I’ve played many games in 2019, from the puzzle genre (Baba Is You) to card games (Slay the Spire) to action FPS (Void Bastards). One game stands to be the best for me, personally. This game features a feudal Japan aesthetic, which I love, but also impeccable gameplay.
TDC’s top game of 2019, is Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
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A short preface—the only other FromSoftware game I’ve beaten is Dark Souls. Right off the bat, the story in Sekiro is much more coherent than that of Dark Souls. You play as a shinobi in the midst of a war for immortality, fighting for his master—simple and straightforward.
Like I mentioned, I’m a big fan of Japan, but I’m a bigger fan of a good game with fluid and responsive controls. Playing as Sekiro makes you feel like you’re an actual shinobi. The animation in this game really flows well between traversing with a grappling hook and slicing through enemies.
Parrying feels satisfying, along appropriate sparks and sounds. The enemies’ and bosses’ moves are almost always telegraphed with sufficient time for you to react to. This is, of course, after you’ve died countless number of times and start to understand the patterns. Once you’ve gotten into the rhythm though, defeating a boss will make you feel like a boss.
There are myriad ways to approach a battle. You can take advantage of the several prosthetic attachments that you find throughout the world, and quickly learn that certain prosthetics are better in different situations. You can also approach a battle sneakily, like a true ninja, taking to the shadows or finding spots of cover for an ambush.
Overall, this is a game that will reward you for having patience and trying to learn from your mistakes. There were definitely times where I put my controller down in a fit of frustration, ruminating on my defeat. These were necessary and a good thing, I think, otherwise I’d never get any real world things done. At the same time, I would’ve never finished this game if I didn’t get better at it every time I died twice.
If you’re thinking about getting the game, it’s on sale right now! Check out the best place to get Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Hesitation is defeat.