Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Old-school tribulations.

- Erik Paolo Escueta

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is not an impossible game to play—difficult but not by gameplay standards. Personally, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice excels where it needs to be without having to overcompensate everywhere else—the combat is swift and subtle, the platforming perhaps somewhat stilted but serviceable, and the story overtly simple yet somehow surprisingly impressionable. But when it comes to the sum of its parts, the entire experience becomes contentious, and respectfully so, when you consider its traditional focus.

Lone Wolf and friends

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice places you in the tabi (traditional Japanese socks) of Shinobi Wolf, who has been charged with protecting the Divine Heir Kuro from the Ashina Clan. Ashina’s ruler, Genichiro, wishes to use Kuro’s blood, known as the “Dragon Heritage,” to power an immortal army. It is a typical war narrative that doesn’t really innovate on the specifics but is saved by its cast through dialogue exchanges and inherent development.

The evolving characterizations help compensate for the slow narrative influence—from the melancholic musings of the Sculptor to the conversations and outbursts of the game’s various enemy troops and commanders—adding a much-needed vibrancy to its dour atmosphere.