! Looking foward to Seriro!

[Tapani]

This game is good! So far around 6hrs in. Can’t wait to finish up work early to venture further.

The system still hasn’t opened up fully, but I can already say it’s closer to Zelda in being an RPG compared to Dark Souls. However, the gameplay has opened up physically and dimensionally which replaces the stats and selection of weapons etc. Also, a lot of exploration, more open than DS3 (which was kind of a straight forward stint. Sekiro has also quite the Tenchu vibe with some added Bloodborne and Dark Souls spice in the mix. A very lean experience.

Played around 400-600hrs each Soulsborne game and this seems like another classic.

[brettbatley]

Getting some tasty scores. Might pick it up over the weekend

[hiawa23]

Pre-ordered digital copy for X1X. Can't wait to play..

[Smokehouse]

Don’t play the souls games or bloodborne but nioh was my GOTY and I really liked ninja gaiden 2 on 360. I like the samurai and ninjas japan more than the knights of fantasy or the gothic European feel. I guess if I’m going to get my ass kicked then I want to enjoy the view lol. That said I can’t wait for this game. Super hyped.

[trouble_bubble]

Once upon a time Shuhei Yoshida called Demons Souls crap. 10 years later From Software is saving Activision. Rags to riches 101.

[deadfrag]

On consoles the game is a technical piece of crap and i frankly cant understand the reason reviwers dont talk more about this and why From Software have not yet fix the Framerate pacing issues with the game engine and added a performance mode for the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X...releasing a game in this age that runs with all this technical issues is lame!

[Bathyj]

I have it in my hands but I have to wait to finish work and escape family.

I can't wait. I'm getting Tenchu chills again after all this time.

[Kaii]

I absolutely hate this game, getting Metal Gear Revengeance blocking flashbacks, Which In that game I didn't mind, for me In this game, annoying chore over & over.
I'm able to play the game, I grasp the counter system and I do not mind-numbingly press R1 button to attack, It's just not fun, Also the dragons rot mechanic which I assumed progressed If I were to resurrect In combat, turns out not so much x)

Perhaps I should've slept before playing at midnight, You know those moments In Bloodborne you counter the enemy with this sweet gunshot, and you can do this fantastic critical hit that just oozed damage, why Is that a thing In this game? low tier mobs you've basically killed, and for bosses It's just L1/Block incoming attack *2/3 & counter hopefully break his stance and critical.

I think players who die say 10/30 times on bosses In dark souls this games death mechanic Is problematic, and before people say Its Interesting, I think yeah If you resurrect It is, but I even deliberately died 20 times and my luck went from 13% to 12%
*Prior to this experiment I was at the Estate place (avoiding spoilers) & this polearm spear wielding bold asshole destroyed me, upon waking up from my death this npc was coughing (bad sign) and I received these nice debuffs which triggered me because like c'mon 3/5 deaths trigger this thing o_O

Don't even get me started on the red kanji attack, the same principle of blocking but you can (If early talented) press circle step on the sword and attack their posture, or leg sweep press X twice (one to jump & one to kick'em In the face) and you've got posture damage.

Rereading what I've put above, hate Is rather strong, I love the atmosphere In these games & I'm not saying It's Inherently bad, Ninja/Shinobi (Stealth Kills + Ninja Tools) but the combat is a chore, Also on console (PS4 Pro) I'm seeing some framerate drops.

Should I have watched some previews before purchasing the game, I did so I'm the asshole for purchasing the product when I knew beforehand the games got a big emphasis on the countering mechanic. =)

I'll try again after some sleep >.>

[DafunkyRebel]

I want to be hype for it but I’m not feeling this game

[Fritzwochel]

You gotta be joking.. You don't give a game 9.5 when it has SERIOUS frame pacing issues and is underperforming on all consoles. Look at the video from DF. Bloody hell.

[windblowsagain]

The game has frame pacing issues on all consoles.

PC is prob the best way to play.

The game needs a 1080p 60fps mode for PS4pro and XBOXONEx.