Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

"A brutal, beautiful journey through feudal Japan that rewards patience, skill, and perseverance."

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is not your typical FromSoftware game, even though it shares the studio's signature difficulty and atmospheric storytelling. Unlike the Soulsborne titles, Sekiro leans heavily into action and precise combat rather than RPG elements. There are no stats to grind—just your own skill to sharpen.

The swordplay is incredibly tight and satisfying. Every encounter feels like a deadly duel where posture, timing, and reflexes matter more than raw damage. Boss fights are intense and memorable, and the learning curve is steep but fair. Death is part of the process—each failure teaches something new.

The game world is stunningly crafted, with gorgeous, varied environments inspired by late 1500s Japan. The level design encourages exploration, and the verticality introduced by the grappling hook adds a fresh dynamic to movement and combat.

Narratively, Sekiro tells a more direct story than previous FromSoftware games, but still leaves room for interpretation and mystery. The voice acting and music are excellent, further immersing you in its unique world.

It’s not a game for everyone. The lack of difficulty options, limited character customization, and punishing learning curve can be off-putting. But for players looking for a challenging and rewarding experience, Sekiro stands as one of the finest action games of its generation.

✅ REVIEWED AFTER 100% COMPLETION | 126 Hours In | First Souls-like Ever

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice — my first-ever Souls-like game, and I went all in.
Finished all 4 endings, unlocked every achievement, and yes — even rang the Demon Bell and didn’t back down.

🗡️ The gameplay is on a whole different level. At first, it humbled me — but once you master the parry, you don’t fight enemies anymore… you dance with them.
🔥 From Genichiro to Isshin, every boss felt like a rite of passage.

🎮 The combat? Addictive. The grind? Rewarding.
📜 My favorite ending? Return Ending — poetic, emotional, and worth the effort.

🎨 The visuals? Still hold up for a 2019 title — beautiful world design with unforgettable atmosphere.
🐉 I loved everything this game threw at me — rage, joy, triumph — all of it.

🕰️ Took me 126 hours, and not a single regret.
This isn't just a game. It’s a journey.

10/10 — Will die again. And again. And again.

At first, I was hesitant about playing Sekiro, but once I gave it a try, it turned out to be an amazing game! It's a nice difference from typical souls-like games, where you focus on rolling, leveling up multiple stats, using spells, and switching between different weapons and armor. In Sekiro you always have the same weapon, you are only interested in prosthetic tools, combat styles and levels for which you can unlock abilities that even work passively. Maybe someone will see similarities to other FromSoftware games here, but for me it was a completely new experience.
Like every souls-like game, Sekiro is challenging. Combat requires precision, and perfectly parrying boss and enemy attacks is incredibly satisfying.
In conclusion - do I recommend this game?
Definitely yes!

Alternative title - Git Gud: The Game

Do not go in looking for your usual Souls-like experience. The game is very inflexible, dictating a very specific set of playstyles. No swapping between weapons or trying to go through with magic, no over-levelling, and definitely no dodging. The dodges don't even have i-frames (citation needed).

Instead, stand your ground, and keep attacking and deflecting until the enemy gets tired so you can kill 'em in one hit. It took me ages to adapt to Sekiro, but I've gotta say I love it and I hope you will too.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is something else. While it’s a game from the same minds that brought us Dark Souls, don’t go into it thinking it’s just another Soulslike — it’s not, and I think that’s what makes it so wild.

First off, forget stamina bars and RPG elements; they don’t exist here. There’s no leveling up your stats, no changing armor for different buffs, and you’re not going to find a sweet spot for magic builds or heavy weapon setups. This is pure, unfiltered skill-based combat, and if that sounds intimidating, well... it is. But it’s also what makes Sekiro such a standout.

I’ve gotta be honest: the combat is what’s going to make or break this game for most people. You’ve got one sword and a whole lot of grit, and that’s pretty much it. The core of the gameplay is all about attacking and parrying. It’s super focused, and that’s intentional. From Software knew exactly what they were doing by designing each fight to challenge your mastery of this single skill set. At first, I found it pretty brutal. There’s no fallback to a ranged build or summonings — it’s just you and your katana, one-on-one with whatever nightmare is staring you down. But once you get the hang of parrying, deflecting, and the glorious Mikiri Counter, the combat transforms from punishing to exhilarating.

The posture system is where Sekiro really sets itself apart. Unlike most games where you’re chipping away at a health bar, here you’re breaking down an enemy’s posture. Every parry, deflect, and attack fills up their posture gauge, and when it’s maxed out, you’re rewarded with a death blow that can end the fight or push them to the next phase. It’s so satisfying that I’d argue it’s one of the best mechanics From Software has ever come up with. One thing to keep in mind: attacking is still important because a lower health bar means you’re going to deal more posture damage. So, finding that balance between pressing your attack and keeping up with deflections is key. It’s a dance, and when you nail it, it feels absolutely incredible.

Now, the game has its lows as well, the steep learning curve is real, and some fights had me on the edge of rage-quitting. But even at my most frustrated, I couldn’t shake the feeling that every death was my fault. The combat is precise, and it rewards practice and timing like nothing else. It’s the type of game where you can come back a week later, fight the same boss, and suddenly it clicks because you’ve gotten better.

TL;DR; If you’re into From Software games and want to test your skills with a fresh take on combat, Sekiro is a must-play. It’s a game that’ll have you cursing your reflexes one minute and feeling like an unstoppable sword master the next. And that’s the magic of it. Absolutely recommended. Just know what you’re getting into — this isn’t your typical Souls game, and that’s kind of the best part. 9/10

your experience with Sekiro will go like this :
- Install the game
- Die Again and Again
- Get frustrated and Angry
- Uninstall.
- Reinstall later, thinking “maybe this time…will be different”

Fantastic combat system, even better than elden ring