After many years of wondering whatDark Soulswould look like if it went Eastern, it was Team Ninja viaNioh, and notFromSoftware, that gave us the first look at a Japan-based soulslike. Nioh was a welcome surprise even with its shortcomings, and I am excited forNioh 2, however the announcement ofSekirodid stir in me the yearning for some souls signatures in Asian garb.
10 Things I want from Sekiro Shadows Die Twice
In this article, I explore what I want to get fromSekiro Shadows Die Twice, after knowing how Nioh went, and from the perspective of a loyal souls player that was surprised to learn of the “Action” tag.
10. Detail
As game budgets get larger, so do the environments in which we play these games.AC: OdysseyandRDR2are recent examples of enormous landscapes with native flora, fauna, and hundreds of NPCs with their own schedules. Nobody is expecting Sekiro to deliver the scale of these games, but I do want to see more detail. FromSoftware has always provided excellent level design in terms of traversing and atmosphere, however I feel like they have relied a bit too much on the copy and paste of assets, creating “full” environments that are lacking the functionality you would see in a real-worldlocation. Now that From is using their own history as a canvas, I’d like to see the hints of ongoing life withoutAshina Castle Grounds. I want to feel that the place has been repurposed but you can still see its original function.
9. Graphics Performance on all Platforms
FromSoftware has previously struggled with framerate issues and low performance on certain platforms.Combat is an integral part of Sekiro, and sinceDark Souls 3delivered a great experience across consoles and PCs, I would like this to remain the case. Frame rate and performance are intrinsic to an action game, and givenDevil May Cry 5is coming out almost at the same time, From better bring their A game to this party.
8. Moderated Patching
Sekiro might be a single player game, but we all know that FromSoftware is known for bringing down the nerf hammer with its full possible weight. There’s little more disappointing than seeing abuildyou made be nerfed into oblivion because someone was abusing it at PvP or one boss was too weak to it. ForSekiro Patches, I want the devs to commit to their day one experience, given the limitations placed on builds, and don’t take away my toys after launch.
7. NPC Questlines
We already have confirmation thatSekiro will feature NPC questlines, and it was implied players can opt to help them or not. As one of the most interesting aspects of the souls games, I am really excited to see how NPC quest progression may develop, and what possible impacts it can have on the game’s confirmedmultiple endings.
6. Collectibles
Not necessarily something like finding 10 feathers for the sake of it, but I do enjoy a good and rewarding Treasure Hunt. Bloodborne introduced Lore Notes and Dark Souls 3 initially had something similar called “epitaphs”, but they were removed for the full release. It would be wonderful ifSekiro kept the notes we know are already present, and implemented them so what you read and know may be incorporated into NPC dialogues, or even unlocking secret passages. SinceEavesdroppingis a thing- could that be one of its purposes?
5. Customization & Builds
Whilst we weretoldthat Skins and Outfits were not going to happen, I hold out hope that perhaps they could be introduced in late development or even post-launch, as Nioh did with many of its Skins and Multiplayer features. Being able to create a seal for your clan, or determine your clan colors, could be a simple but effective way to give me more ownership of the character and the quest. Further, I really hope that there’s a wide variety ofskillsto pick from, similar to Nioh’s Skill Tree, as it gave me a reason to look deeper into the mechanics and do some customizing to match my approach to battle.
4. Epic Bosses Souls Style
If there is something that Souls has never disappointing at, is making the process of finding, meeting and defeating a boss a rewarding and satisfying experience. Whilst we all had our beef with Defiled Amygdala’s proportions, the previewedCorrupted Monkand older lady set the tone for refined and intense bosses that create memorable battles. Can you recall your God of War boss battles? Yeah, neither can I. But I sure can remember how I tuck tail and ran from the Asylum Demon, or how many times I had to run back to Aldrich. I want that experience withSekiro Bosses, and I want it to be even better than Bloodborne!
3. Asynchronous Features
This may be me just in the bargaining stage of grief for the loss of multiplayer, but I would really, really love to see some asynchronous features implemented into the game. Seeing player ghosts, interacting with bloodstains and leaving messages was a huge part of what make souls successful as a “community game”. Sekiro could incorporate similar features such as a global boss kill counter, death ratio, most used weapons, etc. If indie games likeSalt and Sanctuarycan find ways, so can From!
2. Challenges, Arena, Scores
Whilst Sekiro is a single player experience and not a typical action game with pre-defined set levels that end with a score screen, it would be nice to see them incorporate some of the extras of other actions games such as DMC. Challenge Arenas, for example, are a great way to provide players with extra activities and conditions that prolongue the game’s lifespan and extendreplayability just like NG+ can. Given Sekiro won’t have any difficulty modes, an optional Boss Rush Arena seems like the perfect way to bring a dungeon-crawler classic to this action title.
1. Secrets, Unlocks, Surprises!
Some of the best moments in my gaming memories revolve around the discovery ofhidden detailswithin games. These are not necessarily times I personally discover something, but rather when unknown individuals within the large souls fanbase come forth with some earth-shattering information, such as “you may use this ring I found in an obscure dungeon to propose marriage to this NPC”. Gaming as a whole has changed, and nowadays early copies reveal a lot of information early, but FromSoftware seems to be keeping their cards close to their chest, and I hope they can keep this up and give us all an opportunity to unlock thesecrets of Sekiroat launch.
If you enjoyed this article be sure to read more Sekiro content in ourSekiro: Sengoku Meets Dark Souls Interview With From: Weapons, Armor, Resurrection. You also read nextSekiro: Shadows Die Twice Interview Talks About Balance, New IP And More. You also visit ourSekiro wikiso you don’t miss a thing.
