When Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was first teased at The Game Awards 2017, many of us expected the same Souls-like action that From Software was known for. Following its reveal at E3 2018, though, this isn’t quite the case. Set in a fantastical version of Feudal Japan, Sekiro focuses on an old samurai battling a mysterious foe who took his arm. Fortunately, a prosthetic arm with trick weapons is provided to the samurai, and he journeys to rescue his young lord.
However, Sekiro also provides a mechanic we haven’t seen in Dark Souls or Bloodborne: the ability to resurrect. This means you don’t have to respawn at the nearest checkpoint, but can continue fighting even after death right where you died, at times catching enemies unawares. There’s a concern that this might make the experience easier, but game director Hidetaka Miyazaki believes otherwise.
Speaking to PlayStation Blog, Miyazaki said, “There are three ways death influences Sekiro. For the gameplay purposes of keeping the flow good and being able to have this risky situation, to be able to use it creatively, and also that the story centers around the concept of resurrection.
“There’s one thing I’d like to make sure isn’t misunderstood: the resurrection system was not introduced to make the game easier. If anything, it actually can make the game harder because it allows us to push the edge of risky combat where the player can die at any moment.”
Essentially, you won’t just waltz into every battle expecting an easy time. “Just because you have this resurrection mechanic, it doesn’t mean the player won’t be afraid of death,” said Miyazaki. Interestingly, according to Miyazaki, the resurrection system is also “not yet 100 percent final.”
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is currently scheduled for release in early 2019. It’s coming to Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
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