Many video game developers have tried to copy FromSoftware’s success by making gruelingly difficult Soulslike games. None have managed to capture the same feel and satisfying challenge that FromSoftware offers. The gaming studio has produced many Souls-inspired games that have all been praised by both fans and critics alike. Demon’s Souls, the Dark Souls trilogy, Bloodborne, and now Elden Ring all execute FromSoftware’s established formula perfectly.
Besides a few minor tweaks and changes, all of these games are quite similar. For the most part, they follow a similar storyline in which the world has fallen into chaos and ruin, and a chosen hero rises to face the powerful monster and warriors that roam the lands. Elden Ring is the biggest departure from this formula with its open world, but ultimately the game still feels like a bigger Dark Souls. These games are excellent, but they can feel repetitive. However, FromSoftware does have one Soulslike that manages to break the mold and be truly unique: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Sekiro Reinvents Soulslike Combat
In most FromSoftware games, combat is nearly identical. The player faces an opponent and has the option of either rolling between their attacks or blocking them with a shield. Once the enemy goes through their string of attacks, the player will have the opportunity to strike back while recovering. More skilled players will perform an expertly timed parry leaving the enemy open for a critical hit. Bloodborne changes combat by adding a regen mechanic where players can restore their health by attacking an enemy immediately after they’ve taken damage.
Sekiro does something completely different. While it still has a health bar like other Soulslikes, Sekiro also has a posture meter that is far more important. The player can deflect most incoming attacks instead of just simply blocking. Deflecting an attack fills up an enemy’s posture meter. Once that meter is full, their posture breaks and leaves them open for a Deathblow, which instantly depletes their health bar.
This combat style allows the player to be much more aggressive and active than they would be in other FromSoft games. Instead of playing passively and simply waiting for the perfect opening to do damage, the player is always doing a form of damage even when they’re defending. There are never lulls in combat in Sekiro because the player is always actively reacting to attacks so that they can deflect them at just the right timing. Fights in Sekiro feel like an exchange of blows between two evenly skilled warriors, which is different from other Soulslike games. FromSoftware should feel encouraged to explore new forms of combat that challenge what has been established.
Sekiro’s World Design and Traversal Is Fresh
The majority of FromSoftware’s Soulslike games are set in similar worlds. Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, and Elden Ring are all set in these fantastical medieval European-inspired worlds filled with ruined castles and knights in heavy armor. Bloodborne adds a gothic element to the franchise with its Victorian architecture and Lovecraftian monsters, but in all of these games, players travels through these lands on foot or horseback collecting weapons and armor.
Sekiro takes a drastically different approach, moving away from the European inspirations of the other games to a world based on Japanese culture. The game’s architecture, characters, enemies, and story all take clear influences from Japanese culture and mythology. This makes the world of Sekiro feel distinct from FromSoft’s other games, something that would be great to see the developer try with a variety of other world cultures and mythologies.
Traversal in Sekiro is also different from other FromSoft games where movement in more limited. While Elden Ring does allow players to jump short distances and ride their mount, Sekiro player are given a grappling hook, which allows them to reach great heights, scale tall mountains, and move across rooftops. Instead of collecting weapons and armor, the player collects attachments for their prosthetic arm, which turns the player into a stronger weapon.
Sekiro Protagonist Wolf Allows the Story to Take Center Stage
In most Soulslikes, the player makes their avatar in the character creator, changing their appearance however they like and using whatever weapons or armor they prefer. The character is usually silent and doesn’t respond much to the world. This design choice allows players to envision themselves as the protagonist no matter who they are, but it also has its limitations.
Because the player doesn’t speak or have any kind of established personality, the story is less engaging. All relationships with NPCs are very one-sided, and the player just stares blankly as NPCs explain their motivation and goals. The lack of response takes away from the emotional weight of moments that should be heartfelt. The lore and backstory of these games that are hidden in item descriptions and world design carry the stories of these games instead of the relationships.
Sekiro doesn’t have this problem. The player controls Wolf, an established character with preexisting relationships and a concrete personality. Wolf talks with NPCs and develop new relationships, and when these relationships change or characters die, Wolf reacts to these events and gives voice to his inner thoughts. This gives emotional scenes weight that they otherwise wouldn’t if Wolf reacted like the silent protagonists of other Soulslike games. Sekiro shows that FromSoftware can explore outside the Souls formula and try new things while still creating challenging and interesting games.
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