“Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” is a perfectionist’s dream and a speed runner’s nightmare. This beautifully-made game is set in the Sengoku-period in Japan; you will take the role of a shinobi (ninja) in this tumultuous time period. Favoring assassination over melee, the shinobi is equipped with various tools and supernatural maneuvers to assist you through your adventure.

Favoring the Shadows, this game offers many angles of attack and an open-world-like experience. There are many avenues of approach and this freedom adds to great replay value. Motion and its smoothness are extremely satisfying; getting into positions is easy and rewarding. Utilize Fabian tactics in this world and move quickly and quietly, striking as you return to the shadows. The visuals in this game are stunning, everything from the fortresses to the weather effects is stunning. The mechanical/supernatural arm is a great innovation to the game.

The posturing during duels is a difficult mechanic to learn, and can be extremely unforgiving, however striving to perfection can lead to marvelous swordplay and brutal finishers. This game will challenge you if you prefer the direct fighting approach. The Shinobi have no armor, while the Ashigaru in the game have armor. When you fight a Samurai, your ability to engage in direct combat is limited. They are disciplined and seasoned warriors that will cut right through your shinobi, so stay on the move. This makes the “boss fights” challenging and rewarding.

When you do die in the game, you can respawn at an Idol location or you can use an immediate revive. However, this immediate revive does come at a cost. I will not go into much detail (spoilers!), but it will affect the outcome of the plot. I give the game a 4.5/5 for its innovations to the assassin-based genre.

Peer Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars