Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (new From Software game)

[Silva]

Its sad that theres a whole system where I can farm and upgrade all these things but cant think of a single encounter were they are useful aside from being "the gimmick" to that specific thing. Same goes for the unlockable skills, some people swear on double ijimonji and maybe if you learn when and how to use it it gets better but it never feels like its an sueful upgrade to your arsenal. I never felt I got stronger having these skills, its more like I killed some things and afterwards thought to myself "ah maybe that would be 10 seconds faster if you sliced them with whirlwind." but imho they dont open up a lot of possibilities. But if they dont why is this stuff even in there.

Tools and upgrades look really weird in this game. They seem useful in very circumstancial situations (that don't really need them in first place). Like if that Souls kick was an upgrade.

 

[Wunderbar]

Spoiler

 

[Rivmusique]

Anyone fought Owl Father on NG+ yet?

Hardest fight in the game, hands down.

Might beeline to him on the completed game I have sitting around later..

I did this, his HP felt surprising squishy, probably because his posture regen was very strong in comparison. Lent on block during combos pretty hard though, will be almost as rough as sword saint on a charmless run, probably.

Spoiler

Can get a counterattack in after almost any perfect parry and there's room for plenty of hits after dodging long wind up hits like the somersault slash or the Ichimonji-looking thing, where you can also throw hits on him as he charges. Only managed to get a posture break at around 20% HP in both phases, but can get him there pretty quick.

Doing that run, found out you can progress the set up for Hirata revisited quite far pretty early. Right after Genichiro one eavesdrop with Kuro was available, then two more after handing in the first incense item I got (flower). That let me talk to Emma about keeping him alive, and she says she'll work on some research. Got excited and thought maybe I'd be able to do memory Owl before present time Owl and that'd change some things, but she stays on that "doing research" line until present time Owl shows up and is dealt with.

The specificity of where you can stand to eavesdrop Kuro is bizarre, if he's in the library, you MUST hug wall on the right as you enter. If he's in the centre of the room you MUST be behind that one wall with holes in it. Not the exact same looking wall opposite, not behind any of the paper sheet walls, not up the stairs you first use to enter, not outside on the roof near any of the windows. Just the one eavesdropping spot, please. Yes, I am mad about missing this and needing to look it up, thank you.

What's everyone's favourite ending? Think I like Severance the best,

Spoiler

Wolf sitting down to carve is great, it is the only one that fulfils Sculptor's hints/predictions

. Return close second.

 

[Silva]

Is this mechanic correct? Saw someone describing it on Reddit saying it was a big game changer that a lot of people don't know...

When deflecting - Typically, when you deflect, the enemy will usually keep attacking you so you have to deflect multiple attacks in a row (unless you break posture of course but I am not talking about that). HOWEVER, when you deflect an attack and you see a GOLDEN flash, it means you have an opening for a perfect counter slash which is a fluid slash that will almost always interrupt or be faster than your opponents next attack (you have to be quick though, if you hesitate, youll end up getting hit before it lands. Also, keep in mind that against enemies with high poise, they wont be interrupted by this slash so youll need to perhaps land it then immediately deflect the next attack coming at you, but I find that most often it will create an opening).

When being deflected - Same situation, if you are launching an assault the enemy will have to deflect multiple attacks from you. HOWEVER, if you are being deflected and see a RED flash, it means the enemy is about to counter slash you (it basically means the enemy just got a gold flash on you, essentially) so you need to switch to the defensive.

This mechanic is prevalent throughout the entirety of the game. If you havent mastered this or didnt know about it, try it out, and hopefully itll really change your game up.

 

[cvv]

I don't know about golden or red but you can test it on the "defensive" samurai - the basic bitch dude with the fluffy boa over his shoulders. Hit him twice and his second block goes with a more pronounced flash after which he quickly counterslash you and staggers you.

 

[toro]

I'm done. I'm free.

Spoiler

Just random screenshots:

Spoiler

You can buy a Bead from the offering box.

Emma is a bitch. I killed Genichiro, Kuro and Isshin and she doesn't like my sake. We could have the entire palace only for us for quality time. Ungrateful bitch.

The real boss of Sekiro. Don't tell anyone.

Why the last fight sucks.

