Fresh from Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong 2018 event, the next game from FromSoftware, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice had a public gameplay showcase. Although recording the game was not allowed, we have details from various sources that include a confirmation that stealth-mechanics will be available in the game alongside parrying, enemy types, Oni, locations, and more.
We have also shared our thoughts and speculations on what more we could expect from the game when it releases next year.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Gameplay Details
As the demo starts, we get our first look at the new vertical movement of the game. Immediately, we see the protagonist use his grappling hook to swing over from a tree branch to a rooftop. Next, we look at some of the stealth mechanics which were through a small part of the SoulsBorne games have become quite prominent in this one.
For example, you can perform stealth kills from higher grounds or assassinate an enemy while holding onto a ledge. This is more in lines with how stealth worked in the Assassin’s Creed games.
Next, we see what seems like a distinguishing feature between Bloodborne and Dark Souls which was the use of shields. Here in Sekiro, we see the protagonist clearly blocking out attacks from his foes before performing a parry and counter-killing them.
Regarding enemies, we first encountered a samurai, then a monk-like foe and later a Japanese Ogre, Oni, chained up before breaking free of them. Tackling these enemies require the use of ranged attacks like the throwing knives or close quarter with the hand ax.
Both these weapons were equipped with a single mechanical arm of the protagonist and he could swap it freely at his will. The same arm can swap the weapons and equip the grappling hook.
There was no indication of any stamina bar as the player was able to perform several hits without stopping. Moreover, multiple attacks could be parried in quick succession.
Regarding the Oni, while previously the player took to him head-on, this time there was a different approach. After resurrecting, the player used a grappling hook to reach a point above the Oni and then drop to perform a highly damaging leap attack. When grappling, it was observed that platforms or objects made of wood were accessible and reached through this method.
The game also has many visual cues presented to the player as Japanese symbols or ‘kanji’ with different ones for when a player is drinking health potions, when he’s about to die and when he’s dead. Moreover, one for deploying a smoke bomb as well caused the enemies to lose sight of you.
Proceeding forward, the player makes his way to a castle across the bridge but as seen in the trailer, the giant white serpent makes its appearance and tries to insta-kill your character. This can be prevented by grappling to a point along the hillside which will allow you to enter a cave.
Making the way out of the cave led to an encounter with a mini-boss, a yokai. When the fight hits the gear, mist starts surrounding the player and the yokai blends into it. This gives him an opportunity to perform surprise attacks from any random direction to bring death to the player and he succeeds in doing so.
To Conclude…
This marks the end of the demo with the iconic ‘YOU DIED’ screen. From what we’ve seen and heard about the demo, it is quite evident that stealth will be a big part of the game and would change how difficult a fight would become e.g. if you rush things, you may even come across 7 enemies on-screen at a given time.
However, taking them out one by one will completely change your approach the given situation. Here is to hoping that there is less dying in the game, or not.
Looking forward to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below!
