4.5/5 ★ – Pixelguy9's review of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

To my surprise, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was not the hardest game I’ve ever played. As my catalogue of FromSoftware titles steadily increases, my experience with difficulty in these games has grown as I’ve overcome some of the hardest challenges that the genre has to offer. However, where you could get away with a somewhat sloppy run against a boss even in Elden Ring and Dark Souls III’s most intense battles, that margin of error does not exist in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Above all else, this game demands perfection, and to my surprise, with a little bit of patience and skill, it is entirely possible to master this game like no other. When this game clicks, you feel it. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is immediately set apart from its Dark Souls brethren by its gameplay. Anyone who’s played the game will immediately be able to explain the differences; the necessity of parrying, the importance of jumping, and knowledge of exploiting weaknesses through prosthetic abilities. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice’s gameplay is that of a dance, one where the mesmerising showers of sparks from your clashing swords set the rhythm of a fight. Knowledge of your enemies is more vital here than in any other game I’ve played, and being able to perfectly perform a series of attacks or beat a boss without taking damage provides a feeling that will keep me coming back to this game for years to come. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is also separated from the rest of FromSoftware’s library through the level design. The game places huge emphasis on vertically, with the game’s grappling hook providing the solution to many environmental challenges (you know the game’s peak when there’s a grappling hook involved). The game’s world is also incredibly interconnected, with few places that cannot be reached without fast travel. Finding secrets in all the hidden nooks and crannies of the world is always fun in these games, but here the abundance of upgrade materials and useful consumables make every bit of exploration worth it. Each area also puts on full display this game’s impeccable art direction. I remember literally having to take a moment to recover from first seeing the Fountainhead Palace, and there are many other locations that ooze atmosphere and the kind of beauty only the most tranquil of Japanese sites can evoke. Undoubtedly, the best part of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are the boss fights, which like the rest of the game, are not as difficult as some other fights in other FromSoftware games, but will not fall on a lucky first try. So many fights in this game have cemented themselves firmly in my list of best bosses of all time, in particular; Gyoubu Oniwa, Genichiro Ashina, Great Shinobi Owl, the Divine Dragon, Isshin, the Sword Saint. Each one of these fights and many more took some time to beat, but there was no feeling more satisfying than finally overcoming them and seeing that classic samurai movie spray of blood. The only regard I think Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice falls short of its FromSoftware companions in is the music. While I think the game’s voice acting, sound effects and design are all top notch, the music tends to be more of a background detail than a core part of the storytelling this time around, which I found to be a real shame. No boss theme really stood out to me during my first play through, however, I think this can mostly be attributed to the fact that in almost every instance, I was fighting for my life. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was a game I was terrified of playing. Watching gameplay and hearing about the challenges the game posed were almost enough for me to never pick up the game at all. However, I overcame my hesitation and did what I never thought was possible. I still can’t believe I managed to beat this game, and I cannot wait to do it all over again.