Spoiler

You have to use every move in the box. Nope.
You have to use martial arts. Nope.
You have to use prosthetic arts. Nope.
You have to run like a lunatic. Yes!!!

So, I won the fight fair and square (no cheats) and I was very aggressive. Last 20 tries I could kill Genichiro without looking at him. Then I could beat the Sword phase without damage.

Well, now comes the controversial part. If you keep being aggressive when the Spear phase starts then you'll probably get fucked because he hits hard and the posture is gone in seconds.

My solution was to be aggressive, make him combo, punish his shit and always retreat when my posture was in danger zone. Also I tried to keep full health all the time. Without full vitality and posture there is no way to resist his 5-7 hits combo (you get fucked if you try to run away therefore deflection in the only way).

I don't know if this is the fight's big secret but it worked and I could control the fight from start to end. No more panic. No more falling in the pit. No more hitting every god damned tree and stone on that fucking field. That's it.

Do I feel relieved!? Nope. It's a stupid fight guilty of every artificial difficulty sin from the Soul's game:
HP sponge boss. Check.
Ultra damage boss. Check (I have 18 vitality and I die in 2 hits. Wtf!?)
Useless Genichiro fight. Check (at some point I did not care anymore, he was down in 30 seconds).
Baiting the player. Check (there is one stance in which he deflects any hit you have).
Unparryable attacks. Check (to be fair 90% of his attacks are parryable)
Multiple weapons. Check (Sword, Spear, Pistol and special Lightning for FU )
Homing attack. Hell yeah check!!!
Delayed attacks. Check.
Teleporting behind the player. Check.
Ultra long combos. Check (there is one shitty combo which I think it has like 7 hits).
Attrition fight. Check (unless you are good like Lobos or Faraazkhan then you have to back off when your posture bar is maximized).
Retarded terrain. Double check (I cannot count the tries I've died stuck in some rock or tree )
Retarded camera. Check.
Long fight. Check (once phase 2 starts nobody knows when it will end).
Mikiri counters which fails because the terrain is not flat. Wtf!? Check

My favorite moment from the fight. Phase 3. He unleashes the Lightning, you counter the lightning in the air but the fucker doesn't get hit. You know what's next? Four bullets in your face. And most likely you can do shit because you did not even see that your lightning counter failed

I should have won this fight long time ago but for some reason I'm an expert at losing my concentration.

This fight is many things but fair ain't one. It looks like Miyazaki thrown everything at the player just to make him suffer and perhaps prolong the game's duration.

Instead of getting gud and learn something, I learned how to avoid the specific pitfalls implemented by Miyazaki for this fight. This is retarded, lame and unfair.

Whoever thinks that beating Isshin is an achievement is delusional. It's just passing a test intended to punish the participant instead of rewarding him for his knowledge.

I don't know. I hate this boss fight more than any other boss fight in Soulsbornesekiro franchise. Obnoxious garbage.

 

[toro]

 

[Silva]

In Russia Miyazakilando, the boss cheats you.

 

[Child of Malkav]

I'm done. I'm free.

Spoiler

Just random screenshots:

Spoiler

You can buy a Bead from the offering box.

Emma is a bitch. I killed Genichiro, Kuro and Isshin and she doesn't like my sake. We could have the entire palace only for us for quality time. Ungrateful bitch.

The real boss of Sekiro. Don't tell anyone.

Why the last fight sucks.

Spoiler

You have to use every move in the box. Nope.
You have to use martial arts. Nope.
You have to use prosthetic arts. Nope.
You have to run like a lunatic. Yes!!!

So, I won the fight fair and square (no cheats) and I was very aggressive. Last 20 tries I could kill Genichiro without looking at him. Then I could beat the Sword phase without damage.

Well, now comes the controversial part. If you keep being aggressive when the Spear phase starts then you'll probably get fucked because he hits hard and the posture is gone in seconds.

My solution was to be aggressive, make him combo, punish his shit and always retreat when my posture was in danger zone. Also I tried to keep full health all the time. Without full vitality and posture there is no way to resist his 5-7 hits combo (you get fucked if you try to run away therefore deflection in the only way).

I don't know if this is the fight's big secret but it worked and I could control the fight from start to end. No more panic. No more falling in the pit. No more hitting every god damned tree and stone on that fucking field. That's it.

