Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

There's a clear line in the gaming world, a tangible "before and after" ever since Dark Souls was released. Dozens of games, big and small have tried to simulate the gameplay and difficulty of this popular series. The original developer of the saga From Software has expanded the series beyond the "Souls" series. We're not here to talk about Bloodborne, but about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The latest games in by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the mastermind behind all the souls' games.

So, let's talk about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and see if it's worthy of being part of the now-legendary Souls series.

About the game

Set in the mythology-rich feudal Japan, we travel back to the 1500s, in the Sengoku era. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice presents a game more oriented towards exploration, stealth, and platform, with some RPG elements too.

We play as Sekiro, also known as Wolf, or Ookami, an immortal shinobi trying to recover his honor by rescuing his master. Sekiro has fallen into disgrace, but no matter how many times he died, he just keeps coming back to life.

Completely different game, the same spirit

When you compare Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice with Any other FromSoftware Miyazaki game, you'll realize they are very different. For once, the narration is much more direct, and the plot is delivered to the player more clearly.

And while the difficulty is still here, the gameplay is more platformer-like. Many of the role-playing elements from Dark Souls and Bloodborne are gone, and the customization is not as extensive nor important.

In Sekiro the action and stealth are the clear protagonists, thus evaluating this game in the same standards as the other titles by FromSoftware. It's completely possible that you're a fan of the Dark Souls series and you may not like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and vice-versa. But it's undeniable that they share the same spirit, and you can see how Miyazaki worked his magic in these amazing titles.

Review

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is one of the most original, best looking, and coolest games of this generation. It's beautiful in every way, and the gameplay is incredible. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice definitely deserves being on the top right along with the best games of the Souls series.

And not only this, the game presents so many great elements that work together so well. All of this makes Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice one of the best games of this generation.

• Graphics and Visuals: The art direction in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is simply astonishing. It looks beautiful, is a technical masterpiece, and the world design is even more incredible. It’s amazing how original and beautiful is the art in this game.

• Gameplay: The gameplay is tough, as all the games in the main Souls series. But just like those, it also presents an interesting learning curve that will force you to learn from your mistakes. Every time you die you'll learn something new, and you'll get better over time, it just takes practice. The stealth mechanics work excellent, and the controls are great. There's also the completely new addition of the grappling hook, that will allow you to reach new heights while exploring the world. Even though the story is presented in a much more direct way, by exploring the world you’ll understand the lore behind the dense world of this game.

• Soundtrack: The soundtrack is incredible here, probably the best in all the FromSoftware titles, and that's definitely not an easy thing to do. It completes the entire atmosphere of the game world and completes the experience. The way it combines with the mythology of the game and pacing of each different scenery.