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Overall, Sekiro is defined by its riveting, challenging, and ultimately highly rewarding gameplay. Stemming from simplicity but giving a wide variety of different combat options, few games come close to matching the exhilarating rush that Sekiro’s best moments provide. Exploring its atmospherically engrossing levels is a treat, from a visual, musical, and atmospheric standpoint. Even if exploration and character storylines are sometimes hampered by Dragonrot, repeatedly severing the immortality of bosses with brutal “Shinobi Executions” and discovering the ritual secrets of eternal life offers a captivating experience that stands out as one of FromSoftware’s best and most distinctive titles.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an enjoyable, yet deeply challenging game. It's not really a Dark Souls with samurais game, but whether or not you enjoyed the difficulty level of the battles in Dark Souls will be a good benchmark in gauging how much you'll like Sekiro. If you're persistent, up for a challenge, and don't become frustrated easily, then Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an easy game to recommend.
Though Sekiro feels impossibly hard at times, the level of euphoria you experience when delivering a death blow to a tricky boss or when you finally clear a castle grounds of all enemies is almost unparalleled.
7
dune10
Jeu très difficile et exigent mais très bien fait dans le style. J'ai pu arrivé jusqu'à la fin mais jamais pu battre le dernier boss..
10
nods
One of the best games ive ever played.some players say that its so hard but if u dont wanna play a hard game dont play this **** difficulty in this game is high but fun.
8
boundfor44
I'm a huge fan of FromSoftware games, but I avoided SEKIRO: Shadows Die Twice for a long time because I thought its parry-focused combat wouldn't suit my playstyle, and because of its reputation for being extremely difficult.However, after experiencing the exhilaration of completely dominating the Bell Bearing Hunter with the Executor class in Elden Ring: Nightreign, I became interested in SEKIRO and finally decided to give it a try.After playing it, I found that, like many FromSoftware titles, it possesses a unique appeal that sets it apart from games that feel more like interactive movies. That said, I honestly didn't find it as exceptional as many FromSoftware fans **** biggest issue was the lack of freedom. The world is largely linear, and there are relatively few weapon or build options. As a result, it feels more like a pure action game than an RPG. Since I personally enjoy experimenting with different equipment setups and character builds, this aspect felt somewhat lacking.Another point worth mentioning is that SEKIRO is often described as a "parry game" or even a "rhythm game," but in practice I felt that each boss requires a very different approach. Some enemies are easier to defeat by focusing on reducing their health rather than their posture, while others are best handled by taking advantage of the lack of a stamina system, constantly moving and punishing openings. Because of this, the first challenge is often figuring out how to defeat a boss. From an action-game perspective, I felt this somewhat diminished the intuitive sense of exhilaration.Regarding the game's systems, I found that managing both the health bar and posture bar divided my attention. Personally, I think the approach taken in Nightreign—where parries exist but primarily serve as a tool for dealing damage—provides clearer objectives and allows players to immerse themselves more fully in the action.I also found that, because I went into the game with the mindset that it was a "parry game," there were many occasions where I mechanically continued deflecting attacks only to realize that the boss had suddenly been defeated. As a result, I often felt less of a sense of accomplishment than I expected after overcoming major **** for the difficulty, I personally didn't find the game particularly challenging. Deflection is extremely powerful, and the inputs themselves are quite simple. As a side note, I didn't like the visual appearance of constantly standing still and waiting to parry, so I deliberately played by reacting to attacks and deflecting them on sight rather than preemptively holding a defensive stance. Even so, the absence of a stamina system and the ability to maintain guard made the game feel relatively easy **** reference, I completed four full playthroughs from scratch without using New Game Plus and earned every trophy. My total playtime was approximately 70 hours. I believe this relatively short playtime also reflects the game's limited build variety and route diversity compared to other FromSoftware **** personal ranking of FromSoftware games is:1. Elden Ring2. Elden Ring: Nightreign3. Dark Souls4. SEKIRO: Shadows Die Twice5. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon6. Demon's SoulsFor context, I play all of these games solo and never use guides or walkthrough **** an indication of my skill level, I have defeated every boss with every character in Nightreign, and in Elden Ring I was able to defeat the final DLC boss (Miquella/Radahn) at level 100 without wearing armor. Therefore, this review reflects the perspective of someone who has spent a considerable amount of time mastering FromSoftware games.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Released On: 
Mar 22, 2019
Metascore
must-play
90
User score
Generally Favorable
8.6
My Score
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Metascore
90
99% Positive
76 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
1% Negative
1 Review
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
Apr 28, 2019
100
Daily Star
Though Sekiro feels impossibly hard at times, the level of euphoria you experience when delivering a death blow to a tricky boss or when you finally clear a castle grounds of all enemies is almost unparalleled.