Do I feel relieved!? Nope. It's a stupid fight guilty of every artificial difficulty sin from the Soul's game:
HP sponge boss. Check.
Ultra damage boss. Check (I have 18 vitality and I die in 2 hits. Wtf!?)
Useless Genichiro fight. Check (at some point I did not care anymore, he was down in 30 seconds).
Baiting the player. Check (there is one stance in which he deflects any hit you have).
Unparryable attacks. Check (to be fair 90% of his attacks are parryable)
Multiple weapons. Check (Sword, Spear, Pistol and special Lightning for FU )
Homing attack. Hell yeah check!!!
Delayed attacks. Check.
Teleporting behind the player. Check.
Ultra long combos. Check (there is one shitty combo which I think it has like 7 hits).
Attrition fight. Check (unless you are good like Lobos or Faraazkhan then you have to back off when your posture bar is maximized).
Retarded terrain. Double check (I cannot count the tries I've died stuck in some rock or tree )
Retarded camera. Check.
Long fight. Check (once phase 2 starts nobody knows when it will end).
Mikiri counters which fails because the terrain is not flat. Wtf!? Check

My favorite moment from the fight. Phase 3. He unleashes the Lightning, you counter the lightning in the air but the fucker doesn't get hit. You know what's next? Four bullets in your face. And most likely you can do shit because you did not even see that your lightning counter failed

I should have won this fight long time ago but for some reason I'm an expert at losing my concentration.

This fight is many things but fair ain't one. It looks like Miyazaki thrown everything at the player just to make him suffer and perhaps prolong the game's duration.

Instead of getting gud and learn something, I learned how to avoid the specific pitfalls implemented by Miyazaki for this fight. This is retarded, lame and unfair.

Whoever thinks that beating Isshin is an achievement is delusional. It's just passing a test intended to punish the participant instead of rewarding him for his knowledge.

I don't know. I hate this boss fight more than any other boss fight in Soulsbornesekiro franchise. Obnoxious garbage.

Couldn't agree more.
Edit: Also don't forget the Demon of Hatred: fireballs, jumping all over the place, having to run all the time just to get to him, broken hitboxes for the right hand and head attack, almost instant unparriable attack (the one you have to jump over), the attack in the 2nd phase where there's fire coming out of the ground and you have to be in the air when that happens, homing missiles, also he can spam the last 2 attacks even when close because why not and 3 health bars, without divine confetti you're gonna be there for a long time. I defeated him once, I'm not doing him again. Sorry, low tolerance and allergic to bullshit.

 

[Sentinel]

It's funny how people keep complaining about HP sponges, almost as if after 40 hours of gameplay they don't realize that the posture bar is the HP bar. You can end most fights in a matter of 3 minutes if you're good at the game. The only situation where "HP bloat" is a valid complaint is the bosses that don't rely on the posture bar, like Ape and Demon of Hatred.

 

[Sentinel]

Is this mechanic correct? Saw someone describing it on Reddit saying it was a big game changer that a lot of people don't know...

When deflecting - Typically, when you deflect, the enemy will usually keep attacking you so you have to deflect multiple attacks in a row (unless you break posture of course but I am not talking about that). HOWEVER, when you deflect an attack and you see a GOLDEN flash, it means you have an opening for a perfect counter slash which is a fluid slash that will almost always interrupt or be faster than your opponents next attack (you have to be quick though, if you hesitate, youll end up getting hit before it lands. Also, keep in mind that against enemies with high poise, they wont be interrupted by this slash so youll need to perhaps land it then immediately deflect the next attack coming at you, but I find that most often it will create an opening).

When being deflected - Same situation, if you are launching an assault the enemy will have to deflect multiple attacks from you. HOWEVER, if you are being deflected and see a RED flash, it means the enemy is about to counter slash you (it basically means the enemy just got a gold flash on you, essentially) so you need to switch to the defensive.

This mechanic is prevalent throughout the entirety of the game. If you havent mastered this or didnt know about it, try it out, and hopefully itll really change your game up.

You're supposed to realize this in the Lady Butterfly fight, which is the first real extended swordfight you have in the game. That's where you learn the rhythm of the combat system.

 

[Child of Malkav]

Is this mechanic correct? Saw someone describing it on Reddit saying it was a big game changer that a lot of people don't know...

