Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Review - 7 Ups & 3 Downs

1. Pacing Is PERFECT

By far, without a doubt, Sekiro's greatest strength is its perfect pacing.

From its gentle tutorial to its heart-stopping surprise enemy jumpscares, Sekiro pushes and pulls you in all the right directions, at the right times. The game giveth, and the game taketh away.

Every time you leave the safety of the Temple, and step out onto the road, having mastered a new skill, there will always be a period of feeling strong, followed by a new threat that shatters this confidence immediately. Once, that new threat is neutralized, the feelings of confidence return for a while, and the entire game is one big cycle of confidence and challenge. It is perfectly balanced.

A lot of thought has gone into the placement of bosses and checkpoints. Because of how mobile Sekiro is with his grappling arm, you only ever at most a minute away from a difficult boss you may be practicing against. This eases frustrations greatly, and definitely encourages that "one more go" mentality.

Right at the start of the game, we are introduced to a man who cannot die, who volunteers to be our training dummy. This is a pleasant surprise and a very useful addition. Come up against a boss that has you absolutely stumped? Take a breather, travel back to the Temple and practice honing your deflecting or evading skills in a safe and secure environment until you feel confident enough to try again.

By far Sekiro's biggest strength is that it is perfectly designed to make you never want to give up, which, in such a difficult game, is a true mastery of craftsmanship.