Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice surely is one of the most eagerly anticipated games of 2019. And with renowned studio From Software behind the game, you can bet that interest in Sekiro is sky high at this point, especially taking into account that the game is scheduled to launch in little less than two weeks.
Set in Japan during the Sengoku period, the game stars a shinobi named Sekiro who has a prosthetic arm concealing weapons, and a grappling hook, the latter leading to more freedom of movement in the game as well as more freeform combat too.
And in a recent interview with The Telegraph, game creator Hidetaka Miyazaki explained the new possibilities which opened up as a result of the game having a ninja protagonist.
“I’ve been wanting to traverse these rich, multilayered environments the studio creates in a much more dynamic and freeform way”, said Miyazaki, adding that “a shinobi embodies an archetype that is able to use everything at their disposal. They don’t pick a fighting style, they use every means and everything they can get their hands on”.
Of course, as was the case with Miyazaki’s earlier games like Bloodborne and Dark Souls, you can expect Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice to be a challenging experience – and it is. Actually, the more you die in the game and come back to life the more the world will succumb to “Dragon Rot” a disease which afflicts Sekiro’s world.
Finishing the game will still be doable though, and Miyazaki admitted he has a way of making sure players will be able to reach the end, saying it’s a matter of “whether or not I can finish it” as he himself admits.
Also, From Software’s partnership with Activision has likely helped make Sekiro a more approachable game than earlier titles like Dark Souls and Bloodborne.
“Activision have played a big role in areas we don’t particularly consider our forté such as onboarding, tutorials and general user comfort. We’re getting advice, but when it comes to creative decisions, all three of these companies gave us the right to shape these how we see fit”, said Miyazaki.
It remains to be seen, though, whether Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will shine as brightly as Dark Souls and Bloodborne did back in the day, but with a renowned designer like Miyazaki at the helm, it’s highly likely this will turn out to be another outstanding game when it launches next week.
Note: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will launch on March 22, 2019. Available on PS4, Xbox One and PS4.