When deflecting - Typically, when you deflect, the enemy will usually keep attacking you so you have to deflect multiple attacks in a row (unless you break posture of course but I am not talking about that). HOWEVER, when you deflect an attack and you see a GOLDEN flash, it means you have an opening for a perfect counter slash which is a fluid slash that will almost always interrupt or be faster than your opponents next attack (you have to be quick though, if you hesitate, youll end up getting hit before it lands. Also, keep in mind that against enemies with high poise, they wont be interrupted by this slash so youll need to perhaps land it then immediately deflect the next attack coming at you, but I find that most often it will create an opening).

When being deflected - Same situation, if you are launching an assault the enemy will have to deflect multiple attacks from you. HOWEVER, if you are being deflected and see a RED flash, it means the enemy is about to counter slash you (it basically means the enemy just got a gold flash on you, essentially) so you need to switch to the defensive.

This mechanic is prevalent throughout the entirety of the game. If you havent mastered this or didnt know about it, try it out, and hopefully itll really change your game up.

You're supposed to realize this in the Lady Butterfly fight, which is the first real extended swordfight you have in the game. That's where you learn the rhythm of the combat system.

No, you learn what you're supposed to do, the theory but each fight has its own rhythm, speed and patterns.

 

[Sentinel]

Is this mechanic correct? Saw someone describing it on Reddit saying it was a big game changer that a lot of people don't know...

When deflecting - Typically, when you deflect, the enemy will usually keep attacking you so you have to deflect multiple attacks in a row (unless you break posture of course but I am not talking about that). HOWEVER, when you deflect an attack and you see a GOLDEN flash, it means you have an opening for a perfect counter slash which is a fluid slash that will almost always interrupt or be faster than your opponents next attack (you have to be quick though, if you hesitate, youll end up getting hit before it lands. Also, keep in mind that against enemies with high poise, they wont be interrupted by this slash so youll need to perhaps land it then immediately deflect the next attack coming at you, but I find that most often it will create an opening).

When being deflected - Same situation, if you are launching an assault the enemy will have to deflect multiple attacks from you. HOWEVER, if you are being deflected and see a RED flash, it means the enemy is about to counter slash you (it basically means the enemy just got a gold flash on you, essentially) so you need to switch to the defensive.

This mechanic is prevalent throughout the entirety of the game. If you havent mastered this or didnt know about it, try it out, and hopefully itll really change your game up.

You're supposed to realize this in the Lady Butterfly fight, which is the first real extended swordfight you have in the game. That's where you learn the rhythm of the combat system.

No, you learn what you're supposed to do, the theory but each fight has its own rhythm, speed and patterns.

Yes thanks for reformulating.

 

[Durandal]

It's funny how people keep complaining about HP sponges, almost as if after 40 hours of gameplay they don't realize that the posture bar is the HP bar. You can end most fights in a matter of 3 minutes if you're good at the game. The only situation where "HP bloat" is a valid complaint is the bosses that don't rely on the posture bar, like Ape and Demon of Hatred.

The HP bar is there more to let you deal lasting damage. Filling up the posture bar lets you kill bosses quicker than depleting their HP, however if you consider that posture always regenerates, it sure feels like shit having your progress undone if you back off just a little or just die. That's why HP still exists. As posture regen speed is tied to HP, you can eventually prevent the boss from regenerating more posture than you can damage.

Ideally you won't even have to outright focus on dealing HP damage, by continually deflecting everything and attacking when possible and just being aggressive in general you can fill up their posture before getting a boss below 50% HP. Obviously by deflecting everything your Posture will fill right up and put you in the danger zone if you accidentally block instead of deflect, but the intent behind this system should be obvious by the fact that deflecting even if your Posture is full does not break your Posture and allows you to deflect basically forever. By committing more to offense and never backing off your opponent his Posture can never take the time to regenerate, but at the same time one mistimed parry will break your Posture. It's a very implicit risk and reward system.

I suggested before in this thread that having a fuller Posture bar should also let you deal more damage just to make this intent more obvious as some in this thread don't seem to understand, and to make playing aggressively more enticing, the same way nuDoom did by rewarding the player with bonus HP if they didn't try to cheese enemies from long distances.

