Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - One of From Software's best
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- An in-depth look at From Software's 2019 masterpiece. Examining the gameplay, art design, music, mythological + folklore inspirations, and more.
Correction: Yuka Kitamura composed the majority of the game's OST, but some tracks were contributed by Moriyuki Asakura.
Thumbnail Artist: Anato Finnstark
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Sources:
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
From Software
2019
Son Goku (孫悟空, 1939)
Shotaro Honda
journeytothewe...
Jim R. McClanahan
The Japanese myths and woodblock art behind Sekiro’s creatures
www.rockpapers...
Ewan Wilson
Yokai.com
The online database of Japanese folkore
yokai.com/oomu...
Inside The Creation Of Sekiro's Soundtrack With Yuka Kitamura
• Inside The Creation Of...
Game Informer
Sengoku Jidai series
• The Shogunate and Samu...
The Shogunate
Some footage utilized the Shadow Armor Set mod by buddy97, which imports an armor set from Dark Souls and Dark Souls 3 into Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Available on the Nexus:
www.nexusmods.... - เกม
Hands down the best combat in a FromSoftware game.
I would much prefer a return to the ICO influence for fromsoftware. I hate the gothic architecture and the overbearing orchestral soundtracks. I also dislike the fast floaty movement and the camera being yanked from your control when performing moves.
I do like the parry combat system and wish they’d incorporated it into Elden ring - which I also didn’t like.
In fact I only like demons souls and dark souls one
A fun detail I noticed after trying Onimusha is how Sekiro's adopted stance in every duel start cutscene is the same as Samanosuke's guarding stance.
I especially love Sekiro because he's an amalgamation of popular Japanese Sengoku-period characters: your aforementioned Kozure Ōkami (Lone Wolf and Cub) dynamic with Sekiro with his Shinobi codename being "Wolf" and Kuro as the cub; another similar classic pairing is from Tezuka's manga Dororo, with Sekiro mirroring Hyakkimaru who lives and fights using his prosthetic body/tools and has to fight literal demons along with their inner demons to not become "Shura", with Kuro as the androgynous child wise beyond his age but still carries an innocent and powerful dream like Dororo; and of course Samanosuke from Onimusha who yet again is on a similar quest to find a child and bring them to safety.
I always loved how the fountainhead palace enemies wear earlier period samurai armor and use weapons more associated with that period. It always made me feel like I was stepping into an ancient and out of time world. I think the same approach is used in the movie, Throne of Blood, with the fortune teller wearing that same period armor to make her seem more ancient and creepy, like a dead figure from some old folklore haunting the main character.
Sekiro didn't resonate with me as well as it did for many other people. The new elements that are added like the stealth and the platforming mechanics feel half-arsed. Your standard Fromsoft enemy A.I. might be acceptable for reanimated corpses and patients suffering from lycanthropy but watching human soldiers displaying such a narrow field of vision, poor hearing and short term memory is immersion breaking. The grappling hook is a big missed opportunity. It doesn't test any skill, it only serves to make leashing enemies, which is already a major problem in Souls games, easier than ever. The grappling hook is also featured rarely in combat, and there is just a general lack of synergy between your primary weapon and your auxiliary tools, be it the grappling hook or the prosthetic tools.
Highly disagree with the last point, tools synergy in combat can be attained from the skill tree if that's what you're looking for. Chasing Slice, the first prosthetic skill, already significantly changes your combat flow and each skill you get from the branch just keeps improving your prosthetic tool synergy with the core combat, allowing for more varied playstyle as you replay the game.
The game already heavily encourages players to try and experiment with prosthetic tools, the problem is most people are afraid to try anything different outside of their tried and true method of just attack, deflect, and dodge/jump.
As for stealth, I agree that it's not very fleshed out but in a game where you can just run past through everything easily, it is pretty clear where the game's focus lies and it's a tad silly expecting any more from that aspect. The grappling hook is indeed underutilized, though even the game's spiritual predecessor, Tenchu, has always used them more as a mobility tool and nothing more; a shame nonetheless.
It grew on me, hated it at first.
Fromsoftwares best**
Another greatly researched and concise video. I'm glad you mentioned some of the japanese tales behind the game, the similarities between Sekiro and some other japanese media is just astounding, e.g. Manji's immortality in The Blade of the Immortal made possible by worms infesting his body, so I'm glad to see From have such reverence for japanese folklore.
And I fully agree with you on the Nioh moment, which funny enough, happened to me with Nioh, I was used to sword blocking in Dark Souls being awful so I didn't try it in Nioh, but when I did, the whole game changed.
And I think you're the only one I've heard so far that mentions the ambient music in this game, I think it added so much to the experience. Hot take but I think Bloodborne and DS3 would have greatly benefitted from such an addition.
Agree with you on the story, easily the most gripping plot FromSoft has made, and some of the bosses being just straight up miracles. At the end though I just feel that the game is kinda short, but maybe that just adds to the replayability.
Great vid as always, Hydef Hyde.
I actually meant "Neo moment", from The Matrix, haha. As in when he realizes he's The One and effortlessly demolishes the agents. But Nioh is likely just as apt too from the gameplay perspective. I still haven't played either of those. I've had the second one sitting in my Steam backlog for a few years now...
Yeah, ambient music in BB and DS3 would have been interesting. I think the quiet serenity mostly works with DS3 but there are a few scenes that would have benefited from some moody music. Irithyl Dungeon comes to mind. The few implementations BB has, like Yahar'gul before the Blood Moon, and Upper Cathedral Ward, are so good that it makes me wonder what could have been.
Thank you for your comment!
@@HydefHyde Neo makes a lot more sense, don't know why I didn't make the connection. And for sure give Nioh a shot, it has super fun gameplay once you get into the flow.
Demon's Souls had some sort of ambient noise at any turn which made for impeccable atmosphere, but Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne very often are just silent, which is a missed opportunity. From seems to have learned warmed to this idea with Sekiro and Elden Ring having ambient music.
And I hope you're doing well, Hydef!
Awsome Game, replayed IT Last december. 👌
I love the video, but i have one thing to note, the little battling intro sets the wrong tone for the video, and feels a bit dragged out. Otherwise, amazing video!
In retrospect, I agree. Thanks for the comment and feedback!
Can I just say that, the intro to this video, is much more effective marketing than sleepy trailers that FS went with, lol. Makes me want to play through the game again.
Good work sir.
Not having played it, I guess I'll just listen to the audio a bit instead- I'm too eager to hear what you have to say about this game lol
Yes, I really wouldn't spoil the visuals if you haven't played through it, but I think the audio should be okay. If you want the TLDR I think it's a masterpiece!
Sekiro es lo ¡¡MAXIMO!!
LET'S GO
If I may ask how would you rank the Souls games?
Tough to say... On top would probably be DS1, DS3 and DeS. Very close after those would be BB and ER, and then DS2 in last place. I like it, but as not much as the others.
@@HydefHyde glad to see DeS as high as it is, it’s my personal fav entry and your content for it is some of my all time fav from the community. Really looking forward to your next vids on the game
its no bloodborne
Only DS2 is worse than this.
Erste