Sekiro: Hard Like a Fox

I loved to hate Sekiro. The moment to moment combat, the fluidity of movement. The ability to traverse through levels like a total ninja bad ass, grappling across rooftops with the agility of a cat. The game just felt tight. Then... oh boy... then I'd get to a boss battle. 

The normal boss loop would look something like this.

• 1st attempt – completely housed by the boss. How the hell am I ever supposed to beat this guy. No human can do this.
• 2nd - 10th attempt – hmm, ok I get a few hits in.  I'm starting to see a pattern 
• A few attempts before the final – oh crap, I was so close!  If I hadn't messed up that block! 
• Final – whipped the boss, barely lost any life.  How did I think this was hard? 

With very few exceptions, I could always see where my mistake was before I died.  I never blamed the controls, or the game being unfair.  (There are a few places where the camera is just awful.  One in particular against a one armed ninja in a cave that was just a bear).

Sekiro is the latest game from the developer From Software, and specifically the creator Hidetaka Miyazaki. From and Miyazaki are well known from their tough as nails approach to video games.  Demon Souls, and Dark Souls games are notorious for their difficulty and player hostile worlds.  Having played all of the Dark Souls, as well Bloodbourn games, I found Sekiro to be the most forgiving in that area. In many Dark Souls games, the path just to get to a boss can be fraught with danger. Here, there is almost always a save point right before a boss battle

Another thing From is known for is it's cryptic style of storytelling.  Relying on lore, item descriptions, and (usually) indecipherable cut scenes to deliver it's tale. This has led to a fervent community of people who comb through the games, piecing together clues and filling in the gaps to the world lore. Once again, I found Sekiro to be one of the most approachable in terms of story.  Cut scenes make sense, there is a through line that can easily be followed, and endings that makes sense.  That's not to say there isn't lore hidden throughout the world, but you don't need to watch 40 YouTube videos to make sense of the overarching plot.

Now, just because I'm saying this game is more accessible than previous From Software games, that does not mean they are accessible in general. Not everything is spoon fed to you, and some systems in the game are not tutorialized and left for you to figure out (I'm looking at you Dragon Rot). The difficulty of the game led for some to ask for an "easy" mode.  From has made no concessions to players who might be handicapped and cannot physically play the game The "souls" subculture has many people who love to help beginners, and enjoy digging into the rich lore of the game, but there is a vocal minority who wear the games difficulty as a badge, and you can imagine the backlash to the requests for an easy mode.  For these players, the mere existence of an easier mode would "ruin the game". They suggested you "Git gud" and stop requesting a "baby mode".  I won't delve into the topic much more, other than to say this. From Software is allowed to make the game as hard, or user hostile as it would like. Players are allowed to ask for an easier mode, and those same players can vote with their dollars if they don't get it. Regardless, no one group is entitled to anything. That goes for the hardcore "git gud" players, or those wanting the game easier.

Personally, I found the games challenge to be rewarding and absolutely intense. I have not felt the agony of defeat or the joy of victory in a video game for many years. This is not the norm for me. I don't play games for the challenge, but for the story. As a father, my play time is limited. I want games that respect my time. Sekiro just happened to hit a sweet spot where it was fun to figure out these fights, rather than tedious.  The combat system is so fluid, and nuanced that it allows for different tactics and strategy in battle. Some of the battles felt more like a fighting game than an action game. Sometimes a (seemingly) throwaway line from an NPC earlier in an area, will pay off as a hint to a boss battle (did you know firecrackers scare horses?).

Sekiro was a gem of a game to play, the low system requirements on PC made it so I could play even on battery power with high settings. The art assets in the game are jaw droppingly beautiful, and render feudal japan in stunning detail.  I will concede that the difficulty will turn off some players, and I do not begrudge them that. Normally, I'm right there. Sekiro, though, rewards time and patience, and you can feel yourself getting better as the game progresses. I am rooting for some DLC, as I'm already itching to get back in there and die some more.