The only bosses I really consider to have bloated HP/Posture are those where their base posture regen is much higher than one could reasonably damage, and who provide barely any opportunity to let you deal HP damage to them, with the damage even then being very minor. Owl on NG+1 with the Bell Demon is one such unpleasant experience, as is Corrupted Monk (Illusion) if you don't have the Divine Spaghetti active. Ape and Demon are a different story since they can't really block your attacks so you have to go deplete their HP instead, but at the same time Ape and Demon somewhat balance it out by having a hidden stun gauge which when filled up with enough damage temporarily stuns them and essentially allows you to deal free damage, something which usually happens twice per phase.

However, I'm not exactly fond of the Demon fight for giving you very little avenue to end the fight quicker by being aggressive because Posture doesn't apply in this fight. So even if you strike Demon where possible, it's still going to take a while, and there's very little reward for deflecting attacks because it's a miracle if the Posture bar fills up before you deplete its HP. At least the Ape fight allowed you to speed up the first phase with the fire and whistle prosthetic, and with the spear trick in the second.

 

[toro]

It's funny how people keep complaining about HP sponges, almost as if after 40 hours of gameplay they don't realize that the posture bar is the HP bar. You can end most fights in a matter of 3 minutes if you're good at the game. The only situation where "HP bloat" is a valid complaint is the bosses that don't rely on the posture bar, like Ape and Demon of Hatred.

Video or gtfo.

Spoiler

I know it's possible cause all streamers are doing it ... but I want to see you killing Isshin in less than 3 minutes without martial arts or prosthetic arts. Just skill. Like you are saying.

 

[Rivmusique]

Sword Saint is extremely aggressive once he pulls out the spear. Once you get his HP low enough to damage his posture regen for the first time (think it happens every 25%? not completely sure) you can get him to deathblow with pure defense, especially with the many thrust attacks he tries, mikiri counters are amazing.

 

[Sentinel]

It's funny how people keep complaining about HP sponges, almost as if after 40 hours of gameplay they don't realize that the posture bar is the HP bar. You can end most fights in a matter of 3 minutes if you're good at the game. The only situation where "HP bloat" is a valid complaint is the bosses that don't rely on the posture bar, like Ape and Demon of Hatred.

Video or gtfo.

Spoiler

I know it's possible cause all streamers are doing it ... but I want to see you killing Isshin in less than 3 minutes without martial arts or prosthetic arts. Just skill. Like you are saying.

Why would you set retarded conditions like "no martial arts" or "no prosthetics"? The game gives you tools - use them, you fucking dumbass. Don't complain about a fucking HP sponge when you refuse to use the tools the game gives you. Jesus Christ.

This is like complaining 4 Kings is retardedly difficult when you're running a Power Within build with 99 Endurance but refusing to use it.

 

[Ivan]

What are yall's thoughts on Kuro's Charm?

Is it too much that mis-timed deflections cost HP? Is is that a fair handicap to have over the player? O'Rin of the Water is kicking my ass with her awkward attack pattern and timing.

 

[cvv]

What are yall's thoughts on Kuro's Charm?

Is it too much that mis-timed deflections cost HP? Is is that a fair handicap to have over the player? O'Rin of the Water is kicking my ass with her awkward attack pattern and timing.

I think it's a great challenge idea. Orin is not that bad, you just have to avoid her long spammy combo, or at least part of it. All her other attacks are easy to defend and her jump-twirl attack with a subsequent sweep is super easy to abuse for a head jump.

 

[Durandal]

What are yall's thoughts on Kuro's Charm?

Is it too much that mis-timed deflections cost HP? Is is that a fair handicap to have over the player? O'Rin of the Water is kicking my ass with her awkward attack pattern and timing.

I'm doing a no-Kuro's Charm run right now, and I think it's whatever. It's not going to fundamentally shake up how you approach the game or how you approach deflecting. You either try to deflect everything or you try to be more careful. All it does is punish you more for not doing it perfectly, but it doesn't feel as rewarding to go with it as the timings for deflects are super arbitrary which need to be memorized the hard way anyways. If the deflect timing was telegraphed consistently or if deflecting was super rewarding like nailing perfect parries in Metal Gear Rising than this might have been a great tool to up your game, but as it stands having to suffer HP damage because you missed the 26th deflect in a row out of 25 perfect deflects with a 0.2s margin, then it's more an annoyance than anything.

