When Dark Souls meets Sekiro

Long before the premiere of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, one could wonder what path From Software studio would take to create a brand new one. Whether it will be a variation on the Souls' theme, as was the case with Bloodborne, or Asians will decide on many unique solutions in fun mechanics that will make their new work completely different from the production of Dark Souls.

It has to be said that it is definitely the latter, but it doesn't mean that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice lacks the solutions we can find in Dark Souls or Bloodborne. After all, the game has its own unique character and it's hard to say that it's a new Souls. However, one can risk saying that Sekiro will be the best for those who liked much more dynamic Bloodborne. But one by one.

Once again we received a third-person action RPG, in which we explore new locations, talking to the NPCs we meet, fighting opponents, and - occasionally - watching film interludes (although there is more cut-scenes in Sekiro than in Dark Souls anyway). Without a map, we try to discover the world by trial and error, i.e. on the principle that if they hit us hard here, it's a sign that we have to try somewhere else. The high level of difficulty is the hallmark of From Software, although I have the impression that Sekiro is a bit more demanding than the previous titles of this manufacturer.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice uses the Dark Souls or Bloodborne way of recording the game state, namely the game does it automatically at certain moments. Along the way we locate the Sculptor's statues, which serve as bonfires from the Souls or lamps from the already mentioned Bloodborne. It is worth resting in such places, because in case of death we will be reborn with the last activated statue (one should bear in mind the mechanics of resurrection of the character and situations in which we fell into the abyss, but for details I refer to our review). But a rest is equal to a revival of all serial opponents in a given area. I write "privates", because it is not possible to respawn bosses and mini bosses.

At first you can get the impression that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice offers a linear course of fun, but nothing more wrong. After a few hours of gameplay, it turns out that suddenly we have access to several different places, which can be associated with Bloodborne or even Dark Souls III (Dark Souls II and Dark Souls offer a completely different experience in this field). Interestingly, bosses and mini bosses have identical life belts, so at first we are confused. However, it is worth noting that less demanding (or rather optional, because fighting them is also extremely difficult) enemies offer items to improve life and posture, while from the "bosses" fall memories that allow you to increase the power of attack.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is based on well-known foundations, but it still turns the gameplay formula upside down thanks to the phenomenal combat system. This time, the endurance strap has been completely abandoned, and individual battles are largely based on blocking, evaporating and leading out attacks. Performing these both offensive and defensive actions, we fill the enemy's posture bar (of course it also works the other way around, so you need to be on your guard) until you can inflict critical damage on them. Yes, Sekiro can be played like Soulsy or Bloodborne, attacking and dodging, but in the long run it doesn't exist.

This approach to the issue of clashes with opponents makes Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice suitable for players who prefer a dynamic fight, rather than luring out one opponent after another and eliminating them in peace. It's not Dark Souls, where you could lurk for more archery opponents. Here it is much better to drive on full throttle and deal with the whole army in a blink of an eye (although it's not easy). After all, Sekiro has something for everyone who wants to be careful. We're talking about simple sneaking mechanics. This way we can surprise individual enemies and even deal critical damage to bosses and mini-bosses. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is not a game for fans of Sam Fisher or Hitman, but for those who identify themselves with Bloodborne Hunter.

The introduction of the possibility (or rather the necessity) of using the hook link in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice makes the construction of the levels completely different. It's common here to jump into seemingly inaccessible places, fall into an abyss, grab the edge of rocks or even use the gadget to quickly get close to your opponent and launch a few powerful attacks. Locations are therefore well designed not only horizontally, but also vertically. Add to that the fact that at some stage of the game there is exploration of underwater areas.

Before we had a chance to play Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice studio From Software informed that the game will not offer a system of character development known from Souls and Bloodborne. So the statistics of our hero disappeared completely, and what's more - he uses only a katana. In addition, however, he has the possibility to use alternative weapons and skills after using his denture tool to replace his left hand, which he lost in one of the initial fights. It is also worth noting that during the game we unlock (with a special tree) new types of blows and passive abilities.

We don't even know the preliminary sales results of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice yet, but we do know that From Software created another hit, as evidenced by industry reviews and comments from players. Therefore, the game can be a nose for all those who think that in 2019 there is no room for productions containing only one player mode. Also in this case, the Asians wanted to cut themselves off from their previous games. Cry all those who called for helpers when they couldn't defeat the boss. In Sekiro you are on your own. You have a pause, so you can stop playing at any time.

Sekiro offers too few elements from Dark Souls and Bloodborne to be able to say that this is a game similar to the previous achievements of the From Software studio.
Apparently, it seems that Asians offer a trip on familiar terms, but one evening with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is enough to say that almost everything has to be learned again here. Starting with the mechanics of combat, through exploration, and ending with how to develop a character. And it's amazing, because - as I already wrote in my review - the authors could have taken it easy serving us another Dark Souls or Bloodborne's second installment.