Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a single-player action adventure from FromSoftware. You play the shinobi Wolf, who after a devastating defeat wants to bring back his kidnapped young lord. The world combines a Japanese setting inspired by the late Sengoku era with supernatural enemies and a structure clearly tailored to movement, exploration and direct duels.

Instead of classic character classes, a firmly defined protagonist takes center stage. Wolf fights with his katana, uses a grappling hook for vertical routes and expands his arm prosthetic with tools that open new attacks and tactical options. FromSoftware reported more than ten million copies sold worldwide in 2023.

Sekiro was released worldwide on Mar 22, 2019 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC. PC store data may show a different timestamp depending on region; for the worldwide release, FromSoftware gives Mar 22, 2019.

On Oct 28, 2020, a free major update followed, later marketed as Game of the Year content. Among other things, it added replays of already defeated bosses, the Gauntlets of Strength, unlockable outfits and the so-called Remnants. Owners of the base game received this content without a separate DLC purchase.

The original release covers Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. According to PlayStation, the PS4 version is also playable on PS5 via backward compatibility; however, this does not make it a standalone native PS5 version.

On PC, Sekiro is still sold through Steam. The three platform versions share the same base game and the free GOTY additions, but differ in store and platform details.

The core of the combat system is not simply wearing down a health bar, but breaking the enemy's posture. Precise blocks and counters push the posture bar up until a deathblow becomes possible. This way, Sekiro rewards offensive rhythm and clean reactions more than passive dodging.

Outside direct duels, you can take out or get past enemies by sneaking. The grappling hook creates fast vertical routes through castles, rooftops and rocky landscapes. Prosthetic tools such as shuriken or flame attachments expand Wolf's options and can throw certain enemies off balance. Resurrection gives you a second chance mid-fight in many situations, but it is tied to clear resources and rules.

Sekiro has no classic paid story expansion. The most important later content came into the base game directly with the free Game of the Year update from October 2020.

These include Reflection of Strength for repeat boss fights, the Gauntlet of Strength boss series, three unlockable costumes and Remnants, which can show short movement recordings and hints from other players in the world. A physical GOTY version for PS4 released in Japan bundled these expansions, but it is not a standalone new game.

On PC, the Steam product page still lists the game's historical requirements. Minimum: Intel Core i3-2100 or AMD FX-6300, 4 GB RAM, GeForce GTX 760 or Radeon HD 7950, DirectX 11 and 25 GB of free storage. Recommended: Core i5-2500K or Ryzen 5 1400, 8 GB RAM and a GTX 970 or RX 570.

The older Windows versions mentioned there come from the original game requirements. For a current installation, you also need to take into account the current requirements of the Steam client.