Even though it won’t be directly connected to either the Dark Souls or Bloodborne series’, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will continue developer FromSoftware’s established status quo of giving players a formidable challenge. In fact, if recent comments from the game’s developer are to be believed, Sekiro will be even more challenging than any of the FromSoftware games that came before it.
One of the various ways in which Sekiro will differentiate itself from other FromSoftware titles is its unique resurrection mechanic. When a Sekiro player is killed, they’ll be able to resurrect themselves on the exact spot where they died, allowing them to get the jump on any nearby enemies (ideally the one that landed the killing blow).
When this unique resurrection mechanic was revealed, fans worried that it would trivialize the game’s combat difficulty. However, while speaking with GameSpot during a recent E3 interview, FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki (who is also serving as Sekiro’s game director) reassured fans of the studio’s commitment towards game difficulty that their fears are unfounded:
“We think the level of enjoyment is going to really vary and be very broad from player to player. If you are that player who likes to take their time and carefully piece things together and learn the enemies’ weaknesses and positioning, and observe everything, you’re going to have a great time. It’s that sense of discovery as you explore the three-dimensional maps–you’re going to find something, maybe a new prosthetic tool that makes you think, ‘Hey, why don’t I use this against that enemy?’ When that clicks and when it works, that’s going to be the sense of satisfaction for that player.
Whereas the other [player] who just likes to rush in there, go katana-on-katana and feel that blade-to-blade, blow-by-blow gameplay, they’re going to feel that intensity. They’re going to get that really high level challenge that’s probably even more challenging than previous From games. So we feel everyone’s going to be able to have something to suit them.”
Another way in which Sekiro will challenge players is via the fact that they won’t have anyone to rely upon during combat encounters but themselves. Unlike previous FromSoftware games, Sekiro won’t have any sort of multiplayer component, so if a particular boss enemy is giving you a tough time, calling in a friend to help sadly won’t be an option.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is set to release for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC sometimes in 2019.