5/5 ★ – delaydan17's review of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

95/100 Sekiro is quite a departure from the other Soulsborne games, but is still fantastic. The combat is more fluid and cinematic than any other Soulsborne game. It is fantastic but it comes at a price: there is basically only one build to play the game. While in other Soulsborne games you can create many different characters and overcome challenges in many different ways, in Sekiro you are always Sekrio and there is basically one prescribed way to overcome challenges. This gives Sekiro far less replayability; while I have beaten the other Soulsborne games multiple times each, I beat Sekiro once and don’t feel the need to beat it again particularly soon, as my experience will be nearly the same as the first time through. Sekiro is also unique in that is has a more tangible and straightforward story than Miyazaki’s other games. Unfortunately I don’t think this works quite as well, as I believe Bloodborne’s esoteric and untraditional story to be the best. The lore and world building in Sekiro, however, is fantastic. I read a book of Japanese folktales shortly after beating the game and my mind was legitimately blown to find out how much inspiration Sekiro authentically draws from traditional Japanese folklore. The bosses are amazing, the last boss The Sword Saint in particular is perhaps one of the most epic and daunting boss fights in any game ever. The fact that Sekiro is my least favorite Soulsborne game and yet still gets five stars is a testament to my utter respect for Miyazaki as a master of world building and game design. Claim to fame: I got Sekiro digitally when it came out and beat the Guardian Ape within six hours of starting the game. Beat the game in less than a week