Not content with delivering intense medieval action RPGs with Dark Souls or nightmare-inducing cosmic horror with Bloodborne, FromSoftware has released Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Set in the Sengoku period of Japanese history, this action-adventure title promises a formidable challenge to all who take it on.

FromSoftware has become one of the leading developers of breathtaking worlds and exciting, brutal combat. For this reason, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has been on the radar of many. After all, the gaming world needs more new intellectual property, and there is great interest in whether FromSoftware can continue their impressive streak of releases in new settings.

Against this backdrop, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will leave some players with a lot to do. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about this action title.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Release Date and Development

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice could surprise many unsuspecting aspiring players. After all, the game’s release date is set for March 22, 2019, as part of a very busy start to 2019. The game will be released for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, so Nintendo Switch owners will have to switch to another console. If you want Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was first announced at the 2017 Game Awards, and development reportedly began in 2015 after FromSoftware completed work on additional content for Bloodborne. But the biggest announcement came during E3 2018, when Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice made headlines with a major trailer as part of Microsoft’s press conference. The game was also playable at the Expo, which led to a positive first impression of the title.

However, the exact quality of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will only be known once the title is already released. Publisher Activision has confirmed that test codes for Sekiro won’t be sent out until launch, meaning that anyone looking to pick up the game at launch will have to take a leap of faith when it comes to quality.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Setting and Story

From Software brings major changes to the setting and story. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is set in a reimagined version of Japan’s Warring States period, a period of history marked by turmoil, unrest, and war between various factions vying for power.

In this setting sits the character of a shinobi who has sworn to protect a young lord. After a brutal attack leads to the lord being kidnapped, players become the “One-Armed Wolf,” who loses an arm and is fitted with a prosthetic arm that has abilities such as a grappling hook. From there, players must track down the kidnapped lord and take revenge on those responsible.

It’s certainly an interesting change compared to From Software’s most recent games: whereas Dark Souls and (especially) Bloodborne had deeper text input and more vague plot developments during the game, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice seems to have a more direct and obvious story to resolve.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Gameplay and Combat

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice doesn’t just feel different from a narrative perspective. Gameplay-wise, there are some similarities between this title and previous FromSoftware games, but it’s fair to say that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice plays a little differently.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice puts a lot of emphasis on combat, and rightly so. However, combat in the game is less about depleting health bars and more about breaking down your opponent’s stance. Swordplay in this title is all about poise and balance, with victory achieved when you break through your opponent’s guard and free them up for the final battle.

In addition to these combat improvements, there are some other key changes: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice gives characters more movement; players can move around using grappling hooks, bringing more verticality to the action, and there’s stealth mechanics to add variety, which was well received in the gameplay preview.

How Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is Different From Dark Souls

Despite the gameplay optimizations mentioned above, there is one major difference that separates Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice from games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne. In fact, the biggest change in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice compared to FromSoftware’s other recent games is the removal of RPG mechanics.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an action game at heart. There are no RPG elements such as character creation or leveling up, as would be expected in a game that appears to have a more linear focus. There is no leveling system or weapon upgrades aside from the prosthetic gadget, which means that FromSoftware has to decide exactly how they want to play the game.

With the RPG elements removed and character movement and combat tweaked, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice looks like a very different experience for returning Dark Souls and Bloodborne players, and hopefully these gameplay changes will be well-received as tweaks to FromSoftware’s strong formula.

The Roots of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a new product from FromSoftware, but it follows another video game series that has been on hiatus for some time. The Tenchu ​​game series, well known to PlayStation gamers, served as the source of inspiration for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and FromSoftware has experience with it.

Originally developed by Acquire and published by Activision, the publishing part of the Tenchu ​​series was eventually taken over by FromSoftware. In fact, there was some debate about whether Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice would fit into the Tenchu ​​series. After all, there are similarities in both the setting and gameplay. However, it seems FromSoftware has decided to start over.

Still, it will be exciting to see if there are any connections between Tenchu ​​and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Finally, given the popularity of Tenchu ​​despite the series’ silence in recent years, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were a few nods to Tenchu ​​in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice to keep fans entertained.

Here we cover everything players need to know about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice before the game’s release. Reviews won’t be available until some time after launch, so it will be interesting to see if FromSoftware continues their strong run.