Mar 26, 2019
95
Meristation
A brutal and challenging game that admits few shortcuts to success. But for every cry of frustration there is a revealing discovery, and for each walk through the darkness there is an ascent towards mountains bathed by the Sun. The father of Dark Souls and Bloodborne makes us suffer again but, at the same time, provides the kind of experience that allows us to emerge reinforced at the other side.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.6
85% Positive
6252 Ratings
7% Mixed
489 Ratings
8% Negative
591 Ratings
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
Jun 10, 2026
10
nods
One of the best games ive ever played.some players say that its so hard but if u dont wanna play a hard game dont play this **** difficulty in this game is high but fun.
Jun 4, 2026
10
taki_hero
Sekiro is my very first FromSoftware game, and it is officially my favorite! To be honest, I did not know it would be this hard. It stressed me out completely at first, but I slowly started to enjoy it. The more I understood the parry rhythm, the more fun it became. Defeating bosses feels incredible once the combat clicks. A pure masterpiece and a perfect 10 out of 10, nah i'd parry
Mar 25, 2019
91
SpazioGames
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the hardest game created by From Software and is also their most ambitious IP. It is a great example of game and combat design.
Mar 29, 2019
90
DarkStation
Sekiro is From Software’s purest distillation of a game design philosophy that values skill-based combat and isn’t afraid to challenge the player at nearly every moment.
Mar 24, 2019
90
Eurogamer Italy
Sekiro is a worthy heir to the Souls-like dynasty. It's not a new chapter of the old franchises, is another interpretation of From Software's philosophy, and another hardcore masterpiece.
Mar 21, 2019
85
GamePro Germany
If you are willing to invest work in learning the combat system, you will have a lot of fun. Away from this, Sekiro, like his spiritual predecessors, convinces with a fascinating setting that does not match the quality and variety of game worlds like Lordran or Yharnam. Technically, however, the game presents itself from a single source, tells an exciting story and offers sufficient scope for many fun hours.
Mar 27, 2019
40
Slant Magazine
Its boss fights highlight the contrived lengths that FromSoftware has gone to in order to satisfy players’ thirst for difficulty.
See All 77 Critic Reviews
May 3, 2026
10
THEMRDX
Is the best game on the universe, sekiro is god, sekiro is love, sekiro **** meeee, I need Let Sekiro hit me, get me pregnant and abandon me, **** meeeeeee
May 17, 2026
7
dune10
Jeu très difficile et exigent mais très bien fait dans le style. J'ai pu arrivé jusqu'à la fin mais jamais pu battre le dernier boss..
May 14, 2025
7
zethix
Une expérience globalement satisfaisante. J’ai passé un bon moment du début à la fin.
Apr 9, 2024
4
yaschaa
I have tried, so so hard, to love this one. I love every other FromSoft game. I love being challenged -- I think it's extremely rewarding. I love the utter, unabashed Japanese-ness of this game -- I truly do. It just, so unfortunately, ****. It ****. And that makes me sad. It is a game that robs you of options on how to play. There is also zero payoff to killing bosses -- there's more of a "good riddance" feeling, rather than a "good battle" feeling after killing a boss that you've been bashing your head against the wall trying to eliminate for days. I hate the control scheme as well. I hate how repetitive it is, and I hate that it actively tries to punish you for dying. The Souls formula (and yes, I am going to relate it to the other ones, because they introduce the same dying mechanic, so I am going to criticize how they erred on it in this one) is perverted greatly by actively punishing you by dying more and more. It was a bad mechanic in DS2, and it was a bad mechanic in Demon's Souls. I can say, for certain, that I am totally sad that I do not like this game, but I can also say, for certain, that I do not like this game.
Aug 24, 2022
4
Timenick
This game was a huge disappointment for me at launch and it has only gotten worse after I played Elden Ring. Sekiro is japanese Dark Souls but most of the good stuff is gone. - Worst customization of the series, because there isnt any. - Worst gameplay of the series. Fromsoftware can make games with a hundred weapons that all feel great, so if they make a game with just one weapon it would result in absolutely god tier gameplay, right? No. Its just one dimensional Katana bashing all the time and nothing else. Not really better than using a Katana in all their other games. Gets boring after the first few areas. Also it straight up doesnt work when fighting multiple enemies at once and all the other minor problems these games have (bad camera, weird hit boxes etc) are still there. - Worst online of the series because there isnt any as well. No coop, no pvp, nothing. - Worst overall content of the series, most bosses and all mini bosses and even some areas get reused multiple times. 3x Ashina castle, really? This is lazy. All the other Souls games have way more content and Elden Ring is probably ten times bigger than Sekiro. - Besides that its not better than the other games at anything. Bloodborne and DS3 still have the same or even better overall quality than Sekiro and ER and the Demon´s Souls Remake absolutely dunk on it. If Elden Ring is a $60 game Sekiro would be $5. Good that Fromsoftware got away from this misguided garbage.
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SummaryYour death won’t come easily. Enter the world of late 1500s Sengoku Japan; a brutal, bloody period of constant life-and-death conflict. As tensions rise, a compelling new story unfolds amongst the chaos. Introducing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a dark and twisted new gameplay experience developed by the renowned team at FromSoftware and pu... Read More
Rated Mfor Mature
  • Xbox One
  • PlayStation 4
  • PC
Mar 22, 2019
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