FromSoftware’s newest action RPG is on its way and it may be sooner than you thought. Releasing March 22, 2019, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is, in some ways, an evolution of the beloved Souls series. Just by looking at it, you’ll probably notice the inspiration from Dark Souls. The comparisons may be inevitable, but Sekiro is also quite different from the Souls series. Since Gamescom is this week, we’ve gotten a ton of new info about FromSoftware’s upcoming title and there’s a lot to cover.
Traversal
Ways Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Is Different From Dark Souls
One of Sekiro’s most notable features is the inclusion of a grappling hook that can be utilized to traverse the environment. There is a sense of verticality that allows players to zip around and use height to their advantage. Dark Souls has some semblance of verticality, but Sekiro takes this to new heights (pun intended). You’re able to grapple up to a platform and drop down onto an enemy to deal massive damage, similar to the plummet attacks from Dark Souls. However, being able to do this more freely will introduce some added strategy that will encourage players to pick and choose their positioning when initiating a fight.
It also means that the hook can be used to close the gap between you and an enemy, bringing even more strategy into play. Certain situations come to mind, like striking the enemy a few times, zipping away to recover and then grappling right back for a few more strikes. It’s a fresh inclusion that may result in a variety of playstyles and we’re curious to see the many other ways the grappling hook will be used.
Setting and Themes
Ways Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Is Different From Dark Souls
One of the first things you may notice about Sekiro is its beautiful 16th century Sengoku, Japan setting. This is vastly different from the traditional fantasy setting of Dark Souls. That means that Sekiro will have a more grounded feel, despite still including monsters and fantasy-style creatures, like a giant centipede monster. It is not intended to be historically accurate, but rather include the “coolest parts of that period,”Robert Conkey, Activision producer, said during an IGN interview.
Also noteworthy is the fact that you play as a shinobi ninja, filling the void left by the lack of ninja games this generation. Playing as a ninja will see you do things like utilising stealth mechanics, shurikens, and the aforementioned grappling hook. There’s something about ninjas that makes for some great games, mostly because of the varied gameplay styles. Want to eliminate swathes of enemies without being seen? Try stealth. Maybe you want to take a more aggressive approach and engage the enemies directly because it’s faster. You can do that, too. There aren’t enough modern ninja games and it’s unclear why. In short, ninjas are freaking cool.
Stealth
Ways Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is Different From Dark Souls
There are various ways to tackle different situations – one method being stealth. Dark Souls does have a few moments when stealth can be used, but for the most part, the idea of sneaking around in the Souls games would be unorthodox. In Sekiro, you can lean against a wall and wait for an enemy to walk by to silently get the kill. Or, you may want to grapple up to a perch and survey the area before diving down and taking out an enemy from behind without being noticed. This is a massive difference from Dark Souls.
If you’re someone who is struggling with the brute force method, the game is designed for you to take a more stealthy approach, which may yield different results. You probably won’t be able to stealth-kill bosses, but it’s pleasing to hear Sekiro will allow for more than just head-on attacks, potentially making it more accessible to some players.
Resurrection
Ways Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is Different From Dark Souls
A common theme throughout the Souls games is death and the unique way the games handle the death mechanic. Unlike Dark Souls, Sekiro allows you to respawn right where you died, which is a fascinating feature. Similar to the way you only get one chance to recover your lost souls in the Dark Souls games, Sekiro allows for only one resurrection until more enemies are killed.
There is a parallel drawn to Bloodborne with this, because you’re encouraged to play more offensively and aggressively. It’s an intriguing way to implement a risk/reward system that will motivate players to get out there and engage with the enemies, while providing a safety net for newcomers to utilize. It’s unclear how many kills a player will have to get to resurrect, but the inclusion is unique, nonetheless.
Prosthetic Arm Adds Depth to Combat
Ways Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is Different From Dark Souls
Due to losing his arm in battle, the protagonist of Sekiro uses a prosthetic referred to as the Shinobi Arm, which features multiple uses. Interestingly, you can equip tools to the arm to combine attacks with the katana. An example given during the IGN interview, is the ability to add shurikens to the arm to perform multiple combos when executed properly – the Shinobi Arm allows for combos that would not be possible otherwise.
Another awesome inclusion is the ability to ignite your katana and attack enemies with fire. This is all done through the prosthetic arm. Aside from that, the player will be able to deploy a shield from the arm, as well as initiate the grappling mechanic, so it seems like there are a plethora of uses which will make for more varied gameplay.
The main draw of the prosthetic arm is how it will impact the flow of combat. Dark Souls is known for its slow and methodical gameplay, but Sekiro will differ greatly from that. If anything, it will be more akin to Bloodborne, but even that seems a tad slow in comparison to how Sekiro is likely to play.
Being able to fluidly zip around with the grappling hook, engage in fast combos, and resurrect on the fly will give this FromSoftware RPG an intense and fast feeling.
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