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

4. Combat Is Tighter Than Ever

The combat of Sekiro differs somewhat from that of Dark Souls and Bloodborne. Instead of simply focusing on whittling down an enemy's health, there is a focus on breaking their posture, referred to in Dark Souls as poise. Deflecting, dodging, and blocking are all still present, but their emphasis varies depending on the enemy you are facing, and deciding which evasive manoeuvre to use is up to you in the heat of the moment.

The sound design compliments the combat brilliantly, building in atmosphere as you uncover beautiful landscapes, and warning you of danger when you are sneaking around in stealth. The roaring boom of the soundtrack as you are facing a difficult enemy really gets your heart pumping with excitement.

Every enemy you fight has the potential to overwhelm you if you are not cautious, and locking swords is scary, pulse-racing and exciting. There is nothing quite like that feeling of delivering a death blow to a boss that has been giving you trouble for a while.

We may have lost an arm, but we gained so much more. The Shinobi prosthetic is incredibly useful, and fun to use, and has massive potential for upgrades. New tools are so exciting to find and try out, and each has its own special strengths. Up to three different prosthetics can be equipped at once, and it is very easy to cycle through them.

There are so many different ways you can approach a dangerous situation, and it is down to the player to decide on their preferred means of tackling a problem, which leads me to my next point.