Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (From Software)

Fedor said:

The game literally tells you how to destroy her and I'm convinced that most players (soulsbourne veterans and newcomers alike) simply aren't reading shit.

This pops up as soon as the fight starts for the first time: (it's also a move that you should have already practiced with Hanbei)

This was the first prosthetic tool you picked up: (the last sentence is the important part)

I beat her on my first attempt and didn't even have to heal once or use any snap seeds. Just attack a few times and do the dodge counter. Knock her off the wires or out of the air with a shuriken for more free hits.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I’ve been stubbornly trying to play this like blood borne and am just now finally getting the hang of the pace. Instead of mashing attack, I’m watching the enemy, attacking a couple times, patiently defending and waiting for a chance to exploit and counter attack. Dunno why it’s so hard for me to just adjust to the rhythm of the combat. It feels really good and well designed when I actually do it, but ten years of muscle memory is a bitch to overcome I guess.

TLDR version: game is 8/10 but the flaws it has may be the kind that ruin the experience for you, or you might love however I do not.

————

This game is wearing on me. Kill some trash, find some trash, spend maybe a hour doing that in a new area, and then get stuck on a boss for a couple hours. The best part is exploring with the grapple hook and you only do that intermittently before the game turns back into a watered down version of bloodborne.

There is little variance to the game play and each boss just feel like a faster, cheaper, harder version of a previous one.

The further I get in this game the more I realize I am just playing it because I don’t hate it and want to beat it. I don’t care about the story which is boring, the characters are boring, and the combat has gotten boring because it’s always the same and a tiny mistake is often fatal.

This feels like a game meant to be watched played by streamers doing challenges and other shit most people will never do, not one actually played by regular gamers.

All that said it’s not a bad game, just not a great one. It’s greatest strength is the grapple hook, and you barely use the damned thing, and the game tends to play into its own weaknesses instead of strengths.

This is, of course, just my opinion. If you are loving it the awesome, I don’t blame you, but I’m finding this game too narrow and too lacking in the illusion if options and alternatives.

But that’s just my opinion, and maybe after a few more bosses my opinion will change again.

Hekotat said:

Not past the 2 shield guys right before the shinobi hunter, they aggro on you while fighting him. So I get to spend 5 mins fighting the shield guys every single time because they just won't attack you and that's the only way to get past their defense.

Click to expand...

Get the Axe and you one shot them lol. Also open the shortcut gate so you don't have to go around to the shield guys each time, its a straight shot up the long alley from the idol.

I killed shinobi first try since I had just done the Mikri Technique training with Hanbei. Which totally destroys his ass. 99% certain I just axed those two shield guys.

Hekotat said:

I thought I explored everything, not sure how I missed the axe. I had opened the gate.

Click to expand...

From the shortcut gate you opened there's a little house on the right side with the axe in it. Right side if you are facing up the alley from the gate.