Sorry about the formatting. I'm trying to make it so it's just not a wall of text.

Gonna try my first review here. So just to get this out of the way, I don't think this is a souls game (for context, Bloodborne and Elden Ring is). There is of course similarities, but my argument for now is; there is no patches. So if souls games isn't for you, maybe Sekiro is.

• Setting/story/characters/music. At first the old japanese setting didn't click with me, but I grew to love it. Hell, I even got back into old samurai/ninja movies, which has served as a great companion pieces between gaming sessions. This really feels like a old japanese legend. The story is simple, but effective. The characters are good and distinctive, eventhough they are not that "deep". The protagonist Wolf is just the definition of cool. He is not talkative, doesn't have any lame one liners or anything like that, but rather has a silent dignity that i aprreciate. I recommend playing it in japanese, because I just think it works better with the setting. The music feels a bit underwhelming at first (compared to the bombastic nature of the souls games music), but you will quickly grow to love the music. It's also 110% japanese which makes it all the cooler.

• World/level design and movement.

Moving around just feels so good. It's fast and responsive. I feel like a lot of games are very horisontal and flat (for example Fable 1 which my GF is playing now), but in this you have to look up and down as much as left and right. You have a grappling hook as well, which means more platforming (hot tip, hold x when approaching ledges) which again, is nicely done. It's never that hard or tedious imo. The levels themselves are packed with stuff and secrets, and the world itself connects nicely enough. Some places will change when you reach certain parts in the story, some argue it's lazy cause "reusing assets", I however will argue that it works well, cause it follows the drama of the main story.

• Combat

This is where I think it's clear that it's not a souls game. In most action or souls games, the dodge button is your best friend. I feel that in many games you are always "on the run" or avoiding attacks. Basically, you are being hunted rather than being the hunter. Which of course, is fine. But this is where Sekiro is different and truly shines. I will not go in complete detail on how the combat works, as it just became too much text, but here is a brief version.

The game is built around deflection. The deflect mechanic works like this, someone tries to hit you, you deflect their attacks. You can almost deflect everything (except some attacks, but the game will warn you when enemies are using these). This means that you face enemies head on. You are constantly switching between being defensive and offensive. The game's motto is "hesitation is defeat", and this is really true. You also need to be the hunter, and not the other way around.

The enemies and bosses also feels very alive, with a lot of personality. They will react to your every move, so even your distance or what you decide to deflect/dodge will trigger different responses, which means that you can't really go on autopilot. You have to be engaged and focused. It's fast, I would argue tactical and it becomes very intuitive. It actually feels like real swordplay and it's the best combat I've experienced in any game.

• Difficulty/progression.

Now, this is a difficult game. A very difficult game. Atleast in the beginning. When it clicks and you start to master it, it will not be so bad, but the journey there can feel discouraging. It's always challenging, but I never found it unfair. Some jankiness here and there, but most deaths are your fault, which I personally like. I hate when it's the other way around, or unbalanced. If you are going into the game, I would recommend looking up some tips and tricks and only use a walkthrough when you have tried all possible paths.

I used around 30 hours to complete it. Many claim it's a too short, but I think it's a suitable length. I don't see what more they could have done without making it feel stale. It's short and sweet, and the definition of less is more.

There is sooo much I want to say about it, but hopefully some of the things will be discussed in the comments.

Tldr; Sekiro is fun as fuck, maybe from softs greatest achievement. 10/10, go play it.

Thanks for reading!