 

[Sentinel]

Part 2 of Miyazaki interview: https://www.frontlinejp.net/2018/06...ce-interview-with-director-miyazaki-part-2-2/

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – Interview with Director Miyazaki (Part 2/2)

The latest (14th June) issue of Famitsu includes an interview with Miyazaki Hidetaka regarding From Software’s new game, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, of which he is director.

Part 1 of the interview can be found here

『SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE』フロム・ソフトウェアが放つ完全新作を大特集！　宮崎英高ディレクターにも直撃!!【先出し週刊ファミ通】 https://t.co/885EX9C68n pic.twitter.com/X4qMd1RTRn

— ファミ通.com (@famitsu) June 12, 2018

The interviewer brings up how the player character is fixed, which Miyazaki acknowledges as a first for himself, but also a way that the title is made fresh. The narrative themes would be hard to portray without a fixed player character, and while he hopes that players will be enjoy this, he also says that Sekiro is not a story-centric game; While the story does revolve around the characters, the general stance towards the story outside of that is no different from their previous games. Miyazaki thinks up the base plot himself, and makes adjustments with the aid of another staff member, and while he does oversee it, the majority of the actual text is written by that staff member. This is the first time he is not writing the text in a title he is directing, and he thinks that since his prose can be unique, this will be another way in which the title will be fresh.

The interview next moves on to the characters. Miyazaki says that the protagonist is an elite ninja, a lone wolf who works for no particular faction and is perpetually calm, showing no emotion. However his master the prince is taken from him, one of his arms is cut off, and he is killed. The story starts with him losing everything, and then being “revived” by a one-armed monk, and getting a prosthetic ninja arm. His primary motives are to rescue the prince, vengeance against the man who cut off his arm, and unravelling the mystery of the revivals. The prince is a boy, who is also lonely like the protagonist, and a key person to the story, whom Miyazaki says is a type of character he has not written before.

The gameplay is discussed next. Miyazaki says that there are three parts to the action design in Sekiro: Grappling hooks, sword fighting, and “killing smart”. The grappling hook allows for vertical movement which makes exploring three-dimensional maps more fun, and also gives the player access to more dynamic movement, and thus more options in battle. The sword fighting is “ninja-like”, where the player is constantly side by side with death, looking for an opening. Finally, “killing smart” refers to how the game gives the player multiple options to deal with adversity, allowing for a wide range of approaches, allowing them to use weapons, powers, or the environment. Killing smartly is an important theme in Sekiro, a way to give players a way to enjoy the satisfaction of overcoming difficult challenges. It is a game where, if you are bad at the action, you can find another way. It is still possible to take on challenges head-on, but since there are other ways, the combat is now even harder.

There being multiple approaches is also applied to the level design: Finding enemies does not necessarily mean combat, as the player can do things like approach from above and watch enemies. This was done to give players time to plan what to do. It is even possible to eavesdrop on some enemies, which gives the player hints on how to find a more effective approach.

The player’s main options are the sword, grappling hook, and ninja tools. The tools especially contribute to the player’s options, and there is a wide array comprising of things like shurikens, hidden axes, and firecrackers. For example, the firecrackers can startle animals, and can have a huge effect is used right. There are also several especially impressive tools that Miyazaki says he hopes players will enjoy. The player can equip multiple tools, and has to choose which to use.

The interviewer asks if there will be RPG-like character growth mechanics, and Miyazaki answers that while they will be in the game, as it is an action adventure game and not an RPG, they will be different, and says that more information will be available later. The interviewer then remarks that the grappling hook seems that it will make the action in the game more “speedy”, to which Miyazaki says that it would be more accurate to say that it makes the action more “dynamic” due to the player being able to use it in battle. Miyazaki also says that the grappling hook also goes well with giant enemies, meaning players will be able to experience boss fights like never before.

When asked about the structure of the world, Miyazaki says that it is close to the first Dark Souls, with complex three-dimensional maps being seamlessly connected (aside from a handful of exceptions), with the player being able to choose which way to advance. The grappling hook also makes exploration more fun. All of the areas are said to be “Japanese-style” and “colourful”.

The interviewer brings up the lack of online play features, and Miyazaki says that multiplayer components were a limitation that when removed allowed them to make a specialised single player experience, which they thought would be fitting for the title, like the fixed player character.

