SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE Completion Thoughts
I recently started playing FromSoftware's SEKIRO and have successfully cleared it and obtained the Platinum trophy.
It is the well-known winner of the "Game of the Year" award at The Game Awards 2019.
How I came to play it
Since around last month, I've been unofficially calling it my "FromSoftware Intensive Month," playing through their titles like Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3, and Elden Ring (including the additional DLC) without a break. As part of that, I decided I had to play SEKIRO, which I hadn't touched back in 2019, so I went to Yodobashi Akiba, bought the PS4 physical version (GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION), and started playing. By the way, it seems the standard digital version on PS4 is more expensive than the GOTY edition.
Thoughts after clearing
Once I started playing, it was so much fun that I lost track of time and couldn't stop! It's embarrassing that I called myself a game lover while skipping such an amazing action game!
I was terrified before playing because it's known for having a very high difficulty level, but once I actually played it, there weren't any moments that were soul-crushingly difficult; I felt the difficulty was set perfectly. Above all, the presentation when you perform a Shinobi Deathblow on a boss is cool, and it's wonderful to get that perfect sense of catharsis every time.
Unlike the Souls series, power-leveling (in other words, cheating) doesn't generally work, so you are engaged in a serious battle in the truest sense. It was a game that fully tested the player's skill, and it was incredibly rewarding.
Also, while you are naturally forced to retry boss fights many times, every time I was defeated, I could properly analyze myself, thinking things like "my movement there wasn't good" or "that attack was too hasty." The more I played, the more I understood the attack patterns and optimal strategies, which gave me confidence. This "SEKIRO method" of being able to clearly feel your own growth was wonderful.
Although the number of uses is limited, the actions combined with Shinobi Prosthetic tools were also exceptionally satisfying. The umbrella, in particular, was very useful as it increased the success rate of deflections and allowed me to instantly nullify powerful attacks. I feel like clearing the game would have been much further off if I hadn't had the umbrella.
Until Trophy Completion
I was able to get the Platinum trophy in about 68 hours. I played through to the 4th playthrough to collect all four types of endings.
From the 2nd playthrough onwards, the enemies get stronger with each cycle, so it has a different nuance than a so-called "New Game Plus." However, it was a pleasure to play in a state of complete composure, such as easily defeating Lady Butterfly in one go—a boss I had to retry dozens of times in the first playthrough—and not having many accidents on the way.
However, the final boss is still strong no matter how many playthroughs you do. I struggled quite a bit even on the 4th playthrough.
It was also in my 2nd playthrough that I realized the optimal solution for the second phase of the Headless Ape fight was to use Firecrackers to stun the second ape that cuts in and chip away at its posture all at once. SEKIRO is a game where you can make new discoveries even after the 2nd playthrough.
Thank you, FromSoftware, for such a great game.
Now I can look forward to the release of Elden Ring: Night Rain the day after tomorrow with peace of mind. I'm really looking forward to that one too.
P.S.
I want to try the Malenia fight in Elden Ring again with the "Deflect" system from SEKIRO.