They next discuss the revival system. Miyazaki says that the system allows the player to come back to life by using up a certain resource, and was thought up because while death being close by, and actual death is important to a ninja’s battles, dying and retrying too many times can worsen the tempo of the game. The revival system is a way for them to balance out keeping battles tense with the threat of death with the time taken to retry from a game over. Revival also plays a part in the story, and can be used in tactical ways like having an enemy think they killed the player only to be assassinated from behind when they revive. Currently, one revive per life is guaranteed while further ones consume resources, but they are still making adjustments to this. Miyazaki also emphasises that the revival system is being balanced so as to not stop being death from feeling like a threat, and that lowering the difficulty or desensitising the player to death is not a goal; They want to balance having a tense atmosphere with an appropriate tempo. They are currently in the process of using penalties and limitations to make this happen. He also says that while they are not yet at a point where he can talk about specifics, he thinks that there are especially severe penalties that can be imposed on the player because of the existence of the revival system.

The interviewer asks about how hard the game will be, and Miyazaki says that while it is possible for the player to make the game harder than ever before, they can also use other methods to overcome obstacles. They are balancing the game so that they do not disappoint players who want a tough challenge, but can also let as many people as possible gain the joy of overcoming adversity. It is not just hard, but they are not thinking of making it easy.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is to be released on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC in early 2019.

 

[Rivmusique]

What are yall's thoughts on Kuro's Charm?

Is it too much that mis-timed deflections cost HP? Is is that a fair handicap to have over the player? O'Rin of the Water is kicking my ass with her awkward attack pattern and timing.

There's a really neat trick for O'Rin on a charmless one.

Spoiler

run away and just fight Corrupted Monk instead

This game really missed a trick with it's too frequent Idol and teleporting from the start. With the grapple, seems to me there was lots of potential for unlocking shortcuts by opening windows or cutting down branches etc. to create new grapple points. Like Ashina Castle, you could just have that one Idol at the gates then remove the two on the way to the top but have both floors (Antechamber, Dojo) have a window you open from the inside, as well as something that lets you grapple straight up there from the rooftops near the Gate/stairs after you went the long way round the side for the first time. I feel like getting those neat shortcuts that lets you use the same "base" checkpoint to progress through multiple "stages" makes you feel how the world connects much more than just having checkpoint every 5 minutes, and this From game definitely has the least of those (none?).

 

[toro]

What are yall's thoughts on Kuro's Charm?

Is it too much that mis-timed deflections cost HP? Is is that a fair handicap to have over the player? O'Rin of the Water is kicking my ass with her awkward attack pattern and timing.

She has a pattern. I've described it earlier in this thread.

First time it took me 2 hours to beat her, second time it took me 2 tries to beat her.

 

[Lutte]

Video or gtfo.
I know it's possible cause all streamers are doing it ... but I want to see you killing Isshin in less than 3 minutes without martial arts or prosthetic arts. Just skill. Like you are saying.

IMHO a video of his first kill attempts would be more telling as to how much his posturing is real.
Here's Lobos first run.


Or distortion2's first run :


They're both pretty good speedrunners, distortion2 is the current Shura path world record holder. Yet it took them quite a while to get their first successful kill on Isshin.
Those first blind playthrough streams are more representative of what it's like when you first meet Isshin rather than whatever video someone would upload after multiple runs of the game or hours of repeated learning on Isshin with fight reset on purpose when getting successful.
Like you I could do Genichiro + Isshin's first phase without taking any damage after repeatedly dying to the spear phase. I'm sure if I kept long enough at the game and did the fight again I could build the muscle memory to handle him in a few minutes but that's meaningless? Like, of course you can do something really well when you repeat it for hours and reset the fight if he's dying just to experience it again. That's not representative of the hardship of meeting a boss and just wanting to end the game.

 

[toro]

...snip ...

Don't mind me. I agree with you.

It's funny how people keep complaining about HP sponges, almost as if after 40 hours of gameplay they don't realize that the posture bar is the HP bar. You can end most fights in a matter of 3 minutes if you're good at the game. The only situation where "HP bloat" is a valid complaint is the bosses that don't rely on the posture bar, like Ape and Demon of Hatred.

However feel free to explain to TheSentinel why that's the case. According to him if you have problems with Isshin then you are shit